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Cities Stocks Weather Movies Coupons Travel Blogs Health Horoscope Maps ASIA EUROPE Classifieds Yellow PagesFor other uses, see Yorkshire (disambiguation).
| Yorkshire | |
 Flag of Yorkshire | |
 Yorkshire within England in 1881 | |
| Geography | |
| 1831 area | 3,669,510 acres (14,850 km²) |
| 1901 area | 3,883,979 acres (15,718 km²) |
| 1991 area | 2,941,247 acres (11,903 km²) |
| HQ | York |
| Chapman code | YKS |
| History | |
| Origin | Kingdom of Jórvík |
| Created | In antiquity |
| Succeeded by | Various |
| Demography | |
|---|---|
| 1831 population - 1831 density | 1,371,359National Statistics - 200 Years of the Census in Yorkshire 0.37/acre |
| 1901 population - 1901 density | 3,512,838 0.9/acre |
| 1991 population - 1991 density | 3,978,484 1.35/acre |
| Subdivisions | |
| Type | Ridings |
| |
| Units | 1 North • 2 West • 3 East |
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in Great Britain. Although Yorkshire is not a current unit of civil administration, it is included in the name of a number of contemporary subdivisions such as Yorkshire and the Humber. The name is familiar and well-understood across the United Kingdom and is in common use.
Throughout much of history, Yorkshire has played a prominent role in Great Britain. The Brigantes, who were the largest Celtic Briton tribe held it as their heartland. The Romans made York (from which the county derives its name) one of the two capitals of all Roman Britain."Lower (Britannia Inferior) and Upper Britain (Britannia Superior)", VanderBilt.edu, 24 October 2007. The area was an independent Viking kingdom known as Jórvík for around a century, before being taken by England. Most of the modern day large cities were founded during the Norman period."The Viking Kingdom of York", Viking.no, 24 October 2007.
The county covered just under 6,000 square miles (15,000 km²) in 1831"Description of Yorkshire from Pigots 1834 Gazetteer.", Genuki.org.uk, 24 October 2007. and the modern day Yorkshire and the Humber region has a population of around five million."Yorkshire and the Humber", Statistics.gov.uk, 25 October 2007. Yorkshire is widely considered to be the greenest area in England, due to both the vast rural countryside of the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and some of the major cities,"And the winner of the award for the greenest city in Britain is ... Bradford", Guardian Unlimited, 24 October 2007. "Green space conference comes to UK\'s \'greenest city\'", Yorkshire Forward, 24 October 2007. this has led to Yorkshire being nicknamed God\'s Own County."God\'s own county", Guardian Unlimited, 24 October 2007.
The emblem of Yorkshire is the White Rose of the House of York, the most common flag representative of Yorkshire is the White Rose on a dark blue background."Yorkshire (United Kingdom)", CRWFlags.nom, 25 October 2007. Yorkshire Day is held on August 1, a celebration of the general culture of Yorkshire, ranging from its history to its very own language."Yorkshire Day", Army.mod.uk, 18 February 2008.
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The original inhabitants of Yorkshire were the Celts, coming from two separate tribes. The Brigantes, who probably came over from the Alps or Gallaecia, controlled territory which included all of the North Riding of Yorkshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire, the tribe controlled most of Northern England and more territory than any other Celtic tribe in England."The Celtic Tribes of Britain", Roman-Britain.org, 25 October 2007.
The Brigantes made the area of Yorkshire their heartland, this is evident in that Isurium Brigantum (now known as Aldborough) was made the capital town of their entire territory; in fact six of the nine Brigantian poleis described by Claudius Ptolemaeus in the Geographia fall within the historic county."The Brigantes", Roman-Britain.org, 24 October 2007. Ptolemy, Geographia 2.1, 2.2 The second tribe were the Parisii who controlled the exact area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, they were thought to have been related to the Parisii of Lutetia Parisiorum, Gaul (known today as Paris, France)."The Parisii", Roman-Britain.org, 24 October 2007.
