BL9 is Bury Metropolitan Borough’s biggest postcode zone, it incorporates several residential areas and of course the town centre. Cardwells have been successfully selling houses in BL9 and renting properties in BL9 since 1982.
SIGNIFICANT AREAS WITHIN THE POSTCODE DISTRICT
Bury
Bury is a thriving town set in northern Greater Manchester, approximately 8 miles north of Manchester City Centre, and 6 miles east of Bolton. Bury uses the Bolton postcodes of BL8 and BL9, and the Manchester dial code of 0161.
Bury is made up of a number of suburbs and villages, but it is the town centre that provides the hub of activity. There are here, a modest number of terraced houses, but the town centre is focused on a number of retail and historic attractions.
The most recent development, Bury Rock, is an entertainment centre with cinema and bowling, and a number and variety of different restaurants. There are also excellent retail facilities here, and an attractive, buzzing high street.
Bury Market is one of the town’s best and most popular attractions, drawing in crowds from surrounding towns, and is also the home of Bury Black Pudding, which locals will happily claim as the best in Britain. The market has won numerous awards and has a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.
At the end of Market Street where Cardwells Estate Agents Bury is located is Peel Square, Bury Parish Church and Bury War Memorial. The town centre also hosts parades on V-Day and Remembrance Day, which start from Bury Parish Church and the barracks.
The East Lancs Railway is another fantastic attraction, highly popular and an excellent day out running up to Ramsbottom and onwards to Rawtenstall.
In terms of education, Bury is home to some high achieving schools and colleges. In the suburbs, schools like Tottington High and Lowercroft Primary provide local education, while Bury Grammar School is a highly regarded private school located in the town centre.
Bury also has further education facilities in the form of Bury College and Holy Cross University Centre, located in the town centre and on Manchester Road respectively.
The town centre does provide jobs to many Bury residents, but for those who work further afield, commuting is made much easier by excellent transport links. The M66 runs North to South along the east side of Bury to Lancashire in the North and to the M60 and the wider motorway network to the South.
At Bury Interchange, regular buses from the various suburbs and neighbouring towns share the station with the Greater Manchester metrolink, giving effective transport into Manchester and surrounding areas.
On Gigg Lane is the home of Bury FC where matches are both exciting and reasonably priced. Bury Sports Club is home to Bury RUFC and Bury Squash Club with Bury Cricket Club nearby both off Radcliffe Road.
Blackford Bridge
Blackford Bridge is a small suburb of Bury, in the BL9 postcode, 4 miles south of the Town Centre and 11 miles north of Manchester City Centre.
The children of Blackford Bridge attend schools in neighbouring Unsworth & Hollins, such as Unsworth Primary, Sunnybank Primary, Hollins Grundy and Bury & Whitefield Jewish Primary School. Castlebrook High School is the area’s secondary school.
The M66 is very close by, giving access to the M60 and motorway network, and Manchester/Bury Old Road runs from Bury into Manchester City Centre. Bury and Whitefield metrolink stations are roughly equidistant to the north and south respectively, giving access to Manchester City Centre and surrounding areas.
Bury Golf Club is in neighbouring Hollins and Unsworth Junior FC and Unsworth Cricket Club are also popular sports attractions. Castlebrook High School also has sports facilities open to the public.
Chesham
Chesham is a residential area of Bury that sits between Fernhill and Limefield. Popular with first-time buyers due to the number a terrace homes available Chesham is an area that we at Cardwells have many enquiries for properties to rent and properties to buy.
Situated off Walmersley Road, Chesham provides great access into Bury and her amenities. These include the multi-screen Vue cinema and the shopping centre at the Rock. Cardwells have been selling and renting properties in Chesham since 1982.
The local primary school is Chesham Primary School, which recently received the Green Flag Award for keeping the school tidy and eco-friendly. Bury has several secondary schools the most popular and famous being the Bury Grammar School.
Also receiving the Green Flag Award is Clarence Park whose amenities include 2 bowling greens, a football pitch, a children’s play area, a skate park, 2 tennis courts, fishing, a bandstand, The Green Cafe and community centre, model boats and angling on the lido, wheels for all cycling programme, and the Run England 3-2-1 route.
Fairfield
Fairfield is a small residential area situated between Bury and Heywood town centres. Fairfield is always popular with people looking to rent and buy properties due in a good part to its excellent access to the M66 motorway (junction 2) and its proximity to Fairfield Hospital. Cardwells have been selling and renting properties in Fairfield since 1982.
