The name probably means “rams valley” from Old English ramm (ram) and botm (valley). However some toponymists interpret it as wild-garlic-valley, with the first element representing the Old English hramsa meaning “wild garlic”. A record from 1324 giving the name as Ramesbothum is inconclusive. The town was alternatively recorded as Ramysbothom in 1540.
Ramsbottom developed during the 19th century as a mill town. It had mills for spinning, weaving, and printing. Its Square Mill was in its day innovative in combining many such processes under one roof.
There are a significant number of Bronze Age burial sites around Ramsbottom, the most notable of which is Whitelow Cairn, one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Ramsbottom town centre and three miles (4.8 km) north of Bury. The cairn was excavated by Bury Archaeological Group between 1960–62, under the leadership of Norman Tyson. Finds include one main cremation and seven secondary cremations, four in urns, dating to the mid Bronze Age. The artefacts found during the excavation are now housed in Bury Museum.
Ramsbottom developed during the 19th century as a mill town. It had mills for spinning, weaving, and printing. Its Square Mill was in its day innovative in combining many such processes under one roof.
More info on the history of Ramsbottom can be found at the Ramsbottom Heritage Society
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