[4] In the late 18th century, the area that was to become the town centre was no more than a cluster of houses known as Red Pump Street.

Gee Cross was much larger and 'Hyde' was still only used to refer to the estates of Hyde Hall on the banks of the River Tame.

Later additions include the lychgate, boathouse by the canal, hearse house, parish rooms and numerous vicarages.

It was designed by the noted architects Matthew Ellison Hadfield, John Grey Weightman and George Goldie in the Gothic Revival style.

There was also a coal mine, known as Hyde Colliery, in the town; in January 1889, an explosion there killed 23 miners.

[9] During the 1960s, Myra Hindley and Ian Brady were arrested in their home on the Hattersley estate in Hyde after police found the body of 17-year-old Edward Evans in the house.

Britain's most prolific serial killer, Dr Harold Shipman, had his doctor's surgery in the town where he murdered most of his several hundred victims.

The first known victim was 86-year-old Sarah Hannah Marsland of Ashton House in Victoria Street on 7 August 1978 and the last was Kathleen Grundy of Joel Lane on 24 June 1998.

The large bell in the clocktower is known as Owd Joss (Old Josh), named after Joshua Bradley, a former poor child worker in the mills.

On the passage of the Reform Act 1832, the area of Hyde was included in the North Cheshire constituency.

Since the 1918 general election, the town has been represented in Parliament by the member for the Stalybridge and Hyde county constituency.

There are several areas and suburbs in Hyde, these include: Gee Cross, Newton, Hattersley, Godley, and Flowery Field.

Routes connect the town with Manchester city centre, Stockport, Dukinfield, Gee Cross, Woodley, Stalybridge, Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham.

A tram network, operated by the SHMD Joint Board, ran lines through Hyde from 1904 to 1945, until their replacement by buses.

[16] Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North West and ITV Granada.

World champion boxer Ricky Hatton was brought up on the Hattersley Estate and now lives in Gee Cross.

His association with the town led to the creation of a boxing gym and health club by Hatton Promotions.

[22] Hyde Cricket and Squash Club play in the Cheshire County League and have their ground near Werneth Low.

[27] Hyde's Festival Theatre is home to several local amateur groups presenting plays, music and dance in the downstairs auditorium or the upstairs smaller studio.

Hyde leisure centre contains a large swimming pool with a wave machine, aqua slide and upstairs fitness suite.

[28] Hyde Library had a gallery exhibiting the work of Harry Rutherford, an artist from the Tameside area, now at Ashton-under-Lyne.