Moor Monkton is mentioned in the
Domesday Book of 1086 as a small settlement belonging to
Richard son of Herfast. The name of Moor, was added to the name Monkton to distinguish it from
Nun Monkton, which is over the other side of the
River Nidd. The name
Monkton, which has been recorded variously as
Munechatun, Monketon super Moram, Munketun, and
Moore Monkton, means the
town of the monks. Historically, the village was in the
Wapentake of
Ainsty, which meant that it was in the
West Riding of Yorkshire. The village is one of the waypoints on the
Ainsty Bounds Walk that covers the old boundaries of the Ainsty. From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the
Borough of Harrogate, it is now administered by the unitary
North Yorkshire Council. The manor of Moor Monkton was originally owned by the
Ughtred family from about the 13th century. It has also been owned by the
Neville family and the
Earls of Salisbury in the 15th century and eventually the
Slingsby family. Sir Francis Slingsby bought the estates from the Seymour family about 1560. The original seat for the manor was "Rede House" situated to the west of the village. It was a moated building that had been crenellated in the 14th century by Sir Thomas Ughtred. The modern
Red House lies 50m south east of this site and was built around 1607 to replace the old house. The Red House School Chapel in Hall Lane is a Grade II listed building. An early 17th century chapel, that was consecrated in 1618, is a brick built building with a slate roof. ==Geography==