One reason Cardwells receives so many enquiries for properties to rent and properties to buy in Fairfield is its very popular primary school, Fairfield Primary. The local secondary is the Chesham House School which educates 11-18 year olds. Also, the area is close to one of the region’s top public schools Bury Grammar School.
There is a plenty of local amenities available due to Fairfield’s proximity to both Bury and Heywood. This means that in the immediate vicinity there is a B&Q Warehouse, and Fairfield Hospital. A short trip to the nearby town centres there is a Vue cinema and shopping complex at the Rock in Bury. Heywood has a Tesco and many local shops.
Gigg
Gigg Lane is famously the home of Bury Football Club and has been since the club’s inception in 1885. This is a residential area of Bury that has been very popular for people looking for houses to rent and people looking for houses to buy in the Gigg Lane area with Cardwells for a very long time. It is very conveniently placed close to Bury Town Centre and is close to many local amenities.
The local schools have always been popular, these include St Luke’s C of E Primary School, Redvales Children’s Centre and Holy Cross 6th Form Centre. Bury Grammar School is also close by. There is a local park on Manchester Road and the area sits close to the River Roch.
Due to its proximity to Manchester Road there is great access straight into the town centre, where there is a large shopping centre at the Rock and a multi-screen Vue cinema. Bury is served by the metro link which offers regular direct access into Manchester, and there is also the East Lancs Railway which runs steam trains along the line between Bury and Ramsbottom.
Heap Bridge
Heap Bridge is a small but perfectly formed residential area nestled between Bury and Heywood town centres. Heap Bridge is always popular with people looking to rent and buy properties due in a good part to its excellent access to the M66 (junction 2). Cardwells have been selling and renting properties in Heap Bridge since 1982.
One reason Cardwells receives so many enquiries for properties to rent and properties to buy in Heap Bridge is its very good primary school, Heap Bridge Village Primary. Also, the area is close to one of the region’s top public schools Bury Grammar School.
There is a fantastic array of amenities available due to Heap Bridge’s proximity to both Bury and Heywood. This means that in the immediate area there is a B&Q Warehouse, and Fairfield Hospital. Moving into the respective town centres there is a Vue cinema and shopping complex at the Rock in Bury. Heywood has a Tesco and many local shops.
Hollins
Hollins is a small suburb of Bury, in the BL9 postcode, 4 miles south of the Town Centre and 11 miles north of Manchester City Centre.
Hollins is made up primarily of residential estates and has minor amenities, such as a bakery and corner shop.
There are local schools in Hollins and neighbouring Unsworth, such as Unsworth Primary, Sunnybank Primary, Hollins Grundy and Bury & Whitefield Jewish Primary School. Castlebrook High School is the area’s secondary school.
The M66 is very close by, giving access to the M60 and motorway network, and Manchester/Bury Old Road runs from Bury into Manchester City Centre. Bury and Whitefield Metrolink stations are roughly equidistant to the north and south respectively, giving access to Manchester City Centre and surrounding areas.
Bury Golf Club is in Hollins, and Unsworth Junior FC and Unsworth Cricket Club are also popular sports attractions. Castlebrook High School also has sports facilities open to the public.
Limefield
Limefield is a residential area of Bury that sits just beyond Chesham along Walmersley Road near the Pigs Lee Brook. An ever popular area for both tenants and first-time buyers, Limefield is an area that we at Cardwells have many enquiries for properties to rent and properties to buy.
Running alongside Walmersley Road Limefield is a stone’s throw from Bury and her amenities. These include the metrolink that connects Bury directly with Manchester, and the picturesque East Lancs Railway which using steam trains adjoin Bury to Ramsbottom and onwards to Rossendale. There is also the multi-screen Vue cinema and the shopping centre at the Rock. Cardwells have been selling and renting properties in Limefield since 1982.
Locally Limefield Primary School has recently received the Green Flag Award for keeping the school tidy and eco-friendly. Bury has several secondary schools the most popular and famous being the Bury Grammar School.
Clarence Park is a popular place to spend summer afternoons as it’s amenities include; 2 bowling greens, a football pitch, a children’s play area, a skate park, 2 tennis courts, fishing, a bandstand, The Green cafe and community centre, model boats on the lido, angling on the lido, a car park at the lido, wheels for all cycling programme, and the Run England 3-2-1 route.
