Bury

Bury, metropolitan borough, northern England. Bury is located in the metropolitan area of Greater Manchester, south of Lancashire and north of Salford. Until 1986 Bury was administered by the metropolitan county council based in Manchester. As a result of the Local Government Act 1985, the metropolitan county councils were abolished. The county council's functions devolved to Greater Manchester's ten metropolitan district councils: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan. The police authority is the Greater Manchester Police, with headquarters in Manchester. Crown Courts sit in Manchester and Bolton.

Bury is situated to the north-west of Manchester and is flanked by the metropolitan boroughs of Bolton and Rochdale to the west and east respectively. It is crossed by the River Irwell and in former days was on the route of the Roman road of Watling Street, parts of which are still visible. The south of the borough, closest to Manchester, is more urban and industrial while the northern reaches are rural moorland with scenic attractions such as Irwell Gorge. As well as the town of Bury, the borough also includes Radcliffe, Tottington, Ramsbottom, Whitefield, and Prestwich. The borough earned prominence in the Industrial Revolution when Bury and surrounding towns became famous for cotton. Although the cotton industry has now declined, the borough has diversified into other areas, chiefly paper. Population 180,612 (2001).