Ryther cum Ossendyke is a village and civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 6 miles (9.7 km) from Tadcaster

Tadcaster

Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. Lying on the Great North Road approximately east of Leeds and west of York. It is the last town on the River Wharfe before it joins the River Ouse about downstream...

 and 6 miles (9.7 km) from Selby

Selby

Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...

, North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...

, England. It originated as a parish in the wapentake of Barkston Ash

Barkston Ash

Barkston Ash is a small village and civil parish close to Selby in North Yorkshire, England. Until recently it was officially called Barkston. A local legend has it that the ash tree which stands in the centre of the village and gives it its name also marks the exact centre of Yorkshire, and that...

 in the West Riding of Yorkshire

West Riding of Yorkshire

The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...

. The parish, bounded on the north by the River Wharfe, covered 2654 acres and contained the township of Lead Hall about six miles away where there is St Mary's Chapel a chapel of ease

Chapel of ease

A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....

 to All Saints Church.

Ryther is the site of the 13th century All Saints Church, a Methodist chapel, public house (Rythre Arms) and village hall. It is adjacent to Nun Appleton Hall. From the 12th to the 16th century, the village was the site of Ryther Castle, the principal seat of the ancient de Rhythre/Ryther family, the Lords of Scarcroft

Scarcroft

Scarcroft is an upmarket village and civil parish north east of Leeds city centre in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. The village lies on the main A58 road between Leeds and Wetherby. Scarcroft has a LS14 postcode and two of the most expenisve streets in Yorkshire...

 who inherited Harewood Castle

Harewood Castle

Harewood Castle is a 12th-century stone hall house and courtyard fortress, located on the Harewood Estate, Harewood, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England . Harewood Castle is a grade I listed building.-History:...

 in about 1400. Several of the de Ryther knights have effigies

Effigy

An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...

 at All Saints Church. The village once had several shops and many farms. Census returns show how many residents were farm labourers or had jobs in Cawood

Cawood

Cawood is a large village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England that is notable as the finding-place of the Cawood sword....

. There were two public houses, but only one remains.

The hamlet is situated on the south bank of the River Wharfe and has often been at risk of flooding. Ossendyke ings

Ings

Ings is an old Yorkshire word for water meadows & marshes, including those which were part of the Humber flood plain.Ings often teem with large numbers of water birds and other wildlife...

 are within the parish.

The hamlet of Ryther was a community with generations of the same families living close-by. Ossendyke has few houses. Adjacent to Ossendyke is the Church Fenton

Church Fenton

Church Fenton is a village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. The village is home to many commuters and is served by a railway station; Church Fenton railway station. Neighbouring villages include Cawood and Ulleskelf. It is about from Tadcaster and from...

Aerodrome which is used by small light aircraft and practising jets.

Ossendyke has had various spellings: Ozendyke - the modern spelling, Ossendyke, Ozendike and Ozzendyke