Ashton-under-Lyne is a town in Greater Manchester with a population of 43,236 (2001 census). It is the administrative centre of the borough of Tameside.
Traditionally Ashton was part of Lancashire. Ashton is located roughly 7 miles (11km) north-east of Manchester city centre. The River Tame and the Ashton Canal both run through the town.
A major tourist attraction in Ashton is the Portland Basin Museum, which is based in a former warehouse next to the canal. The basin is the point at which the Ashton Canal, the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Peak Forest Canal join together
. Another place of interest in the town is the Museum of the Manchester Regiment.
Famous people from Ashton include the footballer Geoff Hurst, the politician Margaret Beckett and journalist Simon Hoggart.
The town was formerly the centre of a large textile (cotton spinning) and coal mining industry. Ashton's industries today include: engineering, food processing, leather, plastics, textiles, brewing, and the manufacture of diesel, gas, and oil engines.
A large street market is held in the town centre, reputedly one of the largest in England.
Ashton is near the M60 motorway, and is served by regular rail services between Manchester (Victoria) and Huddersfield. If it gets the go-ahead, an extension of the Manchester Metrolink tram system will be built to Ashton, possibly by 2010, but funding for this extension currently looks uncertain. |