Social media post sparks confusion over name of Greater Manchester suburb

A post on a social media platform sparked confusion after questioning the name of a tram stop in a small suburb in Greater Manchester. The post, on Reddit, asked why Besses o' th' Barn, near Whitefield, was given its name.

The Metrolink station, off Bury Old Road, shares the same name as the area in Bury. It's name, meaning Besses of the Barn, regularly raises eyebrows with visitors.

"What’s the origin for this tram stop’s name? Is this old English?" the Reddit post, which had hundreds of interactions, read. It caused some confusion as users discussed where the name first derived from

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The etymology of the small suburb in Whitefield has long been a curiosity for Metrolink passengers. Several unconfirmed stories have done the rounds over the years, but the origin of the name remains something of a mystery.

One theory even puts it down to Dick Turpin and ‘Black Bess’. However, the most plausible answer is that it is linked to a local pub.

It is thought that there was once a tavern, that looked like an old barn, run by a landlady named Bess. The local invitation to a drink would be: “Let’s go see Bessie at th’ barn.”

Later, as houses were built around, the name came to mean the whole village, not just the pub. The spelling of the name has changed slightly. It was once spelt: “Bess o’ th’ Barn.”

It seemed locals had also heard the same story, as one Reddit user responded: "I live near Besses. The story we were always told was a woman called Bess owned an Inn called the Barn which en route to Manchester. Therefore became Besses O' Th' Barn."

Another posted: "Its etymology is unclear. One theory is that Dick Turpin passed through with his horse Bess. Not