Ryder & Dutton - Ashton

Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside. The Historical part of Lancashire lies on the North bank of the River Tame and on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines. Ashton (as it is often shortened to) is 6.2 miles east of the City of Manchester.

Evidence of prehistoric activity comes from Ashton Moss (a 260 acre peat bog). Woollen weaving has a long history in the town and the cotton industry grew rapidly from the start of the 19th century. The town became a ‘Mill town’ at the centre of a network of canals and railways.

The town centre which is the largest in Tameside developed in the Victorian period. Many of the original buildings have survived and the town centre is a conservation area. There is a popular market and a regular farmer's market. The Arcades shopping centre opened in 1995 and there is an IKEA store opened in 2006..