Peel Tower Conditions Project, Bury
15.05.2025
Tenders for the main survey and heritage works, ecology works, and artists have now been shared by Bury Council. As soon as we have experts and contractors in place, we’ll let you know when activity at the tower will begin!
If you’d like to know more about these roles, you can contact Martin Proffitt for more information.
30.04.2025
To kickstart a project of exploring the heritage of Holcombe Moor and Peel Tower, twenty people set out on Easter Sunday for a social hike passing by key features historical features on the moor including Pilgrim’s Cross and Ellen Strange’s memorial. Much of the recent fantastic work conducted by the National Trust to protect the sensitive grasslands and peatland on the moor were also highlighted to the group.
The group ended the hike with climbing to the very of top of the iconic Peel Tower to marvel at the views across Greater Manchester and beyond. Huge thanks to The Sunnywood Project team for leading ☀️🌳☀️
24.02.2025
We’re delighted to be working alongside Bury Council and Greenmount Village Community on a project to assess the condition of the iconic landmark – Peel Tower, Bury.
The monument stands at the top of Holcombe Hill overlooking Ramsbottom, and was built after the death of Bury born Prime Minister, and founder of the Metropolitan Police Force, Sir Robert Peel. It was unveiled in 1852, and it has since attracted thousands of visitors.
In recent years, concerns about the condition of the monument have been raised. These include water ingress issues, broken windows, and damaged external mortar.
This project, funded by the amazing team at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will involve completing the surveys needed to help us determine the current physical condition of the tower. This is needed in order to get a clear idea of the works needed to preserve the structure.
As well as surveying the monument, the project team will also work with ecologists who will survey (and make recommendations for improving) the upland grass / moorland and wildlife habitats surrounding the tower.
Alongside the survey works, there will be lots of Peel Tower themed community activities running too. There’ll be bat walks, heritage talks, heritage skills workshops, educational research projects, art projects to design new interpretation panels, and even the opportunity to share wildlife and ecology details directly with the survey teams – so lots to look forward to!
As always, we’ll keep you updated here, so do check back for more news and information soon.
