Hope Valley is the main settled valley of the Dark Peak, running east from the Edale moors through a sequence of villages that have been occupied since the medieval period and, in some cases, considerably earlier. Lead mining shaped much of its economy for centuries, and the combination of ancient settlement, industrial heritage, and dramatic surrounding landscape has made it one of the richer areas in the Derbyshire archive.

Accounts from the Hope Valley are, on the whole, better documented than those from more isolated parts of the county. Several are tied to named individuals and specific events from the historical record, which makes them easier to examine and more interesting than accounts that rest on tradition alone.