The origins of the names of the Towns of Tameside

Ashton-under-Lyne

This first part of this name simply means "surrounded by ash trees". Lyne, however, causes more problems. It is sometimes thought to refer to the Saxon boundary line between the Kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria, or a Roman road from Manchester to Leeds. However, as the word 'lyne' doesn't appear until later than Roman or Saxon times, these are unlikely explanations. It appears the most likely source is that it is in reference to the boundary between the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire, or the name of a forest. Lyme was in fact the name of an area of forest which formed a boundary in the Medieval period and which 'coincided with the administrative boundary of Lancashire and Cheshire.- source - "Tameside", C Wilkins-Jones.

Audenshaw

This derives from the name 'Aldwine' and means Aldwine's shaw or copse.

Denton

Denu is an old english word for valley, and as with Ashton, ton refers to a town or collection of houses.

Droylsden

Drygel is a name that Droylsden could derive from as in Audenshaw, or the old english meaning of dryge is dry. Denu as in Denton comes from the word for valley.

Dukinfield

Some people believe that the name means ducks open land, although there is also the possibility it comes from Dokensveldt meaning ravens land or field.

Doken is a viking word for raven. it is said that when the Saxons beat the Danes, they took their standard, which was a raven, possibly then naming the land after this standard or Doken - Dukinfield.

Hyde

A hide is a measure of land about 120 acres in size.

Mossley

Moss refers to a bog or swamp and ley is as leigh, a clearing.

Mottram in Longdendale

It is generally assumed that mot refers to a meeting, however the rest of the word could derive from treum which is tree, ot rum which is space.

Stalybridge

Staly comes from staef which was a stave, and leigh, a clearing in a wood. Bridge was apparently only added to the word in the nineteenth century.