Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, named after the River Tame, which flows through it, and includes the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge.

[8] Werneth Low is the most likely Iron Age farmstead site in the borough, probably dating to the late 1st millennium BC.

[9] Before the Roman conquest of Britain in the 1st century AD, the area was probably part of the territory of the Brigantes, the Celtic tribe controlling most of what is now north west England.

[11] Romano-British finds in the borough include a bog body in Ashton Moss, occupation sites at Werneth Low, Harridge Pike, Roe Cross, and Mottram.

[20][21] In 1964, Dukinfield Borough Council convened a meeting of neighbouring local authorities with the aim of formulating a policy of cross-authority social improvement for the districts in the Tame Valley.

This collective agreed on creating "a linear park in the valley [of the River Tame] for the use of the townspeople and as a major recreational resource within the Manchester metropolis".

[22] Tameside was created on 1 April 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 as one of the ten metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester.

[24][25] The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor.

Tameside features flat lowlands in the west and highlands in the east where the western edge of the Pennines encroaches on the borough.

Ashton-under-Lyne, which also includes parts of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, is represented by Angela Rayner (Labour).

Denton and Reddish, which also covers parts of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, is represented by Andrew Gwynne (Labour).

In 2007, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council was assessed by the Audit Commission and judged to be "improving strongly" in providing services for local people.

Overall the council was awarded "four star" status meaning it was "performing strongly" and "well above minimum requirements", putting it in the top 38% of all local authorities.

Three "advanced learning centres" are being built in central Ashton town and at the college's Beaufort Road home.

The new Clarendon Sixth Form College, which began taking students in the autumn of 2015, was officially opened by Coronation Street actress Brooke Vincent on 9 March 2016.

When it opens in 2017 it will provide a learning facility to support the growth of advanced engineering and technology in Tameside.

Phase three will ensure the Beaufort Road campus offers learners modern, inspirational learning spaces.

Alongside the new advanced technologies centre, they will have access to facilities for engineering, construction and the built environment, motor-vehicle, sport and public services and health and social care provision Provision for students with severe learning difficulties and/or disabilities will continue to be based at the Beaufort Road where a new sports academy was opened in February, 2015, by former Manchester United and England footballer Paul Scholes.

Work at the mid-Victorian building, which closed as a swimming baths in 1975, has involved cleaning, repairs and the replacement of external stonework.

In 2006, after failing twice to gain permission to develop a site in the neighbouring borough of Stockport, IKEA announced plans to build its first town centre-store in Ashton-under-Lyne.

[36] In 2011, of 101,892 residents of Tameside in employment, the industry of employment was 17.7% retail and wholesale, 13.2% manufacturing, 12.4% health and social work, 8.5% construction, 8.3% education, 5.8% public administration and defence, 5.3% transport, 5.0% professional, scientific and technical, 4.8% administrative, 4.5% hotels and restaurants, 4.1% financial, 2.4% information and communication, 1.7% real estate, 1.6% energy and water supply, and 4.5% others.

[61] There are three Scheduled Ancient Monuments in the borough, a Bronze Age cairn in Stalybridge,[62] Buckton Castle, and Nico Ditch.

[64] Nico Ditch is an earthwork running from Ashton-under-Lyne in the east to Stretford in the west, in the borough of Trafford.

[69][70] Tameside has eight designated Local Nature Reserves which are Knott Hill, Hollinwood Branch Canal, Great Wood, Haughton Dale, Hulmes and Hardy Woods, Castle Clough and Cowbury Dale, Hurst Clough and Rocher Vale.

At Key Stage 4 57.3% of pupils in the borough achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and maths – a 3.6% improvement on the previous year.

At Key Stage 2, 80% of pupils in Tameside achieved level 4+ in reading, writing and maths combined, sustaining the borough's 6% improvement in results from 2013 to 2014.

In terms of television, Tameside is served by BBC North West and ITV Granada broadcasting from the Winter Hill TV transmitter.

Tameside Council is responsible for maintaining the public rights of way in the borough, including 145 miles (233 km) of footpaths.

[75] The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside has formal twinning links with places in China, France and Germany.

Cricket is heavily represented in the area with all areas hosting several sides with the Greater Manchester Cricket League, Denton having the most within the higher tiers of the League System (Denton St Lawrence and Denton West Cricket Club both playing in the Premier Division), Mottram being represented in the Top Division by Roe Cross and Mottram CC in the third level of the League, Hyde are represented with Flowery Field CC in the 2nd tier and Dukinfield CC in the Tier 3 Championship Division.