[3] Huncoat, on the northern slope, is one of the few places mentioned in the brief details of the Blackburnshire hundred in the Domesday Book, with King Edward holding two carucates of land here.

[4] The settlements of Dunnockshaw, Loveclough, Goodshaw and Crawshawbooth along the valley of Limy Water to the south east, can trace their history to vaccaries (Medieval cattle ranches) in the Forest of Rossendale.

[7] Considered part of the Burnley Coalfield, evidence of bell pits, a primitive method of mining, can still be found at Moleside Moor on the western side of the hill.

[16][17] The Mitchell's House Reservoirs in the upper valley of Warmden Brook, are two bodies of water separated by an intermediate embankment, forming a single impoundment.

Construction of the L-shaped embankment dam of the northern (No 1) reservoir commenced in 1851, but significant issues were encountered in achieving a satisfactory level of water retention.

After 1872, the southern (No 2) reservoir was created by extending the western section of the original dam to span the valley, a total distance of 520 metres (1,710 ft).

[18] During World War II a network of Starfish site bombing decoys where constructed in the area designed to protect Accrington.

[23][24] Today the A56 runs through a large cutting on the north-western side of Hameldon, effectively separating Accrington's Peel Park from the rest of the hill.

This was constructed between February 1984 and July 1985 as part of the Accrington Easterly By-pass scheme, itself the last section of a larger project to create a dual carriageway route between the M66 and M65.

The drift cover consists primarily of glacial till deposits, which cause poor-drainage soils, meaning the grassland is prone to reed growth.

[27][23] On the western side Warmden Brook forms to the south of the Great Hameldon summit, feeding the Mitchell's House Reservoirs and becoming Broad Oak Water after it collects the stream from Tag Clough.

Pleck Brook drains the area to the north, where several smaller reservoirs have also been created, and like Broad Oak Water joins the River Hyndburn in Accrington and ultimately the Calder.

[32] There is an ancient local legend that the Devil once jumped from Hameldon to Pendle Hill where he gathered rocks in an apron, and threw a boulder aimed at Clitheroe Castle.