In the 13th century a small number of people were living in Brandlesholme. The name belonged to a family who administered the local forests on behalf of
Henry III but following marriage they were replaced by the Greenhalgh family. This family lived in
Brandlesholme Old Hall, one of the oldest buildings in Bury on the northern outskirts of Brandlesholme. The building comprises the remains of a medieval hall, a single storied cruck-built structure with two farms and a Victorian wing built up around it. A map at
Rufford Old Hall shows that until at least 1610, Brandlesholme was known as Brandleffham (Brandlessham). Historically, mills tended to be located along rivers and streams.
Kirklees Brook runs to the west of Brandlesholme and in the 18th century mills stood on the site of the old Kirklees Bleachworks, now demolished and redeveloped into a new housing estate named Miller Brook. In 1884, a French chemist, Hilaire de Charbonnet, Comte de Chardonnay, moved to the area to work on a cellulose-based fabric that became known as "Chardonnay silk". A forerunner of
rayon it was an attractive cloth, but like celluloid it was very flammable. Eventually, following numerous accidents, it was taken off the market. More recently the mill was known locally as
Courtaulds after the textile company who took over the site in 1962. Its occupation, latterly as a dyehouse, ended in 1980. ==Housing==