Yorkshire

Yorkshire(/ˈjɔːrkʃər,-ʃɪər/YORK-shər, -⁠sheer) is an area ofNorthern Englandwhich washistorically a county.Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity.The county was named after itscounty town, the city ofYork.
The south-west of Yorkshire is densely populated, and includes the cities ofLeeds,Sheffield,Bradford,DoncasterandWakefield. The north and east of the county are more sparsely populated, however the north-east includes the southern part of theTeessideconurbation, and the port city ofKingston upon Hullis located in the south-east. York is located near the centre of the county. Yorkshire has acoastlineto theNorth Seato the east. TheNorth York Moorsoccupy the north-east of the county, and the centre contains theVale of Mowbrayin the north and theVale of Yorkin the south. The west contains part of thePennines, which form theYorkshire Dalesin the north-west.
The county was historically bordered byCounty Durhamto the north, the North Sea to the east, Lincolnshire,Nottinghamshire,Derbyshire, andCheshireto the south, andLancashireandWestmorlandto the west. It was the largest by area in theUnited Kingdom.From the Middle Ages the county was subdivided into smaller administrative areas; the city of York was a self-governingcounty corporatefrom 1396, and the rest of the county was divided into threeridings–North, East, andWest. From 1660 onwards each riding had its ownlord-lieutenant, and between 1889 and 1974 the ridings wereadministrative counties. There was aSheriff of Yorkshireuntil 1974. Yorkshire gives its name to four modernceremonial counties:East Riding of Yorkshire,North Yorkshire,South Yorkshire, andWest Yorkshire, which together cover most of the historic county.
Yorkshire Dayis observed annually on 1 August and is a celebration of the generalculture of Yorkshire, including itshistoryanddialect.Its name is used by several institutions, for example theRoyal Yorkshire Regimentof the British Army,in sport, and in the media. The emblem of Yorkshire is awhite rose, which was originally theheraldic badgeof the British royalHouse of York. The county is sometimes referred to as "God's own country".Yorkshire is represented in sport byYorkshire County Cricket ClubandYorkshire Rugby Football Union.
There are several ways of defining Yorkshire, including the historic county and the group of four modern ceremonial counties. The county boundaries were reasonably stable between 1182, when it ceded western areas to the new county of Lancashire,and 1889 when administrative counties were created, which saw some adjustments to the boundaries with County Durham, Lancashire and Lincolnshire.After 1889 there were occasional adjustments to accommodate urban areas which were developing across county boundaries, such as in 1934 whenDoreandTotleywere transferred from Derbyshire to Yorkshire on being absorbed into the borough of Sheffield.
More significant changes in 1974 saw the historic county divided between several counties. The majority of the area was split between North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, which all kept the Yorkshire name. A large part of the east of the county went to the new county ofHumberside, and an area in the north-east went to the new county ofCleveland. Some more rural areas at the edges of the historic county were transferred to County Durham,Cumbria, Lancashire andGreater Manchester, whilst South Yorkshire also included areas which had been in Nottinghamshire.
Cleveland and Humberside were both abolished in 1996, since when there have been fourceremonial countieswith Yorkshire in their names: East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, which together cover most of the historic county.
There is aregioncalledYorkshire and the Humberwhich covers a similar area to the combined area of the four Yorkshire ceremonial counties, the exceptions being that the region excludes the parts of North Yorkshire which had been in Cleveland, but includesNorth East LincolnshireandNorth Lincolnshire(which had been in Humberside). Until 2009 some government powers in the region were devolved to theYorkshire and Humber Assembly; since 2009 the region has been used primarily for presentation of statistics.
Yorkshire is so named as it is theshire(administrative area or county) of the city ofYork, or York's Shire. The word "York" is believed to have originated from theBrittonicwordEburākon, which means "place ofyew trees". This theory is supported by the fact that yew trees were once abundant in the area around York, and that the city was known for its skilled bow makers who used yew wood to make their bows. This becameEboracumto theRomans,Eorfowicto theAnglesand then, most famously,Jorvikto theVikings.
Early inhabitants of what became Yorkshire wereHen OgleddBrythonicCelts(old north British Celts), who formed separate tribes, theBrigantes(known to be in the north and western areas of now Yorkshire) and theParisi(present-dayEast Riding). The Brigantes controlled territory that later became all ofNorthern Englandand more territory than most Celtic tribes on the island ofGreat Britain. Six of the nine Brigantianpoleisdescribed byClaudius Ptolemaeusin theGeographiafall within the historic county.
The Parisi, who controlled the area that would become the East Riding, might have been related to theParisiiofLutetiaParisiorum,Gaul(known today as Paris, France).Their capital was atPetuaria, close to the Humber Estuary.
Although theRoman conquest of Britainbegan in 43 AD, the Brigantes remained in control of their kingdom as aclient stateofRomefor an extended period, reigned over by the Brigantian monarchsCartimanduaand her husbandVenutius. The capital was between the north and west ridingsIsurium Brigantum(nearAldborough)civitasunder Roman rule. Initially, this situation suited both the Romans and the Brigantes, who were known as the mostmilitanttribe in Britain.
Queen Cartimandua left Venutius for his armour bearer,Vellocatus, setting off a chain of events that changed control of the region. Cartimandua's good relationship with the Romans enabled her to keep control of the kingdom; however, her former husband stagedrebellionsagainst her and her Roman allies.At the second attempt, Venutius seized the kingdom, but the Romans, under generalPetillius Cerialis, conquered the Brigantes in 71 AD.
The fortified city ofEboracum(now York) was named as capital ofBritannia Inferiorand joint capital of allRoman Britain.The emperorSeptimius Severusruled theRoman Empirefrom Eboracum for the two years before his death.
Another emperor,Constantius Chlorus, died in Eboracum during a visit in 306 AD. Thereafter his sonConstantine the Great, who became renowned for his acceptance of Christianity, was proclaimed emperor in the city.In the early 5th century,Roman rule ceasedwith the withdrawal of the last active Roman troops. By this stage, the Western Empire was in intermittent decline.
After the Romans left, small Celtic kingdoms arose in the region, including the kingdoms ofDeirato the east (domain of settlements nearMaltononDerwent),Ebrauc(domain of York) around the north andElmetto the west. The latter two were successors of land south-west and north-east of the formerBrigantiacapital.
Angles(hailing from southern Denmark and northern Germany, probably along with SwedishGeats) consolidated (mergingEbrauc) under Deira, with York as capital. This in turn was grouped withBernicia, another formerCeltic-Briganteskingdom that was north of theRiver Teesand had come to be headed byBamburgh, to formNorthumbria.Elmet had remained independent from theGermanicAngles until some time in the early 7th century, when KingEdwin of Northumbriaexpelled its last king, Certic, and annexed the region to his Deira region. The Celts never went away, but were assimilated. This explains the existence of many Celtic placenames in Yorkshire today, such asKingston upon HullandPen-y-ghent.
As well as the Angles and Geats, other settlers includedFrisians(thought to have foundedFrystonandFrizinghall),Danes,FranksandHuns.
At its greatest extent, Northumbria stretched from theIrish Seato theNorth Seaand fromEdinburghdown toHallamshirein the south.
Scandinavian York(also referred to asJórvík) orDanish/Norwegian Yorkis a term used by historians for the south ofNorthumbria(modern-day Yorkshire) during the late 9th century and first half of the 10th century, when it was dominated by Norse warrior-kings; in particular, used to refer toYork, the city controlled by these kings.
