The Chocolate Cafe

Peel Tower

Holcombe · 0.6 miles

Rising 128 feet above Holcombe Moor, the stone monument known locally as Holcombe Tower marks the spot where Robert Peel, the former Prime Minister and founder of the modern police force, was commemorated after his death in 1850. Situated near Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester, the tower sits at an elevation of roughly 1 100 feet (335 metres) and forms a prominent landmark on the moorland that separates the town from the surrounding countryside. Construction began shortly after Peel’s passing, driven by a public appeal and overseen by a committee chaired by industrialist William Grant. The gritstone used for the structure was quarried on-site, leaving a visible pit beside the base. The tower’s crenellated base bears the name “Peel” above its entrance, and the four-stage shaft features mullioned windows and battlements that support a viewing platform. In 1929 the original wooden staircase was replaced with iron, and a marble panel bearing an excerpt from Peel’s 1846 speech to the House of Commons was added. During the Second World War the tower served as a lookout post; later corrosion led to its closure until a new concrete staircase was installed and the monument was rededicated in November 1985. Today the structure is owned by Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, holds Grade II listed status (designated 1984), and is occasionally accessible to visitors on Sundays when the flag at its summit is flying, the flag being maintained by volunteers.

Burrs Country Park

Brandlesholme · 2.5 miles

Set on the banks of the River Irwell, Burrs Country Park occupies a 36-hectare site north of Bury in Greater Manchester, close to the Brandlesholme suburb. Acquired by Bury Metropolitan Borough Council in 1986, the area was transformed from the derelict grounds of the former Burr and Higher Woodhill cotton mills. While most mill structures were removed, the chimney, a section of the mill floor and the water-wheel pit remain as visible reminders of its industrial past. The park also contains the feeder canal for Elton Reservoir, three sculptures that form part of the Irwell Sculpture Trail, and the Bury Agricultural Society Show Ground, which relocated here in 2001. A limited Countryside Warden office occupies an old mill cottage on Stock Street, and the park holds Green Flag accreditation for 2007/08 together with a Fields in Trust “Much Loved” award. A range of leisure pursuits is available within the park. The Irwell Sculpture Trail, National Cycle Route 6 and marked walking and orienteering routes provide opportunities for exploration, while interpretation boards detail the site’s industrial archaeology. Canoe training facilities, a slalom course and the long-established Bury Canoe Club support water-based activity; fishing is permitted by licence, and birdwatchers may spot herons, dippers and kingfishers. Additional amenities include a playground, picnic tables, the Lamppost Café, the Brown Cow public house, and a Caravan and Motorhome Club site. The park is served by several bus routes (472, 474, 477) from Bury Interchange, and by Burrs Country Park railway station on the heritage East Lancashire Railway, which operates weekend services year-round with extra trains from Easter to the end of September. Access by car or bicycle is possible via Bury Bridge on the A58, and footpaths link the park with Brandlesholme, Walmersley, Seedfield and Limefield.

Clarence Park

Chesham · 3.1 miles

Clarence Park is a Green Flag awarded public park located in Bury, Greater Manchester. It is the largest urban park in the borough, and was opened to the public in 1888.

The Fusilier Museum

Buckley Wells · 3.7 miles

Visitors can view the uniforms, medals and artefacts of the Lancashire Fusiliers within a museum set in Bury, Greater Manchester, close to Buckley Wells. The displays occupy the former Bury Arts and Crafts Centre on Broad Street, a building that originally opened as a Technical School for Bury Borough Council in 1893. Designed by local architect Joshua Cartwright in a Neo-Renaissance style, the façade bears the inscription “Technical School” and a frieze of five panels depicting crafts such as mathematics, science, engineering, printing, pottery, literature and music. After serving as an Arts and Crafts Centre, the structure was repurposed as the Fusilier Museum in 2009; the Duke of Kent officially opened the new premises on 25 September 2009. The museum’s collection chronicles more than three centuries of the regiment’s history, including a set of Victoria Crosses awarded to five members for actions during the First World War. Adjacent to the exhibition space lie the Gallipoli Garden and the Grade II*-listed Lancashire Fusiliers War Memorial, providing a quiet context for reflection. Although the Lancashire Fusiliers Regiment merged into the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in 1968, the museum forms part of a network of Fusilier museums that also includes sites in Alnwick Castle, Warwick and the Tower of London. The building’s Grade II listing recognises its architectural and historic significance, while the collection offers insight into the regiment’s long-standing military heritage.

Hall i' th' Wood Museum

Bank Top · 5.6 miles

Hall i' th' Wood is an early 16th-century manor house in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is a Grade I listed building and is currently used as a museum by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council. It was the manor house for the moiety of the Tonge with Haulgh township held by the Brownlows in the 16th century. The original building is timber framed and has a stone flagged roof; there were later additions to the house, built from stone, in 1591 and 1648. The name represents "Hall in the Wood' spoken in the local regional English dialect and is pronounced.

Leverhulme Park

Tonge Fold · 6.2 miles

Leverhulme Park occupies the greatest expanse of green space in Bolton, Greater Manchester, and lies close to the Tonge Fold area. The land was presented to the town’s residents by the late Lord Leverhulme, after whom the park is named, and it is bordered by the districts of Breightmet, Darcy Lever, the Haulgh and Tonge Fold. Its position within the town makes it readily reachable from the surrounding neighbourhoods and the nearest settlement identified on mapping services is Tonge Fold. The site now includes a community centre, an athletics stadium and a set of five-a-side football pitches, providing facilities for a range of organised sports. A free weekly parkrun is held each Saturday at 09:00, inviting walkers and runners to use the park’s pathways. Historically the park hosted the Bolton Show, an event that evolved from a 1950s agricultural exhibition and ran intermittently for more than half a century, usually each August until 2003. At its height the show drew crowds of up to 90 000 and featured craft stalls, motorbike displays, stunt performances, falconry, dog handling, a fairground, car-boot sales and a concluding fireworks display. A later family-focused programme, Bolton One Big Weekend, attracted an estimated 20 000 visitors and offered activities such as quad-bike racing, bungee jumping, tank rides, a vintage car showcase, morris dancing, martial-arts demonstrations and a dog show. No admission charges or specific opening hours are recorded, reflecting its status as a public park with open access for visitors.