Kirkby Malham was mentioned in theDomesday Book as being waste, but that the land belonged to Roger of Poitou.[2] The name of the village derives fromOld Norse, and means thevillage with a church by the stony bank.[3] The presence of the wordKirkby in front of the village name suggests that a church was here before the Domesday Survey, however, the Domesday Book makes no mention of a church.[4]
Nearby settlements include Malham, just to the north, Hanlith to the east by theRiver Aire, and Airton and Calton to the south.[5] It is 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Settle, and 9 miles (14 km) north of Skipton.[6] In 1606, John Topham founded a grammar school in Kirkby Malham for between 20 and thirty local children, which was described as having "moderatequarterages", although the classics were taught for free.[7][8]
The area was part of the Deanery of Craven, within thewapentake of Staincliffe.[15] The village was also known historically asKirkby Malhamdale, and was in theWest Riding of Yorkshire, part of the Settle Rural District, until the boundary changes of 1974.[16][17] Between 1974 and 2023, it was part of the formerCraven District of North Yorkshire, but was moved into the new unitary authority ofNorth Yorkshire Council in April 2023.[18] It is represented at Parliament as part of theSkipton and Ripon Constituency.[19]
^Chrystal, Paul (2017).The Place Names of Yorkshire; Cities, Towns, Villages, Rivers and Dales, some Pubs too, in Praise of Yorkshire Ales (1 ed.). Catrine: Stenlake. p. 51.ISBN9781840337532.
^Guide No. 6: North Yorkshire gazetteer of townships and parishes. Northallerton: North Yorkshire County Council. 2021 [1986]. p. 18.ISBN978-0-906035-29-0.
^"Election Maps".ordnancesurvey.co.uk. Retrieved18 April 2024.On the left of the screen is the "Boundary" tab; click this and activate either civil parishes or Westminster Constituencies (or both), however, only two functions can be active at any one time.
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