North Yorkshire in northern England comprises of the districts of
Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby, and
York. The county stretches from the North Sea coast in the East to the Pennines
in the West and from the Tees in the north to the River Ouse in the South. North
Yorkshire shares boundaries with the counties of Cleveland, Durham, Lancashire,
Cumbria, West and South Yorkshire. The county also contains two National Parks,
the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors. Between the Dales and Moors
lies the Vale of York with the ancient City of York.
The area was occupied by the Roman military until the 7th century. York then
flourished under the Anglicans in the 8th century until invasions led to the
occupation by Scandinavians. William I, the Conqueror, destroyed many of the
settlements. During the Middle Ages the county was governed by wealthy
landowners and was later ravaged in the 15th century during the War of the Roses
between Yorkshire and Lancashire and again in the English Civil War
during the17th century. There are many castle remains.
The Yorkshire Dales in the Pennine Hills display a patchwork of fields and
dry-stone walls. The countryside is breathtaking with many natural features and
an abundance of rivers, streams, waterfalls and tarns. The North Yorkshire Moors
are another area of outstanding natural beauty with heather covered moors
interspersed with dales forming the landscape, both the Dales and the Moors are
National Parks.
The coastal areas have a variation of spectacular cliffs and sweeping sands.
There are towns with narrow winding cobbled streets of a bygone age and majestic
Victorian holiday resorts beside the sea.