The Roman conquest of Britain began in 43 AD, however the Brigantes continued control of their kingdom as a client state of Rome for an extended period, accepted under the reign of Brigantian monarchs Cartimandua and Venutius. The situation suited both the Romans and the Brigantes initially, who themselves were known as the most militant tribe in Britain."Romans In Britain", Romans-In-Britain.org.uk, 25 October 2007.
Queen Cartimandua left her husband for Vellocatus, setting off a chain of events which would change the ownership of the Yorkshire area. Cartimandua, due to her good relationship with the Romans was able to keep control of the kingdom, however her former husband staged rebellions against her and her Roman allies."Cartimandua", Arch.WYJS.org.uk, 25 October 2007. At the second attempt Venutius took back his kingdom, but the Romans under general Petillius Cerialis conquered the Brigantes in 71 AD."The Brigantes", ShadowDrake.com, 25 October 2007.
Statue of Constantine I in York.
Under Roman rule, the high profile of the area continued; the fortified city of Eboracum (now known as York) was named as capital of Britannia Inferior and joint-capital of all Roman Britain."Lower (Britannia Inferior) and Upper Britain (Britannia Superior)", VanderBilt.edu, 24 October 2007. For the two years before the death of Emperor Septimus Severus, the entire Roman Empire was run from Eboracum by him."Roman York - a brief introduction to York\'s Roman History", YorkRomanFestival.com, 25 October 2007. A second Emperor Constantius Chlorus died in Yorkshire during a visit in 306 AD, this saw his son Constantine the Great proclaimed Emperor in the city; he would become renowned due to his contributions to Christianity."Roman York", BritainExpress.com, 25 October 2007.
In the early 400s the Roman rule ceased with the withdrawal of the last active Roman troops, by this stage the Empire was in heavy decline."Roman York - a brief introduction to York\'s Roman History", YorkRomanFestival.com, 25 October 2007. However, during the three and a half centuries of Roman rule in Yorkshire they had introduced much to help forward civilisation there, such as; sanitation, irrigation, education, roads, public libraries, cement, bricks, heated baths, coins, art, literature, law, wine, the calendar, glass, shops, public order, cats, various fruits and vegetables (carrots, turnips, apples, peas, cabbage, pears, grapes) and more."What have the Romans ever done for us?", SchoolHistory.co.uk, 25 October 2007.
After the Romans left, small Celtic kingdoms built up in Yorkshire; the Kingdom of Ebrauc around York and more notably the Kingdom of Elmet around West Yorkshire."Ebrauc", HistoryFiles.co.uk, 25 October 2007. "Elmet", HistoryFiles.co.uk, 25 October 2007. The Elmet in particular managed to hold out with their Celtic kingdom against the invading Angles for a century and a half, ensuring that the Anglian kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria on either side developed separately. Eventually the Elmet succumbed and became part of the Anglian kingdom of Deira."Elmet\'s British Era", OldTykes.co.uk, 25 October 2007.
It should be noted that, although this period is called the Anglo-Saxon period, it was the Angles (from Angeln) who conquered the North, while the Saxons (from Nordalbingia) conquered the South."The Anglo-Saxon Invasion circa 450 to 600 AD", NorthEastHistory.co.uk, 25 October 2007. Under Aethelfrith Deira merged with another Anglian kingdom of Bernicia in the early 600s, to form the Kingdom of Northumbria. At its greatest extent, Northumbria stretched from the Irish Sea to the North Sea and from Edinburgh down to Hallamshire in South Yorkshire."The Anglo-Saxons", BBC.co.uk, 25 October 2007.
An army of Danish Vikings invaded Northumbrian territory in 886 AD, with what was named by their enemies as the "Great Heathen Army"."What Happened to Them?", Jorvik-Viking-Centre.co.uk, 25 October 2007. The Danes took what is modern day York and renamed it as Jórvík, making it their new capital city of a kingdom under the same name; the area which they took as their kingdom was Southern Northumbria (Yorkshire)."The Viking Kingdom of York", Viking.no, 24 October 2007.
