63-614: Holcombe is a village in Ramsbottom ward, Metropolitan Borough of Bury , in Greater Manchester , England. It is situated south of Haslingden , east of Edgworth , west of Ramsbottom , and north of Tottington . The name comes from the Celtic cwm meaning valley, and the Old English hol , meaning deep or hollow. The village is located on the slopes of Holcombe Moor . Much of
126-574: A majority of 105 votes.However the Bury North constituency was regained by Labour in the 2024 UK general election by James Frith with 19625 votes, a majority of 6944 votes. The Ramsbottom parish formed in 1844 was a mile and a quarter in length and about three-quarters of a mile in width in the Lower Tottington township in the valley of the River Irwell that extends from Bury to Rossendale . It
189-470: A neighbouring village in the valley bottom one mile to the south. Holcombe Brook and Holcombe Village are served by local community radio station "TOWER FM 107.4fm". Holcombe also gives its name to an Annual Gamecock Show, held on New Year's Day in Ramsbottom . Since 1973, Holcombe Hall has been home to Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah , the first Islamic Darul uloom school of higher-education in
252-625: A new workhouse at Jericho opened in 1857. In 1864 the Ramsbottom Local Board of Health was formed for the Ramsbottom area in Tottington Lower End township. In 1883 parts of Elton, Tottington Higher End and Walmersley with Shuttleworth townships were added to the area of the Local Board. In 1894 the area of the Local Board became Ramsbottom Urban District . Parts of Bury Borough and Walmersley with Shuttleworth civil parish were added to
315-716: A number of Youth Training Schemes. Holy Cross College was formerly Bury Convent Grammar School. It was a direct grant Catholic girls' school founded in 1878 by the Daughters of the Cross , a congregation of religious from Liège . In 2007 it was named 7th in the country. Bury is also home to one of the UK's oldest Islamic seminaries, Darul Uloom Bury , which was established in 1979 and located in Holcombe . As of February 2004, Bury has 5 Grade I, 8 Grade II*, and 228 Grade II listed buildings. Bury
378-517: A readily available source of water power , Sir Robert Peel purchased land in Ramsbottom in the late 18th century to commence a major manufacturing career. It is this exchange that effectively founded Ramsbottom as a homogeneous settlement; the factory system , and Industrial Revolution facilitated a process of unplanned urbanisation in the area, contributing to it becoming an important and populous mill town . The Grant Arms Hotel in Market Place
441-416: A small community of families until the late 18th century. Ramsbottom developed during the 19th century as a manufacturing and mill town on the road from Bury to Haslingden by the River Irwell , its suburbs stretched south to Hazelhurst and north to Stubbins. Mills were built for spinning , weaving and printing. Square Mill was in its day innovative in combining many such processes under one roof. With
504-434: A variation on the truck system . The Grant Arms Hotel closed in 2018 and is currently being developed as offices, this has now been completed to a high standard that compliments the area. A network of roads and railways routed through Ramsbottom allowed for a series of diverse industries, including calico -printing, cotton spinning , machine-making, rope-making and iron and brass founding . Imports of foreign goods during
567-551: Is at the heart of the largest public art scheme in the UK – the Irwell Sculpture Trail . Works in the borough include Ulrich Ruckriem 's sculpture in Radcliffe, on the site of the former Outwood Colliery . Ruckreim is one of Germany's most eminent artists, best known for his monumental stone sculptures. His work at Outwood is one of his largest stone settings to date. Edward Allington 's Tilted Vase sits in Market Place in
630-504: Is bounded to the south by Holcombe Brook and Summerseat ; to the north by Edenfield , Irwell Vale , Stubbins and the hamlets of Chatterton and Strongstry ; to the west by Holcombe and to the east by Shuttleworth and Turn Village . The area is characterised by its position on the south side of the West Pennine Moors . The high ground rises sharply on either side of the town with Holcombe Moor, Harcles Hill and Bull Hill to
693-693: Is covered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford, and the Anglican Diocese of Manchester . There are four Grade I listed churches in Bury. The Church of All Saints , at Stand in Whitefield , was built in 1826. The Parish Church of St Mary, Radcliffe , is a 14th-century church with a 15th-century tower. The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich , is a 15th-century church. The current Church of St Mary
