Radcliffe, Greater Manchester
| Radcliffe | |
|---|---|
 A prominent landmark, St Thomas and St John with St Philip Church |
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 Radcliffe
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| Radcliffe shown within Greater Manchester | |
| Population | 34,239 (2001 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SD785075 |
| • London | 170 mi (274 km) SE |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MANCHESTER |
| Postcode district | M26 |
| Dialling code | 0161 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Radcliffe is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley 2.5 miles (4 km) south-west of Bury and 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north-northwest of Manchester and is contiguous with Whitefield to the south. The disused Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal bisects the town.
Historically a part of Lancashire, evidence of Mesolithic, Roman and Norman activity has been found in Radcliffe and its surroundings. A Roman road passes through the area, along the border between Radcliffe and Bury. Radcliffe appears in an entry of the Domesday Book as "Radeclive" and in the High Middle Ages formed a small parish and township centred on the Church of St Mary and the manorial Radcliffe Tower, both of which are Grade I listed buildings.
Coal lies under the area of mines opened in the Industrial Revolution, providing fuel for the cotton spinning and papermaking industries. By the mid-19th century, Radcliffe was an important mill town with cotton mills, bleachworks and a road, canal and railway network.
With a population of 34,239, falling to 29,950 at the Census in 2011. Radcliffe is predominantly a residential area whose few remaining cotton mills are now occupied by small businesses.
The name Radcliffe is derived from the Old English words read and clif, meaning "the red cliff or bank", on the River Irwell in the Irwell Valley. The Domesday Book records the name as "Radeclive". Other archaic spellings include "Radclive" (recorded in 1227), and "Radeclif" (recorded in 1309 and 1360). The Radcliffe family took its name from the town.
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