Mossley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mossley | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Population: | 13,344 (2001 census) |
| Ordnance Survey | |
| OS grid reference: | SD9702 |
| Administration | |
| Metropolitan borough: | Tameside |
| Metropolitan county: | Greater Manchester |
| Region: | North West England |
| Constituent country: | England |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom |
| Other | |
| Ceremonial county: | Greater Manchester |
| Historic county: | Lancashire, Yorkshire (West Riding), Cheshire |
| Services | |
| Police force: | Greater Manchester Police |
| Fire and rescue service: | {{{Fire}}} |
| Ambulance service: | North West |
| Post office and telephone | |
| Post town: | ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE |
| Postal district: | OL5 |
| Dialling code: | 01457 |
| Politics | |
| UK Parliament: | Stalybridge and Hyde |
| European Parliament: | North West England |
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Mossley is a small former mill town in Greater Manchester, England. It is located in the upper section of the Tame valley in the foothills of the Pennines.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
The town constitutes a civil parish, which according to the 2001 census had a population of 13,344. It is the only parished area of the metropolitan borough of Tameside. Mossley lies approximately 12 miles east of the centre of Manchester and has the distinction of being situated at the conjunction of the historic county boundaries of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cheshire.
[edit] Etymology
The name Mossley comes from 'Moss', a bog or swamp, and 'leah', a clearing in a wood.
[edit] History
One of the first recorded combined fish and chip shops was opened in Mossley 1863. Mossley - alongside Stalybridge and Uppermill in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester - helped launch the internationally known brass band event, the annual Whit Friday Band Contest. This came about when the three towns held unconnected brass band events on 6 June 1884.
On 13 March 1885 Mossley was granted a Charter of Incorporation to become a municipal borough. [1]. The whole town was unified in the administrative county of Lancashire under the Local Government Act 1888. The borough of Mossley was absorbed under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 into the new metropolitan borough of Tameside in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. It became an unparished area.
Under the provisions of the Local Government and Rating Act 1997 local electors were given the the right to request that a new parish and council be created in unparished areas. The people of Mossley exercised this right and a civil parish for Mossley was established in 1999. The civil parish council voted to adopt town status and Mossley now has a town mayor. The town has three parish wards based on the historical county borders, with four members representing the Cheshire part, three members the Lancashire part and two members the Yorkshire part. The town's unofficial Coat of Arms includes Cheshire's sheaf of corn, Lancashire's red rose and Yorkshire's white rose to signify the historic demarcation.
George Lawton, the son of magistrate and alderman John Lawton, inherited a family fortune and, when he died in August 1949, he left his entire estate (apart from some legacies) to the people of Mossley. Part of his estimated £40,000 estate was left to build a public meeting place, the George Lawton Hall, which is a testament to his generosity.
[edit] Politics
From 1918 to 1950 the town gave its name to the Mossley constituency which returned a Member of Parliament; for most of the period, the MP was Austin Hopkinson, who was notable for being elected as an Independent candidate. The town is now represented by the MP for Stalybridge and Hyde.
[edit] Churches
The eccesiastical parishes correspond to the boundaries of the historic counties:
- St George's church is in Lancashire
- St John the Baptist church in Yorkshire
- All Saints' Church is in Micklehurst, Cheshire.
[edit] Twinning
Mossley's French twin town is Hem, situated near Lille, in the Nord département.
[edit] Sport
Local sport teams include Mossley A.F.C. and Micklehurst Cricket Club.
[edit] Notable Residents
Mossley is the birthplace of TV actress and presenter Melanie Sykes.
[edit] External links
- Mossley Council - Mossley Town Council's Web Site
- MossleyOnline, Mossley's Interactive Online Community
- Tameside Council - Mossley Coat of Arms
- Micklehurst, All Saints Church
- Micklehurst All Saints CofE Primary School
- Mossley Community Arts