The Danes went on to conquer a large area of England which afterwards became known as the Danelaw, but whereas most of the Danelaw was still English land, albeit in submission to Viking overlords, it was in the Kingdom of Jórvík founded by Halfdan Ragnarsson,"Part Two - Jorvik and the Viking Age (866 AD - 1066 AD)", NorthEastEngland.net, 25 October 2007. that the only truly Viking territory on mainland Britain was established. Although it was founded by Danes, the kingdom was passed onto Norwegian kings."Part Two - Jorvik and the Viking Age (866 AD - 1066 AD)", NorthEastEngland.net, 25 October 2007. Through the Vikings evolving trade, Jórvík was able to trade with the British Isles, North-West Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East."Narrative History of York: Viking Times", Britannia.com, 25 October 2007.
Eric Bloodaxe, who was the last independent Viking king of Jórvík is a particularly noted figure in history."Eric Bloodaxe", HistoryFiles.co.uk, 25 October 2007. After around 100 years of a Norse-Yorkshire kingdom, the Kingdom of Wessex gained control of Yorkshire and the North in general, placing Yorkshire within Northumbria again - which was now an almost-independent earldom, rather than a separate kingdom. The Wessex Kings of England were reputed to have respected the Norse customs in Yorkshire and left law-making in the hands of the local aristocracy."Narrative History of York: Late Saxon Times", Britannia.com, 25 October 2007.
In the weeks immediately leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 AD, Harold II of England was distracted by events in Yorkshire; his brother Tostig and Harold Hardrada King of Norway were attempting a take over bid in the North, they had already won the Battle of Fulford. The King of England marched North and the two armies met at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, Tostig and Hardrada were both killed and their army was defeated decisively. However, Harold Godwinson was forced immediately to march his army back down to the South where William the Conqueror was landing. The King was defeated at Hastings and this led to the Norman conquest of England.
The people of the North rebelled again in September 1069 AD, this time against the Normans, enlisting Sweyn I of Denmark; they tried to take back York but the Normans burnt it before they could."Resistance in the North East - 1069", NormanConquest.co.uk, 24 October 2007. What followed was the Harrying of the North ordered by William, from York to Durham all crops, domestic animals and farming tools were scorched. Many villages between the towns were burnt and many local Northerners were indiscriminantly murdered."Harrying of the North", NormanConquest.co.uk, 24 October 2007. During the winter that followed, whole families starved to death, thousands of peasants died of cold and hunger; Orderic Vitalis put the estimation at "more than 100,000" people from the North dead from hunger."Orderic\'s reaction", NormanConquest.co.uk, 24 October 2007.
In the centuries following, many abbeys and priories were built in Yorkshire. The Norman landowners were keen to increase their revenues and established new towns such as Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster, Scarborough and others. Of the towns founded before the conquest only York, Bridlington and Pocklington carried on at a prominent level."Yorkshire", LocalHistories.org, 24 October 2007.
The population of Yorkshire was booming, until it like the rest of Britain was hit by the Great Famine in the years between 1315 and 1322."Yorkshire", LocalHistories.org, 24 October 2007. In the early 1300s the people of Yorkshire also had to contest with the Battle of the Standard at Northallerton with the Scots, representing the Kingdom of England led by Archbishop Thurstan of York soldiers from Yorkshire defeated the more numerous Scots."The Battle of the Standard", BritainExpress.com, 25 October 2007. The Black Death reached Yorkshire by 1349, killing around a third of the entire population."Yorkshire", LocalHistories.org, 24 October 2007.
When King Richard II was overthrown, antagonism between the House of York and the House of Lancaster, both branches of the House of Plantagenet, began to emerge. Eventually the two houses fought in a series of civil wars (including battles at Wakefield and Towton) for the throne of England, the wars are commonly known as the Wars of the Roses. After a long violent struggle, King Henry VI of the House of Lancaster was deposed and imprisoned on 4 March 1461 by his Yorkist cousin and new King of England, Edward IV."The Wars of the Roses", HistoryOnTheNet.com, 24 October 2007. Eight years later hostilities resumed, Edward was forced into exile to Burgundy by Richard Neville and turncoat John Neville as Lancaster\'s Henry VI was reinstated.
