Yorkshire is England’s largest county with roots that stretch back to the dawn of ‘Modern Britain’. Driving east to west or north to south takes around three hours – but with so much to uncover, you could easily spend a lifetime exploring.
Having lived in Yorkshire for over 25 years, I’m still regularly awestruck by the beauty of its landscapes, both natural and man made. From rolling dales and ancient ruins to striking architecture and beautiful villages, this county never stops surprising me.
If you’re planning a trip to England, Yorkshire deserves a place on your list. The countryside is often quieter than the Cotswolds or Lake District, yet just as breathtaking, and arguably more down to earth. We’re Northerners, and we’re proud of this wonderful county.
Find out what’s so special about Yorkshire:
Much like the famous Wonders of the World, Yorkshire has its own treasures that deserve recognition. That’s why we’re setting out to visit each one and share their stories with you!
(Please note, we are currently visiting each of these locations & so content is incoming!)
Our Natural Wonders of Yorkshire are the breathtaking landscapes and landmarks that define the country, places we Yorkshire folk hold close to our hearts.
Our Ancient Wonders of Yorkshire include remarkable structures built before or during the 1st Century AD. Timeless reminders of the county’s deepest roots.
Our Middle Age Wonders of Yorkshire span from the 2nd century AD right through to the 15th Century, showing Yorkshire’s growth and ingenuity over the ages.
Our New Wonders of Yorkshire cover the revolutionary period between the 16th Century and 20th Century – where industrialisation took over the county.
Our Modern Wonders of Yorkshire highlight the incredible feats built after the turn of the 20th Century. Monuments to our more recent history and innovation.
Yorkshire is home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes in England, so inspiring, in fact, that they’ve stirred the imaginations of creatives like J.M.W Turner, David Hockney, Joe Cornish, and the Bronte sisters. But, this county’s beauty runs far deeper than its surface. It’s the product of hundreds of millions of years of geological drama – shifting continents, ancient tropical seas, glaciation and erosion.
Around 299 million years ago, during the Carboniferous Period, Yorkshire sat near the equator. It’s land submerged beneath warm, shallow seas and swampy deltas. Over time, these conditions laid down vast beds of limestone and coal, forming limestone pavements like the incredible one at Malham Cove (featured in the Harry Potter film, Deathly Hallows Part One).
Later, during the Permian and Triassic periods, Eastern Yorkshire lay beneath an inland sea, which left behind chalk and magnesium limestone, shaping the soft, rolling hills of the Yorkshire Wolds.
Fast forward to the Ice Age, from around 2.6 million to 12,000 years ago, and the county found itself beneath towering glaciers. These sculpted the landscape we know today, carving deep U-shaped valleys like Wharfedale and Swaledale, and leaving behind glacial features such as drumlins and outwash plains that now form the gentle contours of the Vale of York.
Similarly, meltwater, frost and fierce winds from the Ice Age gradually shaped the landscape near Pateley Bridge – now known as Brimham Rocks (featured in our Natural Wonders of Yorkshire). Over thousands of years, weathering carved out the strange and spectacular formations we see today; balancing rocks, arches, and majestic pillars.
As the ice retreated, rivers like the Ouse, Wharfe and Swale carved out their paths, while the soft cliffs of the Holderness Coast began their long battle with the sea – making it one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe.
The story of human Yorkshire began long before written records, but it was the arrival of the Romans that kickstarted its growth. When they landed in Britain, the region was inhabited by the Brigante tribe. By the 1st century AD, the Romans had conquered and founded the city of Eboracum, laying the foundations for what would become York.
In fact one of the greatest Roman Emperors, Constantine, was Emperor of York in 306 AD when the city was an Imperial centre and military base. There is a statue of Emperor Constantine outside York Minster, and if you go to the Capitoline Museum in Rome you can see the individual parts of the gigantic statue of Constantine which once stood in the Roman Forum.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Yorkshire passed through the lands of the Angles, becoming part of the Kingdom of Deira, and later Northumbria. When the Vikings came in the 9th century, they took York for themselves — renaming the city of Eboracum as Jorvik, leaving behind not only Norse place names but also the name ‘Yorkshire’ itself; the shire of Jorvik You can visit the Jorvik Viking Centre in York to experience the sights, and smells, of Viking York.
Yorkshire was formally recognised as a county between the late 9th and early 10th centuries under Anglo-Saxon rule, a status later reinforced after the Norman Conquest in 1066. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, it was already one of England’s largest and most important counties.
Over the next 900 years, Yorkshire began carving out its place in British history. During the Medieval Era, it became a stronghold of northern nobility and feudal power, with imposing castles rising in York, Richmond and Pontefract.
York itself emerged as England’s second city after London for much of the Middle Ages – a religious centre under the Archbishop of York, a military base, and a bustling trading hub. Thanks to its northern location, it also served as a launch point for many campaigns against Scotland. A trip to the narrow, cobbled streets of The Shambles in York plunges you straight into the Medieval era.
The Wars of the Roses (1455-1487) cemented Yorkshire’s role in national conflict, as the House of York (White Rose) fought the House of Lancaster (Red Rose) in a bitter dynastic struggle.
During the Tudor and Stuart periods (1500’s – 1600’s), Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries saw great abbeys like Fountains and Rievaulx torn down, with land and power redistributed to the Crown and loyal aristocrats. Yorkshire was also a centre of Catholic resistance, most notably in the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, a major northern uprising against religious reform.