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#1733085745943756-609: Is held in the town on New Year's Day . The show was held at The Old Dun Horse from 1843 until it closed in 2010 and has since been hosted by the Ramsbottom branch of the Royal British Legion . This competitive show replaced the annual cockfight that took place in the town square after the New Year Holcome Hunt . The exhibition, organised by the Holcombe Old English Game Fowl Club, is said to be
819-440: Is improving. The council is on target to reach its Decent Homes target by 2010. The assessment concluded that the council has improved the way it uses its resources to deliver its plans, improving how it manages its finances and service performance and strengthening arrangements to make sure that it achieves good value for money. There are 60 primary schools, 13 secondary schools, 3 special schools and 2 Pupil Referral Units in
882-512: Is one of the oldest in the country. In 1617 the Holcombe Pack was taken to Hoghton Tower on the occasion of the King James I visit, when he granted the royal warrant to hunt over 12 townships, and the privilege of wearing the scarlet livery of the king. The Hunt was granted a coat of arms in 1985 the motto being "Hunting and conserving". Holcombe Hall was built in 1846 as a country house for
945-571: Is used by the East Lancashire Railway , a modern heritage railway which opened in 1987. The district straddles the A676 , A56 and B6214 roads with its centre four miles (six kilometres) north of Bury , four miles (six kilometres) south of Rawtenstall and six miles (ten kilometres) northeast of Bolton . The M66 motorway runs to the east of the town, linking it north to the M65 motorway and south to
1008-454: The 2011 census was 17,872. Historically in Lancashire , it is on the River Irwell in the West Pennine Moors , 3.9 miles (6.3 km) northwest of Bury , and 12 miles (19 km) of Manchester . Its name is believed to derive from Old English ramm and botm , meaning 'valley of the ram'. Its Victorian architecture , Pennine landscape and industrial heritage , including
1071-511: The East Lancashire Railway , contribute to heritage tourism in the town. The name either means 'ram's valley' from the Old English ramm , 'a ram' and botm , 'a valley' but could mean a 'wild garlic valley', with the first element representing the Old English hramsa meaning 'wild garlic'. A record from 1324 recording the name as Ramesbothum is inconclusive. The town was alternatively recorded as Ramysbothom in 1540. Evidence of prehistoric human activity has been discovered in
1134-482: The Lancashire League . The team has included professional players such as Seymour Nurse (West Indies), Chris Harris (New Zealand), Brad Hodge (Australia and Lancashire CCC), Ian Harvey (Australia and currently Derbyshire CCC), Ian Chappell (Australia) and Michael Clarke (Australia Captain). Its ground, close to Ramsbottom railway station , has a reputation as being one of the best and most picturesque in
1197-591: The M62 motorway and the Manchester Outer Ring Road . The skyline is dominated by the Peel Monument which stands on Holcombe Moor, a memorial to Sir Robert Peel , the 19th-century British Prime Minister and creator of the modern British police force . The tower stands 128 feet (39.0 m) tall on Holcombe Moor. There are views over West Yorkshire , North Lancashire, Greater Manchester , North Wales and
1260-462: The Aitken family, and later served as a sanatorium. In 1852, a tower was erected as a monument to Sir Robert Peel . Emmanuel Church, on Chapel Lane, was built in 1853, by Thomas Holt, on the site of an earlier chapel. It is a Grade II listed building. It gives its name to the nearby Emmanuel Church of England primary school. During the evening of 25 September 1916, Holcombe was subjected to one of
1323-571: The Borough. Overall, Bury was ranked 23rd of the all local education authorities in SATs performance and 3rd in Greater Manchester in 2006. In 2007, Bury LEA was ranked 45th out of 148 in the country – and 3rd in Greater Manchester – based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least 5 A*-C grades at GCSE including maths and English (47.8% compared with the national average of 45.8%). The schools of
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#17330857459431386-561: The Lancashire Plain. From the top of the tower it is possible to see Blackpool Tower on a clear day. Ramsbottom is on the path of the Irwell Sculpture Trail . The "Tilted Vase" by Edward Allington , a sculpture both classical in shape to reflect the surrounding buildings but apparently bolted together to reflect the old industries, is located in Market Place. This piece of work, weighing around two tons and locally known as "the Urn" or "Urnie",
