Bury market is one of the most famous in the north of England, and its fame rests largely on a sausage. Black pudding, made from pig's blood, oatmeal and fat, has been sold here for generations, and the stalls in the market hall still serve it hot, sliced and with mustard, to queues of locals and visitors. It is the obvious food stop, and anyone who wrinkles their nose should try it before deciding.
Bury is a mill town at the edge of the Pennines, north of Manchester, built on cotton and wool. Sir Robert Peel, the prime minister who founded the modern police force and repealed the Corn Laws, was born nearby, and his statue stands in the town centre. On the hill above Ramsbottom, a few miles north, a stone tower built in his memory looks over the Irwell valley.
The East Lancashire Railway, a heritage line, runs steam and diesel trains from Bury up the Irwell valley to Rawtenstall, through old mill villages and green hills. On summer weekends, the smoke and whistles bring the valley back to life.
Riding north from Bury, the roads climb onto the moors of Rossendale and the West Pennines, with wide, empty landscapes, stone walls and reservoirs. The A56 and the roads over to Haslingden and Darwen are popular with bikers, with fast bends and big views. The weather can turn quickly, and the moors are often wet, windy and cold even in summer.
The market does not trade every day, so check before you plan lunch around it. If blood sausage is a step too far, the town also claims the simnel cake, a rich fruit cake with a marzipan layer once baked for Mothering Sunday. Either way, you will not leave hungry, and fuel stations ring the town centre.