Burythorpe is a small village 4 miles or 6km south of Malton. There is a Victorian church having chancel with north vestry, and nave with western bell-cote. This was built by J. B. and W. Atkinson in 1857-8; it replaced a medieval church on this site. The church is at a high point (82m) to the west of, and slightly separated from, the present houses of the village.

The village crossroads are a little distance east of the church, and through the village, north and south, the modern road lies on or near the line of a Roman Road from the Humber crossing to Malton. The church, with its churchyard, is on a track and roads leading towards Westow, Kirkham Priory and a bridge over the Derwent.

The church is constructed of limestone ashlar and has a 4-bay nave with a W single bell-cote, a S porch, and a single bay chancel with a N vestry. A plain cylindrical font was preserved at the time of the rebuilding.

Early name, Bergetorp. In Domesday Book, there are two landholders, the King and Berengar de Tosny; in both cases the estate is described as ‘waste’. Lawton, 273, says the church was a Rectory in the patronage of the Priory of Kirkham, and at the Dissolution the patronage passed to the Crown. The Phillimore volumes for Domesday Book say first (1E49) that the king had 2 carucates, land for 1 plough, formerly held by Ulfr and Sprottr when it was worth 5s. No current value is given, nor is ‘waste’ stated. A second manor (8E6) was held by Berengar of Tosny (de Todeni). In 1066, this had been held by Thorbrandr, 3 carucates were taxable, there was land for 3 ploughs; its value was 10s. In 1087 when Berengar had it, it was waste.

A third entry applies to ‘the time after the Book of Winchester was written’ (31E8). It says that at Burythorpe, 3 carucates were held by Robert of Brus (de Brus).

Lawton’s Collectio, 273, says the church was a rectory in the patronage of Kirkham Priory. On an OS map surveyed just before its demolition, the medieval church is shown surrounded by its graveyard, and at that time it appears to have a nave and chancel of about equal length, and extensions on the south side for a porch and chapel. To the north of the graveyard is a limestone quarry. Further north, across the park, is Burythorpe House, now a hotel.

Despite the drawbacks of the reworking of this font, it still basically has the simple tub shape of many early twelfth-century fonts in this area.