Bury Parish Church
11.08.2026
Although recording the details of the ledger stones at Bury Parish Church gives us a fascinating insight into the town’s history, there are also some moving stories behind the stones, as not every inscription records a long life.
Many of the ledger stones remember children who died in infancy or before reaching adulthood, reminding us how different life was in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
One family recorded on a single stone lost several children in infancy, while other memorials remember babies who lived for only a few months — or even just days. These poignant inscriptions provide a powerful reminder of the challenges families once faced and the importance of preserving these personal stories.
04.08.26
The inscriptions at Bury Parish Church offer fascinating glimpses into everyday life in historic Bury. Alongside the names and dates mentioned below, many stones record occupations, including blacksmith, mason, joiner, tanner and merchant. There’s also mention of innkeeper, surgeon, Curate and Reverend.
Together, the ledger stones paint a picture of a busy market town where skilled tradespeople, merchants, clergy and local families all played their part in shaping Bury!
28.07.26
As work continues to record the historic ledger stones at Bury Parish Church, remarkable stories are beginning to emerge.
The inscriptions reveal the lives of local families stretching back more than 300 years, with some of the earliest memorials dating from the late 1600s. Each inscription provides another piece of Bury’s history, helping us understand the people who lived, worked and worshipped here long before the town became the industrial centre we know today.
One of the most striking discoveries is how many generations of the same families are commemorated within the church. Names such as Greenhalgh, Holt, Booth, Chadwick, Nuttall, Warburton and Kay appear repeatedly throughout the ledger stones, revealing family connections that span decades—and in some cases centuries.
Many of the inscriptions have unfortunately become difficult to read over time, but this recording project is an important step in preserving the remaining stories for the future.
22.07.2026
Exciting progress is being made at Bury Parish Church, with practical restoration works due to begin this September.
The works will see the church’s historic ledger stones carefully lifted, conserved and re-laid, helping to preserve these important heritage features while creating a safer and more accessible space for visitors. Improvements will also be made to the surrounding churchyard, alongside new interpretation that will help tell the story of this remarkable site.
Even before work begins, the project has already brought the community together through a range of heritage activities. Volunteers have been carefully recording the historic ledger stones, while pupils from St Paul’s CE Primary School have been exploring the church’s fascinating history through creative workshops with artist Andy Marshall. From becoming “Ledger Detectives” to researching local history at Bury Archives, the project has helped bring Bury’s rich heritage to life for the next generation.
We would like to thank The National Lottery Heritage Fund for making this project possible, along with Bury Parish Church, The Benefact Trust, Bury Council, the local volunteers, St Paul’s CE Primary School. Andy Marshall, and everyone who has supported the project so far.
We’ll be sharing regular updates as the restoration progresses, so do check back for updates 🌳☀️🌳
09.07.2026
The work to record the historic ledger stones at Bury Parish Church is continuing, with a fantastic team of volunteers helping to capture the names, inscriptions and details carved into these remarkable memorials.
Every inscription recorded adds another piece to the story of Bury’s past, creating a lasting record that will help protect this unique heritage for future generations. It’s an exciting stage of the project, as volunteers are revealing fascinating details that might otherwise be lost over time.
A huge thank you to everyone who has generously given their time, enthusiasm and expertise to support this work – especially in a heatwave! Their contribution is playing a vital role in preserving an important part of Bury’s history. ☀️
22.06.2026
Much activity at Bury Parish Church today as an archaeologist arrived on site to begin investigative work ahead of the next phase of the heritage project. The archaeologist is overseeing the digging of a series of shallow trial pits, and monitoring small areas of excavation within the church grounds.
With more than 1,000 years of history connected to Bury Parish Church, the investigations will help identify any archaeological features, or other items of historical interest that may lie beneath the surface before ledger stone work begins later this year.
18.06.2026
This week, local volunteers started work to record the historic ledger stones that form part of the church grounds.
The ledger stones, some dating back more than 400 years, contain inscriptions that tell the stories of past residents, families, and local history. Working alongside project partners, the volunteers are photographing, recording, and documenting the stones so that their inscriptions and stories can be added to both church archives and new digital resources. This important work will help safeguard valuable heritage information and make it more accessible for visitors in the future.
The recording project is an exciting step in the wider programme of improvements planned for the church grounds!
30.04.2026
This week, we enjoyed two fantastic days with pupils and staff from St Paul’s CE Primary School. Working alongside artist Andy Marshall, the children visited Bury Parish Church to learn more about the historic ledger stones and the stories they tell about Bury’s past. During creative workshops, pupils explored the church and churchyard, discovered nature-inspired artwork and symbolism, and created their own artwork inspired by leaves, trees and the Green Man.
The learning continued with the children becoming “Ledger Detectives”, researching the people commemorated on the ledger stones and uncovering fascinating links between the church, local families, trades and the wider history of Bury. The sessions also included a visit to local Bury archives, helping pupils develop research skills while bringing local history to life.
