Prior to the Roman invasion the area around Glossop was occupied by the northern tribe of Iron Age Celts known as the Brigantes, the largest tribe in Britain, the Brigantes fought many battles with the Romans. In 80 A.D. the Romans built a fort, Melandra (Agricola) above the confluence of The River Etherow & Glossop Brook, which commanded fine views over the Longdendale Valley. Roads were established to the fort at Brough (Navio) in the Hope Valley & to Buxton (Aquae Arnemetiae). By 140 A.D. the Roman troops were needed elsewhere & left the area.
Around 650 Britain was invaded by the Angles, Saxons & Jutes from Northern Europe. The Angles settled in the Glossopdale Valley. Glossop got its name from the Anglian farmer, Glot, who lived in the valley. The old English word for valley is Hop & the area became known as Glot’s Hop.
In 1086 The Domesday Book stated that all Longdendale, including Glossop, was all waste, worth forty shillings. In 1087 Glossopdale became part of the Royal Forest of the Peak, which had been granted to William Peveril by the King as a private Royal Hunting ground.
In 1157 The Manor of Glossop was given to the Abbott of Basingwerke in North Wales, a market charter was granted along with a court & a fair around the cross outside the church, and the parish of Glossop was established.
Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries the monks from the Abbey brought their sheep to graze on the moors around Glossop & changed the landscape which started the areas farming industry.
In 1433 The Abbott of Basingwerke leased the whole of Glossopdale to John Talbot from Hallam, Sheffield, in return for an annual rent of £50. In 1494 an illegitimate son of the Talbot family, Dr John Talbot, was appointed vicar and he paved the road over the moors to Sheffield, the road is known as Doctors Gate.
In 1592 the open fields of medieval Glossop become enclosed as tenant farmers built dry stone walls around their own land.
In 1600 the Manor of Glossop was owned by the Howard family, which is where the pub in the town centre got its name. In 1680 there were about 50 houses in Glossop, with several out lying farms.
Towards the end of the 18th century the Industrial Revolution started many mills sprung up in the area & the population increased as woollen textiles were replaced by the cotton industry. Glossop is now very much a commuter town with many of the population commuting to Manchester or Sheffield to work, however the town is quite self contained.