Tameside originated in the 1970's, when nine separate towns were joined together as a single borough.   The origin of the names of the towns are described on the town names page.
Ashton	Audenshaw	Denton	Droylsden
Dukinfield	Hyde	Longdendale	Mossley
Stalybridge

Each town has its own unique character, at one extreeme is the large market town of Ashton which was, around 700 years ago, the only one of the nine licensed to hold a weekly market and twice weekly fair, then there is the tiny village of Mottram in Longdendale, whose St. Michael's church is first mentioned in 1291 but is thought to be much older.

Industrial revolution

The towns of Tameside grew up in the industrial revolution in the 1700's, before which the area had mainly been involved in agriculture and small scale spinning and weaving.  It brought about changes that led to Stalybridge becoming one of the leading towns involved in the cotton industry, while Denton made huge progress in hatting, a century later the coal industry gave further opportunity, especially to Stalybridge, Ashton and Dukinfield.

Transport

Transportation became easier with the building of roads during the 1730's.  In the 1790's canals were being developed and by 1830, railways were on the scene.  Since their introduction, canals have been vital to Tameside and now their restoration is being carried out in several locations throughout tameside.

Portland Basin,  the junction of three canals, the Peak Forest, the Ashton And Manchester and the Huddersfield Narrow, is also a link in the famous Cheshire Ring, allowing access to the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West.  Today Portland Basin is home to an heritage centre and a popular venue for many varied events including the colourful annual canal festival.

Local heritage trails

There are two trails running through tameside. One concentrates on the scenic views available in the surrounding countryside, the Tameside Trail, while the other, the Blue Plaque Trail is a historic journey through the more built up areas, examining local people and buildings that were of importance.

Tameside

Although Tameside is rich in history, it is also concerned with the modernisation of certain areas, such as the recent establishment of the Arcades shopping centre in Ashton town centre, and the refurbishment of Tameside Central library, also in Ashton, while Stalybridge is going through the most dramatic transformation of all, having the canal relocated to it's original site and subsequently becoming a tourist attraction.

Tameside does not cover a large area, and yet there are a variety of activities and opportunities available. From spacious  parks hosting different events, to the scenic beauty of the countryside such as the Tame Valley, from bargains on the market, to exhibitions in a local art gallery, Tameside can offer it all, if you only look.

Interesting links to other sites related to Tameside

	Festival Theatre Hyde
	The Festival Theatre is a 230 seat venue which is home to several local amateur groups who present a wide variety of productions. A season normally runs from September until July during which there can be between 12 and 18 different shows from drama to comedy, musicals to dance. The Festival Theatre is the only place in Hyde presenting live theatre, and has done this continuously for 49 years.
	Mossley band
	Mossley band formed in 1855 and going on almost immediately to win what is now called The 'British Open Championship', but was then rather less dramatically called 'The Belle Vue Championship'. The band has been providing musical entertainment, with a few gaps, ever since.
	Stalybridge Festival
	Stalybridges annual Carnival, proving that at least once a year something Does happen in Stalybridge, and it has been doing so since 1976.
	Stalybridge Snooker League
	The Stalybridge and District Snooker Billiards and Whist Sunday School League [Known as Stalybridge snooker league ] which will celebrate its centenary in the 2010/2011 season.
	Tameside council website
	The Tameside council website, lots of information here about council business.
	Tameside on the Internet
	A long list of lots of sites that relate to Tameside and the individual towns within Tameside
	The Disabled Motorcyclists Association
	Based in Manchester the DMA aims to support all disabled riders both past and present. The DMA provides practical help and support to all those who ride a motorbike, scooter, moped, trike or are considering riding for the first time.