The village is situated approximately 5 miles (8 km) south-east of the town of Selby on the A1041 road.On 1 April 2023, Selby District was abolished and Carlton became part of the new North Yorkshire unitary authority area.The house is the Yorkshire home of the 18th Duke of Norfolk but, since 1991, has been lived in, and run, by Lord Gerald Fitzalan-Howard and his family.[12] In 1777, in response to a public petition, Thomas Stapleton of Carlton Towers built a toll bridge to the south of the village over the River Aire, to encourage the flax trade.In 1928, the West riding authority replaced the toll bridge, with an iron construction upstream.