Marauders invading and setting up shop might seem like a tale from Game of Thrones, but this is the real history of our region.
And if you have ever wondered exactly how towns in Bury got their names, you have to travel back in time more than a thousand years to get some answers.
Picture this - the year is 800 AD and Vikings are roaming the land. Just where do they decide to plonk down? Well, right here in the North West, as it turns out.
The marshy land of ninth century Lancashire did not a good farmyard make. In fact, it was relatively untouched as traders directed their efforts towards the market town of Chester, says the University of Manchester's Head of History and medieval historian, Dr Charles Insley.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk