The village (whose name may derive from Burtone, meaning fortified farmstead) is mentioned in the Domesday Book as belonging to the Archbishop of York and the site of Archbishop's Manor House continued to be the site of Manor Houses up to the demolition of High Hall in 1952.

The parish church of All Saints is a Grade II* listed building[3] and its earliest parts date from the late 12th century.

In a field to the east of the village is one of the medieval stone boundary markers for the sanctuary of Saint John of Beverley that is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Bishop Burton United play in the East Riding County Football League Division 3 with matches taking place on Saturdays with a 2 pm kick off.

United have a reputation as a progressive and ambitious football club with the lofty aim of gaining semi-professional status within the next 7 years.

The club is also known for its broad multicultural mix with Polish, Latvian, French, Indonesian and Nigerian players in their squad.