Nangreaves
Cardwells Bury office serves the village of Nangreaves which is situated on a southwesterly slope of Snape Hill amidst the West Pennine Moors approximately two miles north of the town centre and around three-quarters of a mile north of the centre of Walmersley. Designated as a conservation area in 1974 this former factory village is now a thriving residential community with its own pub – the Lord Raglan – a traditional pub and restaurant popular with locals and visitors alike.
Access to Nangreaves which stands near to the end of an old stone set road which runs for 1/2 mile crossing the M66 Motorway is from Walmersley Old Road where there are a number of shops and a post office.
Parkhills
Parkhills is located approximately 0.5 miles south of Bury Town Centre, and about 7.5 miles north of Manchester City Centre.
Cardwells have been successfully selling houses in this popular residential area since 1982. Mostly two and three bedroom terraced homes, first-time buyers are often looking here, as are property investors. There are also pockets of modern development in the area with semi and detached homes.
There is a primary school here, St Luke’s, but most children go to primary schools in and around Radcliffe, and similar can be said for secondary schools. Elton High School is very popular, as is Bury CE Secondary and The Derby High School.
Parkhills is also home to Holy Cross University Centre and part of Bury College campus, two very popular centers of further education.
The M66 motorway is a short drive away, providing access to the M60 motorway, and Bury Interchange is within walking distance for most, making getting into Manchester and surrounding areas very easy.
Gigg Lane – home to Bury FC – is a short walk away and the town centre’s popular attractions and excellent entertainment and retail facilities are, again, within walking distance.
Pimhole
Pimhole is a residential district of Bury. Pimhole is always popular with people looking to rent and buy properties due in a good part to its excellent access to the M66 motorway (Junction 2) and the nearby Fairfield Hospital. Cardwells have been selling and renting properties in Pimhole since 1982.
One reason Cardwells receives so many enquiries for properties to rent and properties to buy in Pimhole is St Thomas’s C of E primary school, also the area is close to one of the region’s top public schools Bury Grammar School.
There is a plenty of local amenities available in the area, due to its proximity to Bury. This means that in the immediate vicinity there is a B&Q Warehouse, and Fairfield Hospital. Just down the road into the town centre there is a Vue cinema and shopping complex at the Rock.
Summerseat
Summerseat village is exactly just that – if not even a hamlet – idyllically located on the south side of Ramsbottom, in the Irwell Valley, roughly 3.5 miles north of Bury Town Centre.
Focused on a bridging point on the River Irwell, Summerseat is a picturesque location, with greens falling away to the river, stone cottages and bridges are the main architecture, but due to the low population, the residents rely heavily on Ramsbottom’s schools, shops and facilities.
The children of the village, few as they may be, attend the schools of Ramsbottom and Tottington. The local primary schools are Edenfield Primary and Hazlehurst Primary, in Ramsbottom, whilst Woodhey High provides secondary education.
Ramsbottom is very well provided for in terms of community facilities and things to do. The local cricket team has a wonderful ground set to the background of the East Lancashire Railway station, and the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium provides local football team Ramsbottom United a home. The aforementioned East Lancashire Railway is a very popular tourist attraction, running from Bury to Rossendale, with a stop at Ramsbottom in between. Sadly this is not a commuter route, but the historic steam trains run regularly and serve as a reminder of the area’s industrial heritage. Also visible from the majority of the town is Peel Tower, standing atop Holcombe Moor. A landmark and reference point that all locals appreciate on a personal level, walkers from all around Lancashire come to stand at the foot of the tower and take in the views over West Yorkshire, East Lancashire and as far afield as Blackpool Tower on a clearer day.
There is also a good range of entertainment facilities, mostly in Bolton Road West, particularly in the town centre, with bars and restaurants providing the area with some nightlife. Ramsbottom Festival has been a very popular music festival over recent years, growing in stature and attracting a high standard of artists such as Idlewild and The Proclaimers.
The residents of Summerseat will often have Ramsbottom as their entertainment location of choice, due to its proximity and a good range of facilities.
Summerseat is best accessible by car, however regular bus routes up Brandlesholme Road and Walmersley Road at either end of the village provide transport links to Bury and Ramsbottom. The M66 is also only a short drive away, which gives an effective route both to Lancashire to the north and Greater Manchester to the south, along with the rest of the motorway network.