Norse monarchy controlled varying amounts of Northumbria from 875 to 954, however the area was invaded and conquered for short periods byEnglandbetween 927 and 954 before eventually being annexed into England in 954. It was closely associated with the much longer-livedKingdom of Dublinthroughout this period.
An army ofDanishVikings, theGreat Heathen Armyas its enemies often referred to it, invaded Northumbrian territory in 866 AD. The Danes conquered and assumed what is now York and renamed itJórvík, making it the capital city of a new Danish kingdom under the same name. The area which this kingdom covered included most of Southern Northumbria, roughly equivalent to the borders of Yorkshire extending further West.
The Danes went on to conquer an even larger area of England that afterwards became known as theDanelaw; but whereas most of the Danelaw was still English land, albeit in submission to Viking overlords, it was in theKingdom of Jórvíkthat the only truly Viking territory on mainland Britain was ever established. The Kingdom prospered, taking advantage of the vasttrading network of the Viking nations, and established commercial ties with theBritish Isles, North-West Europe, theMediterraneanand the Middle East.
Founded by the DaneHalfdan Ragnarssonin 875,ruled for the great part by Danish kings, and populated by the families and subsequent descendants of Danish Vikings, the leadership of the kingdom nonetheless passed into Norwegian hands during its twilight years.Eric Bloodaxe, an ex-king of Norway who was the last independent Viking king of Jórvík, is a particularly noted figure in history,and his bloodthirsty approach towards leadership may have been at least partly responsible for convincing the Danish inhabitants of the region to accept English sovereignty so readily in the years that followed.
After around 100 years of its volatile existence, the Kingdom of Jorvik finally came to an end. TheKingdom of Wessexwas now in its ascendancy and established its dominance over the North in general, placing Yorkshire again withinNorthumbria, which retained a certain amount of autonomy as an almost-independentearldomrather than a separate kingdom. The WessexKings of Englandwere reputed to have respected the Norse customs in Yorkshire and left law-making in the hands of the local aristocracy.
In the weeks leading up to theBattle of Hastingsin 1066 AD,Harold II of Englandwas distracted by pushing back efforts to reinstate the kingdom of Jorvik and Danelaw. His brotherTostigandHarald Hardrada,King of Norway, having won theBattle of Fulford. The King of England marched north where the two armies met at theBattle of Stamford Bridge. Tostig and Hardrada were both killed and their army was defeated decisively.
Harold Godwinson was forced immediately to march his army south, whereWilliam the Conquerorwas landing. The King was defeated in what is now known as theBattle of Hastings, which led to theNorman conquest of England.
The people of the North rebelled against the Normans in September 1069 AD, enlistingSweyn II of Denmark. They tried to take back York, but the Normans burnt it before they could.What followed was theHarrying of the Northordered by William. From York toDurham, crops, domestic animals, and farming tools werescorched. Many villages between the towns were burnt and local northerners were indiscriminately murdered.During the winter that followed, families starved to death and thousands of peasants died of cold and hunger.Orderic Vitalisestimated that "more than 100,000" people from the North died from hunger.
In the centuries following, manyabbeysandpriorieswere built in Yorkshire. Norman landowners increased their revenues and established new towns such asBarnsley,Doncaster,Hull,Leeds,ScarboroughandSheffield, among others. Of towns founded before the conquest, onlyBridlington,Pocklington, andYorkcontinued at a prominent level.
In the early 12th century, people of Yorkshire had to contend with theBattle of the StandardatNorthallertonwith theScots. Representing theKingdom of Englandled byArchbishop Thurstan of York, soldiers from Yorkshire defeated the more numerous Scots.
The population of Yorkshire boomed until it was hit by theGreat Famineof 1315.It did not help that after the English defeat in theBattle of Bannockburnin 1314, the Scottish army rampaged throughout northern England, and Yorkshire was no exception. DuringThe Great Raid of 1322, they raided and pillaged from the suburbs of York, even as far as East Riding and the Humber. Some, like Richmond, had to bribe the Scots to spare the town. TheBlack Deaththen reached Yorkshire by 1349, killing around a third of the population.
When KingRichard IIwas overthrown in 1399, antagonism between theHouse of Yorkand theHouse of Lancaster, both branches of the royalHouse of Plantagenet, began to emerge. Eventually the two houses fought for the throne of England in a series of civil wars, commonly known as theWars of the Roses. Some of the battles took place in Yorkshire, such as those atWakefieldandTowton, the latter of which is known as the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil.Richard IIIwas the last Yorkist king.
Henry Tudor, sympathiser to the House of Lancaster, defeated and killed Richard at theBattle of Bosworth Field. He then became KingHenry VIIand marriedElizabeth of York, daughter of YorkistEdward IV, ending the wars.The two roses of white and red, emblems of the Houses of York and Lancaster respectively, were combined to form theTudor Roseof England.This rivalry between the royal houses of York and Lancaster has passed into popular culture as a rivalry between the counties of Yorkshire andLancashire, particularly in sport (for example theRoses Matchplayed inCounty Cricket), although the House of Lancaster was based in York and the House of York in London.
TheEnglish Reformationbegan underHenry VIIIand theDissolution of the Monasteriesin 1536 led to a popular uprising known asPilgrimage of Grace, started in Yorkshire as a protest. SomeCatholicsin Yorkshire continued to practise their religion and those caught were executed during the reign ofElizabeth I. One such person was a York woman namedMargaret Clitherowwho was latercanonised.
During theEnglish Civil War, which started in 1642, Yorkshire had divided loyalties;Hull(full nameKingston upon Hull) famously shut the gates of the city on the king when he came to enter a few months before fighting began, while theNorth Riding of Yorkshirein particular was stronglyroyalist.York was the base for Royalists, and from there they captured Leeds andWakefieldonly to have them recaptured a few months later. The royalists won theBattle of Adwalton Moormeaning they controlled Yorkshire (with the exception of Hull). From their base in Hull the Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") fought back, re-taking Yorkshire town by town, until they won theBattle of Marston Moorand with it control of all of theNorth of England.
In the 16th and 17th centuries Leeds and other wool-industry-centred towns continued to grow, along with Huddersfield, Hull and Sheffield, while coal mining first came into prominence in theWest Riding of Yorkshire.Thewooltextile industry, which had previously been a cottage industry, centred on the old market towns moved to theWest Ridingwhere entrepreneurs were building mills that took advantage of water power gained by harnessing the rivers and streams flowing from thePennines. The developingtextile industryhelpedWakefieldandHalifaxgrow.
The 19th century saw Yorkshire's continued growth, with the population growing and theIndustrial Revolutioncontinuing with prominent industries in coal, textile and steel (especially inSheffield,RotherhamandMiddlesbrough). However, despite the booming industry, living conditions declined in the industrial towns due to overcrowding. This saw bouts ofcholerain both 1832 and 1848.However, advances were made by the end of the century with the introduction of modernsewersandwater supplies. SeveralYorkshire railwaynetworks were introduced as railways spread across the country to reach remote areas.
Canals andturnpikeroads were introduced in the late 18th century. In the following century thespa townsofHarrogateandScarboroughflourished, due to people believingmineral waterhad curative properties.
When elected county councils were established in 1889, rather than have a single Yorkshire County Council, each of the three ridings was made anadministrative countywith its own county council, and the eight larger towns and cities of Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Sheffield and York were madecounty boroughs, independent from the county councils.
