Edenfield, United Kingdom

Edenfield lies above the east bank of the River Irwell, within the Rossendale Valley. The landscape of the area is dominated by Dearden Moor and Scout Moor directly to the east and Holcombe Moor with the Peel Monument, across the valley of the River Irwell to the west. The M66 motorway terminates its course at Edenfield.

The main thoroughfare in the village is Market Street, along which occurs mostly late 19th century terraced housing and a number of shops.

The number and type of shops in the village has varied over recent years, with an overall decline due to the increased mobility of the population and competition from nearby supermarkets, but mainstays have been an independent baker (Sixsmith's), butcher, pharmacy, post office, newsagent and fish and chip shop.

A number of mills sprang up during the Industrial Revolution from the 1760s onwards – not without the usual Luddite unrest. A once-famous 19th century novel refers to a character "who crossed the hills to preach at Edenfield on Sunday [saying] that machines were broken on Saturday". The mills, built particularly alongside Dearden Brook which provided the water power, are now closed but some remains can be seen in Dearden Clough.

That the main route north from Manchester runs through the village explains the many coaching houses, of which only two public houses survive – the Rostron Arms and the Coach. During the second half of the 19th century Edenfield had its own brewery, the products of which were not entirely popular: due to their purgative effect the ale was known as "Sh-t-n Br-ches". An article published in 1983 described a ghostly headless horseman who allegedly haunts the main road but this "legend" is not widely known elsewhere.