This locality was a focus for four packhorse routes at the meeting point of three counties - Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire.
On Speed's map of 1610 this is 'Three Shire Stones' and three tall stones are depicted, one in each county. Of these stones there is now no trace, but a packhorse bridge, probably there when Speed drew his map, still spans the infant River Dane just above Panniers Pool. At some time it has been widened by three feet on the upstream side. This name was first recorded in 1533; perhaps at that time there was no bridge and the horses with their panniers had to ford the small rock pool.