Radcliffe, Greater Manchester

Radcliffe, Greater Manchester.
Radcliffe is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley 2.5 miles (4 km) south-west of Bury and 6.5 miles (10 km) north-northwest of Manchester. The disused Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal bisects the town. Historically a part of Lancashire, the town and its surroundings show evidence of Mesolithic, Roman and Norman activity. A Roman road passes along the border between Radcliffe and Bury. In the High Middle Ages, the town was recorded in an entry of the Domesday Book as "Radeclive"; it formed a small parish and township centred on the Church of St Mary (current church pictured) and the manorial Radcliffe Tower, both of which are Grade I listed buildings. Coal was mined nearby during 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 and bleachworks.