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.[1] 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).[2][3]
Historically a part of Lancashire, it was once part of the township of Tonge with Haulgh.[4] By the end of the 19th century Tonge was home to a coal mine.[5]