Unsworth is a village and residential area of the

Metropolitan Borough of Bury The Metropolitan Borough of Bury is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, just north of Manchester, to the east of Bolton and west of Rochdale. The borough is centred around the town of Bury but also includes othe ...

, in

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...

, England. The population of Unsworth Ward, as of the 2011 census is 9,492. The village sits approximately north of the city of

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

and 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the town of Bury, and contains the area of Hollins, and part of Sunnybank. Historically a part of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

, Unsworth has been recorded as far back as the 13th century. Its name is thought to derive from the Old English word “hound,” literally meaning “place of the hounds.” Unsworth's development as a village mostly took place during and after the

industrial revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

, when due to its nearby waterways, it became involved in the manufacturing of dye and bleach. The mid-20th century onwards saw major changes in the village. The construction of Sunny Bank Road, and the M66 motorway which both cut through the village significantly shifted its character, with its western side becoming suburbanised, while leaving its eastern side largely agricultural.

History

Toponymy

The name of Unsworth derives from

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...

. It is made up of two parts: ''hund'', relating either the modern English ''

hound A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey. Description Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. ...

'', or a personal name; and ''worth'', a common Old English suffix which typically refers to either an enclosure, or to a protected place. Thus, the name essentially means "''enclosure of somebody named Hund''", or "''place of the hounds''". On 10 June 1291 Edward I granted hunting rights to the Pilkington family over Unsworth and the surrounding areas, suggesting that the ''enclosure of the hounds'' might refer to the place where hunting dogs were historically kept. Moreover, the name of nearby Stand Hall (part of the same historical estate as Unsworth) may have referred to the hunting stand from which the estate could be surveyed for game, indicating ties between Unsworth's name, and

medieval hunting Throughout Western Europe in the Middle Ages, humans hunted wild animals. While game was at times an important source of food, it was rarely the principal source of nutrition. All classes engaged in hunting, but by the High Middle Ages, the necess ...

in the area. The name was first recorded in 1291 as Hundeswrth, then as Undesworth in 1322. The historical loss of the "h" sound in the names of villages is a typical feature of Lancashire place names, caused by an elision typical of Lancashire dialects.

Early history

After the

Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Con ...

in 1066, Unsworth was part of the Pilkington estate before passing into the hands of the Earls of Derby in the 15th century. In the

hearth tax A hearth tax was a property tax in certain countries during the medieval and early modern period, levied on each hearth, thus by proxy on wealth. It was calculated based on the number of hearths, or fireplaces, within a municipal area and is ...

collected in 1666, Unsworth had 40 hearths with no house having six. Unsworth is part of the historic county of

, and was in the Salford Hundred subdivision. A 1984 archeological investigation suggested that there may have an iron smelting site on Unsworth Moss, by the banks of Whittle Brook. While not conclusive, the investigation explored the possibility of a regionally significant medieval bloomery that used the brook as a water source. In 1997, a further field walking investigation reiterated the suggestion of a medieval settlement in the area, and a 2021 report by the

Greater Manchester Combined Authority The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is a combined authority for Greater Manchester, England. It was established on 1 April 2011 and consists of 11 members; 10 indirectly elected members, each a directly elected councillor from one ...

suggested that the site may be of regional importance, who recommended undertaking a survey into the extent of the potential iron smelting site before

scheduling A schedule or a timetable, as a basic time-management tool, consists of a list of times at which possible tasks, events, or actions are intended to take place, or of a sequence of events in the chronological order in which such things are ...

could be considered.

Industrial history onwards

Unsworth and its waterways were sources of water for local industries such as bleach and dye works, there was also clay for brickworks. During the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

farming,

cotton mills A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven ...

, print-works and bleach-grounds provided employment for its inhabitants. Cotton mills operating in the late 19th century were Worthington and Company whose Victoria Mills contained 220 looms producing

ticking Ticking is a type of cloth, traditionally a tightly-woven cotton or linen textile. It is traditionally used to cover tick mattresses and bed pillows. The tight weave makes it more durable and hinders the stuffing (straw, chaff, hair, down feathers, ...

