Tonge is an outlying area of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. The name is supposed to be derived from the Old English "tang" or "twang" meaning a fork in a river. Tonge comprises two areas, namely Tonge Fold and Tonge Moor. Tonge Fold sits upon the River Tonge, a region of whose banks are a geological site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

History

Historically a part of Lancashire, it was once part of the township and chapelry of Bolton parish. By the end of the 19th century Tonge was home to a coal mine. In 1894 Tonge became a separate civil parish, being formed from the rural part of Halliwell, on 30 September 1898 the parish was abolished and merged with Bolton.

Education

There are three primary schools in Tonge;- Tonge does not have any secondary schools within its borders, though schools like Canon Slade School, Turton School and Sharples School are popular choices around the area.

Landmarks

A noteworthy building in Tonge is Hall i' th' Wood, an early 16th-century manor house, and once the home of Samuel Crompton in the 18th century. The building was bought by William Lever (later Lord Leverhulme) in 1899, and after it was restored, he gave it to Bolton Corporation in 1900. The public cemetery, laid out by William Henderson, was opened in 1856, with extant buildings by Charles Holt and John Smalman Smith, 29 acres of land having been purchased from Le Gendre Nicholas Starkie.