Unsworth
Encyclopedia
Unsworth is a residential area of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury
, in Greater Manchester
, England
. It is seven miles (11.2 km) north of the city of Manchester
and four miles (6.4 km) south of Bury
.
Two local pubs of note are The Lord Clive - named in honour of Clive of India, whose family were reputed to have had ties with the area, and The Dragon (now closed), which alludes to a local legend that the area had been ravished by one of the mythical beasts until as is so often the case - it fell victim to Thomas Unsworth, a brave knight. Another village pub is The Queen Anne on Hollins
Lane.
Something of Unsworth's original nature can still be discerned in the area of Unsworth Pole, the area around the First World War memorial at the junction of Sunny Bank Road and Parr Lane.
The Pole or "Pow" (as it was known locally in the Lancashire
dialect
) was named after the pitch pole fixed there by the Earl of Derby
which would be greased each year for the village's pot fair. Local men would then try and clamber up it to grab a side of bacon attached to the top; the successful contestant could keep the ham.
Parr Lane, nearby, takes its name from Parr Brook which snakes through the area before joining the River Roch
at Blackford Bridge.
It and Castle Brook were a source of water for some of the district's industries which provided employment for local people. As well as bleach and dye works in the area, the land was also used to provide clay for brickworks. The first major change to the farmland that still dominated the area until the 20th century came with the construction of the Royal Air Force
's logistics base at nearby Pilsworth
in World War II
, parts of which remained into the early 1980s as recognisable military structures, although then in use by shipping firms and other industries.
of Lancashire
. With the passage of the Local Government Act 1972
, it became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester.
Transformation began in the 1950s and then became faster in the 1960s with the rapid construction of housing in the area and the main road, now known as Sunnybank, connecting the old village of Unsworth to the A56
arterial road between Bury
and Manchester
.
in 1971.
It remained something of an oddity for much of that decade at a time when the local authority was in Conservative hands, and fiercely resisting central government pressure to end selection.
Unsworth Comprehensive, as it was originally known, was later re-named Castlebrook High School
.Also this school is now award winning in the education results tables.
Metropolitan Borough of Bury
The Metropolitan Borough of Bury is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Lying to the north of the City of Manchester, the borough is composed of six towns: Bury, Ramsbottom, Tottington, Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich, and has a population of 181,900...
, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is seven miles (11.2 km) north of the city of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and four miles (6.4 km) south of Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
.
History
The area in its original form of "Underwood" can be traced back to the first century AD After the Norman Conquest in 1066, it became part of the Pilkington estate before finally passing into the hands of the Derby family in the 15th century.Two local pubs of note are The Lord Clive - named in honour of Clive of India, whose family were reputed to have had ties with the area, and The Dragon (now closed), which alludes to a local legend that the area had been ravished by one of the mythical beasts until as is so often the case - it fell victim to Thomas Unsworth, a brave knight. Another village pub is The Queen Anne on Hollins
Hollins
-People:* Alfred Hollins , British composer and organist* Chris Hollins, BBC sports presenter* Damon Hollins, American baseball player* Dave Hollins, American baseball player* Dave Hollins: Space Cadet, fictional character from a BBC Radio 4 series...
Lane.
Something of Unsworth's original nature can still be discerned in the area of Unsworth Pole, the area around the First World War memorial at the junction of Sunny Bank Road and Parr Lane.
The Pole or "Pow" (as it was known locally in the Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
) was named after the pitch pole fixed there by the Earl of Derby
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 end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...
which would be greased each year for the village's pot fair. Local men would then try and clamber up it to grab a side of bacon attached to the top; the successful contestant could keep the ham.
Parr Lane, nearby, takes its name from Parr Brook which snakes through the area before joining the River Roch
River Roch
The River Roch is a river in Greater Manchester in North West England, a tributary of the River Irwell that gives Rochdale its name.-Course:...
at Blackford Bridge.
It and Castle Brook were a source of water for some of the district's industries which provided employment for local people. As well as bleach and dye works in the area, the land was also used to provide clay for brickworks. The first major change to the farmland that still dominated the area until the 20th century came with the construction of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
's logistics base at nearby Pilsworth
Pilsworth
Pilsworth is a small area in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is most notable for Park 66, a leisure park that consists of a ten-pin bowling alley, an Asda superstore and a selection of restaurants such as Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Frankie & Benny's and Chiquito...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, parts of which remained into the early 1980s as recognisable military structures, although then in use by shipping firms and other industries.
Governance
Between 1889 to 1974, Unsworth lay within the administrative countyAdministrative counties of England
Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 as the areas for which county councils were elected. Some large counties were divided into several administrative...
of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. With the passage of the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, it became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester.
Geography
Originally a small village, the area's character changed completely in the 1960s, with the rapid urbanisation of the until-then open countryside.Transformation began in the 1950s and then became faster in the 1960s with the rapid construction of housing in the area and the main road, now known as Sunnybank, connecting the old village of Unsworth to the A56
A56 road
The A56 is a road in England which extends between the city of Chester in Cheshire and the village of Broughton in North Yorkshire. The road contains a mixture of single and dual carriageway sections, and traverses environments as diverse as the dense urban sprawl of inner city Manchester and the...
arterial road between Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Education
The area was the site of Bury's first purpose-built comprehensive schoolComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
in 1971.
It remained something of an oddity for much of that decade at a time when the local authority was in Conservative hands, and fiercely resisting central government pressure to end selection.
Unsworth Comprehensive, as it was originally known, was later re-named Castlebrook High School
Castlebrook High School
Castlebrook High School is a comprehensive school located in Unsworth, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
.Also this school is now award winning in the education results tables.