, nankeens, linen and drills and the Unsworth Finishing Company. The first major change in the 20th century was the construction of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

's logistics base at nearby

Pilsworth Pilsworth is an area in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically, it was a township, but in 1894 it was divided between Bury, Heywood, and Unsworth.'Townships: Pilsworth', ''A History of the County of Lancaster: ...

in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, parts of which remained in use in the early 1980s by shipping firms and other industries. Unsworth was affected by the construction of the M66 motorway. The road between junctions 3 and 4 passes behind Unsworth Pole and through Back o' th' Moss Farm. Construction of the motorway, along with urbanisation in the mid-1970s reduced the dairy farm's acreage from 300 to 150 acres, resulted in a loss of the dairy production and lower yields of ''"hay, corn, barley and potatoes"''

Governance

Unsworth was a chapelry the eastern portion of the township of

Pilkington Pilkington is a Japanese-owned glass-manufacturing company which is based in Lathom, Lancashire, United Kingdom. In the UK it includes several legal entities and is a subsidiary of Japanese company NSG Group. Prior to its acquisition by NSG ...

in the parish of

Prestwich-cum-Oldham Prestwich-cum-Oldham (also known as Prestwich with Oldham) was an ancient ecclesiastical parish of the hundred of Salford, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire, England. With the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich as ...

in the hundred of Salford and county of

Northern England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...

. When local government was reorganised in 1894, Pilkington ceased to exist as a township and Unsworth gave its name to a new township governed by a parish council made up of Unsworth and Pilsworth with part of Heap. Historically in

, the village, with the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury on 1 April 1974. On the borough council it is a marginal Labour/Conservative ward that has tended to vote Labour. From 1983 to 2010 it was in the parliamentary constituency of

Bury North Bury North is a borough constituency in Greater Manchester, created in 1983 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. With a Conservative majority of 105 votes, it is the most marginal constituency for a sitting MP in the ...

, before being transferred to the Bury South constituency in 2010, currently held by the Conservative

Christian Wakeford Christian Wakeford (born 9 November 1984) is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bury South since the 2019 general election. Elected as a Conservative, he crossed the floor to Labour in 2022. Early life and career W ...

since 2019.

Geography

Whittle_Brook_on_the_outskirts_of_Unsworth

Unsworth lies on high ground between two brooks running north to

Whittle Brook Whittle Brook is a watercourse in Greater Manchester and a tributary of the River Roch, classified as a main river. It originates in the outskirts of Middleton, and extends to Hollins Vale Nature Reserve in Unsworth, flowing South East to North ...

and the

River Roch The River Roch is a river in Greater Manchester in North West England, a tributary of the River Irwell. Course Rising on Chelburn Moor (south of Todmorden in the Pennines), the river flows south through Littleborough towards Rochdale where ...

, covering 972 acres of mostly arable land that was boggy until drainage was installed.

Parr Brook Parr Brook is a watercourse in Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salfor ...

joins the

at Blackford Bridge. The village and surrounding area were urbanised in the 1960s. Transformation began in the 1950s with the construction of housing and the road known as Sunny Bank Road connecting the old village to the A56 arterial road between Bury and

Hollins Vale

Hollins Vale is a local nature reserve to the north of the village, it became Bury's third such nature reserve in 2003. It is managed for the benefit of the local wildlife and community by Hollins Conservation Group. The reservation consists of woodland, marshland, open grassland (which is managed by cattle that roam the area), and historic hedgerows. Hollins Brook, a tributary of the River Roch, meanders through the valley and connects with "The Cut," a canal-like lodge popular with local

angling Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" (from Old English ''angol'') attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techni ...

groups such as the Unsworth Anglers, before continuing west where it connects with Castle Brook and Whittle Brook. The Cut, Hollins Vale

