Tameside, Greater Manchester – Quick Guide
Manchester lies to the west of the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester and it is home to around 215,000 people. The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport lies to the South. Tameside borders Oldham Borough in the north and to the east lies the Peak District National Park and Derbyshire. This means that while parts of the metropolitan area are located relatively near to Manchester Town Centre, there are rural areas as well, adding to the area’s attractiveness to tourists and locals alike.
Unlike other metropolitan areas in Greater Manchester, Tameside is not dominated by a single town. Instead, Tameside consists of nine towns – Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Longdendale, Mossley and Stalybridge.
The name ‘Tameside’ comes from the river Tame which runs through the area. Ashton-under-Lyne, known as Ashton, is the largest of the nine towns in Tameside and is home to many of the areas municipal services.
There are many interesting places to visit in throughout the area, including:
Portland Basin Museum- The Portland Basin Museum in Ashton under Lyne includes a series of exhibits show what life was like in the town in the 1920s. Exhibits include a 1920s street with shops shops and a pub. The museum is located within the restored nineteenth century Ashton Canal Warehouse, next to Ashton Canal at Portland Basin, opposite the junction with the Peak Forest Canal.
Setantii – This is the name of a new exhibition that recreates the history of Tameside, from celtic times to the present day The exhibition is named after the Setantii, a Celtic tribe who lived in the area. The exhibition is located in the basement of Ashton Town Hall, Ashton under Lyne.
Central Art Gallery – The Central Art Gallery is located in the Victorian neo-Gothic library, in Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne,
Mossley Industrial Heritage Centre – Mossley Industrial Heritage Centre includes displays of old photographs and other items from the town’s cotton-spinning history.
Canals have played and important part in the economic history of the area. Nowadays the canals are no longer used for the transportation of goods and are simply used for recreation purposes. The canals in Ashton link to Manchester and as far as Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
