North Yorkshire

I

Introduction

North Yorkshire, county, northern England, bordered on the north by County Durham and by Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, and Redcar and Cleveland unitary authorities; on the east by the North Sea and by the East Riding of Yorkshire unitary authority; on the south by North Lincolnshire unitary authority and by the unitary authorities of the former metropolitan counties of South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire; and on the west by the counties of Lancashire and Cumbria. As a result of local government changes implemented on April 1, 1996, York unitary authority—comprising the city of York and its rural environs—was established and now forms an enclave within North Yorkshire, on its eastern border with the East Riding of Yorkshire. North Yorkshire was formed as a result of the 1974 local government reforms and was made up of the North Riding of Yorkshire, one of the traditional administrative areas of the county, plus parts of the former East and West Ridings. For geographical and ceremonial purposes Middlesbrough forms part of North Yorkshire; the area of the unitary authority was part of the North Riding until 1889. Similar arrangements apply to the area of Stockton-on-Tees unitary authority south of the River Tees, which was part of the North Riding until 1968.

The land area of North Yorkshire, including the area now under the jurisdiction of the City of York Council, is 8,321 sq km (3,213 sq mi), making it the largest county in England. Northallerton is the administrative centre of the county council.

II

Land and Resources

North Yorkshire consists of two upland areas: the Pennine Hills to the west; and the Cleveland Hills, the North York Moors, and the Tabular Hills to the east. In between lies the Vale of York, a lowland area sloping southward from about 30 m (100 ft) to less than 6 m (20 ft) above sea level. In the north-west the Pennines reach a height of more than 670 m (2,200 ft) and are dissected by the deep river valleys known as the Yorkshire Dales. The eastern region is chiefly limestone and sandstone. The county is drained in the west by the River Ouse and its tributaries, principally the Wharfe and the Swale, and in the east by the River Derwent and a network of smaller rivers that drain southward into the Vale of Pickering.

The Yorkshire Dales cover an area of 1,761 sq km (680 sq mi) and lie mainly in North Yorkshire, but also partly in Cumbria. They are renowned for their scenic beauty and were designated a National Park in 1954. The word “dale” comes from the Old English dael, meaning “a low place”. The North York Moors lie almost exclusively within the county, their northern tip extending into Redcar and Cleveland. This area of moorland and woodland, 1,432 sq km (553 sq mi) in area, was designated the North York Moors National Park in 1952. One of the best-known landmarks on the North York Moors were the three white globes that comprised the Fylingdales Radar Station. Built in the 1960s to give early warning of a nuclear attack, they have now been demolished and replaced by a grey, truncated pyramid. A similar US electronic communications monitoring system exists on the moors to the west of Harrogate at Menwith Hill.

III

Climate

North Yorkshire has a variable climate. Winters are often long and harsh, with heavy snowfalls on the Pennines. The average annual rainfall varies from 1,250 to 2,540 mm (60 to 100 in) in the Pennines and 1,000 to 1,520 mm (40 to 60 in) near the north-east coast, to around 635 to 760 mm (25 to 30 in) elsewhere.

IV

Population and Administration

The population of North Yorkshire is 569,660 (2001). The principal towns are the spa of Harrogate (2001, 151,339) and the seaside resort of Scarborough (2001, 106,233). Other important settlements include Whitby (1991, 13,640), Ripon (1991, 13,806), Selby (2001, 76,468), Pickering (1991, 5,914), and Knaresborough (1991, 13,380). In addition to the county council, based in Northallerton (1991, 13,774), North Yorkshire had until April 1996 eight district and borough councils: Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby, and York. As a result of the recommendations of the Local Government Commission, which was set up in 1992 to review local administration in England, York council has been combined with a large part of the Ryedale council area and a small part of the Selby area to form the City of York council, a single-tier, or unitary, authority. Local government within the remainder of North Yorkshire remains on the two-tier basis of the county council and the remaining seven district or borough councils. The North Yorkshire Constabulary is based at Northallerton.