The constituency presently consists of an electorate of about 65,500 in eastern Greater Manchester. In historic terms, and in terms of distinct settlements, it covers the former townships of Audenshaw, Denton, Dukinfield, Haughton Green, Heaton Chapel, Heaton Norris and Reddish.
1983–1997: The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside wards of Audenshaw, Denton North East, Denton South, and Denton West, and the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport wards of Brinnington, Reddish North, and Reddish South.
Historically both Audenshaw and Denton West wards returned Conservative councillors, but this has not occurred since 1992 and 1987 respectively.
In the 2005 provisional recommendations of the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review, Reddish was to be repatriated with the Stockport constituency. Denton, Audenshaw and Dukinfield would have been joined with Droylsden East, Droylsden West and the St Peter's, Ashton-under-Lyne wards of Tameside to form a Denton constituency, wholly in Tameside. However, following a public inquiry into Greater Manchester's constituencies held in late 2005, changes to the original proposals for the county were made. It was recommended that the Denton and Reddish seat should remain unchanged, with slight readjustments to reflect the new ward boundaries introduced in 2004. The new parliamentary boundaries in Greater Manchester took effect at the 2010 general election.