Its history dates to the time of William the Conqueror when it was part of the Salford hundred given to Roger of Poitou for his participation in the Norman conquest of England.

Albert Grelley the younger in the time of Henry II gave one moiety to Alexander son of Uvieth at a rent of ½ mark and a hawk or 12d.

[4] The tenant's name is not recorded in 1212 but in 1227 Adam de Radcliffe was required to perform suit at Robert Grelley's court in Manchester fortnightly instead of monthly.

[8] In 1331 a settlement of a moiety of the manor was made by Ellis de Lever in favour of his son and his issue by Agnes his wife.

The documents show that the Radcliffes were responsible for the whole rent but it also appears that the [Darcy Lever] half of the manor had been granted away, but to whom is not known.

D'Arcy opposed the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII and was attained taking part in the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, he was beheaded on 30 June 1537.

[12] Five years later the Darcy Lever estate was mortgaged by Tyldesley to Richard Chisnall and Thurstan Baron.

[13] By 1581, there was a large parcel of messuages and lands in Darcy Lever, Lawrence Fogg and Thomas Heyton are named as plaintiffs.

When Fogg died in September 1630, the holding had increased to twenty messuages, a water mill and moiety of two fulling mills along with other land in Darcy Lever[15][17] In 1632 the mesne tenure had changed and Ellis Crompton after two post mortem inquisitions about John Crompton (his father), held Darcy Lever directly.

[18] However the land came to them, the family estate grew and today they continue to hold large parts of the Bolton area.

At this time, 1666, Robert Lever had eight hearths liable to tax, James Bradshaw and John Crompton had seven each and Lawrence Fogg six.

In 1797 the area had changed hands again and Robert Andrews paid more than a third of the tax with John Fletcher and Benjamin Rawson (who owned the chemical works at Nob End) making up another third between them.

In 1641 Robert and Elizabeth Lever moved into the hall, the date was inscribed with the initials RLE on the stone head of the inner door and on the porch beam.

The hall had two storeys with gable attics constructed with a timber frame with plaster fill and a grey slate roof in the Tudor style.

It was located on the high ground that slopes down to Blackshaw Brook, which flowed past the south side of the house near the junction with the River Croal.

[23] In addition closer to Farnworth there was Fogg Pit owned by Andrew Knowles and Sons, near the Bolton and Bury Canal, which was the scene of an explosion which killed 10 miners.

Through the village and park run the remains of the Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal and the Bolton-Bury/Radcliffe railway line, which had a station which was open between 1848 and 1951.

[34][35] To the east of the station, the valley of the River Tonge is crossed by Darcy Lever viaduct, which is 86 feet (26 m) high.

This viaduct, together with a shorter one of similar construction on the same line (over the River Croal at Burnden) was claimed by the Bolton Chronicle (18 November 1848) to be "the first of their kind in England".

[38] Many bridges were constructed along the length of the canal, most were small allowing access to farmland, although many are wide enough for a horse and cart.