Bury, Greater Manchester - Timeline of churches

979?     First Church on the site of the present Parish Church (the picture below is an artist's impression of Bury parish church in 1485). This was the only church in the town of Bury until 1719 (see below). 

1585     Parish church (re)built in the gothic style .

1650    During the Commonwealth, Henry Pendlebury was ordained for Holcombe Chapelry. 

1662    Having been ejected from the Church of England, Henry Pendlebury of Holcombe (1626-1695) held services at a Chapel on Bass Lane by Richard Kay, and others ejected from the C of E (replaced in 1712 by Dundee Chapel, Holcombe)

1669     The vicar of Bury parish reported to the Bishop of Chester that he heard several conventicles were "constantly kept at private houses of Independents, Presbyterians, Dippers and other such like jointly, of the bset rank of the yeomanry and other inferiors."

1689     The passing of the Toleration Act, and services were held openly by a congregation at Bast House, Walmersley, the home of Richard Kay.

1712    Edward Rothwell, became minister of what would become Bank Street Presbyterian Church, Bury. He ministered at Bury, Holcombe and surrounding district. (d. 1731)

1719     Presbyterian Chapel ("little yellow chapel") on Bank Street. The formerly congregation was served by ministers Thomas Braddock (minister until 1770), John Hughes (minister 1770-1803), and then William Allard (from 1803-1831). John Hughes and most of the church appear to have moved to a Unitarian position by 1790, when the Trinitarian contingent left to form New Road Congregational Church. 

1749    First Methodist meetings in Birtle. 

1760    First Methodist church at Bircle near Bury, described as being "barnlike and not very comfortable". Later a school house on Pine Street. 

1770     St John's Church of England on the Rock (closed 1964). This became a fully fledged parish church in its own right in 1862.

1774    John Wesley preached in the open air at Pits o'th' Moor (an elevated rock overlooking what is now an artificial lake near Birtle - photo).

1780      The main body of Bury parish church was demolished and rebuilt leaving only the spire from the original church.

1785     Methodist meeting house moved to chapel on Clerke Street/Cross street. This congregation would move to Union Street in 1817. 

1790    New Road Congregational Church on Rochdale New Road. Some of the members of the new church, which began meeting in 1790, may have come from Bank Street Presbyterian Church which moved to Unitarian belief around this time. The original building was built in 1792, and rebuilt in 1885 (picture). It was situated approximately between the current JD Sports store and the Vue cinema (photo right; relocated to Parsons Lane in 2007).   

1804    Wesleyan Methodist Circuit established 

 

1804    Bethel Independent Congregational church formed as a breakaway from New Road Congregational Church. Initially met in a schoolroom, shared with local Baptists. Later moved to Henry Street in 1807 (photo) which would have been just north of the present Millgate carpark. In 1964/5, it amalgamated with other Congregational churches in the town and relocated to the existing New Road Congregational church.

1804    St Marie's RC congregation started. Later moved to current location on Manchester Road (see below).  

~1805    William Gadsby (Strict Baptist) baptised at Bury Bridge 

1810/1813    Bolton Street (Methodist New Connexion) until 1875/9. 

1817    Wesleyan Methodist Church on Union Street (previously on Clerke Street). Demolished 1999.   

1824    Primitive Methodists met in a preaching room on Clerke Street.  

1828     Primitive Methodist chapel on William Street. 

1835    Providence Strict and Particular Baptist Church. Building on Bridge Street from 1836, moved to Radcliffe Road in 1983. Since 1986 this church has been known as Radcliffe Road Baptist Church.  

1836    Brunswick WMA/UMF Methodist (photo) built on North Street, near where the present Tesco superstore is. Built 1837. Rebuilt ???? Closed in 1967.   

1838    Castlecroft Congregational Church (closed 1980s to join Bury Congregational Church, later Bury URC)  

1841    St Paul's Church of England (building closed 1993; currently meets in St Paul's C of E Primary School on Porritt Street).  

1842    St Marie's RC church completed (now a listed building)

1843 All Saints Church of England, Elton (this relocated to Brandlesholme in ????). 

1845    Ebenezer Chapel (Baptist) on Knowsley Street (building 1853). You can see the side of the original Ebenezer chapel on Knowsley Street (see arrow) on this photo of the Art Gallery and Library.  

Later, the Art Picture House was built on the former site of the church - this is now a bar/restaurant opposite the Bury Interchange. Approx. 1898, the church relocated to a dedicated church building on Tenterden Street (just next to the railway line, near the carpark for the Leisure centre).  

1854    Free Christian Church at Commercial Buildings on Spring Street, then, from 1860, "Christian Meeting House" on Rochdale Road. Franklin Howarth, minister 1854-1882, was former Unitarian minister at Bank Street church who moved to Trinitarian beliefs. A later minister was Rev Joseph Harvey.

1854    Limefield United Free Methodist Church on Walmersley Road (corner with Wolstenholme Avenue). Building 1870. Since 1960/1967, this has been known as Seedfield Methodist Church.  