Rose of York.
Edward would return though, landing in Ravenspurn he eventually went on to defeat the House of Lancaster, as Henry VI had no heirs, he was killed to strengthen Yorkist grip on the throne as Edward was restored as King of England. This was generally considered an end to the most significant hostilities, the rest of Edward\'s reign was peaceful. After Edward IV suddenly died and his 12 year old son Edward V was proclaimed as heir, a political storm erupted; a family named the Woodvilles had found themselves high up the political hierarchy and were in a position to influence the young Yorkist king.
Frictions had developed between Edward IV and the Woodvilles (the family of his wife Elizabeth Woodville) before his death and so Edward IV\'s brother Richard III, put the young king in the Tower of London along with his younger brother, they became known as the Princes in the Tower."The Wars of the Roses", HistoryOnTheNet.com, 24 October 2007. Richard III argued that Elizabeth Woodville\'s marriage to Edward IV was illegal and thus the two boys were illegitimate, Parliament agreed and Richard was crowned King of England; he would prove to be the last Yorkist king."The Wars of the Roses", HistoryOnTheNet.com, 24 October 2007. Henry Tudor of the House of Lancaster, then defeated and killed Richard at the Battle of Bosworth Field, he then became King Henry VII and married Elizabeth of York daughter of Yorkist Edward IV, ending the wars."Yorkists", Stanford.edu, 24 October 2007. The two roses were combined to form the Tudor Rose.
The wool industry being centred in West Yorkshire helped a revival in the 16th century. The textile industry in general helped Wakefield and Halifax grow."William Hirst - Leeds woollen industry pioneer", BBC, 25 November 2007. Changes were afoot outside of employment after Henry VIII closed some monasteries and so 1536 saw the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion. Due to the Protestant Reformation wider England became a Protestant country, however some of the Catholic contingent in Yorkshire continued to practice their religion and those caught were executed during the reign of Elizabeth I, such as York woman Margaret Clitherow who was later canonised."St. Margaret Clitherow", Catholic Encyclopedia, 25 November 2007.
Battle of Marston Moor in 1644.
Yorkshire was on divided sides during the English Civil War, which started in 1642 between king and parliament; Hull famously shut the gates of the city on the king when he came to enter the city a few months before fighting began."Seeds of the English Civil War", BBC, 25 November 2007. York was the base for Cavalier royalist supporters, from there the royals captured Leeds and Wakefield only to have them recaptured a few months later. The royalists won the Battle of Adwalton Moor meaning they controlled Yorkshire (with the exception of Hull). From their base in Hull the Roundhead parliamentarians fought back, town by town re-taking Yorkshire until they had won the Battle of Marston Moor and with it control of all North of England."The York March and Marston Moor", British-Civil-Wars.co.uk, 25 November 2007.
Leeds and other wool industry centred towns continued to grow, along with Sheffield, Huddersfield and Hull, while coal mining first came into prominence in the West Riding of Yorkshire."History of the NUM : 1 - Towards A National Union", NUM.org.uk, 25 November 2007. Canals and turnpike roads were introduced in the late 1700s. In the following century the spa towns of Harrogate and Scarborough also flourished, due to people believing mineral water had curing properties."Harrogate, Yorkshire Spa town", Great-British.co.uk, 25 November 2007.
