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Radcliffe is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. [2] It lies in the Irwell Valley 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Manchester and 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Bury and is contiguous with Whitefield to the south. The disused Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal bisects the town.
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The name 'Radcliffe' is derived from the Old English words read clif, meaning "Red cliff (or bank)", referring to the bank of the River Irwell. The Domesday Book records the name as Radeclive. Other archaic spellings include Radclive (recorded in 1227), and Radeclif(recorded in 1309 and 1360). The prominent Radcliffe family took its name from the t...
Early history
Mesolithic traces from behaps 6,000BC were found in archaeological excavations in 1949 at Radcliffe E'es (a level plain along the north bank of the Irwell, formed by glacial deposits), suggesting a lake village site. Further investigations in 1961 revealed rows of sharpened posts and worked timbers, but no further dating evidence was collected. In 1911 while repairs to the bridge at Radcliffe bridge were underway, a stone axe-hammer was found in the river bed, 8 ½ inches long and 4 lb in weig...
Textiles and the Industrial Revolution
The first documented reference to industry in Radcliffe is after 1680, in the Radcliffe parish registers, which make increasing mention of occupations such as woollen webster (weaving), linen webster, and whitster (bleacher). These were cottage industries which worked alongside local agriculture. In 1780 Robert Peel built the first factory in the town, several hundred yards upstream from Radcliffe Bridge (at the end of Peel Street). With a weir and goit providing motive power for a water whee...
Post-industrial history
From the 1950s Radcliffe's textile industry went into terminal decline, and although its paper industry survived to the end of the 20th century, both the town's largest paper mills have now been closed and demolished. One of the larger mills in Radcliffe was the Pioneer Mill, built between 1905 and 1906, and which ceased weaving in July 1980—the last mill in Radcliffe to use cotton.The building is now occupied by several different businesses. Although the town retains much of its existing Vic...
Radcliffe Toweris all that remains of an early 15th-century stone-built manor house. The structure is Grade I listed. The construction of a nearby tithe barn is not documented, but it was probably built between 1600 and 1720.It was used for storage of the local tithes. The Parish Church of St Mary is a Grade I listed building. The town also has two...
St Mary’s. the original parish church was built during the 14th century, and the tower added in the 15th century. The Church of St Thomas is a Victorian church, which took nine years to complete. The first stone was laid by Viscount Grey de Wilton (grandson of the Countess Grosvenor) on 21 July 1862, and it was consecrated in 1864 by the first Bish...
Cricket: Radcliffe Cricket ClubFootball:RugbyRadcliffe Brass Band has performed in the town since 1914, when it accompanied one of the Whit Walks that used to take place on Whit Friday. Rushcart processions were once popular, held on the first Saturday of September, finishing on the following Sunday at the Parish Church,but this tradition has died out. The town has several parks, including Co...
Radcliffe, Lancashire. Click on the map for other historical maps of this place. In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Radcliffe like this: RADCLIFFE, a small town, a parish, and a sub-district, in Bury district, Lancashire.
- Mrscoker11. Leigh-on Sea, UK27 contributions. Fab. Fab place. Great if you all want something different, great atmosphere. I had a burger and tata tots both were really good and came quickly.
- simon H. Manchester, UK25 contributions. Great place! Excellent beer, great atmosphere and very welcoming owner and staff.We’re just disappointed we don’t live closer!
- Natasha. Manchester, UK 176 contributions. Hidden gem. I didn’t even know this place existed and I live quite close to it. It’s a brilliant ruin that has a lot of history and the adjacent church and park also has a lot of history attached to it.
- Andrea. Middleton, UK3 contributions. Great play Centre, customer service needs improvement. Went for early bird session here today. Kids really loved it and there’s something there for all ages.
Radcliffe Tower is the only surviving part of a manor house in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester (historically in Lancashire), England. It is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Monument.
It derives its old English name from a cliff of red rock on the S.E. side of the river Irwell, below its confluence with the Roach, and facing the village of Radcliffe. The village is built in two detached portions, designated Radcliffe and Radcliffe Bridge, about half a mile distant from each other.
Dec 1, 2016 · Radcliffe Tower. The earliest record of a fortified Pele tower is from 1358. It is probably this ruined structure that remains today, but why was it built ? The 1300s was a time of on going war between England and Scotland.
