Barningham is listed in the Domesday Book under the Gilling Wapentake (later Gilling West and part of the Honour of Richmond) of Yorkshire as a property owned in 1066 by an Anglo-Saxon lord, Thor, before the Norman conquest; by 1086, the ownership had transferred to Enisant Musard, with Count Alan of Brittany as a tenant.

It is on the edge of moors stretching westwards to Cumbria and is a good base for walking the local dales and hills.

The village has an enthusiastic local history society which runs a website and offers assistance to anyone trying to trace ancestors from the area.

It is a Grade II* listed country house dating from the 15th century[4] set in a 7000-acre estate.

[5] The Milbank Arms is a Grade II listed public house built in the early 19th century and extensively rebuilt in 2019.