During theSecond World War, Yorkshire became an important base forRAF Bomber Commandand brought the county and its productive industries into the cutting edge of the war, and thus in the targets ofLuftwaffebombersduring theBattle of Britain.
From the late 20th century onwards there have been a number of significant reforms of the local government structures covering Yorkshire, notably in 1968, 1974, 1986, 1996 and 2023, discussed in thegovernancesection below. For most administrative purposes the county had been divided since the Middle Ages; the last county-wide administrative role was theSheriff of Yorkshire. The sheriff had been a powerful position in the Middle Ages but gradually lost most of its functions, and by the twentieth century was a largely ceremonial role. It was abolished as part of the 1974 reforms to local government, which established insteadhigh sheriffsfor each modern county.
Historically, the northern boundary of Yorkshire was theRiver Tees, the eastern boundary was theNorth Seacoast and the southern boundary was theHumber EstuaryandRivers DonandSheaf. The western boundary meandered along the western slopes of thePennine Hillsto again meet the River Tees.
In Yorkshire there is a very close relationship between the majortopographicalareas and the geological period in which they were formed.The Pennine chain of hills in the west is ofCarboniferousorigin. The central vale isPermo-Triassic. TheNorth York Moorsin the north-east of the county areJurassicin age while theYorkshire Woldsto the south east areCretaceouschalk uplands.
Yorkshire is drained by several rivers. In western and central Yorkshire the many rivers flow into theRiver Ousewhich reaches the North Sea via theHumber Estuary.The most northerly of the rivers in the Ouse system is theRiver Swale, which drainsSwaledalebefore passing throughRichmondand meandering across theVale of Mowbray. Next, drainingWensleydale, is theRiver Ure, which the Swale joins east ofBoroughbridge. NearGreat Ouseburnthe Ure is joined by the small Ouse Gill Beck, and below the confluence the river is known as the Ouse. TheRiver Niddrises on the edge of theYorkshire Dales National Parkand flows alongNidderdalebefore reaching theVale of Yorkand the Ouse.TheRiver Wharfe, which drainsWharfedale, joins the Ouse upstream ofCawood.The RiversAireandCalderare more southerly contributors to the River Ouse and the most southerly Yorkshire tributary is theRiver Don, which flows northwards to join the main river atGoole. Further north and east theRiver Derwentrises on the North York Moors, flows south then westwards through theVale of Pickeringthen turns south again to drain the eastern part of the Vale of York. It empties into the River Ouse atBarmby on the Marsh.
In the far north of the county the River Tees flows eastwards throughTeesdaleand empties its waters into the North Sea downstream ofMiddlesbrough. The smallerRiver Eskflows from west to east at the northern foot of the North York Moors to reach the sea atWhitby.To the east of the Yorkshire Wolds theRiver Hullflows southwards to join the Humber Estuary atKingston upon Hull.
The western Pennines are drained by theRiver Ribblewhich flows westwards, eventually reaching theIrish Seaclose toLytham St Annes.
Thecountrysideof Yorkshire has been called "God's Own County" by its inhabitants.Yorkshire includes theNorth York MoorsandYorkshire DalesNational Parks, and part of thePeak DistrictNational Park.Nidderdaleand theHowardian Hillsare designatedAreas of Outstanding Natural Beauty,as is theNorth Pennines(a part of which lies within the county).SpurnPoint,Flamborough Headand the coastal North York Moors are designatedHeritage Coastareas,and are noted for their scenic views with rugged cliffssuch as thejetcliffs at Whitby,thelimestonecliffs atFileyand thechalkcliffs at Flamborough Head.Moor House – Upper Teesdale, most of which is part of the former North Riding of Yorkshire, is one of England's largestnational nature reserves.AtHigh Forceon the border with County Durham, theRiver Teesplunges 22 metres (72 ft) over theWhin Sill(an intrusion of igneous rock). High Force is not, as is sometimes claimed, the highest waterfall in England (Hardraw ForceinWensleydale, also in Yorkshire, has a 30 metres (98 ft) drop for example). However, High Force is unusual in being on a major river and carries a greater volume of water than any higher waterfall in England.
The highest mountains in Yorkshire all lie in thePennineson the western side of the county, withmillstone gritandlimestoneforming the underlying geology and producing distinctive layered hills. The county top is the remoteMickle Fell(height 788 metres (2,585 ft) above sea level) in the North Pennines southwest of Teesdale, which is also the highest point in the North Riding. The highest point in the West Riding isWhernside(height 736 metres (2,415 ft)) near toIngletonin the Yorkshire Dales. Together with nearbyIngleborough(height 723 metres (2,372 ft)) andPen-y-Ghent(height 694 metres (2,277 ft)), Whernside forms a trio of very prominent and popular summits (theYorkshire Three Peaks) which can be climbed in a challenging single day's walk. The highest point in the Yorkshire part of the Peak District isBlack Hill(height 582 metres (1,909 ft)) on the border with historic Cheshire (which also forms the historic county top of that county). The hill ranges along the eastern side of Yorkshire are lower than those of the west. The highest point of the North York Moors isUrra Moor(height 454 metres (1,490 ft)). The highest point of theYorkshire Wolds, a range of low chalk downlands east of York, isBishop Wilton Wold(height 246 metres (807 ft)), which is also the highest point of the East Riding. The view fromSutton Bankat the southeastern edge of the North York Moors nearThirskencompasses a vast expanse of the Yorkshire lowlands with the Pennines forming a backdrop. It was called the "finest view in England" by local author and veterinary surgeonJames Herriotin his 1979 guidebookJames Herriot's Yorkshire.
TheRoyal Society for the Protection of Birdsrunsnature reservessuch as the one atBempton Cliffswith coastal wildlife such as thenorthern gannet,Atlantic puffinandrazorbill.Spurn Point is a narrow 3-mile (4.8 km) long sandspit. It is a national nature reserve owned by theYorkshire Wildlife Trustand is noted for its cyclical nature whereby the spit is destroyed and re-created approximately once every 250 years.There areseaside resortsin Yorkshire with sandy beaches;Scarboroughis Britain's oldest seaside resort dating back to thespa town-era in the 17th century,whileWhitbyhas been voted as the United Kingdom's best beach, with a "postcard-perfect harbour".
There are eight officially designatedcitiesin Yorkshire: Bradford, Doncaster, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds,Ripon, Sheffield, Wakefield, and York. City status is formally held by the administrative territory rather than the urban area.
York is considered to have been a city sincetime immemorial. The other cities were formally awarded city status by the monarch; in the cases of Ripon and Wakefield following the creation of newChurch of England dioceses, and in the other cases following significant urban growth.Middlesbrough is the largest built-up area in Yorkshire not to be a city. The largest built-up areas at the 2021 census were as follows:
There is no single Yorkshire-wide administrative body today. The area of the four ceremonial counties is administered by sixteen different local authorities, being ninemetropolitan boroughscovering South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire and sevenunitary authoritiescovering East Riding and North Yorkshire (one of which,Stockton-on-Tees, straddles the ceremonial boundary between North Yorkshire and County Durham).Most of the authorities are grouped intocombined authorities, each led by adirectly elected mayor. The combined authorities forWest Yorkshire,South YorkshireandTees Valleyare already operating. A newYork and North Yorkshire Combined Authoritywas established in February 2024 with its first mayor due to be elected in May 2024, and proposals for establishing a combined authority covering Hull and East Riding are being considered.
