Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county in northern England, traditionally divided into the ridings of East, North and West. It covers an area of about 11 500 km², making it the largest county in England by land area. The region borders the North Sea to the east, the Pennine mountain range to the west, and shares boundaries with Lancashire, Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland. Its capital is York, a city renowned for its Roman and Viking heritage and its medieval cathedral, York Minster.

The name “Yorkshire” derives from the city of York, itself from the Viking “Jorvik”. The county has a long history of settlement, from prehistoric stone circles such as those at Standring Dale, through Roman forts at Catterick, to the medieval wool trade that funded the growth of towns like Leeds, Sheffield and Halifax. During the Industrial Revolution, Yorkshire became a centre for coal mining, steel production and textile manufacturing, especially in Sheffield’s steelworks and the woollen mills of the West Riding.

Today the economy is diversified, encompassing manufacturing, financial services, tourism and higher education. Leeds is a major financial hub, while the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors attract millions of visitors each year for hiking, cycling and heritage tourism. The county is also noted for its distinct cultural identity, including the Yorkshire dialect, traditional foods such as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and sports teams like Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Yorkshire’s landscape ranges from coastal towns such as Whitby and Scarborough to the rugged moorlands and the scenic valleys of the Pennines, giving it a varied character that continues to shape its social and economic life.