In 1069, in an attempt to quell rebellion in the north, the area between the Ouse and the Tyne was laid waste by the armies of William the Conqueror.

[10] On 22 August 1138,[11] English forces repelled a Scottish army on Cowton Moor in Brompton parish, around 2 mi (3 km) north of the town.

[11] The English forces were summoned by Archbishop Thurstan of York, who had gathered local militia and baronial armies from Yorkshire and the North Midlands.

With Stephen fighting rebel barons in the south, the Scottish armies had already taken Cumberland and Northumberland, the city of Carlisle and the royal castle at Bamburgh.

Finding the English in a defensive position on a hill, David elected to force a battle counting on his superior numbers, 16,000 Scots against 10,000 Englishmen.

[3] A subsequent attack by mounted knights met initial success but fell back due to lack of infantry support.

The English elected not to pursue, and despite their great losses the Scots were able to regroup in sufficient number to besiege and capture Wark Castle.

[12] Shortly after his accession William Rufus gave the town, with the lands adjacent, to the see of Durham, and, under the patronage of the bishops of that diocese, it grew in importance, and became an episcopal residence.

[15] In 1130 a castle was built on the west side of the town adjacent to North Beck[16] by Bishop Rufus and was expanded in 1142 after William Cumin seized the Bishopric of Durham in 1141.

[17] The castle was further expanded in 1173 by Hugh Pudsey and garrisoned by a group of Flemish soldiers, an act which enraged King Henry II who ordered that it be razed to the ground in 1177.

[16] A more substantial fortified palace surrounded by a moat was built on the same site in 1199, replacing the traditional motte-and-bailey castle.

[17] The palace lay on the main road from York to Durham and was a regular stopping place for royalty and other dignitaries.

[20] A house of correction opened in 1783 on Priest Garth (land owned by the Bishop of Durham), beside what is now East Road.

[24] The Quarter Sessions for the area were held in the town from the 17th century in various buildings including the Tollbooth, the Guild Hall and Vine House.

[25] In 1875, architect John Carr was commissioned to build a dedicated courthouse on Zetland Road, adjacent to the prison.

[21] When in 1856 the North Riding Constabulary was founded, one of the last county forces to be formed, Northallerton was selected as its headquarters.

[31] The ancient parish of Northallerton covered a wide area including the townships and chapelries of Romanby, Brompton and Deighton, and the detached part of High Worsall on the River Tees.

Its first representatives were John le Clerk and Stephen Maunsell, who were elected to the parliament of King Edward I in 1298, but no subsequent return was made until 1640, when the privilege was resumed by order of the House of Commons.

[16] From 1640 to 1885, the town formed the parliamentary borough of Northallerton, returning two Members of Parliament (MPs) until the Great Reform Act of 1832.

[48][49] According to the Köppen classification, the British Isles experience a maritime climate characterised by relatively cool summers and mild winters.

Compared with other parts of the country, the Vale of York is slightly warmer and sunnier in the summer and colder and frostier in the winter.

Owing to its inland position, and sheltered by the Pennines to the west,[50] North Yorkshire is one of the driest counties in the UK, receiving, on average, around 600 mm (24 in) of rain per year.

In the winter, the presence of a subsidence inversion between the Pennines and the North York Moors can allow dense, persistent fog to form, sometimes lasting for several days.

[citation needed] The nearest official Met Office weather station to Northallerton is Leeming, about 5 mi (8 km) to the west.

Temperature extremes have ranged from 38.8 °C (101.8 °F) during July 2022, (making Leeming the northernmost place in the UK to exceed 38 °C (100 °F),[51][52] down to −17.9 °C (−0.2 °F) during December 2010.

[67] Northallerton's wide High Street incorporates shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes, including local, independent retailers Bettys, Lewis & Cooper, Barkers and Boyes.

[69] Northallerton railway station is operated by TransPennine Express[70] and lies on the East Coast Main Line.

[71] Nearby Leeming Bar is on the heritage Wensleydale Railway to Redmire and can be reached by a Dales & District bus service between the stations.

[77] In 1965 a two tier pavilion, built at a cost of £6,500, was opened with match against a Yorkshire XI which included Geoffrey Boycott.

[84] The town is served by two local newspapers: the North Yorkshire editions of the daily Northern Echo and the weekly Darlington & Stockton Times, both published by Newsquest.