Hollins Vale contains two of Bury's fifty Sites of Biological Importance, first granted in 1981 owing to its biodiversity. The first is a portion of Hollins Vale's grasslands, which is home to a diverse range of waterside plants. The second is Hollins Plantation, a historic woodland containing bluebells,

lesser celandine ''Ficaria verna'' (formerly ''Ranunculus ficaria'' ), commonly known as lesser celandine or pilewort, is a low-growing, hairless perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae native to Europe and Western Asia. It has fleshy dar ...

s, wood speedwells, wood anemones, and

violets Violet identifies various plant taxa, particularly species in the genus ''Viola'', within which the common violet is the best known member in Eurasia and the common blue violet and common purple violet are the best known members in North America ...

. The reserve is also home to many species of wildlife such as

linnet The common linnet (''Linaria cannabina'') is a small passerine bird of the finch family, Fringillidae. It derives its common name and the scientific name, ''Linaria'', from its fondness for hemp seeds and flax seeds—flax being the English n ...

reed bunting The common reed bunting (''Emberiza schoeniclus'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. The genus name ''Emberiza'' is from Old German ''Embritz'', a ...

snipe A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill, eyes placed high on the head, and cryptic/ camouflaging plumage. The ''Gallinago'' snipes have a ...

and

grey partridge The grey partridge (''Perdix perdix''), also known as the gray-legged partridge, English partridge, Hungarian partridge, or hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. The scientific name ...

. The birds and small mammals attract predators such as

kestrel The term kestrel (from french: crécerelle, derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviou ...

sparrowhawk Sparrowhawk (sometimes sparrow hawk) may refer to several species of small hawk in the genus ''Accipiter''. "Sparrow-hawk" or sparhawk originally referred to ''Accipiter nisus'', now called "Eurasian" or "northern" sparrowhawk to distinguish it f ...

buzzard Buzzard is the common name of several species of birds of prey. ''Buteo'' species * Archer's buzzard (''Buteo archeri'') * Augur buzzard (''Buteo augur'') * Broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'') * Common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') * Eastern ...

tawny owl The tawny owl (''Strix aluco''), also called the brown owl, is commonly found in woodlands across Europe to western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies. It is a stocky, medium-sized owl, whose underparts are pale with dark streaks, a ...

weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender b ...

and

stoat The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine, Beringian ermine and ermine, is a mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern portions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Conc ...

. Many species of

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...

are part of the ecosystem as is an increasing rabbit population. In the summer, significant populations of

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threa ...

and

damselfly Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings along ...

s can be seen in the wetland areas. Recent construction efforts have, and continue to threaten the ecology of the nature reserve. Since the construction of the M66 motorway, the populations of

skylark ''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...

lapwing Lapwings (subfamily Vanellinae) are any of various ground-nesting birds (family Charadriidae) akin to plovers and dotterels. They range from in length, and are noted for their slow, irregular wingbeats in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. A gro ...

and hare have disappeared. As of 2020, plans are being developed by the local council to build 200 homes within 100m of the reservation, which may have further impacts on its ecology and biodiversity. The reserve houses multiple walking trails, managed by Hollins Conservation Group. Although not all public footpaths are clearly defined, and there is no formal circular route, there are multiple routes available. The nature reserve is popular with locals, with the Conservation Group organising activity days such as the annual "Go Wild" event, encouraging locals to engage with their surroundings.

