Skelton, York

Skelton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York, in North Yorkshire, England. It is four miles (6.4 km) north-north-west of the city of York, west of Haxby, and on the east bank of the River Ouse. Skelton was in the ancient royal Forest of Galtres and covers 977.3 hectares (3.77 mi2). Skelton was made a conservation area in 1973. The village name probably began as the Anglo-Saxon 'Shelfton'—'the settlement on high ground'—becoming the present 'Skelton' under the invading Danes. The village, along with nearby Overton, is mentioned in the Domesday Book. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,640, reducing to 1,549 at the 2011 census. The village was historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. It was then a part of the district of Ryedale in North Yorkshire from 1974 until 1996. Since 1996 it has been part of the City of York unitary authority.