Administrative hierarchy covering the four ceremonial counties as at March 2024:
The areas from the historic county that are not covered by the four ceremonial counties are now administered as parts ofCounty Durham,Westmorland and Furness, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
Historically, Yorkshire was divided into three ridings. The term 'riding' is of Viking origin and derives fromThrethingr(equivalent to third-ing). The three ridings in Yorkshire were named theEast Riding,West Riding, andNorth Riding.Each riding was divided into smaller areas calledwapentakeswith more local functions. York was made acounty corporatein 1396,as was Hull in 1440, making them independent from the ridings. York's corporate territory was enlarged in 1449 to also include an adjoining rural area known as theAinsty.Hull's corporate territory covered both the town and adjoining areas, which were sometimes together known asHullshire.
TheSheriff of Yorkshirewas the most senior official position within the county in the Middle Ages. In 1547 a separate post ofLord Lieutenant of Yorkshirewas created, taking some of the functions previously held by the sheriff. The single lieutenancy was split in 1660 into separate posts for theEast Riding,North RidingandWest Riding. For the purposes of lieutenancy, York was deemed part of the West Riding, and Hull was deemed part of the East Riding.
Elected county councils were established in 1889 under theLocal Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions previously performed by magistrates at thequarter sessions. The quarter sessions for Yorkshire were held separately for each riding.As such, three county councils were established rather than one for the whole county:East Riding County Councilbased inBeverley,North Riding County Councilbased inNorthallerton, andWest Riding County Councilbased inWakefield. Each riding was classed as an administrative county, but provision was made that the entire county of Yorkshire should continue to be one county for the purposes ofshrievalty, allowing the Sheriff of Yorkshire to continue to serve the whole county. Certain towns and cities were deemed large enough to provide their own county-level services and so they were madecounty boroughs, independent from the county councils. There were initially eight county boroughs in Yorkshire, being Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Sheffield, and York.Other county boroughs were subsequently created atRotherham(1902),Barnsley(1913),Dewsbury(1913), Wakefield (1915) andDoncaster(1927).
More significant reviews of local government began to be considered following theLocal Government Act 1958. The North Eastern General Review was held from 1962 to 1963, and led to the creation of theCounty Borough of Teessidein 1968, which covered the abolished county borough of Middlesbrough and several neighbours, includingStockton-on-TeesandBillingham, which had been in County Durham.Teesside was deemed part of the North Riding for ceremonial purposes, although as a county borough it was independent from North Riding County Council.
Almost as soon as Teesside had been created work began on a far more significant overhaul of local government, culminating in theLocal Government Act 1972, which took effect on 1 April 1974. The county boroughs and the administrative counties of the ridings were abolished, as were the lower tiermunicipal boroughs,urban districtsandrural districts. A new set of counties and districts was put in place instead. Most of Yorkshire was split between North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Humberside and Cleveland. Some peripheral rural areas were transferred to other counties, notably theStartfortharea which went to County Durham, theSedbergharea which went to Cumbria, theForest of Bowlandarea which went to Lancashire, andSaddleworthwhich went to Greater Manchester.Some of the changes were unpopular, particularly in Humberside.
In 1986 the county councils for themetropolitan countiesof South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire were abolished, with themetropolitan boroughsin those counties taking over county-level functions.Humberside and Cleveland were both abolished in 1996 with new unitary authorities established to cover those areas. At the same time York was enlarged and also made a unitary authority, independent from North Yorkshire County Council.The current ceremonial county boundaries were adopted at the time of the 1996 reforms, with a new ceremonial county called East Riding of Yorkshire created covering the parts of the abolished Humberside north of the Humber, whilst the parts of Cleveland south of the River Tees were added to North Yorkshire for ceremonial purposes.
From the 1990s there were attempts to establish aregionaltier of local government; aYorkshire and the Humberregion was designated in 1994, covering North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Humberside. Between 1998 and 2009 there was aYorkshire and Humber Assemblycomprising members of the region's local authorities and other stakeholders. Since 2009 the region has been primarily used for presentation of statistics rather than administration.
In 2014 the firstcombined authoritiesstarted to be established in Yorkshire, with South Yorkshire (which initially branded itself the "Sheffield City Region") and West Yorkshire having Yorkshire's first combined authorities. In 2018, eighteen of the twenty-two local councils in the Yorkshire and Humber region voted to create instead a much larger combined authority, which they proposed calling "One Yorkshire" which would have covered the region exceptNorth LincolnshireandNorth East Lincolnshire. The plan included provision for a directly elected mayor for the area, and the scheme's supporters estimated that it could create up to 200,000 jobs.The One Yorkshire proposal was ultimately rejected by the government in 2019, which preferred to continue with rolling out smaller combined authorities for parts of Yorkshire instead.
The districts of North Yorkshire were abolished in 2023, with North Yorkshire County Council taking over their functions to become a unitary authority, and rebranding itselfNorth Yorkshire Council.
TheCity of Leedsis Yorkshire's largest city and the leading centre of trade and commerce.Leedsis also one of the UK's larger financial centres. Leeds's traditional industries were mixed, service-based industries, textile manufacturing and coal mining being examples. Tourism is also significant and a growing sector in the city. In 2015, the value of tourism was in excess of £7 billion.
Bradford,Halifax,KeighleyandHuddersfieldonce were centres of wool milling. Areas such as Bradford,Dewsburyand Keighley have suffered a decline in their economy since.
Sheffieldonce had heavy industries, such as coal mining and thesteel industry. Since the decline of such industries Sheffield has attracted tertiary and administrative businesses including more retail trade,Meadowhallbeing an example.
Coal mining was extremely active in the south of the county during the 19th century and for most of the 20th century, particularly aroundBarnsleyandWakefield. As late as the 1970s, the number of miners working in the area was still in six figures.The industry was placed under threat on 6 March 1984 when theNational Coal Boardannounced the closure of 20 pits nationwide (some of them in South Yorkshire). By March 2004, a mere three coalpits remained open in the area.Three years later, the only remaining coal pit in the region was Maltby Colliery nearRotherham.Maltby Colliery closed in 2013.
North Yorkshirehas an established tourist industry, supported by the presence of two national parks (Yorkshire DalesandNorth York Moors),Harrogate,YorkandScarborough.
Tourism is a huge part of the economy of York with a value of over £765 million to the city and supporting 24,000 jobs in 2019.Harrogate draws numerous visitors because of its conference facilities. In 2016 such events alone attracted 300,000 visitors to Harrogate.
Kingston upon Hullis Yorkshire's largest port and has a large manufacturing base, its fishing industry has, however, declined somewhat in recent years. Businesses in Hull areAunt Bessie's,Birds Eye,Seven Seas,Fenner,Rank Organisation,William Jackson Food Group,Reckitt and Sons,KCOM Groupand SGS Europe.
Harrogate andKnaresboroughboth have small legal and financial sectors. Harrogate is a European conference and exhibition destination with both the Great Yorkshire Showground andHarrogate International Centrein the town.Bettys and Taylors of Harrogateis a notable company from Harrogate.
PD Portsowns and operatesTeesport, betweenMiddlesbroughandRedcar. The company also operates the Hull Container Terminal at thePort of Hulland owns a short river port inHowdendyke(nearHowden).
