[1][2] Buttercrambe is some 9 miles (14 km) north-east of York, and on average about 56 feet (17 m) above sea level.

[5][6][7] The village is situated approximately 8 miles (13 km) to the north-east of York and near the border with the East Riding of Yorkshire.

[9] The village lies on the River Derwent, and Buttercrambe Mill, a former water-powered cornmill, is still on the riverside and is now a grade II listed building.

[13] To the west of Buttercrambe, on high ground, are the remains of a Roman temporary camp: a square enclosure, ditched and banked, constructed quickly by an army on manoeuvres in enemy territory and used either overnight or for a short period of time, and demolished upon abandonment of the site.

[14] The camp was constructed probably 20 years before the establishment of nearby Eboracum, Roman York, in 71 AD.