The name, first recorded in 1281, means "coalman valley". There was a coal mine here in the 14th century. Colsterdale was historically divided between the parishes of
East Witton and Masham in the
North Riding of Yorkshire. The upper part of the inhabited dale, above Gollinglith Foot, was a
detached part of the parish of East Witton (from 1866 a detached part of the civil parish of East Witton Without), but in 1886 was transferred to the civil parish of
Healey with Sutton, and in 1894 was created a separate civil parish. In 1934 of the uninhabited Masham Moor (including the uninhabited part of Colsterdale), an area common to the parishes of Masham and East Witton, was added to the civil parish of Colsterdale. The lower part of the dale became part of the civil parish of Healey with Sutton (known as Healey from 1934) in 1866. During the
First World War Colsterdale was the site of a training camp for the
Leeds Pals. There is now a memorial to the Leeds Pals in the dale, erected in 1935. The camp later became a
Prisoner of War camp for German Officers. The parish now shares a
grouped parish council, known as Fearby, Healey and District Parish Council, with
Ellingstring,
Fearby, Healey and
Ilton cum Pott. ==References==