1449-818: The North West of England. Ramsbottom United F.C. play in the Northern Premier League Division One North (level 8 in the Football League System ). They were crowned champions of the North West Counties League at the end of the 2011–12 season. The club's home games are played at its floodlit pitch, the Riverside Ground which has a capacity of 2,000, and is adjacent to the cricket ground. Hundreds of people climb Holcombe Hill on Good Friday . A smaller gathering keeps alive
1512-773: The Radcliffe and Egerton families and wear a red rose (for Lancashire ) and a cogwheel (for industry). The motto 'Forward in Unity' sits on a scroll under the shield. At the 2021 UK census , the Metropolitan Borough of Bury had a total population of 193,846. The population density is 1,815/km (4,700/sq mi). When the Census was taken there were 74,335 households in Bury with an average of 2.4 persons in each one. In more detail, 39.4% of households were married couples living together, 28.9% were one-person households, 8.7% were co-habiting couples and 10.7% were lone parents. Of all
1575-507: The Royal Oak (now the Oaks) pub on Bridge Street. Participants have to toss black puddings in an attempt to dislodge a stack of Yorkshire puddings on plinths on two levels (one for children, the other for adults). The winner is the one who dislodges most Yorkshire puddings in three attempts. TNT Express is found at the heart of Ramsbottom, with staff from all over Lancashire. Originally the office
1638-476: The United Kingdom, significantly lower than the national average of 9.2%. The largest minority group was recorded as Asian, at 4% of the population. The historical population table details the population change since 1801, including the percentage change since the last available census data. Although the Metropolitan Borough of Bury has only existed since 1974, figures have been generated by combining data from
1701-745: The United Kingdom. Holcombe was historically a hamlet within the township of Tottington, part of the Duchy of Lancaster . Its Pilgrim's Cross marks the position of a 12th-century wayside cross . During the Middle Ages Holcombe hosted the regular court sessions of the Royal Manor of Tottington . In the Tudor period, Holcombe had a bloomery. Holcombe is the home of the Holcombe Hunt. This pack of harriers, which has been kennelled at Holcombe for over 200 years,
1764-591: The Virgin, Bury , was built in 1876 by J. S. Crowther. Of the nine Grade II* listed buildings in Bury, two are churches: Christ Church , Walshaw and the Presbyterian Chapel in Ainsworth . There are around 6 Mosques in Bury including one of the oldest Islamic seminaries in the United Kingdom, Darul Uloom Bury , which was established in 1979 in Holcombe . The original Jewish immigrant community in Manchester
1827-566: The area compete annually in the Bury Schools Athletics Championships. The borough has two colleges of further education . Bury College , which was originally Bury Technical College. In 1974, it merged with Radcliffe Technical College to form the Bury Metropolitan College of Further Education and, in 1987, it was renamed Bury College following its merger with Peel Sixth Form College, Stand Sixth Form College and
1890-542: The area is within the BBC North West and ITV Granada regions. In 2015 the first podcast for Ramsbottom ( This is Rammy ) launched which went on to win the award for UK Best Places and Travel in the very first UK Podcasters Awards that took place in The Midland Hotel, Manchester . This is an annual awards ceremony voted for by the listeners and community behind each podcast. In 2014, a scene from A Monster Calls
1953-402: The area was represented by six other boroughs and districts: In 2006, facing a budget shortfall of over £10 million, Bury Metropolitan Council decided to sell its painting by L. S. Lowry called "A Riverbank" . The work, which depicts the River Irwell and cost £175 in 1951, was expected to fetch between £500,000 and £800,000. Between the announcement and the sale at Christie's , the council
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2016-585: The average turnout to vote was 34.3%, varying locally from 45% in North Manor ward to only 25% in Bury East. The borough falls under the Greater Manchester Combined Authority , and is represented by the council leader, Eamonn O'Brien . The entirety of the borough is unparished . The coat of arms contains symbols representing the six constituent towns, with the design based on the arms of
