[1] It was described in The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland in 1868: "The township, which is considerable, is situated near the river Dove, and comprises the village of Hardingsbooth, with the straggling hamlets of Broncote, Morredge-Top, Middle Hills, and Downsdale.

The soil chiefly consists of moorland, with a few small plots of arable land.

Longnor church and other places of worship in the adjoining townships are frequented by the inhabitants.

Royal Cottage (grid reference SK027639), a building on the road, was known by that name by 1833; it was believed that Prince Charles Edward Stuart slept in the house on his journey through England during the Jacobite rising of 1745.

The Rock Inn (grid reference SK013609; a Grade II listed building[4]), at Upper Hulme, was built in the late 18th century; in 1786 it was occupied by Joseph Billing, who worked a nearby quarry.