Though originally an area of upland farms, woollen weaving and stone quarries, it is now a dormitory village for nearby towns and cities of Huddersfield, Barnsley, Sheffield, Wakefield and Leeds.A group of Quakers founded a Meeting in High Flatts, renovating a barn and building several houses nearby.The Dickinsons lived in the area of High Flatts and Ingbirchworth until around 1900, when some residents moved to nearby towns to find work outside of the textile trade.The majority of 19th century stone cottages housed workers who had moved from outlying areas to find employment.Birdsedge hosts an annual festival on the first Saturday in July, featuring family entertainment, music and dance performances from the national and international folk scene.