Background
Bury Castle was a medieval moated site of possibly 14 century origin, later strengthened around 1470 as a fortified manor house. The de Bury family held a manor here from the 12 century and in the mid 14 century it passed by marriage to the Pilkingtons.
In 1469 Thomas Pilkington obtained a licence from the king to fortify his manor house. He was a powerful and wealthy noble and the rebuilding of his home was an expression of his high social status. However, as a Yorkist supporter, his fortunes declined with the death of Richard III and in 1489 Bury Castle passed into the hands of Thomas Stanley, Earl of Derby.
The building was superfluous to his requirements and was dismantled. Gradually, over the
next century, stone was taken from the castle walls and the moat was filled with rubble and rubbish. By the 18 century brick structures were being constructed over the infilled moat and the castle site was effectively lost.
The castle remains as recorded by Hardwick in 1865, showing the buttressed wall enclosing the moated platform and a substantial walled structure perhaps a great hall. In 1865 new sewers were constructed in Castle Square and a number of poor brick structures were demolished. An antiquarian called Hardwick observed the sewer and undertook some excavation himself to record the remains of the castle. He found evidence to suggest a large rectangular building 82 by 63 feet and with 6 feet wide walls, together with an enclosing buttressed wall about 123 by 113 feet, of 2 feet thickness. These discoveries led to the naming of the new street over the sewer as Castle Street and provided inspiration for the design of the Castle Armoury facade.
The current excavations and scheme of restoration
The castle is one of Bury's most important archaeological sites. It is designated and protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument - a site of national archaeological significance.
The project is designed to rejuvenate this key public space with the remains of the 'castle' as a focal point. Funding for the initiative has been obtained by generous grants from the Pilsworth Environmental Company and the Heritage Lottery Fund as well as funding from Bury Council's Developmental Services Committee.
It is intended to reveal the remains of the buttressed moat wall in the central part of the square. The remains will then be consolidated and part of the moat ditch will be re-excavated to create a grassed area sloping down to the foot of the buttressed wall. Elsewhere the lines of the enclosing wall and footings of the stone house on the moated platform will be indicated within the paving. A seating area adjacent to the displayed remains will contain an interpretation panel.
A team of archaeologists are currently re-excavating the moat and buttressed wall. They have also examined the large rectangular stone building in the centre of the moated platform, for the first time since Hardwick's record of 1865. The results of the excavation will be published as a booklet.
Find out more about Bury Castle in another section of our web site.
Useful Links
Archaeological Sites and Monuments
Archaeolgy
Conservation in Bury
Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit (GMAU)
Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA)
