 Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, 7.9 miles (12.7 km) north-northwest of the city of Manchester.
Bury is located in the foothills of the western Pennines in North West England in the northern part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area. The River Irwell flows through Bury. Flowing from north to south the river divides the town into two parts on the east and west sides of the valley respectively. The town centre sits close to the river on the east side. Bury Bridge is a key bridging point linking the east side of town and the town centre to the western suburbs and Bolton beyond.
There is another bridge at Radcliffe Road to the south and at Summerseat to the north. There is also a bridge at the Burrs but this serves a cul-de-sac and does not allow full east west access. To the south the main tributary, the River Roch, flowing from the east, joins the Irwell close to another significant bridging point, Blackford bridge. This carries the main route south, now the A56, towards Manchester.
 Bury was formed around it's ancient market place but even prior to this there is evidence of the Roman period. Bury Museum has a Roman Urn containing a number of small bronze coins dated for AD 253-282 and found north of what is now the town centre
There is a large shopping centre called Millgate Centre. Outside of the Millgate is a large shopping area known as The Rock which is mainly occupied by pound shops and charity shops. Work is underway to redevelop these areas into a modern shopping centre this is expected to be completed in 2009. They will bring a large department store and a multi screen cinema to the town centre, together with other facilities including a large new medical centre.
Bury has a football club, Bury F.C., which plays at Gigg Lane. Bury FC was formed in 1885 and in 1889 they finished runners up in the inaugural season of the Lancashire League. They were elected to the Football League Second Division in 1894, at the same time as Manchester City. They were promoted to Division One at the end of their first season, beating Liverpool in a play-off. More success came in 1900 when they won the FA Cup followed by a further win in 1903. On the second occasion they beat Derby County 6 goals to nil, a record victory for a Cup Final that still stands. The most recent run of success was in 1996 and 1997 when they won promotion from Football League Division Three and Football League Division Two, being Champions in that Division, in successive seasons.The club now plays in League Two.
Gigg Lane is also used by FC United of the North West Counties First Division. FC United is a breakaway group of former Manchester United fans adhering to the anti Malcolm Glazer movement. FC United's attendances are extremely competitive with those of Bury FC themselves. Until 2002 Manchester United Reserves were also hosted by Gigg Lane in Bury
The Met arts centre, based in the Derby Hall on Market Street, is a small performing arts venue promoting a programme of theatre, music and comedy events. Bury Art Gallery and Museum on Moss Street is home to a fine collection of Victorian and 20th century art, including works by Turner, Constable, Landseer and Lowry. In 2005 a 1.2 million pound refurbishment was carried out, designed to provide a brand new museum, art gallery and library all under one roof.
Bury is known for its black puddings so much so, that it is not uncommon to see it as Bury Black Pudding on a menu. Bury simnel cake is also a variant of the cake originating in Bury. Bury is also notable for tripe, though there is little demand for this in modern times.
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