In the English Civil War (1642-1651), Yorkshire again found itself at the heart of national upheaval. Battles like the Siege of York and Marston Moor (1644) became pivotal moments, as both Royalists and Parliamentarians vied for control of the north.
The 18th century marked Yorkshire’s transformation into one of England’s industrial engines. Towns in the West Riding, including Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield and Halifax – became world leaders in wool, textiles and cloth and are full of listed mill buildings as a result.
Sheffield gained international fame for its steel and cutlery, pioneering crucible steel and later stainless steel. Rich coal seams powered this growth, fuelling factories and driving Britain’s broader industrial revolution.
A growing network of canals and railways, including the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, turned Yorkshire into a key player in Britain’s transport and trade systems. Yet even as industrialisation boomed, farming communities and market towns thrived across North and East Yorkshire, maintaining the region’s rural character.
The Victorian era brought explosive population growth, especially in cities. Grand civic buildings like Leeds Town hall and York Railway Station showcased local pride and ambition. Yorkshire became a hotbed of social reform, labour movements, and early trade unionism, born out of its factories and mills.
Education and philanthropy blossomed, with wealthy individuals like Sir Titus Salt (builder of Saltaire), funding schools, libraries, and museums. Yorkshire also became a hub of engineering and innovation, shaping Britain’s technological progress. Meanwhile, its rolling landscapes continued to inspire artists and authors, from the Brontes on the moors to romantic painters capturing the wild beauty of the countryside.
Though often overshadowed by London and the South in mainstream history, Yorkshire played a vital role in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.
In World War I, more than 250,000 Yorkshiremen served, many in the so-called Pals Battalions, where friends, neighbours, and colleagues joined up together. Units like the Leeds Pals, the Sheffield City Battalion and the Hull Pals suffered devastating losses in battles such as the Somme, causing intense grief across entire communities. It’s estimated that over 50,000 Yorkshire soldiers died, with tens of thousands more wounded or traumatised.
Yorkshire’s industries were crucial to the war effort. Sheffield produced vast quantities of steel for weapons, tanks and naval ships. Textile hubs like Bradford and Huddersfield supplied uniforms, blankets, and canvas, while engineers across the county built the machinery that kept Britain’s war machine running. Many stately homes and city hospitals were transformed into military medical centres to treat the wounded returning from the front.
In World War II, Yorkshire became home to over 40 RAF bases, especially for Bomber Command and Coastal Command. Stations such as RAF Elvington (now the Yorkshire Air Museum), RAF Leeming, and RAF Linton-on-Ouse launched thousands of missions, playing a major part in the Allied air offensive over Nazi Germany.
Once again, Yorkshire’s industries rose to meet the challenge. Sheffield’s steel powered the production of tanks and armaments, while engineering firms across the region built aircraft components and military vehicles.
The county didn’t escape the horrors of war at home. Leeds, Sheffield and Hull were bombed during the Blitz, with Hull being one of the most heavily targeted cities outside of London. Sheffield’s industrial zones were also hit hard during the Sheffield Blitz of 1940.
Yorkshire’s women also played a vital role on the home front, serving in the Women’s Land Army, Auxiliary Territorial Service, munitions factories and roles like rationing and fire-watching. The war effort was truly county-wide.
Yorkshire also hosted several covert operations and played a role in wartime communications. Rural areas were used for military training and even decoy sites designed to mislead enemy bombers.
During the Cold War, Yorkshire remained strategically important. RAF Fylingdales, nestled in the North Yorkshire Moors, became part of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) – a critical line of defence monitoring potential Soviet missile launches.
Regional Government Bunkers were also constructed, including one near York, designed to coordinate civil defence in the event of nuclear war. As traditional industries declined in the 1970s and 80s, many engineering firms shifted to defence, aerospace and nuclear technology contracts.
Yorkshire’s towns prepared for the unthinkable, with public sirens, civil defence drills, and “Protect and Survive” campaigns. But, resistance movements emerged too, especially in Leeds and Sheffield, where anti-nuclear activism and CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) campaigns gained strong local support.
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Today, Yorkshire remains one of England’s most rural counties, around 85% of its land is rural, despite being home to eight major cities; Bradford, Doncaster, Kingston Upon Hull, Leeds, Ripon, Sheffield, Wakefield and York.
The most rural region is North Yorkshire, where an incredible 95% of the landscape is countryside. Here you’ll find sweeping moorland, rolling dales, and the lush Vale of York, alongside the rugged beauty of the Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors.
Across the whole of Yorkshire, around 5.62 million people live here – just under 10% of England’s population. But if you were to drive through the county, you might not guess it. While the cities are full of life, the countryside feels quiet, vast and almost timeless.
It’s no surprise that Yorkshire earned the nickname “God’s Own County”, a phrase popularised by journalist Nigel Farndale in Country Life back in 1995 – and since embraced proudly by locals, councils and travel writers alike.
In my (admittedly biased) opinion, Yorkshire is still overlooked as a travel destination. It has everything you could ask for; beaches, cities, peaceful countryside, geological marvels, rolling hills, ancient woodland, great pubs and deep historical roots. Yorkshire really does have it all — and it’s waiting to be explored.
