Old Byland appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, entered under the hundred of Yarlestre in Yorkshire. The survey assessed Old Byland at 2 carucates of taxable land.

At the time of the survey, Old Byland supported a recorded population of 23 villagers, 4 smallholders, working 9 ploughs between them.

By 1086 Old Byland was worth 4 shillings, up from 3 shillings before the Conquest – one of the few settlements in the area to hold its value through the upheaval.

Resources Recorded at Old Byland (1086)

Mills: 1 mill (valued at 5d)
Meadow: 100 acres

Other Settlements in Yarlestre

The Meaning of the Name

The origin of the name Old Byland is not securely established from its modern form alone; like many settlement names in the North it likely combines an Old English or Old Norse personal name with a landscape term.

Remarkably, the name has changed little since 1086, when the Domesday scribes wrote it as Old Byland.

Listed Buildings Near Old Byland

Historic England records 5 listed buildings within about a mile of Old Byland. Listing protects structures of special architectural or historic interest, graded I (exceptional), II* (particularly important) and II.

Grade I