AFFETSIDE: this place-name to the north-west of Bury is an Old English word meaning 'a boundary on a hillside'.
AINSWORTH: is an Anglo Saxon personal name and farmstead, so the meaning is 'Ainulf's farmstead or settlement'.
BALDINGSTONE: could be 'the bold settlement', or maybe 'Baldhere's 'ton' settlement'.
BIRCH: is probably an Anglo Saxon personal name, but its meaning is also 'birch trees'.
BIRTLE: originally called Bircle, the meaning of which is 'birch trees' or 'the hill where birch trees grow'.
BRADSHAW: the meaning of which is 'a broad wood or copse.'
BRANDLESHOLME: Brandles being a personal name and holme 'a piece of land by a stream or river'.
BROOKSBOTTOMS: is thought to mean 'rams valley', or even 'wild garlic valley'.
BUCKLEY WELLS: is 'clearing by the wells or springs'.
BURRS: (Walmersley) the former industrial site of Burrs, with its now demolished cotton mills, is derived from Burh or byrig much like Bury - the meaning of which is 'a fortified settlement or refuge'. The former industrial site is overlooked by Castlesteads Iron Age promontory hillfort.
BURY: is the Old English place name "Burh" meaning 'fortified settlement or stronghold'.
CHATTERTON: is probably the same as Chadderton ie 'Ceatta's settlement or farmstead'. But could also be 'settlement by a hill.'
CHEESDEN: the meaning of which is 'gravel valley'. ie the Cheesden Valley between Bury and Heywood.
CHESHAM: seems to be 'gravelly place or places'.
COCKEY MOOR: seems to have been the Roman name COCCIUM, which was later Anglized to Ainsworth.
CROWTREES: is 'trees that are inhabited by crows', which is self-explanatory, really.
DOFFER FOLD (Radcliffe): uncertain with regard to this place-name, but could be a personal local name.
EDENFIELD: is 'the field belonging to the island.'
ELTON: is probably Ella's tun which is 'the farmstead of Aella or Ella'.
FAIRFIELD: is self-explanatory and simply means 'the fair fields'.
FERNHILL: is self-explanatory and means 'hill where fearns grow'.
FISHPOOL: is self-explanatory and refers to 'pools or ponds where fish are found.'
GOLLINROD: the meaning of which is not known.
GREENMOUNT: only came into existence in the 19th century and is self-explanatory meaning 'the grassy hill.'
GRISTLEHURST: this place-name is uncertain. Gristle means sinewy, while Hurst means a hill with a wood or copse.
HAWKSHAW: is 'Hawk's wood.'
HAZELHURST: seems to mean 'hill where hazel trees grow.', or could be 'copse of hazel trees.'
HEYWOOD: is 'the high wood or high wood.'
HOLLINS: is uncertain, but could be 'where holly bushes grow.' or 'holly enclosure.'
HOPWOOD:. seems likely to be 'wood in a valley.' rather than 'wood where hops grow.''
IRWELL: is a river flowing through the district. The name means "the angry river.' or 'wandering river.'
JERICHO: (located between Rochdale and Bury). The place got its Biblical name after a visit by John Wesley in 1778.
LILY HILL: is possibly 'a hill where lilies are grown?'
LIMEFIELD: could be 'the fields or low lying land next to the Lyme (the Lyme forest), but not lime trees!'
MEADOWHEAD: is possibly 'high, grassy cultivated land' or 'the high, grassy land.'
NANGREAVES: this place-name is a personal (local) name, but back in history, the name was also associated with the breeding of goats.
NUTTALL: is 'the bare hill' or perhaps 'piece of land by the river'.
OWLER BARROW: the place-name Barrow is usually a grove, rather than a hill or mound. Owler is maybe a personal name.
OUTWOOD: is probably self-explanatory and means the wood or copse at the outer edge'.
PIMHOLE: is possibly a personal (local) name followerd by hole - a pit or hollow.
PRESTWICK: is likely to be 'Priests wic (farm)", or a 'religious house of priests'.
RADCLIFFE: is almost self-explanatory with the meaning 'the red cliffe'.
RAMSBOTTOM: is probably 'the ram's valley' or could be 'valley where wild garlic grows'.
ROWLANDS: is uncertain, but could be a personal name or 'a row of houses or buildings' on or around some land.
SHUTTLEWORTH: is 'a gated enclosure'.
STUBBINS: this place-name near Edenfield means 'a clearing' or 'an enclosure made of something'.
TOTTINGTON: is 'the farmstead of Totta' or 'Totta's settlement'. It could also be 'look-out hill'.
UNSWORTH: is 'Hund's enclosure'.
WALMERSLEY: is 'Walmer's leah' or 'leah belonging to Walmer.' It could also be 'a lake by a wood.'
WALSHAW: some uncertainty, but probably 'the wood or copse of a Welshman or foreigner".
WHITELOW (Shuttleworth): is a bit uncertain, but probably 'hwit or wita' followerd by 'low - a burial mound.'
WOODGATE HILL: is uncertain, but possibly 'a hill with woodland that is gated' or 'gated and enclosed wood on a hill.'
Sources of Information:-
David Mills, The Place Names of Lancashire, Batsford Ltd., London, 1986.
Adrian Room, Dictionary of Place-Names in The British Isles, Blitz Editions, Enderby, Leicester, 1993.
Copyright © RayS57, 2026.
