The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Selungesbi" in the "Maneshou hundred". It was part of the Hovingham manor, but some land was owned by Orm, son of Gamul at the time of the Norman invasion. Afterwards land around the manor were split between Hugh, son of Baldric and Count Robert of Mortain. The manor passed to the Mowbray family until 1322, when John de Mowbray was beheaded for rising against the Crown. The Wyville family held land under the Mowbray's. The Hastings family held the manor until 1595 when it was purchased by Sir Charles Cavendish, father of Sir Charles Cavendish, whose family held it for the next hundred years until they sold to the Duke of Buckingham. In 1751 the manor was sold to the fourth Earl of Carlisle, whose family hold the title to this day. The Mowbray's built a castle in the village, but this had fallen into disrepair by the time the Hastings built another in 1345. This was removed by the Cavendish's and rebuilt where the remains can still be seen today just off the High Street. They are a Grade II LIsted Building. The village used to have a railway station on the Thirsk & Malton Line. The station opened in June 1853 and closed to passengers in 1931 and freight in 1964.
The village lies west of Malton on the B1257 road to Hovingham, Helmsley and the North York Moors. The stretch of road from Malton to Hovingham, part of an old Roman road, is known locally as the Street with some of the neighbouring villages to the east having Street suffixed, such as Barton-le-Street and Appleton-le-Street. The nearest settlements are the hamlets of Fryton to the west and South Holme to the north. The street village of Barton-le-Street is 1.5 miles to the east. Wath Beck runs north east around the edge of the village on its way to join the nearby River Rye. Slingsby lies at the foot of the gently sloping land which forms the northern edge of the Howardian Hills, with the Vale of Pickering spreading out to its north and east.
Demography
In 1881 the UK Census recorded the population of 596. In the 2001 UK Census, the population was recorded as 634 across 283 households. Of that population, 48.7% were male and 51.3% were female with 532 being over the age of sixteen years. There were 291 dwellings, of which 104 were detached properties.
Amenities
A school was built on The Green in 1860 and is still in use. It is a Grade II listed building. In front of the building is a traditional Maypole. The primary school is within the catchment area for Malton School for secondary education. The village has numerous small to medium size businesses. There are two camping sites, one near the old railway line and the other on Green Dike Lane. There is a public house in the village. The village is served by the bus route between Malton and Helmsley. There is a sports club in the village that provides for football, tennis, bowling and cricket. Slingsby Football Club competes in the Beckett League.
Religion
The parish church, at the western side of the village, is dedicated to All Saints. The present church was built in the late 1860s in the style of its predecessor on the same site, which was demolished. It is mainly 15th-century in style with Victorian modifications, and is a Grade II listed building. With neighbouring parishes, Slingsby’s Anglican church belongs to the Benefice of the Street Parishes, which is part of the Diocese of York. The Methodist Chapel was built in 1837 on a site adjacent to the village green and is a Grade II listed building. John Wesley himself had preached in Slingsby in 1757.
John Close - Lord Mayor of York and childhood friend of Charles Hardwick.
Captain Robert Ward - Midshipman on Admiral Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar was born in the village. Memorial Cross to him can be found in the Churchyard.
