Given the large number of Norse-derived place names in Rossendale and bearing in mind that documents from the 17th century and older spell the name as Aydenfield or some variant of this,[3] a likely etymology is the Norse "øy" (riverside ground/island; see for instance the village of Øyer) + "tun" (farmstead) + field; in other words, the land belonging to the farmstead by the river (Irwell).

Edenfield Chapel of Ease (the precursor of the parish church and part of the benefice of Bury) is extensively mentioned in 16th-century documents.

[5] A century later there were "aboute foure and twenty tenements and houses w th in Shuttleworth in the Lordshippe of Burghe [Bury], beinge all the houses w th in Shuttleworth afforesaid who are appointed by the said Orders to' pay theire tyths to Bury, who are much nearer to the Chapel of Aydenfield [Edenfield] afforesaid, and vsually repaire thither to the ordinances when they have a mister".

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

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".

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".

[12] There is a 1970s photograph of the church, showing part of the main street, village school and the now-demolished Chapel House Farm, on the website of Edenfield-born musician Dr Tim Rishton (who was organist there as a child).

Another popular walk is Dearden Clough to 'Plunge' – the ruined site of Plunge Mill, where there is an imposing pit wheel housing for a waterwheel.