The history of Hart Common is written by two notable farms namely Hart Common Farm and Crow’s Nest Farm as well as the Hewlett Pits. The Hart Common Farm was occupied by the Hargreaves family who were carriers of cotton goods etc initially by mule, horse and cart, canals, railways and eventually road and eventually grew to national significance. One of the Hargreaves family was involved with the development of the Bolton – Leigh railway as well as the Soho Iron works in Bolton, which also was nationally known.

The unusually named Crow’s Nest Farm was the home of the Battersby family whose daughter was an habitual thief who was punished by transportation to Australia where she resided in Tasmania before marrying another transportee and produced a large family.

The Hewlett Pit is famous for the 1912 strike that involves numerous police attending the site to control the strikers.