The region prospered on the medieval wool trade, which sponsored the great cathedral at York and enormous monastic communities, the remains of which can be seen at Rievaulx and Fountains. The countryside is a grand backdrop to this human drama, containing three of England's best national parks and some spectacular coastline. The Yorkshire Dales is the best known and arguably the most beautiful of the parks, but the North York Moors has a great variety of landscapes, and includes a superb coastline. Both parks can be very crowded in summer, and while it's easier to escape the masses in the North York Moors park, visitors seeking seclusion should opt instead for the Northumberland park. The Danish heritage survives today, especially in the language, but also, some would argue, in the independent spirit of the people.
Place names ending in thorp, kirk and by all have a Danish origin.
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