Thornton Dale, United Kingdom

There was a mill on Thornton Beck from at least 1200; the current mill was built in the 18th century and enlarged in 1919, when it was renamed Victory Mill. For nearly a century, the Burgess animal feed company has owned the mill, initially using it for manufacturing its products, and later as offices. By 2003, the building had been restored. As early as 1277, there was also a mill at Ellerburn. Weaving was a common industry from the 14th to the 18th century. The beck was diverted in the 19th century when a large mill complex with sluice gates was built.

In the Middle Ages, Roxby, just west of the village, was a separate manor, which fell into the hands of the Cholmeley family in 1499.

Sir Hugh Cholmeley, 1st Baronet, was born at Roxby Castle, then known as Thorton-on-the-Hill. The remains on Roxby Hill are a Scheduled Ancient Monument although none of the buildings remain. The area is also Grade II listed as "ridge and furrow earthworks [and] cultivation strips".

Richard Rolle, the English hermit mystic, was probably born in Thornton-le-Dale in the 1300s. He authored many books on religious topics.

All Saints' Church, Thornton-le-Dale is Grade II listed. It is centuries old and was altered several times: entirely rebuilt in the 14th century, although some earlier aspects still remain, and modified in 1681 and 1865. The existing copy of the church register includes listings as far back as 1538. Comber House, the former rectory on Church Hill, designed c. 1840 by J. P. Prichett, is also Grade II listed.

St Hilda's Church, Grade II* listed, is in the tiny village of Ellerburn which is part of Thornton-le-Dale. The original building dates to the early Norman period, and according to some sources, to the Saxon era, as early as 850 or 1050. It was restored and modified in 1904–1905 and in 1911. Today, there are a few other churches in or near Thornton-le-Dale.

In 1657, builders were given orders to erect 12 almshouses and a school, thanks to an endowment left by Elizabeth, Viscountess Lumley who had died earlier that year; her family had owned much of the land in the area. The buildings, between the village green and the bridge, completed in 1670, are supported by the Lady Lumley's Almshouse Trust. The 12 bungalows were restored in the 19th century, and in 2014, a major renovation was completed by the Trust on the Grade II listed buildings. They have been inhabited for some time as age-specific housing. Beck Isle (Thatched) Cottage was also built in the 1600s but was "raised, renovated and extended" in the 20th century. A book published in 2012 included photos of the Thatched Cottage circa 1920's, and stated that in that era, the building was covered in plaster and had significantly fewer windows. As of 2021, the cottage was identified as a freehold private residence.

The Old Grammar School had space for 200 students but had only 16 as of 1890; the building remained in use as a school until the 20th century; it is now used for other purposes. Another school, the Lady Lumley's School in nearby Pickering, is still in use, as a coeducational secondary school and sixth form. The only current school in Thornton Dale is the CE School school, with 133 students in 2018, operated by the Church of England.

In 1801, the population was 1,041. By 1831, it had increased to 1,368.

The village used to have a railway station on the Forge Valley Line between Seamer and Pickering. The trains first arrived in 1839 but the Pickering-Scarborough branch was not completed here until 1882. Some agricultural workers left the area on the train, seeking paid jobs elsewhere. The Thornton Dale railway station opened in 1882 and closed to passengers in 1950, with a freight train from a quarry in the village continuing to use the tracks until 1964. After being used for several purposes, including offices and a caravan park, the station was converted into three holiday rental cottages.

It was in 1907 that the village was first deemed as the "prettiest" in Yorkshire; voters in this poll were the readers of a newspaper. By that time, the village was considered to be a tourist hotspot.