Unsworth & Pilsworth
Unsworth and Pilsworth are areas of Bury Metropolitan Borough, 4 miles south of Bury Town Centre, 11 miles north of Manchester City Centre.
The vast majority of Unsworth’s properties were built in the 1960’s – 1970’s, resulting in a large number of good sized, modern, semi- and detached properties, with the occasional post-war period home in the fringes. Pilsworth is an older area, and as such have relatively typically terraced lined streets, interspersed with very recent, small developments.
Unsworth has four primary schools: Unsworth Primary, Sunnybank Primary, Hollins Grundy Primary and Bury & Whitefield Jewish Primary. There is also a secondary school in the form of Castlebrook High. These schools also extend their catchments into Pilsworth.
Manchester Road and Bury New Road both provide direct access to Bury to the north, and Whitefield to the south, and then on to central Manchester. There is also an M66 junction at Pilsworth, giving an excellent transport link to both Lancashire and the motorway network around Greater Manchester and beyond.
Whitefield & Bury Metrolink stations are both also available for commuting into Manchester City Centre, with regular bus services passing both stations.
Bury Golf Club is set within local Hollins, and the areas have a number of other sports clubs, such as Unsworth Cricket Club, and Unsworth Junior FC. Castlebrook High School also has sports facilities open to the public, including Astroturf football/hockey pitches and two sports halls.
Walmersley
The name Walmersley is said to be derived from Old English and translates as Waldmer’s wood or clearing. Once a rural village in the wilds, in recent decades it has evolved into a popular suburb of North Bury where Cardwells having been successfully selling a whole range of properties over the years.
Many of the original stone cottages remain, complemented by a mixture of post-war, 1970’s and more recent housing developments offering buyers a wide selection of potential homes to purchase. A good range of amenities is available along the A56 Walmersley Road, which links Walmersley with Bury to the south and Shuttleworth, Ramsbottom and Edenfield to the north. These include the busy shopping precinct at Walmersley, the Post Office, mini supermarket and pharmacy. Further along, Walmersley Road heading towards Shuttleworth is the highly regarded Red Hall Hotel complex which is ideally located on the outskirts of Bury and is set amid beautiful countryside catering for a variety of private and business functions. It also has excellent access via link roads and the M66 Motorway.
Clarence Park is a popular recreational facility in the area which opened as a public park in 1888 and is currently the largest urban local community park in the borough situated just over a mile from Bury town centre, adjoined by Clarence lido and bordered by Chesham Woods and nature reserve. The Walmersley conservation area covers Christ Church which operates a thriving scout/cub and beaver group for boys aged from 6 to 14 years of age and includes the former Brewery buildings which have been converted into a select residential development.
The area is well served by Primary Schools which include, Springside Primary, Chesham Primary, St John with St Mark C of E and St Joseph and St Bede Catholic School all of which feed into the secondary schools in the town. There are two excellent Nursery Schools on Walmersley Road, Holyrood Day Nursery and the award winning Mulberry Bush Nursery School.
Walmersley also boasts its own 18 hole Golf club, the renowned ‘Falshaws’ farm shop and ice-cream parlour, plenty of pubs and is one of the easiest places from which to commute being close to the town centre. Cardwells have been successfully selling property in Walmersley for many years and are proud to be recognised as one of the leading Estate Agents serving the area.
The Schools of BL9
There are many good secondary and primary Schools in BL9 catering for different needs, religions and abilities, the most famous of which is Bury Grammar School in the town centre. Below are links for a selection:
Useful Links:
Bury & Whitefield Jewish Primary School
St Joseph & St Bede Primary School
Holy Cross Sixth Form & University Centre
Things to do in BL9
Bury offers a diverse and exciting range of things to do with many great restaurants and bars to visit and other attractions. Equally, as you move out of the centre there are lots of interesting places to visit. Below is a small selection:
We have offices in Bolton and Bury, with our areas of selling covering much of Lancashire. We have property for sale around the North West, including Manchester. We will be more than happy to help you with any aspect of the home buying experience, whether it’s simply just a bit of advice, or you’ve seen a house you’ve set your heart on but aren’t sure what to do next. Call one of our branches (we also cover Walkden and Worsley) or pay us a visit to see exactly what we can do for you.