2079-684: The borough. The Metropolitan Borough of Bury has five twin towns, in China, France, Germany and the United States. Two of these were originally twinned with a place within the Metropolitan Borough prior to its creation in 1974. The following individuals and groups have received the Freedom of the Borough of Bury. Ramsbottom Ramsbottom is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury , Greater Manchester , England. The population at
2142-565: The centre of Ramsbottom and has become a distinctive feature of interest. There are six local nature reserves (LNRs) in the borough: At the 2021 UK census, 48.8% of people in Bury stated they were Christian . 29.4% of people stated they had no religion, 9.9% following the Muslim and 5.5% the Jewish faiths. The Jewish community in Prestwich and Whitefield is the second largest in the country. Bury
2205-619: The church was refurbished and re-ordered and dedicated in 1994. The Ashton brothers donated farm land as site for St Paul's Church which cost £3,400. It was consecrated in 1850. The Anglican Churches in Ramsbottom are part of the Ramsbottom & Edenfield Team Ministry comprising Christ Church Baptist Methodist Church, Dundee United Reformed Church , Greenmount United Reformed Church, Ramsbottom Pentecostal Church , Ramsbottom Evangelical Church , St Andrew's CE Church, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, St Paul's CE Church and Darul Uloom Islamic College . Ramsbottom Cricket Club plays in
2268-585: The company purchased the Theatre Royal on Smithy Street in Ramsbottom. Ramsbottom hosts an annual rhythm & blues festival. The now defunct pub the Corner Pin, was where the band Elbow played their first gig. The Ramsbottom Recorded Music Society was formed in 1967 to promote an interest and appreciation of music and meets bi-weekly on Thursday evenings at Christ Church Neighbourhood Centre. The Black Pudding Throwing World Championships are held annually at
2331-440: The council was awarded 'three star' status, similar to 47% of all local authorities. The council was said to be improving well in children's services, particularly in social care. The Audit Commission also noted that resident satisfaction was rising, reflecting improvements in the quality of the environment and services generally. Ten parks have achieved green flag status, recycling levels are above average and street cleanliness
2394-509: The council was named as Councillor Bob Bibby. At the 2008 local elections , the Conservatives won three more seats and took overall control of the council. In 2010, the Conservatives lost overall control with the new council having 23 Conservative, 20 Labour and 8 Liberal Democrat councillors. The Audit Commission reported in 2006 that Bury Council continues to make good and sustained progress in improving services for local people. Overall
2457-589: The council. In 1986, the Labour Party gained control and continued in power, at first with an overall Labour majority and subsequently through a Labour executive running the council in a state of no overall control , until 2007. The May elections in 2007 saw the Conservative Party become the largest group on the council and the Conservative Group took control of the council and its executive. The leader of
2520-555: The first aerial offensives in history. L21 , a Zeppelin commanded by Oberleutnant Kurt Frankenburg of the Imperial German Navy , dropped five bombs on the village on its way to Bolton . The post office and village school were damaged, as was the Shoulder of Mutton public house, where villagers took cover in the cellars. Three of the bombs fell close to the church, which suffered some damage to its windows. Between 1977 and 1995,
2583-518: The hills surrounding the town. Early records show that in Norman times Ramsbottom was part of the Forest of Rossendale. There are a number of Bronze Age burial sites around the town, the most notable of which is Whitelow Cairn, one mile (1.6 km) southeast of the town centre and three miles (4.8 km) north of Bury. The cairn was excavated by Bury Archaeological Group between 1960–62, under
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2646-411: The households 75.11% lived in houses they owned, with or without a mortgage, significantly higher than the national average of 68.07%. Of people aged 16–74 in Bury 42.93% were economically active in 2001, higher than the national average of 40.81%. 29.2% of this age group (16–74) had no academic qualifications , slightly higher than 28.9% in all of England. 5.8% of Bury's residents were born outside
