The village dates back to the Domesday Survey and is recorded as ‘Selinge’ or Sellinge subtus Bleane’.

The tax of the manor of the Selling in 1130, was given to the Monastery of St. Augustine. In 1252, (after the Dissolution of the Monasteries), it passed to Sir Anthony St. Leger. His son Sir Warham St. Leger passed it to Sir Michael Sondes (of Throwley). His descendant was Sir George Sondes, earl of Faversham. Then Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham and Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham (who had married the daughters of Sir George). It later stayed in the Watson family. In 1800 Earl Sondes was the owner.

The church of St Mary has the highest architectural, Grade I, listing and surrounded by a cluster of varying date historic houses (averaging 17th century) just off the slightly more densely populated heart of the village. Each stained glass lancet window is intricately decorated, with the arms of Gilbert de Clare and others dating the earliest to between 1299–1307 and the transepts of the church itself are approximately 1190 with the rest of the large structure 13th, 15th and 19th century.

The village also boasts a number of Grade II properties within its centre, as well as several oast houses in the area, such as the Harefield Oast house, designed for kiln (drying) hops as part of the beer brewing process.