Old Malton appears in the
Domesday Book as
Maltune (meaning Middleton), the present day settlement of Malton (or New Malton) came after Old Malton.
St Mary's Priory Church in the village was founded as a
Gilbertine Priory in the 12th century. A church had previously existed in the village as recorded in the Domesday Book, but it is believed that this was damaged when
Thurstan of Bayeaux (then
Archbishop of York) burned the village to the ground in 1138 after the
Battle of the Standard.
Eustace Fitz-John, the local landowner, donated the damaged church to the Gilbertine order and they rebuilt the church as a priory. After the
Dissolution, the church was reformed as the parish church of Old Malton which it remained as until 1896 when Old and New Malton were joined together as a civil parish. The church still exists today and is noted for being the only Gilbertine Priory church in use for regular worship in England. The building, though largely amended since the Dissolution and renovated by
Temple Moore in the 19th century, is now
grade I listed. In May 1547,
Archbishop Robert Holgate issued
letters patent which declared that three grammar schools would be built in the region including one at Old Malton. The school was in existence until 1835, when the incumbent vicar at St Mary's church moved the pupils to his own school in nearby
Norton. The grammar school buildings are still standing as two private dwellings and are now
grade II listed.
Eden Camp Second World War Museum is in the village. In 1891 the civil parish had a population of 1844. On 1 October 1896 the parish was abolished and merged with
New Malton to form "Malton". Until 1974 it was in the
North Riding of Yorkshire. From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district of
Ryedale, it is now administered by the unitary
North Yorkshire Council. ==References==