Other businesses in the two counties arePlaxton(Scarborough),McCains(Scarborough),Ebuyer(Howden) andSkipton Building Society(Skipton).
Yorkshire has a large base of primary and secondary schools operated by both local authorities and private bodies, and a dozen universities, along with a wide range of colleges and further education facilities. Five universities are based in Leeds, two in Sheffield, two in York, and one each in Bradford, Hull, Middlesbrough and Huddersfield. The largest universities by enrolment areSheffield Hallam Universityand theUniversity of Leeds, each with over 31,000 students, followed byLeeds Beckett University, and the most recent to attain university status is theLeeds Arts University. There are also branches of institutions headquartered in other parts of England, such as theOpen Universityand Britain's first for-profit university (since 2012), theUniversity of Law. The tertiary sector is in active cooperation with industry, and a number of spin-off companies have been launched.
The oldest road in Yorkshire, called theGreat North Road, is now known as the A1.This trunk road passes through the centre of the county and is the main route from London to Edinburgh.Another important road is the more easterlyA19 roadwhich starts in Doncaster and ends just north ofNewcastle upon TyneatSeaton Burn. TheM62 motorwaycrosses the county from east to west from Hull towardsGreater ManchesterandMerseyside.TheM1carries traffic from London and the south of England to Yorkshire. In 1999, about 8 miles (13 km) was added to make it swing east of Leeds and connect to the A1.TheEast Coast Main Linerail link between London and Scotland runs roughly parallel with the A1 through Yorkshire and theTrans Penninerail link runs east to west from Hull to Liverpool via Leeds.
Before the advent of rail transport, the seaports of Hull and Whitby played an important role in transporting goods. Historically canals were used, including theLeeds and Liverpool Canal, which is the longest canal in England. Mainland Europe (theNetherlandsandBelgium) can be reached from Hull via regular ferry services fromP&O Ferries.Yorkshire also hasair transportservices fromLeeds Bradford Airport. This airport has experienced significant and rapid growth in both terminal size and passenger facilities since 1996, when improvements began, until the present day.From 2005 until 2022, South Yorkshire was served byDoncaster Sheffield AirportinFinningley.Sheffield City Airportopened in 1997 after years of Sheffield having no airport, due to a council decision in the 1960s not to develop one because of the city's good rail links with London and the development of airports in other nearby areas. The newly opened airport never managed to compete with larger airports such as Leeds Bradford Airport andEast Midlands Airportand attracted only a few scheduled flights, while the runway was too short to supportlow cost carriers. The opening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport effectively made the airport redundant and it officially closed in April 2008. The Doncaster Sheffield Airport has since closed and left South Yorkshire without an airport.
The average amount of time people spend on public transport in Yorkshire on a weekday is 77 minutes. 26.6% of public transport users travel for more than two hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transport is 16 minutes, while 24.9% of passengers wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transport is 7 km, while 10% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.
Throughout Yorkshire manycastleswere built during the Norman-Breton period, particularly after the Harrying of the North. These includedBowes Castle,Pickering Castle,Richmond Castle,Skipton Castle,York Castleand others.Later medieval castles atHelmsley,MiddlehamandScarboroughwere built as a means of defence against the invadingScots.Middleham is notable becauseRichard III of Englandspent his childhood there.The remains of these castles, some beingEnglish Heritagesites, are popular tourist destinations.
There arestately homesin Yorkshire that carry the name "castle" in a similar way to the non-distinctive use ofchateauin French. The most notable examples areAllerton CastleandCastle Howard, both linked to theHoward family.Castle Howard and theEarl of Harewood's residence,Harewood House, are included amongst the nineTreasure Houses of England.
Large estates with significant buildings were constructed atBrodsworth Hall,Temple Newsam,Wentworth Woodhouse(the largest fronted private home in Europe), andWentworth Castle. There are properties which are conserved and managed by theNational Trust, such asNunnington Hall,Ormesby Hall, theRievaulx Terrace & TemplesandStudley Royal Park.
Buildings built for industry during theVictorian eraare found throughout the region; West Yorkshire has variouscotton mills, theLeeds Corn Exchangeand the HalifaxPiece Hall.
There are various buildings built forlocal authorities:
Religious architecture includes extant cathedrals as well as the ruins ofmonasteriesandabbeys. Many of these prominent buildings suffered from theDissolution of the MonasteriesunderHenry VIII; these includeBolton Abbey,Fountains Abbey,Gisborough Priory,Rievaulx Abbey,St Mary's AbbeyandWhitby Abbeyamong others.Notable religious buildings of historic origin still in use includeYork Minster, the largestGothiccathedral in northern Europe,Beverley Minster,Bradford Cathedral,Rotherham MinsterandRipon Cathedral.
The culture of the people of Yorkshire is an accumulated product of a number of different civilisations who have influenced its history, including; theCelts(BrigantesandParisii),Romans,Angles,NorseVikings, andNormansamongst others.The western part of the historicNorth Ridinghad an additional infusion ofBretonculture due to theHonour of Richmondbeing occupied byAlain Le Roux, grandson ofGeoffrey I, Duke of Brittany.The people of Yorkshire are immensely proud of their county and local culture, and it is sometimes suggested they identify more strongly with their county than they do with their country.Yorkshire people have their own Yorkshire dialects and accents and are, or rather were, known as Broad Yorkshire orTykes, with its roots in Old English and Old Norse.
TheBritish Libraryprovides a four minute long voice recording made in 1955, by a "female housekeeper", Miss Madge Dibnahon, on its web site and an example of the Yorkshire dialect used at that time, in an unstated location. "Much of her speech remains part of the local dialect to this day", according to the Library.Due to the large size of Yorkshire, spoken dialects vary between areas. In fact, the dialect in North Yorkshire and Humberside/East Yorkshire is "quite different [than in West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire] and has a much stronger Scandinavian influence".
One report explains the geographic difference in detail:
Though distinct accents remain, dialect has declined heavily in everyday use. Some have argued the dialect was a fully fledgedlanguagein its own right.The county has also produced a set of Yorkshire colloquialisms,which are in use in the county. Among Yorkshire's traditions is theLong Sword dance. The most famous traditional song of Yorkshire isOn Ilkla Moor Baht 'at("OnIlkley Moorwithout a hat"), it is considered the unofficial anthem of the county.
Although the first Professor of English Literature atLeeds University,F. W. Moorman, claimed the first extant work of English literature,Beowulf, was written in Yorkshire,this view does not have common acceptance today. However, when Yorkshire formed the southern part of the kingdom ofNorthumbriathere were several notable poets, scholars and ecclesiastics, includingAlcuin,CædmonandWilfrid.The most esteemed literary family from the county are the threeBrontësisters, with part of the county aroundHaworthbeing nicknamedBrontë Countryin their honour.Their novels, written in the mid-19th century, caused a sensation when they were first published, yet were subsequently accepted into the canon of great English literature.Among the most celebrated novels written by the sisters areAnne Brontë'sThe Tenant of Wildfell Hall,Charlotte Brontë'sJane EyreandEmily Brontë'sWuthering Heights.Wuthering Heightswas almost a source used to depict life in Yorkshire, illustrating the type of people that reside there in its characters, and emphasising the use of the stormy Yorkshire moors. Nowadays, the parsonage which was their former home is now a museum in their honour.Bram StokerauthoredDraculawhile living inWhitbyand it includes several elements of local folklore including the beaching of the Russian shipDmitri, which became the basis of Demeter in the book.
