Ever wondered about Bury’s cultural heritage and where in Bury’s Town Centre you might find such places of interest? Do you know the history behind the statues, gardens and museums, how they came to be or why they are there? BURY AS Follow our Bury Town Centre Cultural Heritage Walk and let it guide you around TOWN OF our favourite 10 places of cultural heritage in recognition and celebration of Bury CULTURE as the Greater Manchester inaugural Town of Culture. EAST LANCASHIRE RAILWAY KAY GARDEN In 2020 Bury became the Bury Bolton Street railway station, first opened Born at Park Farm, Bury in 1704, John Kay very first ‘Town of Culture’ in 1846 and substantially rebuilt in the 1880s invested his famous “picking peg” in 1733, which and again in the 1950s, is now home to the East made the shuttle in his hand loom move more in Greater Manchester, Lancashire Railway. Winding through the scenic quickly. It became known as the “Flying Shuttle” celebrating Bury’s cultural Irwell Vale along a 12 mile line, the East Lancashire and revolutionised cotton weaving, quadrupling heritage and the distinctive Railway provides a truly unique journey past human power and placing England in the front creativity of our Borough. quaint villages and rural vistas, where passengers rank as the best market in the world for textile can take in the sounds, smell and stunning manufacturers. With this, the town of Bury and On receiving the accolade surroundings of this heritage railway. the surrounding area grew at an astonishing rate. Councillor David Jones, FUSILIER MUSEUM Leader of Bury Council BURY TRANSPORT MUSEUM The industrial heritage of the North West is The Fusilier Museum is home to the collections remarked that the brought to life before your very eyes at Bury of the 20th Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Borough ‘are delighted and Transport Museum, which houses a collection Regiment of Fusiliers. Together they record honoured to be chosen as of vintage vehicles including buses, steam rollers over 300 years of history and heritage of the and trams. Hands-on interactive exhibits explain people who served and continue to serve in the the Greater Manchester the development of transport in the North regiments from 1688 to the present day. You can Town of Culture… it is a West, how the Goods Warehouse, (now the visit the museum to learn how the Lancashire fitting recognition of what Museum), was used and the types of materials Fusiliers resulted in ‘six VCs before breakfast’ that would have been handled here. at Gallipoli and the military heritage of the we have here, coming Borough. shortly after we unveiled a statue to Victoria Wood, SIR ROBERT PEEL STATUE Born in Ramsbottom, Bury, in 1788, Sir Robert BURY ART MUSEUM & SCULPTURE arguably Bury’s most Peel founded the Metropolitan Police in 1829 CENTRE famous daughter and loved when Home Secretary to Lord Liverpool’s Tory Bury Art Museum, housed in a distinctive Edwardian building, is the perfect place to by millions.’ Cabinet and twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1834-35 and again in 1841- enjoy art and find out more about the rich It was Victoria Wood’s 46. In Britain today many still commonly refer to history of Bury and the surrounding area. police officers as ‘Bobbies’ although originally Showcasing the best of international and work which inspired the when the Metropolitan Police first patrolled local art Bury Art Museum can truly offer Town of Culture bid, the streets of London they were also known as something for all interests. The collections based on the concept of ‘Peelers’. and exhibitions are supported by a range of activities and events which allow visitors happiness – how Victoria to explore and enjoy the Gallery and Museum approached her work and THE ROCK further. wanted her audience to Opened in July 2010 The Rock is a mixed-use scheme offering a shopping, dining and leisure feel - and was described experience all within one complex, meaning VICTORIA WOOD STATUE by Greater Manchester’s you can stay all day and all evening as part of Born in Bury on 19th May 1953, Victoria Wood CBE, was a comedian, actress, singer, composer, Mayor, Andy Burnham, Bury’s Purple Flag accredited town centre – the first in Greater Manchester! Unlike other North screenwriter, producer and director who as “powerful concept West shopping centres, The Rock is uncovered wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, that was uplifting and life and has been developed around Bury’s historical musicals, films and sitcoms over several decades. street layouts. Victoria’s live comedy act was interspersed with affirming”. The impact of her own compositions, which she performed culture on happiness and on the piano where much of her humour was BURY MARKET grounded in everyday British life, where she wider wellbeing will be a Bury’s ‘World Famous’ Market has been in legacy of the time as town included observations of culture and satirising operation for nearly 600 years. Now with over aspects of social class. of culture. 