Radcliffe, Greater Manchester

Radcliffe is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. At the 2011 Census, the town had a population of 29,950, with the majority of residents living in the residential area. The name Radcliffe is derived from the Old English words read and clif, meaning ‘the red cliff or bank’

About Radcliffe, Greater Manchester in brief

Summary Radcliffe, Greater ManchesterRadcliffe is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies in the Irwell Valley 2. 5 miles south-west of Buries and 6.5 miles north-northwest of Manchester. Evidence of Mesolithic, Roman and Norman activity has been found in Radcliffe and its surroundings. In the High Middle Ages it formed a small parish and township centred on the Church of St Mary and the manorial Radcliffe Tower. Plentiful coal in the area facilitated the Industrial Revolution, providing fuel for the cotton spinning and papermaking industries. By the mid-19th century, Radcliffe was an important mill town with cotton mills, bleachworks and a road, canal and railway network. The name Radcliffe is derived from the Old English words read and clif, meaning \”the red cliff or bank\”, on the River Irwell. The Radcliffe family took its name from the town. At the 2011 Census, the town had a population of 29,950, with the majority of residents living in the residential area. It is located on the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal, which bisects the town and runs through Whitefield to the south. A Roman road passes through the area, along the border betweenRadcliffe and Bury. In 1911, while repairs to the bridge at Radcliffe Bridge were underway, a stone axe-hammer was found in the river bed.

The 8. 5-inch large tool artefact weighs 4 pounds and is made from polished Quartzite, with a bore to take a shaft. South of the present-day Withins reservoir is a possible location for a Hengi-form Tumulus. Other than placenames, little information about the area survives from the Dark Ages. The first human settlements in the region are thought to have been as far back as 6,000BC during the Mesolithic period. In 15th century the Pilkington family supported the House of York, who owned much of the land around the parish. In 1485, Thomas Pilkston, Earl of Derby, was attainted and given many estates, including those of Radcliffe, by Henry VII. As a Royal Manor, the hide may originally have been up to four times the size it was when it was recorded in 1212 as being held by William Radeclyffes of the Radcliffe de Tower family. In February 1489, Sir William Stanley, Duke of Richmond, crowned Henry VII, may have placed the crown upon his head for support of his family. As the Earl, he may have given the crown to Sir William. Thomas Pil Kington, who supported the War of the Roses, who was killed in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. In October 1489 the Earl was given the estates of Thomas PilKington, including many estates in Lancashir, which included Radcliffe. The Earl was made the lord of Derby on October 27, 1489.