The novelist tradition in Yorkshire continued into the 20th and 21st centuries, with authors such asJ. B. Priestley,Alan Bennett, Stan Barstow, DameMargaret Drabble,Winifred Holtby(South Riding,The Crowded Street),A. S. Byatt,Joanne Harris,Barbara Taylor Bradford,Marina LewyckaandSunjeev Sahotabeing prominent examples. Taylor Bradford is noted forA Woman of Substancewhich was one of the top-ten best selling novels in history.Another well-known author waschildren's writerArthur Ransome, who penned theSwallows and Amazonsseries.James Herriot, the best selling author of over 60 million copies of books about his experiences of some 50 years as a veterinarian inThirsk, North Yorkshire, the town which he refers to as Darrowby in his books(although born inSunderland), has been admired for his easy reading style and interesting characters.
Poets includeTed Hughes,W. H. Auden,William Empson,Simon Armitage,David MiedzianikandAndrew Marvell.Three well known sculptors emerged in the 20th century; contemporariesHenry MooreandBarbara Hepworth, and Leeds-raised land artistAndy Goldsworthy. Some of their works are available for public viewing at theYorkshire Sculpture Park.There are severalart galleriesin Yorkshire featuring extensive collections, such asFerens Art Gallery,Leeds Art Gallery,Millennium GalleriesandYork Art Gallery.Some of the better known local painters areWilliam EttyandDavid Hockney;many works by the latter are housed atSalts Mill1853 Gallery inSaltaire.
The traditional cuisine of Yorkshire, in common with theNorth of Englandin general, is known for using rich-tasting ingredients, especially with regard to sweet dishes, which were affordable for the majority of people.There are several dishes which originated in Yorkshire or are heavily associated with it.Yorkshire pudding, a savoury batter dish, is by far the best known of Yorkshire foods, and is eaten throughout England. It is commonly served withroast beefand vegetables to form part of theSunday roastbut is traditionally served as a starter dish filled with onion gravy within Yorkshire.Yorkshire pudding is the base fortoad in the hole, a dish containing sausage.
Other foods associated with the county include Yorkshire curd tart, acurdtartrecipe withrosewater;parkin, a sweetginger cakewhich is different from standard ginger cakes in that it includesoatmealandtreacle;andWensleydale cheese, a cheese made with milk fromWensleydaleand often eaten as an accompaniment to sweet foods.The beverageginger beer, flavoured withginger, came from Yorkshire and has existed since the mid-18th century.Liquorice sweetwas first created by George Dunhill fromPontefract, who in the 1760s thought to mix the liquorice plant with sugar.Yorkshire and in particular the city of York played a prominent role in the confectionery industry, withchocolate factoriesowned by companies such asRowntree's,Terry'sandThorntonsinventing many of Britain's most popularsweets.Another traditional Yorkshire food is pikelets, which are similar tocrumpetsbut much thinner.TheRhubarb Triangleis a location within Yorkshire which supplies most of the rhubarb to locals.
In recent years curries have become popular in the county, largely due to the immigration and successful integration of Asian families. There are many famous curry empires with their origins in Yorkshire, including the 850-seater Aakash restaurant inCleckheaton, which has been described as "the world's largest curry house".
Yorkshire has a number of breweries includingBlack Sheep,Copper Dragon,Cropton Brewery,John Smith's,Samuel Smith Old Brewery,Kelham Island Brewery,Theakstons,Timothy Taylor,Wharfedale Brewery,Harrogate BreweryandLeeds Brewery.Thebeer stylemost associated with the county isbitter.As elsewhere in the North of England, when served through ahandpump, a sparkler is used giving a tighter, more solid head.
Brewing has taken place on a large scale since at least the 12th century, for example at the now derelictFountains Abbeywhich at its height produced 60 barrels of strong ale every ten days.Most current Yorkshire breweries date from theIndustrial Revolutionof the late 18th and early 19th century.
Yorkshire has a heritage of folk music and folk dance including theLong Sword dance.Yorkshire folk song was distinguished by the use of dialect, particularly in the West Riding and exemplified by the song 'On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at', probably written in the late 19th century, using a Kent folk tune (almost certainly borrowed via aMethodisthymnal),seen as an unofficial Yorkshire anthem.Famous folk performers from the county include theWatersonsfromHull, who began recording Yorkshire versions of folk songs from 1965;Heather Wood (born 1945) of theYoung Tradition; the short-lived electric folk groupMr Fox(1970–72),the Deighton Family;Julie Matthews;Kathryn Roberts; andKate Rusby.Yorkshire has a flourishing folk music culture, with over fortyfolk clubsand thirty annualfolk music festivals.The 1982Eurovision Song Contestwas held in theHarrogate International Centre. In 2007 the Yorkshire Garland Group was formed to make Yorkshire folk songs accessible online and in schools.
In the field of classical music, Yorkshire has produced some major and minor composers, includingFrederick Delius,George Dyson,Philip Wilby,Edward Bairstow, William Baines,Kenneth Leighton,Bernadette Farrell,Eric Fenby,Anne Quigley,Haydn Wood,Arthur Wood,Arnold Cooke,Gavin Bryars,John Casken, and in the area of TV, film and radio music,John BarryandWally Stott.Opera Northis based at theGrand Theatre, Leeds. Leeds is also home to theLeeds International Piano Competition. TheHuddersfield Contemporary Music Festivaltakes place annually in November.Huddersfield Choral Societyis one of the UK's most celebrated amateur choirs.TheNational Centre for Early Musicis located in York.
The county is home to successful brass bands such asBlack Dyke,Brighouse & Rastrick,Carlton Main Frickley,Hammonds Saltaire, andYorkshire Imperial.
During the 1970sDavid Bowie, himself of a father fromDoncasterin the West Riding of Yorkshire,hired three musicians fromHull:Mick Ronson,Trevor BolderandMick Woodmansey; together they recordedZiggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, an album considered by a magazine article as one of a 100 greatest and most influential of all time.In the following decade,Def Leppard, fromSheffield, achieved worldwide fame, particularly in America. Their 1983 albumPyromaniaand 1987 albumHysteriasold  12 and 25 million copies respectively.Yorkshire had a very strongpost-punkscene which went on to achieve widespread acclaim and success, including:the Sisters of Mercy,the Cult,Vardis,Gang of Four,ABC,the Human League,New Model Army,Soft Cell,Chumbawamba,the Wedding Presentandthe Mission.Pulpfrom Sheffield had a massive hit in "Common People" during 1995; the song focuses on working-class northern life.In the 21st century,indie rockandpost-punk revivalbands from the area gained popularity, including theKaiser Chiefs,the Cribsand theArctic Monkeys, the last-named holding the record for the fastest-selling debut album in British music history withWhatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.
Influenced by the local post punk scene, but also by national and international extreme metal acts such asCeltic Frost,Candlemass, andMorbid Angel, Yorkshire-based bandsParadise LostandMy Dying Bridelaid the foundations of what would become theGothic Metalgenre in the early to mid-1990s.
