Holcombe, Bury
Encyclopedia
Holcombe is a village in Ramsbottom ward, Metropolitan Borough of Bury
, in Greater Manchester
, England. It is situated south of Haslingden
, east of Edgworth, west of Ramsbottom
, and north of Tottington
. The name comes from the Celtic cwm meaning valley, and the Old English hol, meaning deep or hollow.
The village is located on the slopes of Holcombe Moor. Much of the moorland around the village is in the care of the National Trust
and is popular with walkers, cyclists and bird watchers. The buildings in the area are made up predominantly of stone cottages and farms. There is a public house
called the Shoulder of Mutton, a restaurant, church, and primary school. At one time the village also had a shop, post office, a lock-up, and a regular bus service linking it to Holcombe Brook, a neighbouring village in the valley bottom one mile to the south.
Holcombe is the home of the Holcombe Hunt. This pack of foxhound
s, which has been kennelled at Holcombe for over 200 years, is one of the oldest in the country. The Hunt was granted a Coat of Arms
in 1985 the motto being "Hunting and conserving". Holcombe also gives its name to an Annual Gamecock
Show, held on New Year's Day
in Ramsbottom
. Since 1973 Holcombe has been home to Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
, the first Darul uloom
in the UK.
sessions of the Royal Manor
of Tottington
.
In 1617 the Holcombe Pack was taken to Hoghton Tower
on the occasion of the King James I
visit, when he granted the Royal Warrant to hunt over 12 townships, and the privilege of wearing the scarlet livery of the King.
During the evening of 25 September 1916, Holcombe was subjected to one of the first aerial offensives in history. L21, a Zeppelin
commanded by Oberleutnant
Kurt Frankenburg of the Imperial German Navy
, dropped five bombs on the village on its way to Bolton
. The post office and village school were damaged, as was the Shoulder of Mutton public house, where villagers took cover in the cellars. Three of the bombs fell close to the church, which suffered some damage to its windows.
In the 1980s and 1990s the TV series The Krypton Factor
used the British Army Rifle Range training course at Holcombe Moor in one of its contestant rounds.
Metropolitan Borough of Bury
The Metropolitan Borough of Bury is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Lying to the north of the City of Manchester, the borough is composed of six towns: Bury, Ramsbottom, Tottington, Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich, and has a population of 181,900...
, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. It is situated south of Haslingden
Haslingden
Haslingden is a small town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It is north of Manchester. The name means 'valley of the hazels', though the town is in fact set on a high and windy hill. In the early 20th century Haslingden had the status of a municipal borough, but following local government...
, east of Edgworth, west of Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
, and north of Tottington
Tottington, Greater Manchester
Tottington is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England.Historically a part of Lancashire, Tottington's early history is marked by its status as an important Medieval fee, a type of Royal Manor which encompassed several townships...
. The name comes from the Celtic cwm meaning valley, and the Old English hol, meaning deep or hollow.
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
and is popular with walkers, cyclists and bird watchers. The buildings in the area are made up predominantly of stone cottages and farms. There is a public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
called the Shoulder of Mutton, a restaurant, church, and primary school. At one time the village also had a shop, post office, a lock-up, and a regular bus service linking it to Holcombe Brook, a neighbouring village in the valley bottom one mile to the south.
Holcombe is the home of the Holcombe Hunt. This pack of foxhound
Foxhound
A foxhound is a type of large hunting hound. Foxhounds hunt in packs and, like all scent hounds, have a strong sense of smell. They are used in hunts for foxes, hence the name. When out hunting they are followed usually on horseback and will travel several miles to catch their target. These dogs...
s, which has been kennelled at Holcombe for over 200 years, is one of the oldest in the country. The Hunt was granted a Coat of Arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
in 1985 the motto being "Hunting and conserving". Holcombe also gives its name to an Annual Gamecock
Gamecock
A gamecock or game fowl is a type of rooster with physical and behavioral traits suitable for cockfighting. Game fowl are more closely related to their wild cousins "jungle fowl"; a shy wild chicken from forests in South Central and Southeastern Asia...
Show, held on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
in Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom
Ramsbottom is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated on the course of the River Irwell, in the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is located north-northwest of Bury, and north-northwest of Manchester...
. Since 1973 Holcombe has been home to Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah
Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah, better known as Darul Uloom Bury, is the oldest school of its kind in the United Kingdom. Based on the Dars-e-Nizami syllabus found throughout the world, it was founded by Shaikhul Hadith Moulana Yusuf Motala in 1973...
, the first Darul uloom
Darul uloom
Darul uloom , also spelled darul ulum etc., is an Arabic term which literally means "house of knowledge". The term generally means an Islamic seminary or educational institution—similar to or often the same as a madrassa or Islamic school—although a Darul Uloom often indicates a more advanced level...
in the UK.
Local Radio Station
Holcombe Brook and Holcombe Village is served by local community radio station "Rossendale Radio 107.4fm".History
During the Middle Ages Holcombe hosted the regular courtCourt leet
The court leet was a historical court baron of England and Wales and Ireland that exercised the "view of frankpledge" and its attendant police jurisdiction, which was normally restricted to the hundred courts.-History:...
sessions of the Royal Manor
Royal Manor
A royal manor is an area of land in the United Kingdom owned by the Crown, such as the Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, the Prince of Wales, a Duke/Duchess, or a Lord. One such example is the Isle of Portland in Dorset....
of Tottington
Tottington, Greater Manchester
Tottington is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England.Historically a part of Lancashire, Tottington's early history is marked by its status as an important Medieval fee, a type of Royal Manor which encompassed several townships...
.
In 1617 the Holcombe Pack was taken to Hoghton Tower
Hoghton Tower
Hoghton Tower is fortified manor house near the village of Hoghton in the Borough of Chorley to the east of Preston in Lancashire, England. It has been the ancestral home of the De Hoghton family since the time of William the Conqueror. It features a mile long driveway to the main gates...
on the occasion of the King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
visit, when he granted the Royal Warrant to hunt over 12 townships, and the privilege of wearing the scarlet livery of the King.
During the evening of 25 September 1916, Holcombe was subjected to one of the first aerial offensives in history. L21, a Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
commanded by Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
Kurt Frankenburg of the Imperial German Navy
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
, dropped five bombs on the village on its way to Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
. The post office and village school were damaged, as was the Shoulder of Mutton public house, where villagers took cover in the cellars. Three of the bombs fell close to the church, which suffered some damage to its windows.
In the 1980s and 1990s the TV series The Krypton Factor
The Krypton Factor
The Krypton Factor was a British game show produced by Granada Television for broadcast on ITV. The show originally ran from 7 September 1977 to 20 November 1995, and was hosted by Gordon Burns and usually broadcast on the ITV network on Mondays at 19:00....
used the British Army Rifle Range training course at Holcombe Moor in one of its contestant rounds.
External links
- Summerseat Views is a resident's blog which aims to provide a photographic diary of life and the seasons in the village and the surrounding area.