Walmersley is a suburban village in 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 ...

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 England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

History

Historically History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

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 ...

, the name Walmersley is said to be derived 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 ...

, and translates as Waldmer's wood, or clearing. Once a rural village in the wilds, in recent decades, it has become a northern suburb of

Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...

. Old stone cottages remain in the area, but much of the district's housing is of post-war construction. The A56 (Walmersley Road) links Walmersley with

to the south and Shuttleworth,

Ramsbottom Ramsbottom is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The population at the 2011 census was 17,872. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the River Irwell in the West Pennine Moors, northwest of Bu ...

and

Edenfield Edenfield is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. Lying on the River Irwell, it is around north of Ramsbottom, south of Rawtenstall, and west of Norden, and has a total population of 2,080, reducing to 2,053 at th ...

to the north. Before this 'new' road was built the road north from Bury followed the line of Walmersley Old Road. The old 'coach road' went through Baldingstone and Nangreaves and onto Hardern Moor and beyond to Shuttleworth and Edenfield. Junctions led to the then thriving mills in Deeply Vale and Birtle Dene. Deeply Vale has more contemporary fame as the location of the

Deeply Vale Festivals The Deeply Vale Festivals were unique free festivals held near Bury in northwest England in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979 and at a different site in 1980 and 1981 They are regarded as significant events that united punk music into the festival sce ...

. The old road was one of the many roads in east Lancashire constructed by John Metcalf, perhaps better known as Blind Jack Metcalf, a civil engineer from

Knaresborough Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, England, on the River Nidd. It is east of Harrogate. History Knaresborough is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Chenares ...

. The Walmersley conservation area was designated in November 2003. It covers Christ Church, its churchyard, the former school and school master's house, together with the adjacent Spur Petroleum site which contains the former Walmersley Brewery buildings. The whole site is an excellent record of a small but important part of Walmersley, and illustrates generally well preserved elements of stone built ecclesiastical and industrial architecture from the mid to late 19th century. Some of these buildings were severely damaged in a fire, suspected to have been deliberate by one party or another...this is disputed especially by those wanting to develop the land. New residential buildings have now been erected on the Spur site with the retention and reuse of some of the older buildings.

Landmarks

Christ Church, Walmersley located on Walmersley Road. In 1838 the Walmersley parish was formed by sub-dividing the ancient, larger Bury parish. A church was built beside what was then the 'new' road but in 1883 the present church, a neo-gothic design by Maxwell and Tuke was built. The east window of the first church was preserved and built into the new building. Amongst other buildings Maxwell & Tuke designed

Blackpool Tower Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. When it opened, Blackpool Tower was the tallest man made structure in the British Empire. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in ...

and, in 1894, the Technical School, Broad Street,

now housing the

Fusilier Museum The Fusilier Museum is a museum in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Its collection includes the uniforms, medal and artefacts of the Lancashire Fusiliers. History The Fusilier Museum was originally housed in the Wellington Barracks on Bolton ...

, which is dedicated to the

Lancashire Fusiliers The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 28 ...

. Baldingstone House, probably the oldest property in the area, was built in about 1615. In the 17th century the house was home of the Kay family.Kay Family Association UK
/ref> Indeed, it is believed the house was built by Richard Kay a blacksmith with a smithy at Baldingstone. Richard was married to Alice Kay, from Sheephey, Shuttleworth whose brother Robert was the father of John Kay, the inventor of the flying shuttle.

References

{{reflist Areas of Greater Manchester Geography of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury