 In 1066 the lordship was held by Ketilbert, who held thirteen manors in the north of Yorkshire.Cowlam was transferred in 1086 directly to king William I.

Cowlam was previously a Bronze Age encampment, evidenced by earthworks, from the hamlet, and a later medieval village that was deserted in the late 17th century.The church of St Mary at Cowlam is one of the churches on the Sykes Churches Trail.