Bolton

Bolton, metropolitan borough, England. The borough of Bolton is located in the metropolitan area of Greater Manchester, south of Lancashire and west of Bury. Until 1986 Bolton was administered by the metropolitan county council based in Manchester. As a result of the Local Government Act 1985, the metropolitan county councils were abolished. The county council's functions devolved to Greater Manchester's ten metropolitan district councils: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan. The police authority is the Greater Manchester Police, with headquarters in Manchester. Crown Courts sit in Manchester and Bolton.

As well as Bolton town, the borough of Bolton also includes the smaller settlements of Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley, Little Lever, South Turton and Westhoughton. Many former industrial locations in the area are now tourist attractions, such as the mill cottages at Barrow Bridge and Last Drop Village, a collection of historic farmhouses and inns converted into shops. Population 261,035 (2001).