1858    Mount Pleasant Methodist Church on Wood Street (United Methodist). Building 1887. 

1860    Swedenborgian New Jerusalem Chapel. Later purchased by the Primitive Methodist congregation (year?). 

1861    St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church (formerly Mission)  

1862    St Peter's Church of England, Redvales starts (from 1872 in the present building on St Peter's Road) 

1864    St John's chapel of ease becomes a parish church in its own right. In 1869, it opens St John's schools on Hornby street.

1864    Holy Trinity Church of England on Spring Street (now closed) 

1865    Zion Methodist Church (United Methodist Free) on Warth Road (closed 196?) 

1866    St Thomas' Church of England on Rochdale New Road. 

1866    Primitive Methodists move from William Street to new chapel on on the corner of Walmersley Road and Canning Street (photo right). 

1869    Blackford Bridge Congregational Church. Rebuilt 1888. Closed 2024. 

1870    Zion United Methodist Free Church on Warth Road (1888 building; closed ~1969) 

1873    St Mark's Church of England on Brookshaw Street, Chesham.  

1875/9 Methodist New Connexion church relocates from Bolton Street to Heywood Street (closed 1966).  

1876    New building consecrated for St Mary the Virgin Parish Church (tower built 1842) 

1878    Wesleyan Methodist Mission on Russell Street (1885) 

1878     Brookshaw Street Mission ("Holiness and healing mission"). From 1931 known as "Beulah Mission" (Pentecostal). Amalgamated to form Bethesda Pentecostal Church, Parkhills Road in 1967.  

1881    Chesham Baptist, Chesham Road (closed 1971 to form Bury Baptist Church)

1882    Methodist Church on Fairy Street (later Bolton Road Methodist Church)  

1882    Welsh Presbyterian Chapel with services held in Welsh (handed over to Benson Street Gospel Chapel in 1949) 

1883    Park Hills Methodist Church on Park Hills Road (United Methodist Free Church). Sold to Pentecostal church in 1967. 

1884    Exclusive Brethren (first mention) 

1885    New Road Independent Church rebuilt on same site as earlier church dating to 1792. 

????     Salvation Army Bury Citadel on Moorgate (see photo). Later moved to Brookshaw Street, on the site of the previous St Mark's Church of England. 

1897    Open Brethren meeting at Pump Street (first mention) 

1898    Baptist church on Knowsley Street moves to a new building on Tenterden Street (next to the railway). Closed 1970 to form Bury Baptist Church. 

1906    Freetown Congregational Mission. Building erected on corner of Kay Street and Lucas Street in 1909. Closed ~1994.  

1927    At the invitation of Brookshaw Mission church, an mission to Bury was held in Drill Hall by Assemblies of God pastor, John Nelson Parr, and Stephen Jeffreys  

As a result of this mission, "Emmanuel" Pentecostal Church was formed on Bell Lane under the leadership of Howell Harris (see photo; amalgamated to form Bethesda in 1967) 

1937    Brethren meeting at "Gospel Rooms", Market Place, following Tent Mission with Gavin Hamilton. Later at the "Bible Hall" on Clerke Street (possibly former Methodist chapel/Sunday school?)  

1949    Brethren Assembly begins meeting at former Welsh Presbyterian Chapel, renamed Benson Street Gospel Chapel 

1956    From this year, most of the services of "Old St John's" Church of England were held at the Mission Church on Parkinson Street (off Walmersley Road) due to the poor state of the old church building. 

1960    Seedfield Methodist (amalgamation of Brunswick Methodist Free Church, and Limefield United  Methodist Free Church). This is where Leslie Dawson served as minister. 

1964    Old St John's church on the Rock closes, and the congregation relocates to Sunny Avenue (off Walmersley Road).   

1965     Bury Congregational Church combines existing New Road, Bethel, and Castlecroft Congregational Churches at the existing Rochdale Road church.   

1967    Bethesda Pentecostal Church (now known as Metro Christian Centre) formed in the previous building of Parkhills United Methodist Church on Parkhills Road, amalgamating Emmanuel Pentecostal Church on Bell Lane (above) and Beulah Mission on Brookshaw Street.  

1969    Demolition of Heywood Street Methodist Church, which had ceased services three years before. 

1971    Bury Baptist Church formed, amalgamating Chesham Road, Tenterden Street and Rochdale Road churches.  

1970s    Bible Baptist Church starts. Later moves to former Mount Pleasant Methodist Church on Wood Street.  

1980    Bury Christian Fellowship (originated from Bridge Methodist Church and another Methodist church in Radcliffe). Later moved into Manna House. Currently meeting at St John's Free Church of England in Tottington.    

1983    Providence Baptist Church relocates to the Old School Kitchens on Radcliffe Road, and renamed Radcliffe Road Baptist Church. A purpose-built church building was completed in 2004. 

1985    St Mark's Church on Brookshaw Street closes, and joins with St John's church on Sunny Avenue, and is renamed St John's with St Mark's.

1993    St Paul's church of England moves from old church to primary school on Poritt street. 

2007    United Reformed Church relocated from Rochdale Road to the present location on Parson's Lane. 

2007    "Freedom Church" formed (35 Walmersley Road). Closed in 2015 (?)

2019    !Audacious North Manchester starts. 

2022    Logos Church (Cantonese) starts. 

Photos used with kind permission of Bury Archive.