The village dates back to at least 1090, when it was spelled Barcestone.[3] It was part of the Selby District from 1974 until 2023, the village previously gave its name to the former wapentake of Barkston Ash.[4] The Ash part of the name comes from a large ash tree said to be at the approximate centre of the ancient county of Yorkshire, where meetings for the wapentake would be held.[2][5]
What is now the A162 London Road was a turnpike constructed in 1769: the Main Street and the major part of the village goes East from the junction with this.[5]
On 14 October 1976 the parish was renamed from "Barkston" to "Barkston Ash".[6]
The village contains a small Church of England church, Holy Trinity originally a chapel of ease constructed in 1880, but given its current name and status in 1974.[5] There are two pubs, the Ash Tree (on the site of a former coaching inn) and the Boot and Shoe, a village hall and a primary school (dating from 1856).[7] There were formerly two shops and a post office on Main Street, now private residences.[3]
There are three 17th to 19th century stone Grade II listed building houses near the junction of Main Street and Church Street: Laurel Farm,[8] Barkston House,[9] and Turpin Hall Farm.[10]
^ abLewis, Samuel. "Barkston". ukga.org. UK Genealogy Archives. Retrieved 12 July 2018. Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, 7th edition, published in 1848.
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