The village is about west of
Pateley Bridge on the road heading towards
Grassington, and is mainly in the
civil parish of
Bewerley. However, the western end of the village lying to the west of Kell Dyke, commonly known as Craven Cross, lies within the civil parish of
Appletreewick. It is one of the highest villages in Yorkshire, at an altitude of between , and one of the few villages in the United Kingdom lying at over . Greenhow is an old mining village that was a major supplier of
lead.
Sir John Yorke disputed the rights to the mines at "Grenhow" and "Grenehosyke" with Thomas Proctor in 1549. Sir
Stephen Proctor bought the Manor of Bewerley, including the mineral rights in 1597. He was also responsible, as part of a settlement with John Armitage over disputed land, for the founding of the actual village of Greenhow. Before this date, the only settlement recorded on the Hill itself was Kell House, where monks of
Fountains Abbey lived while guarding the abbey's lead interests. In 1613, an agreement sought to protect the Greenhow miners' rights: "…there may be cottages erected for the miners and mineral workmen upon the said waste … and also for the keeping of draught oxen and horses for the maintenance of the mines, always leaving the tenants sufficient common". There is a 'Kiplings Cottage' next door to the Miners Arms, but it is not known whether his grandfather actually lived there. The church in the village (St Mary's) is reputedly the highest parish church in England still in use, though services are now only fortnightly on Sunday evenings plus major feast times. ==Coldstones Quarry==