Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Yorkshire, North-Riding

Yorkshire, North-Riding, occupies the N. of the county, between the East-Riding and the county of Durham, and is separated from the West-Riding by the Ouse, the valley of the Ure, and the hills above Wharfedale; area, 1,361,664 ac., pop. 346,260. The principal rivers are the Derwent, which separates the North-Riding from the East-Riding, with its tributary the Rye; the Tees, which separates the North-Riding from Durham; and the Swale and the Ure, which unite to form the Ouse. The Vale of York, along the rivers Swale and Ouse, divides the eastern moorlands from the western. In the western moorlands the picturesque dells are mostly in pasture. The eastern moorlands contain several beautiful dales, including the Vale of Cleveland and the fertile Vale of the Rye. The best land is found in the Vale of York, (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) The mountain lime-stone yields valuable lead deposits, and alum and jet are obtained at Whitby. Valuable beds of ironstone exist in the Cleveland Hills, and iron smelting and other allied industries are carried on on a vast scale at Middlesbrough, which is also a considerable seaport. Scarborough is one of the great watering-places, and Whitby is specially known for its mfr. of jet ornaments. The North-Riding comprises 11 wapentakes; 2 liberties; 554 pars, and parts of 5 others; the parl. and mun. bors. of York (2 members), Middlesbrough (1 member), and Scarborough (1 member); and the mun. bor. of Richmond. It is almost entirely in the dioceses of York and Ripon. For parliamentary purposes it is divided into 4 divisions - viz., Thirsk and Malton, Richmond, Cleveland, and Whitby, each division returning 1 member; the representation of the North-Riding was increased from 2 to 4 members in 1885.


(John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887))

Linked entities:
Administrative units: Yorkshire AncC
Place names: NORTH RIDING YORKSHIRE     |     YORKSHIRE     |     YORKSHIRE NORTH RIDING
Place: North Riding

Go to the linked place page for a location map, and for access to other historical writing about the place. Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.