The Greater Manchester town with quaint cottages and stunning views where everyone knows each other

Nestled at the foothills of the Pennines and on the western edge of Saddleworth Moor sits the town of Mossley. Owing its spectacular views to the upper Tame Valley, Mossley boasts steep streets and rows of character buildings against a stunning backdrop of sweeping countryside.

Despite being just over the hill from Ashton-under-Lyne, it’s very different from its neighbour with a more rural feel. The town is home to many listed buildings including stone cottages, farms and a local church. Mossley is also a great base for exploring the local area too, with several walking routes starting in and around the village, up along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal or out into the nearby hills thanks to its close proximity to the Peak District and the moors.

The thriving Tameside town gets its name from the words moss, meaning a boggy area, and lea, meaning a clearing in a wood. At one time, much of the area was thickly wooded, and boars would have roamed there, but over the years trees were felled and the hillsides used to graze sheep.

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“We know loads of our neighbours. I do lots of stuff in the community here - it’s a really nice community. In fact, a friend came here who was looking to move. I gave her a tour of the area. I bought my kids up here, now they’re teenagers.”

The town, which is split into two sections, has a bustling centre, with shops, pubs, a community centre and cafes lining the main streets in both Top and Bottom Mossley. But how do residents find life in one of Greater Manchester's beauty spots?

Rachel Summerscales says her favourite part about the area is the community. “What I really like about it is that