After the Norman conquest of England Waltheof, the last of the Saxon lords retained Hallamshire of which Wadsley was a part; however he was beheaded in 1076 for rebellion against William the Conqueror and his lands passed to his wife Judith of Lens, with Roger de Busli, first Lord of Hallamshire, holding power.

The family had manorial rights and built a manor hall, a deer park and chapel within the parish of Ecclesfield.

In 1790 Joseph Clay bought the manor of Wadsley from Michael Burton, upon his death in 1797 he bequeathed it to his daughter, Ellen, the wife of George Bustard Greaves, of Page Hall.

The industry declined as the small workshops of Wadsley lost business to the large cutlery works of Sheffield.

lived in the house in the mid-19th century; his writings include “The Philosophy of Animated Nature” and “Vital Statistics of Sheffield”.

Sir Robert Wadsley, Lord of the Manor, built a chapel on to the east end of the hall in the 15th century; this was partly destroyed in the reign of Elizabeth I although not completely demolished until 1813.

There is also some speculation that the artist Thomas Creswick (1811–1869) was born at Wadsley Hall, although two other Sheffield locations are claimed as his birthplace.

Despite its name, Loxley House (SK315903) is within the Wadsley area; it is also grade two listed and was originally built in 1795 by Thomas Halliday.

Sheffield's first ever female Lord Mayor Ann Eliza Longden, who was elected in 1936, lived at Wadsley Grove.

They are a collection of six cottages built on land then known as "The Meadows" purchased in April 1839 by Miss Hannah Rawson of Wardsend House, Owlerton.

Professional cyclist and Commonwealth Games double gold medallist Malcolm Elliott was brought up in Prescott Road, Wadsley.

The tool collector and industrial historian Ken Hawley lived in Wadsley from the age of three until his death.

[16] The Horse and Jockey stands where the original medieval village green was at the top of Wadsley Lane.

Combined with the adjoining Loxley Common it covers 100 acres (0.40 km2) and is an area of heather, oak, silver birch, bracken and grassland which was declared a local nature reserve in 1999.

The overall broad aim of the plan is: "To maintain and enhance the Commons as a wildlife, landscape, historical and recreational resource for the enjoyment of the local community and visitors alike.