Ashton-under-Lyne

Ashton-under-Lyne

Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the north bank of the River Tame, in the foothills of the Pennines, 6. 2 miles east of Manchester. Until the introduction of the cotton trade in 1769, Ashton was considered ‘bare, wet, and almost worthless’

About Ashton-under-Lyne in brief

Summary Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne is a market town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the north bank of the River Tame, in the foothills of the Pennines, 6. 2 miles east of Manchester. Evidence of Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Viking activity has been discovered in the area. Until the introduction of the cotton trade in 1769, Ashton was considered ‘bare, wet, and almost worthless’ The factory system, and textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution triggered a process of unplanned urbanisation. By the mid-19th century Ashton had emerged as an important mill town at a convergence of newly constructed canals and railways. The town has continued to thrive as a centre of commerce and Ashton Market is one of the largest outdoor markets in the United Kingdom. Ashton Town Centre is now home to the 140,000-square-foot, two-floored Ashton Arcades shopping centre, the outdoor shopping complex Ladysmith Shopping Centre, and a large IKEA store. In 2019, work began on a brand-new transport interchange for the town centre to make getting into the town much easier via bus and Metrolink. The eastern terminus of the early medieval linear earthwork Nico Ditch is in Ashton Moss ; it was probably used as an administrative boundary and dates from the 8th or 9th century. Legend claims it was built in a single night in 869 or 870 as a defence against Viking invaders.

The name probably derives from the Anglo-Saxon meaning’settlement by ash trees’ The origin of the ‘under’ suffix is less clear; it could derive from the British lemo meaning elm, or refer to Ashton being ‘under the line’ of thePennines. An early form of the town’s name, which included a burh element, indicates that in the 11th-century Ashton and Bury were two of the most important towns in LancASHire. Ashton was first mentioned in the 12th century when the barony of Manchester was baron of Ashton. It is thought that St Michael’s Church, in Ashton, is the entry for entry for the ancient parish of Manchester in the Domesday Survey of the late 12thcentury, when the town was part of the baron’s baronage. The first mention of Ashton is in 1086, when a manor baron called Ashton was granted a Royal Charter in the late 11th century. In the Middle Ages, Ashton Old Hall was held by the de Asshetons, lords of the manor, and it was known as ‘Ashton Old Hall’ The town was granted municipal borough status in 1847. It was granted the right to have a town hall by the Crown in 1849. The population was 45,198 at the 2011 census, and grew to 50,000 by the 2010 census. It has a population of 45,000 at the 2013 census.