The 19th century saw Yorkshire\'s continued growth, with the population growing and the Industrial Revolution continuing with prominent industries in coal, textile and steel (especially in Sheffield). However, despite the booming industry, living conditions declined in the industrial towns due to overcrowding, this saw bouts of cholera in both 1832 and 1848."The Historical Society for Leeds and District", Thoresby.org.uk, 25 November 2007. Fortunately for the county, advances were made by the end of the century with the introduction of modern sewers and water supplies. Several Yorkshire railway networks were introduced as railways spread across the country to reach remote areas."National Railway Museum, York", NRM.org.uk, 25 November 2007. County councils were created for the three ridings in 1889, but their area of control did not include the large towns, which became county boroughs, and included an increasing large part of the population.Hampton, W., Local Government and Urban Politics, (1991)
During the Second World War, Yorkshire became an important base for RAF Bomber Command and brought the county into the cutting edge of the war.Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore (1982). Action Stations: Military Airfields of Yorkshire v. 4. PSL. ISBN 978-0850595321. In the 1970s there were major reforms of local government throughout the United Kingdom. Some of the changes were unpopular,HMSO, Aspects of Britain: Local Government, (1996) and controversially Yorkshire and its ridings lost status in 1974"Local Government Structure", Politics.co.uk, 25 November 2007. as part of the Local Government Act 1972.Arnold-Baker, C., Local Government Act 1972, (1973) With much receded borders, the official entity which currently contains most of the area of Yorkshire is the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England.
Historically, the northern boundary of Yorkshire was the River Tees, the eastern boundary was the North Sea coast and the southern boundary was the Humber Estuary and River Don and River Sheaf. The western boundary meandered along the western slopes of the Pennine Hills to again meet the River Tees."Yorkshire Geology", Genuki.org, 24 October 2007. It is bordered by several other historic counties in the form of County Durham, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and Westmorland."The historic counties of England", JLCarr.info, 24 October 2007.
In Yorkshire there is a very close relationship between the major topographical areas and the geological period in which they were formed."Yorkshire Geology", Genuki.org, 24 October 2007. The Pennine chain of Hills in the west is of Carboniferous origin. The central vale is Permo-Triassic. The North York Moors in the north-east of the county are Jurassic in age while the Yorkshire Wolds to the south east are Cretaceous chalk uplands."Yorkshire Geology", Genuki.org, 24 October 2007.
The era of Yorkshire is drained by several rivers. In Western and central Yorkshire the many rivers empty their waters into the River Ouse which in turn reaches the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. (1992) Yorkshire Rivers: A Canoeists Guide. Menasha Ridge Press. ISBN 978-1871890167. The most northerly of the rivers in the Ouse system is the Swale, which drains Swaledale before passing through Richmond and meandering across the Vale of Mowbray. Next, draining Wensleydale, is the River Ure, which joins the Swale east of Boroughbridge. The River Nidd rises on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and flows along Nidderdale before reaching the Vale of York. Yorkshire Rivers: A Canoeists Guide. Menasha Ridge Press. ISBN 978-1871890167.
The Ouse is the name given to the river after its confluence with the Ure at Ouse Gill Beck. The River Wharfe, which drains Wharfedale, joins the Ouse upstream of Cawood. Yorkshire Rivers: A Canoeists Guide. Menasha Ridge Press. ISBN 978-1871890167. The Rivers Aire and Calder are more southerly contributors to the River Ouse and the most southerly Yorkshire tributary is the River Don, which flows northwards to join the main river at Goole. In the far north of the county the River Tees flows easteards through Teesdale and empties its waters into the North Sea downstream of Middlesbrough. The smaller River Esk flows from west to east at the northern foot of the North York Moors to reach the sea at Whitby. Yorkshire Rivers: A Canoeists Guide. Menasha Ridge Press. ISBN 978-1871890167.
The River Derwent rises on the North York Moors, flows south then westwards through the Vale of Pickering then turns south again to drain the eastern part of the Vale of York. It empties into the River Ouse at Barmby on the Marsh. Yorkshire Rivers: A Canoeists Guide. Menasha Ridge Press. ISBN 978-1871890167. To the east of the Yorkshire Wolds the River Hull flows southwards to join the Humber Estuary at Kingston upon Hull. The western Pennines are served by the River Ribble which drains westwards into the Irish Sea close to Lytham St Anne\'s. Yorkshire Rivers: A Canoeists Guide. Menasha Ridge Press. ISBN 978-1871890167.
