Gamesley is the site of a Roman fort, Ardotalia, renamed "Melandra" in the 19th century by an amateur historian.
Gamesley is also, with Hadfield and Glossop, one of the locations used in the cult TV series The League of Gentlemen.
Gamesley Fold Cottage Garden is well-known, with a house dating back to 1650, and is opened to the public every year under the National Gardens Scheme.