2709-506: The leadership of Norman Tyson. Finds include one main and seven secondary cremations, four in urns , dating to the mid Bronze Age. Artefacts found during the excavation are housed in Bury Museum. The early Anglo-Saxons who gave Ramsbottom its name progressively felled the woodland during the Middle Ages . Ramsbottom became an area of scattered woods, farmsteads, moorland and swamp with
2772-664: The mid-20th century precipitated the decline of these sectors. From the Middle Ages Ramsbottom was an area in the township of Lower Tottington , in the parish of Bury , and Salford hundred in Lancashire. It was part of the Bury Poor Law Union formed in February 1837, overseen by a Board of 25 Guardians including three from Tottington Lower End using the old workhouses at Bury, Radcliffe, Pilkington and Heywood until
2835-486: The moorland around the village is in the care of the National Trust and is popular with walkers, cyclists and bird watchers. The buildings in the area are made up predominantly of stone cottages and farms. There is a public house called the Shoulder of Mutton, a restaurant, church, and primary school. At one time the village also had a shop, post office, a lock-up, and a regular bus service linking it to Holcombe Brook ,
2898-436: The old County Borough of Bury . The shield is divided diagonally by interweaving alluding to the textile industry . On the shield are a bee (representing industry) and papyrus (papermaking) from Bury; a ram's head and a bullock's head represent Ramsbottom and Tottington respectively. The silver field represents Whitefield, whilst the shield is supported with figures from the crests of Radcliffe and Prestwich. These represent
2961-474: The oldest gamecock show in the world. The Summerseat Players, a registered charity run entirely not-for-profit, puts on five performances in each season, and performances by local schools and dance groups, and the company's youth theatre groups. The amateur dramatic group was formed in 1968, and performed at St Winifred's Church Hall in Summerseat . In 1990, with donations and loans from members and enthusiasts,
3024-567: The oldest church in Ramsbottom, was built by the Grant family in 1834 as a Scottish Presbyterian Church. In the 1860s a member of the Grant family deprived the congregation of its church and in 1869 offered the building to the Bishop of Manchester as an Anglican church. It became a mission church for St Paul's Church, Ramsbottom until 1875 when it was consecrated as the Parish Church of St Andrew. In 1993
3087-432: The other towns of Ramsbottom , Tottington , Radcliffe , Whitefield and Prestwich . Bury bounds the Lancashire districts of Rossendale and Blackburn with Darwen to the north. With a population of 194,606 in 2022, it is the smallest borough in Greater Manchester. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire , the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, which covers 99 square kilometres (38 sq mi),
3150-451: The required five per cent of voters needed to trigger a mayoral vote. The proposal to have an elected mayor was rejected. The Metropolitan Borough of Bury currently consists of two parliamentary constituencies: The borough has 17 wards, each represented by 3 councillors to form a council of 51 members. As of 2020, there were 148,595 electors, with an average of 2,914 per councillor. At the 2023 Bury Metropolitan Borough Council election
3213-545: The television series The Krypton Factor used the British Army Rifle Range training course at Holcombe Moor in one of its contestant rounds. Metropolitan Borough of Bury The Metropolitan Borough of Bury is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in England. It is north of Manchester , to the east of Bolton and west of Rochdale . The borough is centred around the town of Bury but also includes
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#17330857459433276-469: The towns, villages, and civil parishes that would later be constituent parts of the borough. In 1971 34,980 people living in Bury were employed in manufacturing. By 2001 this had fallen to 13,690 – a decrease of 61%. During the same period the numbers of people employed in service industries increased from 34,200 to 54,227, a gain of 58.5%. Between 1974 and 1986, the Conservative Party controlled
3339-467: The tradition of egg rolling before the start of the climb. Large gatherings on the hill are visible from miles away, and occasionally attract unorthodox religious preachers. In recent years the celebrations have become more secular , with the public house at the bottom of Holcombe Hill attracting as many as 3,000 visitors leading to complaints from residents and restrictions being imposed by the council. Ye Olde Gamecock Show, an exhibition of game fowl
