town, Ryedale district, administrative county of North Yorkshire, historic county of Yorkshire, northern England. On the site of an early British settlement and later a Roman fort and town (Derventio) on the River Derwent, it was renamed Malton in Anglian times and was the site of a royal palace of the kingdom of Derra. Its 11th-century castle was destroyed by Henry II (1135) but later rebuilt with a priory nearby. In Queen Anne's reign it became a busy river port; many elegant town houses and coaching inns of New Malton date from this period. Malton is no longer a port but retains a large livestock market and is an important service centre with agricultural and other light industries. Well-known racing stables at the foot of the Wolds account for 20th-century development across the river at Norton. Pop. (2001) 5,023.