The village is mentioned in the
Domesday Book, which states that in 1086 Ulfketill had six
carucates of land taxable, where three
ploughs were possible. There is a mention of the church, which is
Norman in origin and exists in part today.
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, was in control of the
manor until his death. In the village there is the
Grade II* listed Elvington Hall. Built during
Elizabethan times, it was remodelled in the 18th century by
John Carr; writer
Laurence Sterne lived there for a period of his childhood; Roger Jacques and Simone Sterne, his grandparents, controlled the manor before 1700.
1900s onwards Between 1913 and 1926 Elvington was served by a passenger service on the
Derwent Valley Light Railway. The line was open for freight traffic until 1973. During 1942, the airfield
RAF Elvington was built; it was used in the
Second World War. The airfield was vacated in 1958 and by May 1986 parts of it were turned into the
Yorkshire Air Museum, open to the general public. The airfield had the status of a relief landing ground until September 1992. It is now used for motorsports and an
airshow. The village was once the home of the author and screenwriter,
Hugo Charteris, who died of cancer in 1970 at his home in the village.
Today Elvington was made a
Conservation Area in 1990. The
Grey Horse Inn is a public house in the centre of the village. The village also has a church, shop, primary school, and sports field. A number of organised clubs and societies operate in the village, including drama,
Scouts, various sewing groups, a youth group, a toddler group and playgroup. Elvington has one of the most unusual homes in Britain. In 2006, a derelict
bowling alley was converted into a private home whilst still incorporating a bowling lane. The original bowling alley was built in the 1950s for US troops stationed at RAF Elvington and it was a regular meeting place for members of
Strategic Air Command. Elvington is also home to the turf growers
Rolawn who are one of Europe's largest companies of its kind. ==Murder of Chen Cai Guan==