Spurn Lighthouse.
The countryside of Yorkshire is so renowned that it has earned the common nickname of God\'s Own County."God\'s own county", Guardian Unlimited, 24 October 2007. In recent times, North Yorkshire has displaced Kent to take the title Garden of England."Kent loses its Garden of England title to North Yorkshire", Guardian Unlimited, 24 October 2007.
Yorkshire has three national parks, in the form of the Peak District, North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales. The coastal areas of Yorkshire are also renowned for their beauty, there are several nature reserves run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds on the coast, offering a chance to see the likes of the Northern Gannet and Atlantic Puffin.
Spurn Point a narrow, three mile (5 km) long sand spit featuring an abandoned lighthouse is also considered highly interesting from geomorphological perspective due to the cyclical nature of the feature."A cyclic coastal landform", Spurn Point, 24 October 2007. Whitby in North Yorkshire has been voted as the United Kingdom\'s best beach, due to its "postcard-perfect harbour"."Report rates the best UK beaches", BBC.co.uk, 24 October 2007.
The most prominent road in Yorkshire, historically known as the Great North Road, is in contemporary times known as the A1."Region: North East - Trunk Road A1 in the North Riding of Yorkshire", IHT.org, 24 October 2007. The trunk road passes through the centre of the county and is the prime route from London to Edinburgh. Other important roads include the east serving A19 road which is also prominent for travelling up and down England. The M62 motorway crosses the county from east to west linking from Hull all towards Greater Manchester and Merseyside."M62 Liverpool to Hull", Highways.gov.uk, 24 October 2007. The East Coast Main Line rail link between Scotland and London runs roughly parallel with the A1 through Yorkshire and the Trans Pennine rail link runs east to west joining Hull and Liverpool via Leeds."East Coast Mainline Upgrade Could Create 2000 New Jobs", Yorkshire Forward, 24 October 2007.
Before the advent of rail transport, seaports of Hull and Whitby played an important role in transporting goods. Historically canals were used, including the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which is the longest canal in England. In the modern day mainland Europe (the Netherlands and Belgium) can be reached from Hull via regular ferry services from P&O Ferries."Hull Ferry Port Information", BoozeCruise.com, 24 October 2007. Yorkshire also has air transport services in the form of the Leeds Bradford International Airport. The airport has experienced significant and rapid growth in both terminal size and passenger facilities since 1996 when improvements began until the present day."Leeds Bradford International Airport", Airports-Worldwide.com, 24 October 2007. South Yorkshire is served by the Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield, based in Finningley."History of the Airport", RobinHoodAirport.com, 24 October 2007.
The people of Yorkshire are immensely proud of both their county and its culture, embracing the popular nickname of God\'s Own County given to Yorkshire."God\'s own county", Guardian Unlimited, 24 October 2007. "Yorkshire Pride", YorkshirePride.co.uk, 24 October 2007. It is sometimes suggested that Yorkshiremen identify more strongly with their county than they do with their country."He\'s a shrewd, straight-talking Yorkshireman - not English, mind you, Yorkshire", Conservatives.com, 24 October 2007. The Yorkshire people have their own distinctive dialect known as Tyke, which some have argued is a fully fledged language in its own right.Kellett, Arnold (January 1994). The Yorkshire Dictionary of Dialect, Tradition and Folklore. Smith Settle. ISBN 1858250161. The county has also produced a unique set of Yorkshire colloquialisms, which are in use in the county. Among Yorkshire\'s unique traditions is the Long Sword dance, a traditional dance not found elsewhere in England. The most famous traditional song of Yorkshire is On Ilkla Moor Baht \'at ("On Ilkley Moor without a hat"), it is considered the unofficial anthem of the county."The National Anthem of Yorkshire \'God\'s own county\'", DKSnakes.co.uk, 24 October 2007.