A huge thank you to all the pupils for taking part, and especially to their teachers for supporting the sessions 🌳☀️
25.02.2026
We’re delighted to confirm that the Bury Parish Church project is now also being supported by the Benefact Trust team. The Trust have been supporting communities since 1972, and they aim to drive positive social change by empowering people to make a difference.
Having their support means a huge amount to everyone involved in the project. They are a team that recognise that projects like this one are about much more than repairs and restoration – theses projects are about having a positive impact on the wider community 🌳☀️🌳
10.02.2026
The first phase of the tree work having taken place.
The trees around the entire Church were surveyed in 2022 and many were found to be either dead, diseased, dying or dangerous (suffering from Ash die back). The trees were assessed again in late 2025 and it was determined that a significant number needed to be removed for safety. The majority of these works have now taken place and will be complete by Friday 13th February
We wanted to communicate that, in order to access the trees, it was necessary to temporarily move some memorial vases and ornaments, but these have now been put back in place. The grassed areas have been left damaged as the size of the trees meant large machinery was required, so some damage to the lawns was inevitable. This will be a short-term issue until re-seeding can take place in the Spring growing season
With respect to the trees which have been felled (13 in total); we have proposals for 25 new trees to replace those felled. These are predominantly smaller species/varieties, and more ornamental including those with a long historical association with graveyards and churches such as yew, holly, hawthorn and oak.
The new trees will be planted in the autumn along with additional spring bulbs in the wider churchyard 🌳.
02.02.2026
Contractors are now on site at Bury Church, and the tree works have started. Take a look at the Tree Heroes team on site here: Bury Church Tree Works Video.
In the clip, you can see that the team started by tackling a large tree which has Ash Dieback. The tree has been monitored by specialists for 4 years but, unfortunately, it showed no signs of recovery in that time so the only option was to remove it. However, replacement trees will be planted on the site in the Autumn 🌳
26.01.2026
Contractors will begin tree works at Bury Church w/c 2nd February, 2026. The works will focus on the trees that are either dead, diseased, dying, or dangerous. They are expected to be on site for two weeks, weather permitting.
Please note that parts of the outdoor space may be closed during this time, and that construction vehicles may be on site too.
We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause – but we do hope that you will enjoy visiting again when the works have been completed 🌳🌳🌳
If you have any questions about the works, please email [email protected]
04.12.2025
It’s been a while since we’ve updated you, but there’s a lot happening behind the scenes… conversations with schools, artists, historians, contractors and volunteers. Everything is coming together brilliantly, and we’re pleased to let you know that contractors will start work at the Bury Church site in May, 2026!
We’ll keep you posted about all community activities and capital works on this webpage – so do keep checking back for details 🌳
01.09.2025
Great news… thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Bury Council and the Bury Parish Church the historic 400-year-old ledger stones will be safely preserved and re-sited within the church grounds so they can be protected for the future!
Just a reminder that, as well as restoring the historic ledger stones, the project will include activities such as working with local schools and Bury residents to research the people who are named on the stones and photographing and documenting the details, so the church has a permanent record.
Other planned works includes repairs to the stone steps and walls within the grounds, improved drainage, a new stone mounting for the sundial, and planting in the church gardens. New historical and environmental interpretation panels will also be installed allowing visitors to learn more about the heritage of the site☀️🌳🌼
05.01.2025
Happy New Year! Just an update to let you know that we’re still working on funding options for the project. Looking for funding can take some time. We’ll continue to work on this over the coming months, and we’ll more share details with you when we can 🙂
05.10.2023
Funding applications are in, and we hope to have news by the end of this year. Fundraising can be a long process, and we do appreciate your patience and continued support as we work on the applications. When we have more information, we’ll update you here – so do check back for details again soon.
08.08.2023
Thanks to everyone for their patience as we move forward with the Bury Parish Church project. We’ve now submitted some funding applications and we hope to get news about them soon. As soon as we find out if the funding has been secured, we’ll let you know 🙂
25.02.2020
Really great to see that this project has been covered locally by The Bury Times – full article available here.
Thanks to everyone for their support and feedback so far – we’ll update you again soon.
20.01.2020
A sketch and brief questionnaire outlining some plans for the church area are now ready for everyone to take a look at. If you could take a few minutes to let us know your thoughts and feedback, we’d be really grateful. You can click to enlarge the sketch design below and answer the survey questions by clicking this link to the Bury Parish Church Survey
Thank you for your help – we’ll keep you updated as the project moves forward.
20.06.2019
Proffitts are delighted to be working with Bury Borough Council and the parishioners of Bury Parish Church
Access ways to the site have deteriorated over time and need to be improved so that further accidents can be avoided and all visitors can access the church safely, and also to allow disabled visitors to safely reach the church. The group offer activities and facilities for all section of the community, not just church goers. There are regular concerts, the church supports its choir, scouting and guiding, and toddler groups and there is a café open to all across the week. The approach that cars use at the moment is damaging historical ledger stones which have been part of the grounds for hundreds of years. As part of the project we hope to improve safety and access as this is the only route for wheelchair and pram access, but, crucially, we want to protect the heritage and conserve the names and stones in danger of being damaged beyond repair.
