Historical records from 1870–1872, documented in John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, describe Greetland as a village and chapelry in the Halifax parish, West Riding of Yorkshire.

The population at the time was 2,584, with local industries including stone quarries and several large mills producing woollens, worsted, and cotton.

[2] The origins of Greetland may trace back to a Roman settlement, potentially identified as Cambodunum.

This hypothesis is supported by the discovery of a Roman altar stone, dated to 208 AD, found in 1597 at Bank Top in Greetland.

[10] The passage of Stage 2 of the 2014 Tour de France from York to Sheffield passed through the village on 6 July 2014.

In the late 19C a new town known as West Vale developed in the valley, and a school and church were built (SE097213).

Its corridors and grand rooms are well known in the area, with a large central staircase, traditional wooden panelling from the 1600s and paintings.

Since its closure on 17 October 2004, the landlord has applied for planning permission to turn the pub into flats.

The Druids Arms appears in local folklore: Greetland is the home of 'Brandy Hole Wood'.

According to another version of the story, it was the locals who hid the brandy in the wood, and concerned at his lost revenue, the landlord of the Druids Arms informed the taxman of the hidden stash.

The landlord, who was later found to have been trading under his son's alcohol licence, had been publicly flouting the smoking ban that was introduced throughout England in July 2007.

The pub had allegedly received support from smokers and non-smokers alike in Halifax, Bradford, Huddersfield and Leeds.

The landlord stated that he had received phone calls of support from Germany, Croatia and the USA.

He said that he wished to create a small smoking area, leaving most of the pub a non-smoking venue.