Among prominent British television shows filmed in (and based on) Yorkshire are thesoap operaEmmerdaleand the sitcomLast of the Summer Wine; the latter in particular is noted for holding the record of longest-running comedy series in the world, from 1973 until 2010.Other notable television series set in Yorkshire includeDownton Abbey,All Creatures Great and Small,The Beiderbecke Trilogy,Rising Damp,Open All Hours,Band Of Gold,Dalziel and Pascoe,Fat Friends,Heartbeat,The Syndicate,No Angels,DriftersandThe Royal. During the first three series of the sitcomThe New Statesman, Alan B'Stard represented as MP the fictional constituency of Haltenprice in North Yorkshire.
Yorkshire has remained a popular location for filming in more recent times.For example, much of ITV's highly acclaimedVictoriawas filmed in the region, at locations such as Harewood House in Leeds and Beverley Minster (the latter being used to depict Westminster Abbey and St James' Palace),whilstChannel 5has programmed numerous Yorkshire-themed documentary series such asOur Yorkshire FarmandThe Yorkshire Steam Railway: All Aboardacross its schedule.
West Yorkshirehas particularly benefited from a great deal of production activity.For example, portions of the BBC television seriesHappy ValleyandLast Tango in Halifaxwere filmed in the area, in Huddersfield and other cities; in addition to exteriors, some of the studio filming forHappy Valleywas done at North Light Film Studios at Brookes Mill, Huddersfield. Although set in the fictional town of Denton, popular ITV detective seriesA Touch Of Frostwas filmed in Yorkshire, mainly in and around Leeds. The BBC'sJamaica InnandRemember Meand the ITV seriesBlack Workwere also filmed at the studios and in nearby West Yorkshire locations.More recently, many of the exteriors of the BBC seriesJerichowere filmed at the nearby Rockingstone Quarry, and some interior work was done at North Light Film Studios.
Several noted films are set in Yorkshire, includingKes,This Sporting Life,Room at the Top,Brassed Off,Mischief Night,Rita, Sue and Bob Too,The Damned United,Four Lions,God's Own CountryandCalendar Girls.The Full Monty, a comedy film set in Sheffield, won anAcademy Awardand was voted the second-best British film of all time byAsian News International.
Yorkshire has a long tradition in the field of sports, with participation incricket,football,rugby leagueandhorse racingbeing the most established sporting ventures.
Yorkshire County Cricket Clubrepresents the historic county in the domesticfirst classcricketCounty Championship; with a total of 33 championship titles (including one shared), 13 more than any other county, Yorkshire is the most decorated county cricket club.Some of the most highly regarded figures in the game were born in the county, amongst them:
The fourECB Premier Leaguesin the county are:Bradford,North-Yorkshire-&-South-Durham,Yorkshire NorthandYorkshire South. The league winners qualify to take part in a yearlyYorkshire Championship, the highest NYSD club based in Yorkshire qualifies if a Durham side wins.
Football clubs founded in Yorkshire include, four of which have beenleague champions:
Yorkshire is officially recognised byFIFAas the birthplace of clubfootball,asSheffield FCfounded in 1857 are certified as the oldest association football club in the world.The world's first inter-club match and local derby was competed in the county, at the world's oldest groundSandygate Road.TheLaws of the Game, used worldwide, were drafted byEbenezer Cobb MorleyfromHull.
Huddersfield were the first club to win three consecutive league titles.Leeds United reached the 2001 UEFA Champions League semi-finals and had a dominance period in the 1970s. Sheffield Wednesday who have had similar spells of dominance, such as the early 1990s. Middlesbrough won the 2004 League Cup and reach the 2006 UEFA Cup Final.
Noted players from Yorkshire who have influenced the game includeWorld Cup-winning goalkeeperGordon Banksand two timeEuropean Footballer of the Yearaward winnerKevin Keegan.Prominent managers includeHerbert Chapman,Brian Clough,Bill Nicholson,George RaynorandDon Revie.
TheYorkshire football team, controlled by the Yorkshire International Football Association (YIFA), represents Yorkshire inCONIFAmatches. The team was founded in 2017, joined CONIFA on 6 January 2018 and plays at various venues throughout Yorkshire.
Yorkshire has a long history of rugby union in the county withLeeds Tykes(formerly Yorkshire Carnegie) featuring in theAviva Premiershipfor eight seasons between 2001 and 2011 when they were relegated to the Championship. From 2020 the teams has reverted to its amateur status and plays inNational League 1.Rotherham Titansalso played in the top tier of English rugby in2000–01and2003–04.
Many England international players have emerged from Yorkshire including World Cup winnersJason RobinsonandMike Tindall.Other successful players from the region includeRob Andrew,Tim Rodber,Brian Moore,Danny Care,Rory UnderwoodandSir Ian McGeechan.
TheRugby Football Leagueand with it the sport ofrugby leaguewas founded in 1895 at theGeorge Hotel, Huddersfield, after aNorth-Southschismwithin theRugby Football Union.The top league is theSuper Leagueand the most decorated Yorkshire clubs areHuddersfield Giants,Hull FC,Bradford Bulls,Hull Kingston Rovers,Wakefield Trinity,Castleford TigersandLeeds Rhinos.In total six Yorkshiremen have been inducted into theRugby Football League Hall of Fameamongst them isRoger Millward,Jonty ParkinandHarold Wagstaff.
In the area of boxing"Prince" Naseem Hamedfrom Sheffield achieved title success and widespread fame,in what theBBCdescribes as "one of British boxing's most illustrious careers".Along with Leeds-bornNicola Adamswho in 2012 became the first female athlete to win a boxing gold medal at the Olympics.
A number of athletes from or associated with Yorkshire took part in the2012 Summer Olympicsas members ofTeam GB; theYorkshire Poststated that Yorkshire's athletes alone secured more gold medals than those of Spain.Notable Yorkshire athletes includeJessica Ennis-Hilland the Brownlee brothers,JonathanandAlistair. Jessica Ennis-Hill is fromSheffieldand won gold at the2012 Olympicsin London and silver at the2016 OlympicsinRio.TriathletesAlastair and Jonny Brownlee have won two golds and a silver and bronze respectively.
Yorkshire has nine horseracing courses: in North Yorkshire there areCatterick,Redcar,Ripon,ThirskandYork; in the East Riding of Yorkshire there isBeverley; in West Yorkshire there arePontefractandWetherby; while in South Yorkshire there isDoncaster.
England's oldest horse race, which began in 1519, is run each year atKiplingcotesnearMarket Weighton.Britain's oldest organisedfox huntis theBilsdale, founded in 1668.
The sport ofKnurr and Spellwas unique to the region, being one of the most popular sports in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries, before a decline in the 20th century to virtual obscurity.
Yorkshire is considered to be particularly fond of cycling. In 2014 Yorkshire hosted the Grand Départ of the Tour de France. Spectator crowds over the two days were estimated to be of the order of 2.5 million people, making it the highest attended event in the UK.The inauguralTour de Yorkshirewas held from 1–3 May 2015,with start and finishes in Bridlington, Leeds, Scarborough, Selby, Wakefield and York,watched by 1.2 million.Yorkshire hosted the2019 UCI Road World Championshipsbetween 22 and 29 September, which were held in Harrogate.Notable racing cyclists from Yorkshire includeBrian Robinson,Lizzie DeignanandBeryl Burton.
Field Hockey is a popular game in Yorkshire with 58 clubs running 271 organised teams.The largest clubs include City of York HC (16 teams),Doncaster HC,Leeds HCandSheffield Hallam HC(all 14 teams). The most recent team from Yorkshire to have played in the EH Premier League wasSheffield Hallamwho finished in 9th place in2013–14.England and Great Britain's most capped player of all timeBarry Middletonhails from the town of Doncaster.Hockey was formerly organised by theYorkshire Hockey Associationbut is now run by Yorkshire & North East Hockey who have run leagues and organised representative teams since September 2021.
