It was the ancestral home of the naturalist and traveller Charles Waterton, who made Walton Hall into the world's first wildfowl and nature reserve.

[1] Walton Hall, and a residence at Cawthorne, were home to the Anglo-Saxon chieftain Ailric, who is mentioned in the Domesday Book and was the King's Thane for South Yorkshire.

He amassed his retainers and on horseback they ambushed the mounted Norman knights of Ilbert de Laci, who were moving on the road from Tanshelf to Wakefield.

[citation needed] A descendant of this family, Sara le Neville, married Thomas De Burgh, the Steward of the Countess of Brittany, Duchess of Richmond.

Unusually for the time he was committed to nature conservation rather than hunting and game shooting for sport, which caused significant loss of native fauna.

Keepers and dogs from nearby estates were banned during nesting season, shooting was forbidden and lake fishing was not allowed from autumn to May.

Sir David Attenborough has stated that "Walton Hall is an extremely important site in the history of nature conservation worldwide.

"[6] In 2024, Waterton Park, part of the estate, was registered at Grade II by Historic England, to ensure that the landscape considered "the world’s first nature reserve" is given greater protection and recognition.