Prestwich

Prestwich is the most southerly town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England.

Related Topics:
Metropolitan Borough of Bury - Greater Manchester - England

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It is known as Prestwich Village to locals and is home to the second largest Jewish community in the United Kingdom.

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The band Elbow lived in Prestwich, two members of the band 10cc were from there, and The Fall's lead singer Mark E Smith has lived there for most of his life. Punk band Sham 69 also lived in the village in the early 80s.

Related Topics:
Elbow - 10cc - The Fall - Mark E Smith - Sham 69

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Europe's largest public park Heaton Park is situated to the east of the town.

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It is believed that the name 'Prestwich' means 'Priest's Retreat', although some sources disagree with this.

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The village itself has very ancient origins. We know that a Rector of Prestwich existed by at least 1200. The present large Parish Church, at the end of Church Lane in the village centre, is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin and parts of it date from around 1500, although the last extensions were made at the end of the nineteenth century. It was the centre of the vast ancient parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham.

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St. Margaret's Church was erected near the gates of Heaton Park in 1849, originally as a chapel of ease to the Parish Church, but since 1885 as a Parish Church in its own right.

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As well as the Jewish and Anglican communities, there are also a sizeable number of Roman Catholics, as well as Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and those of other faiths and none.

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The nature of Prestwich village changed massively in the 1970s, with the erection of the Longfield Shopping Centre. The construction of the motorways near Prestwich also altered the life and habits of the townspeople. In the 1970s, local government changes brought control of Prestwich under Bury Metropolitan Borough Council.

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