Bury Castle, Greater Manchester
| Bury Castle | |
|---|---|
 Part of the inner wall of the moat of Bury Castle, with buttresses | |
  Location within Greater Manchester | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Fortified manor house |
| Location | Cooper Street, Bury, Greater Manchester, England |
| Coordinates | 53°35′38″N 02°17′55″W / 53.59389°N 2.29861°W |
| Completed | 1469 |
| Demolished | 1485 |
| Client | Sir Thomas Pilkington |
| Design and construction | |
| Designations | |
| Official name | Medieval moated site and later fortified manor house known as Bury Castle 100m west of the parish church |
| Designated | 27 January 1976 |
| Reference no. | 1015128 |
Bury Castle was an early medieval moated manor house in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, its remains are listed as a scheduled monument.[1][2] The manor house was built in 1469 by Sir Thomas Pilkington – lord of the manors of Bury and Pilkington, and an influential member of the Lancashire gentry.[1][3] He was granted permission by Edward IV to:
"'build to make and to construct walls and turrets with stone, lime and sand around and below his manor house in Bury in the County of Lancaster, and to shut in the manor house with such manner of walls and turrets; also to embattle, crenellate and machicolate those towers."[4]
It is situated at the top of a slope overlooking the River Irwell, in a strong defensive position.[3] Excavations have revealed six main construction phases on the site. The first phase, dated between 1359 and 1400, produced a house platform surrounded by a moat.[1] The building was razed to the ground (slighted) on the orders of Henry VII after Sir Thomas supported the House of York in the Wars of the Roses, particularly the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.[1][3][4] In addition, all of Sir Thomas' lands were confiscated.[3]
In 1540 the antiquary John Leland described Bury Castle as "a ruin of a castle by the Parish Church in the town".[4] In 1753 Thomas Percival drew plans of the visible foundations of the castle walls, measuring 600 ft (180 m) by 270 ft (82 m). The ruins were subsequently looted to provide building material for the town of Bury.[4] In 1865 further foundations were discovered, this time of a keep or defensive tower measuring 82 ft (25 m) by 63 ft (19 m), with walls 6 ft (1.8 m) thick.[4]
The remains of Bury Castle drew public attention in 1973, when amateur archaeologists uncovered stonework that had previously lain beneath a car park.[4] The site, which is owned by Bury Council and has undergone "restoration and enhancement work", has been open to the public since 2000[3][5] and now forms the centrepiece of Castle Square in the town centre.[6] Bury Castle is about 3.3 km (2.1 mi) north of Radcliffe Tower, an early 15th-century moated manor house.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Historic England. "Bury Castle (45189)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^ Historic England. "Medieval moated site and later fortified manor house known as Bury Castle 100m west of the parish church (1015128)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e "Bury Castle". Eduweb.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 June 2007. Retrieved on 4 April 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f Ashworth, Terry (Summer 1999). "The Rediscovery of Bury Castle". Bury Local History Society Journal.
- ^ Bury Metropolitan Borough Council (19 February 2004). "Bury's historic built environment". Bury Council. Archived from the original (DOC) on 27 March 2009. Retrieved on 27 May 2008.
- ^ "Bury Castle Remains". Visit Manchester. Retrieved 10 January 2026.