350 stalls the market has quite the collection of accolades including; Market of the Year 2006, The Borough’s culture 2009, 2012 and 2015 and more recently voted THE MET heritage is rich – from Britain’s Favourite Market in 2019. No wonder The Met is a stunning, award winning, live music this award winning market continues to bring in venue noted nationally for its specialist folk mainstream performers over 1,000 coach loads of visitors to Bury year music programme. Having recently undergone such Elbow and Oscar after year. a multi-million pound refurbishment, it winner Danny Boyle to a incorporates two modernised performance spaces and Edwin Street Creative Hub which vibrant community arts includes a Recording Studio. The Met is also the scene; award winning proud organiser and promoter of the Head for venues and attractions; the Hills festival and has been named Cultural and heritage in the form Venue of the Year 2018 & 2019 by the This Is Manchester Awards. of transport, invention, military association and of communities of interest. BURY SELF - LED WALKS ROUTE MAP Marks & Spencer THE ROCK 4 The Rock WALK HERITAGE CENTRECULTURAL TOWN BURY Bury Transport Museum 2 Robert Peel Statue ROCHDALE RD Church of A St Mary A58 BOLTON ST 3 GUTTER END A58 A THE ROCK MARKET PL 1 A START Castle Leisure Millgate 10 Shopping Centre Centre PARKS YARD A MINDEN PARADE SILVERBACK ST BROAD ST A BROAD ST BANK ST Fusilier Museum Victoria Wood 9 Statue 7 BACK ST MARY;S PLACE A BACK MARKET ST MOSS ST HAYMARKET ST 6 MARKET ST 5 gain level access via Castlecroft Castlecroft via access level gain 8 wheelchairs steps, the avoid *To Road (see blue dotted line for for line dotted blue (see Road There are several road crossings, crossings, road several are There please use pedestrian crossings crossings pedestrian use please ST MARY;S PLACE Kay Gardens can buggies/pushchairs and Bury Art A Museum & route) alternative Bury Market MANCHESTERSculpture RD Centre provided BACK KNOWSLEY ST HILTON RD BURY SELF - LED WALKS BURY SELF - LED WALKS ROUTE MAP ROUTE MAP ROUTE DESCRIPTION WALK NAME: Bury Town Centre Cultural Heritage Walk STARTING POINT: Outside East lancs Railway, Bolton Street, Bury BL9 0EZ DISTANCE: 2.3 km / 1.4 miles • DURATION: 30-60 mins • STEPS: Approx 3,000 ROUTE DESCRIPTION 1 From the East Lancashire Railway Station, using Moss Street arriving at the Fusilier Museum and the pelican crossing, cross Bolton Street turning Tourist Information centre on the right. left then right through Castle Car Park to the Bury 7 From the Fusilier Museum, the Bury Art Transport Museum*. Museum and Sculpture Centre can be seen 2 From the Bury Transport Museum, once back directly across the road to the left. To visit the onto Bolton Street, continue east crossing Market Art Museum continue to the top of Moss Street Place where you can see the Church of St Mary and use the zebra crossing system to cross to the Virgin set back in the corner to the left with the triangular pedestrian island before crossing the Robert Peel Statue positioned immediately back along a second zebra to reach the other before you. side of Moss Street and the entrance of the Art 3 From the Robert Peel Statue, follow The Museum building. Rock Road with the church wall now to your 8 From the Bury Art Museum and Sculpture left and continue along this road to join the Centre cross back to the central pedestrian pedestrianised shopping zone and follow the island and cross again over a third zebra crossing rainbow path to The Rock shopping centre. to reach the Library Gardens straight ahead 4 From The Rock follow the pedestrian way past where the Victoria Wood Statue stands proudly the shops, heading south east towards Rochdale before you. Road. Follow the path round to the Mill Gate 9 From the Victoria Wood Statue, continue Shopping Centre, using the Parkade Entrance. north up Silver Street until you reach the zebra Once in the shopping centre turn right then left crossing. Cross here and continue, turning right and then follow the parade until you reach the onto Bolton Street at the junction. Continue jewellery shops. Turn left here and continue along until passing the roundabout on your left down the parade until you exit the shopping and cross Market Street at the zebra crossing. centre, with the famous Bury Market straight Once you have crossed onto Market Street, turn ahead. right towards Kay Gardens with The Met located 5 From Bury Market, with your back to the Fish only a few metres ahead on your left.