Thorpe in Balne is a quiet village with a manor house and a moated chapel, which was previously the parish church.
The village is in a high flood risk area and residents were evacuated in 2019 during the extensive flooding in the UK that year. Evidence of flood defences can be seen beside the River Don where both high banks and metal fences aim to keep any rising flood water away from Thorpe in Balne and the surrounding area.