[3] It was formerly known as St Andrewthorpe, but in the 13th century, Archbishop Walter de Grey bought the manor house and gave it to the Dean and Chapter of York Minster.

In 1226, Archbishop Walter de Gray bought property which once belonged to the Abbot of Kirkstall Abbey and the Priory of St. Andrews.

He conveyed this property to the Dean and Chapter of York, thus ensuring that it remained with successive Archbishops and did not fall into the king's hands during a vacancy.

[8][9] In 1405, Archbishop Scrope was accused of being a traitor by Henry IV and was beheaded in a field near the nunnery of St Clements, now Clementhorpe.

In 1763, Archbishop Drummond transformed the Palace by building the now familiar 'Strawberry Gothick' west front and gatehouse.

Controversy surrounding the 1832 Reform Bill saw rioters from York attempt to invade the Palace, angered by initial lack of support from Archbishop Harcourt.

The twenty boys and girls were taught to read and write and "instructed in the principles of the Christian religion."

[10]: 38–41 The main line of the North Eastern Railway was being constructed in 1871 and cut through the west end of the parish running east of Bridge Road.

The Almshouses, built in 1846 by the Archbishop of York Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt, were demolished in 1963 due to their deterioration and the need to widen the increasingly busy junction at Sim Balk Lane and Main Street.

[1] Bishopthorpe has been a traditional farming community, though nowadays it serves as a commuter base for workers in nearby York and Leeds.

[15] Between 1949 and 1966, the club hosted the York Model Engineers who installed an open air ride on miniature railway in the grounds.

[16] In 1969, Vernon House, the specially built community centre for Bishopthorpe's elderly people, was officially opened.

It was erected at a cost of £7,000 by Tadcaster Rural District Council to complement the area of sheltered accommodation in the village built two years earlier in Maple Avenue and Vernon Close.

[citation needed] In 1904, the Reading Room funded by Archbishop Maclagan was built as a place of rest and recreation for local men, but without the sale of alcohol.

It was used by cubs and brownies and other uses included jumble sales and dances, activities that now take place in St Andrew's Hall.

In 1967, Archbishop of York's CE Junior School opened across the Appleton Road on the site of the playing fields[22] and serves the communities of Acaster Malbis, Middlethorpe as well the village itself.

[10]: 38–41 Archbishop Drummond built Old St Andrew's Church on the site of the original (dating back to 1215) in 1768 but its foundations were gradually being washed away by the River Ouse.

In the early eighteenth century, Lord Wenlock who also owned land at Naburn and Acaster Malbis built a ferry to enable him to visit his estates.

North of the village is Middlethorpe Hall, a Grade I listed building since 2008 owned by The National Trust and now used as a country house hotel.

The latest Archbishop of York is Stephen Cottrell, who has been resident since July 2020 when he succeeded John Sentamu.

Many of the streets in Bishopthorpe are named after previous Archbishops: for example, Ramsey Avenue (Michael Ramsey, 1956–1961), Maclagan Road (William Maclagan, 1891–1908), Lamplugh Crescent (Thomas Lamplugh, 1688–1691), Coggan Way (Donald Coggan, 1961–1974), Garbett Way (Cyril Garbett, 1942–1955), Temple Road (William Temple, 1929–1942), Lang Road (Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1909 – 1928), Vernon Close (Edward Venables-Vernon, 1808–1847, Drummond Way (Robert Hay Drummond, 1761–1776), Wolsley Drive (Thomas Wolsey, 1514–1530) and De Grey Place (Walter de Gray, 1216–1255).