The village of Swanland is located approximately 7 miles (11 km) to the west of the centre of Kingston upon Hull on the eastern fringes of the Yorkshire Wolds.

To the east are the townships of West Ella, Willerby and Anlaby; to the south-east Hessle and to the south-west North Ferriby.

[11] There is evidence of human activity and habitation in the area around Swanland dating to the British Iron Age/Roman Britain period.

[22] At the mid 19th century Swanland was essentially a linear settlement along the east–west Mill Lane/Main Street, with the larger halls and manor houses set back from the road in the surrounding land.

Outside the village the landscape was rural, enclosed fields, with small scale chalk extraction from pits.

[24] The original church of St Barnabas was built in 1899,[24] established as a "mission room" for the parish of All Saints' North Ferriby.

[citation needed] In 1914 an Institute was built, containing a billiards room and library, funded by Sir James Reckitt.

[25] Outside the village a large chalk pit was dug in the mid 20th century in the southeast corner of the parish (Humberfield Quarry, disused by the 1980s and subsequently filled in).