Unsworth Moss

Unsworth Moss is a predominantly agricultural area of undulating terrain, containing several woodland blocks. The area that lies along the eastern edge of Unsworth, hedged by Hollins Brook, makes up the Moss, and is distinct from the rest of Unsworth in its relatively agricultural setting, compared to the predominantly residential use of land in the west of the village. Unsworth Moss forms a habitat for farmland birds as well as

great crested newt The northern crested newt, great crested newt or warty newt (''Triturus cristatus'') is a newt species native to Great Britain, northern and central continental Europe and parts of Western Siberia. It is a large newt, with females growing up to ...

and barn owl. Whittle Brook flows north west through Unsworth Moss, forming the wetland conditions which have caused peat to form around its bank. The brook is a defining feature of the undulating landscape of the moss. In a 2021 report, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority noted that the 'u-shaped valleys of the brook and associated vegetation form pleasant characteristic features in the landscape.' Several public footpaths and walking trails cross over Unsworth Moss; Bury Council maintains two footbridges in its north-eastern area, which are used by walkers to access the Moss. Multiple archeological investigations on Unsworth Moss have suggested the possibility of a medieval iron smelting site on Unsworth Moss, by the banks of Whittle Brook.

Demography

Population change

Religion

Unsworth chapelry is included part of the parish of Middleton. St George's Chapel was consecrated in November 1730 on a site provided by the

Earl of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...

. The chapel was rebuilt at a cost of £1,500 in 1843 by the architects' practice

Paley, Austin and Paley Sharpe, Paley and Austin are the surnames of architects who practised in Lancaster, Lancashire, England, between 1835 and 1946, working either alone or in partnership. The full names of the principals in their practice, which went under vario ...

The church is built in brick with a

bellcote A bellcote, bell-cote or bell-cot is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells. Bellcotes are most common in church architecture but are also seen on institutions such as schools. The bellcote may be carried on brackets projecting from ...

, and has a

graveyard A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

to the north. A screen was installed enclosing the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ov ...

in 1920 and removed in 1988. In 2009 the church completed a £70,000 refurbishment which saw repairs to the roof, interior redecoration, and the replacement of the old wooden pews with individual seats. In 1846 a chapel was erected by Wesleyan Methodists on Hollins Lane, along with a Sunday school. They have since been demolished and replaced by a Methodist church.

Landmarks

After the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, a war memorial was erected at Unsworth Pole, it contains the names of 60 who died in the First World War and eight who died in the

. In 2017, the monument was given Grade II listed building status.

Unsworth Library is part of the Bury Libraries group. Proposals to close the library in 2010 met with opposition. Local musician Guy Garvey was amongst the opposers, claiming to have written some of his best lyrics (for his band

Elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the me ...

) at the library, finding it to be "a source of inspiration”. The proposal was withdrawn in January 2011. Unsworth Hall (formerly Unsworth Lodge) is a 19th-century

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

mansion that now forms the clubhouse of

Bury Golf Club Bury Golf Club, is a private golf course and club in Unsworth, Bury, designed by Alister MacKenzie, Charles Hugh Alison, and Harry Shapland Colt. The club was originally located at a course in Redvales, Bury, before moving to its current ...

. The hall was the former home of the first mayor of Bury, John Duckworth Esq. J.P., before being purchased by Bury Golf Club in 1920, along with its adjacent land, to construct a new links following the commandeering of their previous links at Redvales during the First World War. The hall has been refurbished and extended some time around the 1950s, and is currently on Bury Council's list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest as a non-designated heritage asset.

Education

The area was the site of Bury's first comprehensive school, built in 1971. Unsworth Comprehensive was later renamed Castlebrook High School, and was recently changed again to Unsworth Academy. The school has been rated as "good" by the education standards office, OFSTED following their inspection in 2010, an improvement from the school's previous "satisfactory" rating of 2006. The school has recently completed a major rebuilding and rebranding, but still remains on the same site. Unsworth has four primary schools: Unsworth Primary School near Parr Lane, established in 1965; Sunny Bank Primary School, established in 1959; Hollins Grundy Primary School near Hollins Lane, established in 1972; and Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School, established in 1984.

Public services

Before its the closing of its public enquiry counter in 2017, Unsworth residents had been able to access services in neighbouring Whitefield, however the nearest accessible police station to Unsworth is currently in Bury. A Police Community Support Officer is assigned directly to the village, along with an Inspector, a Police Sergeant, and a Police Constable. Public transport is co-ordinated by

Transport for Greater Manchester Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is the public body responsible for co-ordinating transport services throughout Greater Manchester in North West England. TfGM is responsible for investments in improving transport services and facilities ...

