The history of Walton spans over a thousand years - its name means 'Welshman's Village' showing that a settlement of native British people was established before the Saxons came during the 7th century.

The name Walton has changed through the ages:-

Weala-tun     -     Saxon (c650 - 830)
Waleton        -     Domesday Book (c1086)
Waton           -     Norman (c1066  - 1154)
Walton          -     Medieval (c1154 - 1485)

• Haw Park Wood and Hare Park - 'Hay' is an ancient word meaning a hunting ground or paled park.
  
• Berg or Burgh as in the quarry was named for the de Burghs the Norman family who were Lords of the Manor of Waleton.
  
• Oakenshaw - in ancient times was an Oak Wood.
  
• Shay Lane - from the old word 'shay' which was an enclosure for animals.
  
• The Balk - in times gone by a 'Balca' was a boundary ridge.

An entry in the Domesday Book of 1086 records that in the village of Waleton in the Agbrigg Wapentake the King (William 1) holds 8 carucates of land. (A carucate or hide was the amount of land which could be ploughed in one year with one plough and support a family).  

By the 12th century the family of de Burgh owned the Walton Estates and a Thomas de Burgh who died in 1199 was the first officially recorded owner. Little further is known until we read in the Yorkshire Lay Subsidies of 1297 details of the Villa de Waltona and two of its inhabitants.  

King Edward III was on the throne of England when, in 1334, another Thomas de Burgh applied for licence to fortify his Mansion at Walton. This licence was granted but Thomas died before the building work had been completed.

During this period Walton could have been divided into three hamlets, as there is mention of a holding in Nether Walton, Over Walton and Middel Walton.