3402-404: The urban district in 1933. The urban district was dissolved in 1974 and the Central, East, South and West wards were included in Bury Metropolitan Borough and the remainder in the Rossendale District of Lancashire. Ramsbottom is part of the Bury North constituency which was created in 1983 from parts of the former seats of the former Rossendale and Bury and Radcliffe constituencies. The area
3465-481: The west and Top O' Th' Hoof, Harden Moor, Scout Moor and Whittle Hill to the east. The railway arrived in Ramsbottom in 1846 when the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway Company built the railway from Bury to a junction with the Manchester and Bolton Railway and extended the line northwards to Rawtenstall and opened a railway station in the town centre. The line between Bury and Rawtenstall remained open to passengers until 1972 and for goods until 1980. This line
3528-404: Was Conservative from 1983 to 1997 when it was gained by Labour who lost in 2010 back to the Conservatives. The seat was regained by Labour in the 2017 general election. In addition, the 2018 local council elections saw Labour gain the Ramsbottom ward. In line with the national swing in 2019, Bury North was lost back to the Conservatives, and it is now the most marginal constituency in England, with
3591-410: Was accused of "selling off the family silver". The authority, which had the painting on display at Bury Art Museum , said it was putting its people before a picture. The painting raised £1.25 million for the authority on 17 November 2006 at the auction in London , costing the bidder £1,408,000 including commission. Consequently, the council's membership of the Museums Association was cancelled and it
3654-401: Was based in Stubbins but moved to Railway Street following big cuts in 2017. The area is covered by the Bury Times , Lancashire Telegraph and Rossendale Free Press newspapers. News and sport in the area are covered by BBC Radio Lancashire and BBC Radio Manchester and by Rossendale Radio , a community radio station until it ceased broadcasts in March 2012. For free to air television
3717-473: Was based in the inner city. As in other cities the community gradually moved outward geographically and upward economically from its roots establishing itself in the more leafy suburbs of Crumpsall and Broughton Park as well as the town of Prestwich . Later, a second migration of young families in the mid-1960s sought pastures even further away from these traditional areas settling in Whitefield , Sunny Bank and Unsworth . There are now about 10 synagogues in
3780-453: Was created on 1 April 1974, with the transfer of functions from the County Borough of Bury and the boroughs of Prestwich and Radcliffe, along with the urban districts of Tottington and Whitefield, and part of the urban district of Ramsbottom, all previously in Lancashire. The Metropolitan Borough of Bury was created on 1 April 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 as one of the ten metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester. Prior to this,
3843-420: Was deregistered by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council , a quango that was disbanded in 2011, transferring some of its duties to Arts Council England . In July 2008 the borough was the first in Greater Manchester to hold a referendum on whether to install a directly-elected mayor . This was the result of a campaign against congestion charge plans that raised a petition with 9,460 names, well above
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#17330857459433906-417: Was funded with £250,000 of National Lottery money. Nuttall Park is a large park with facilities for bowls, tennis, football and public events. The park hosts regular fun fairs and family events, and is a popular attraction with locals and tourists alike. In 1841, cotton mill owners, the Ashtons built a day school in Crow Lane which was used as a Sunday school and for church services. St Andrew's Church,
3969-456: Was the home of William and Daniel Grant, 19th century industrialists closely associated with the rise of the town and reputed to be the inspiration for the Cheeryble brothers in Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens . The Grants' employees were paid in tokens that had to be redeemed at a public house owned by the company. The landlord converted the tokens into cash, but only after deducting threepence per person, which had to be spent on beer,
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