The village name may be derived from the Anglian personal name of
Ulf combined with
tun meaning habitation. There are the remains of a Roman villa nearby, consistent with the village's location near the junction of two old Roman roads. Articles from the site are located within the York Museum. Following the Norman invasion of Britain, the estates of Yearsley, Coxwold and Oulston fell into the hands of a Norman family whose previous seat of power had been in Montbray, Normandy. By 1158, however, these same lands had been given to another Norman lord whose family base had been Colleville on the Normandy coast. In return for receiving these lands, Thomas de Colville had to swear allegiance to Roger de Mowbray. Thomas de Colville's estate included the manors of
Yearsley,
Coxwold and Oulston as well as other properties and land in
York,
Thirsk, Everley, Nunwick,
Ripon,
Kilburn and Upsland. The Colville shield is proudly displayed at one of the roof intersections in the twelfth century Norman church at Coxwold. A fourth Thomas Colville generously allowed John, the Prior of Newburgh, to live “by suit of court” in his manor house at Oulston. In return for Thomas's generosity, John (besides offering prayers) used his influence, in 1256, to arrange a special privilege for Thomas: Thomas would no longer be required, on behalf of the king, to carry out any legal or other administrative duties against his will. The lands were eventually passed to the
Fauconberg family and thence to the Wombwell family, who resided at nearby Newburgh Priory Estate. There used to be a Wesleyan chapel in the village, which is now the village hall. It is a Grade II listed building. There are four sites in the area that are
scheduled ancient monuments. They are: • a
round barrow 500m WNW of Pond Head Farm at • a
round barrow 350m NW of Pond Head Farm at • a section of cross ridge dyke and earthworks in Roman Plantation, Oulston Moor at • a section of cross ridge dyke and hollow way 200m NW of Pond Head Farm at ==Governance==