. The 92 and 97 busses run along Hollins Lane, connecting the village with both Manchester and Bury, while the 93 and 135 to services between Bury and Manchester, along with the 95 service between Bury and

Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...

can be accessed from the Blackford Bridge bus stop on Unsworth's western boundary. Statutory emergency fire and rescue service is provided by the

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is the statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, England. It is part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. GMFRS covers an area of ...

, with the closest

fire station __NOTOC__ A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire ...

being in Whitefield.

Culture

The home of the ancient Unsworth family was noted for containing an oak table and panel with carvings of Saint George and the Dragon, the Eagle and Child,

the Lion and the Unicorn The Lion and the Unicorn are symbols of the United Kingdom. They are, properly speaking, heraldic supporters appearing in the full royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The lion stands for England and the unicorn for Scotland. The combinati ...

and the Unsworth Dragon connected with a local legend. Thomas Unsworth supposedly owned the house when a dragon ravaged the area. Bullets from guns had no effect but Thomas Unsworth mortally wounded the dragon by firing his dagger from a musket. The carvings on the panel and table were supposedly made with the dagger. The origin of the story may be related to the estate granted to a member of the family, possibly Thomas, for unknown military service. This legend, connected with the folklore of Bury, was the subject of a multimedia art installation, hosted by Bury Art Museum as part of the 2016 Transition Festival. Queen Anne - geograph

The Pole (or Unsworth Pole) was named after the pitch pole fixed by the

which was greased each year for the village's pot fair which was last held over a century ago. The challenge was to climb the greased pole to claim the prize. The last known successful ascender was Adam Holt in 1900. The current pole is not the original which was blown over in a gale, falling into the Bay Horse Inn. Some local folklore suggests Robert Clive had ties to the area in his early years, however this appears to be false. The claim was first recorded by Francis Gerald Downing of Unsworth Vicarage in a self-published pamphlet. None of Clive's biographers make any reference to Unsworth. Public houses include the ''Bay Horse'', the ''Queen Anne'', the ''Hollins Bush Inn'', and the ''Sir Robert Peel''. Former public houses include ''The Dragon'', referencing the Unsworth Dragon legend, which was converted into Co-Op food shop; and ''The Bridge Inn'', at Blackford Bridge, which was demolished after it was irreparably damaged in a gas explosion in March 1998; and the ''Lord Clive'' making reference to Clive's alleged ties to the area, constructed in 1964 and demolished in 2020.

Sport

Unsworth Cricket Club was founded in 1883 on Pole Lane and is a member of the

Central Lancashire Cricket League The Central Lancashire Cricket League (CLCL) was a fifteen team cricket league, traditionally based in Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. It was then based in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. The league ran competitions at First T ...

, founded in 1890 as a 9-hole course at Redvales, moved to Unsworth in 1921 where it has an 18-hole course. The clubhouse is based at Unsworth Hall and has a room commemorating

Harry Vardon Henry William Vardon (9 May 1870 – 20 March 1937) was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times, and also won the ...

who won seven major championships from 1896 to 1914. Pike Fold Golf Club was founded 1909 and moved to Back o' th' Moss Farm in 1999. Unsworth Junior Football Club, established in 1974, has 24 teams ranging from Under 8s to Under 18s. The teams practice at Hillock, and play in the North Bury Junior Football League, where the Under 18s team plays in the Premier Division. Castlebrook Community Sports Centre in the grounds of Castlebrook High School has a floodlit astroturf pitch and two sports halls.

References

Notes Bibliography * * *

External links

BBC Domesday Project- UnsworthUnsworth War Memorial (Compiled list of men and their history)
{{Authority control Geography of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury Areas of Greater Manchester Villages in Greater Manchester Bury, Greater Manchester