Sheffield is home to theSheffield Sharkswho play in theBritish Basketball Leagueand, from 2021,Leeds Rhinoshave featured in theNetball Superleague.
From 1290, Yorkshire was represented by two members of parliament of theHouse of Commonsof theParliament of England. After the union with Scotland, two members represented the county in theParliament of Great Britainfrom 1707 to 1800 and of theParliament of the United Kingdomfrom 1801 to 1832. In 1832 the county benefited from the disfranchisement ofGrampoundby taking an additional two members.Yorkshirewas represented at this time as one single, large,county constituency.Like other counties, there were also someparliamentary boroughswithin Yorkshire, the oldest of which was theCity of York, which had existed since the ancientMontfort's Parliamentof 1265. After theReform Act 1832, Yorkshire's political representation in parliament was drawn from its subdivisions, with members of parliament representing each of the three historic Ridings of Yorkshire;East Riding,North Riding, andWest Ridingconstituencies.
For the1865 general electionsand onwards, the West Riding was further divided intoNorthern,EasternandSouthernparliamentary constituencies, though these only lasted until the majorRedistribution of Seats Act 1885.This act saw more localisation of government in the United Kingdom, with the introduction of 26new parliamentary constituencieswithin Yorkshire.
With theRepresentation of the People Act 1918there was some reshuffling on a local level for the1918 general election, revised again during the1950s.
A number of claims have been made for the distinctiveness of Yorkshire, as a geographical, cultural and political entity, and these have been used to demand increased political autonomy. In the early twentieth century,F. W. Moorman, the first professor of English language atLeeds University, claimed Yorkshire was not settled byAnglesorSaxonsfollowing the end of Roman rule in Britain, but by a different Germanic tribe, theGeats. As a consequence, he claimed, it is possible the first work of English literature,Beowulf, believed to have been composed by Geats, was written in Yorkshire, and this distinctive ethnic and cultural origin is the root of the unique status of Yorkshire today.One of Moorman's students at Leeds University,Herbert Read, was greatly influenced by Moorman's ideas on Yorkshire identity, and claimed that until recent times Yorkshire was effectively an island, cut off from the rest of England by rivers, fens, moors and mountains. This distancing of Yorkshire from England led Read to question whether Yorkshire people were really English at all.Combined with the suggested ethnic difference from the rest of England, Read quoted Frederic Pearson, who wrote:
During the premiership ofWilliam Pitt the Youngerthe hypothetical idea of Yorkshire becoming independent was raised in the British parliament in relation to the question whether Ireland should become part of theUnited Kingdom. This resulted in the publication of an anonymous pamphlet in London in 1799 arguing at length that Yorkshire could never be an independent state as it would always be reliant on the rest of the United Kingdom to provide it with essential resources.
Although in the devolution debates in theHouse of Commonsof the late 1960s, which paved the way for the 1979 referendums on the creation of a Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly, parallel devolution for Yorkshire was suggested, this was opposed by theScottish National PartyMember of Parliament for Hamilton,Winifred Ewing. Ewing argued that it was offensive to Scots to argue that an English region had the same status as an 'ancient nation' such as Scotland.
The relationship between Yorkshire and Scottish devolution was again made in 1975 by Richard Wainwright, MP for Colne Valley, who claimed in a speech in the House of Commons:
Following the local government reforms of 1974, Yorkshire lost its overall sheriff and the ridings lost their lieutenants and administrative counties. Although some government officialsandKing Charleshave asserted such reform is not meant to alter the ancient boundaries or cultural loyalties, there are pressure groups such as theYorkshire Ridings Societywho want greater recognition for the historic boundaries.
In 1998 the Campaign for Yorkshire was established to push for the creation of a Yorkshire regional assembly,sometimes dubbed the Yorkshire Parliament.In its defining statement, the Campaign for Yorkshire made reference to the historical notions that Yorkshire had a distinctive identity:
The Campaign for Yorkshire was led by Jane Thomas as Directorand Paul Jagger as chairman. Jagger claimed in 1999 that Yorkshire had as much right to a regional parliament or assembly as Scotland and Wales because Yorkshire 'has as clear a sense of identity as Scotland or Wales.'One of those brought into the Campaign for Yorkshire by Jane Thomas was Herbert Read scholarMichael Paraskos, who organised a series of events in 2000 to highlight the distinctiveness of Yorkshire culture. This included a major exhibition of Yorkshire artists.Paraskos also founded a Yorkshire Studies degree course atHull University.Interviewed byThe Guardiannewspaper, Paraskos linked the start of this course to the contemporary devolution debates in Yorkshire, Scotland and Wales, claiming:
In March 2013, the Yorkshire Devolution Movement was founded as an active campaign group by Nigel Sollitt, who had administered the social media group by that name since 2011, Gareth Shanks, a member of the social media group, and Stewart Arnold, former Chair of the Campaign for Yorkshire. In September 2013, the executive committee was joined by Richard Honnoraty and Richard Carter (as an advisor), who had also been involved in the Campaign for Yorkshire. The Movement campaigns for a directly elected parliament for the whole of the traditional county of Yorkshire with powers second to no other devolved administration in the UK.
In 2014, Richard Carter, Stewart Arnold and Richard Honnoraty, founded Yorkshire First, a political party campaigning for the creation of a Yorkshire parliament by 2050 based on the Scottish Parliament. It was later renamed theYorkshire Party.A Social democratic party, it has parish, town, district and county councillors, and stood in 28 constituencies in the2019 general election. Yorkshire Party candidates have also run for the position ofdirectly elected mayorsinDoncaster in 2017(receiving 3,235 votes, 5.04%) and the Sheffield City Region in2018(receiving 22,318 votes, 8.6).
When the territory of Yorkshire began to take shape as a result of the invasion of the Danish Vikings, they instituted a monarchy based at the settlement of Jórvík, York.The reign of the Viking kings came to an end with the last kingEric Bloodaxedying in battle in 954 after the invasion and conquest by theKingdom of Englandfrom the south. Jórvík was the last of the independent kingdoms to be taken to form part of the Kingdom of England and thus the local monarchal title became defunct.
Though the monarchal title became defunct, it was succeeded by the creation of the Earl of York title of nobilityby king of EnglandEdgar the Peacefulin 960. (Theearldomcovered the general area of Yorkshire and is sometimes referred to as theEarl of Yorkshire.)The title passed through the hands of various nobles, decided upon by the king of England. The last man to hold the title wasWilliam le Gros, however the earldom was abolished byHenry IIas a result of a troubled period known asThe Anarchy.
The peerage was recreated byEdward IIIin 1385, this time in the form of the prestigious title of Duke of York which he gave to his sonEdmund of Langley. Edmund founded the House of York; later the title was merged with that of theKing of England. Much of the modern-day symbolism of Yorkshire, such as theWhite Rose of York, is derived from the Yorkists,giving the house a special affinity within theculture of Yorkshire. Especially celebrated is the Yorkist kingRichard IIIwho spent much of his life atMiddleham Castlein Yorkshire.Since that time the title has passed through the hands of many, being merged with the crown and then recreated several times. The title of Duke of York is given to the second son of theBritish monarch.