On top of the Irwell Valley on higher ground than Pendleton, hence The Height, roads such as Bank Lane go down the valley to Duchy Road. The first part of the name derives from the Irlam family that ran the Pack Horse Inn in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was first recorded in the parish of Eccles in 1180. The village became prosperous in the 19th century due to the Industrial Revolution, and became a well-established community of handloom weavers.