Ashton

Ashton is a third-generation city in the county of Ashton. It is the only city in the region and is also the only non-village in the county. Ashton as a county has no towns; just lots of villages, and one city. Sometimes, Collingwood is referred to as a small town, however, despite being classified as a "Town" in the 2018 census, it is not officially a town.

History
Ashton was once a rather poor area. Infact, Ashton was not classified as a city until 2001. At the same time, Ashton's population reached 52,000.

Ashton railway station opened in 1990, along with the rest of the Forcett-Tinchester South line's stations.

In 1993, Ashton's poverty rate was 14.7%, the highest in the country. Following the "Let's make Ashton 'Appy" scheme in 1997, this rate gradually declined, until it hit below 2.45% in 2005. As of 2017, Ashton's poverty rate still remains fairly high compared to other areas in the east, at 2.73%, still much better than Linxham, its nearest city, which is at 3.7%.

Awards
In 2016, Ashton won the "Best improved city" award, particularly due to both its rapid yet sustainable population increase, as well as a much-improved landscape over the years. It was the first time any city took the award from Stoneham, who firmly held the award for the past seven years.

Nearby Areas
Since the county of Ashton does not have any major settlements, there are a few notable larger villages;

Bareham

Old Morden

Bloomfield

Bedfleet