The Yorkshire Region

The Yorkshire Dales area of the country is not only beautiful but contains a rich variety of wildlife and a distinct cultural heritage. In 1954, 1,769km of the countryside was designated National Park ground in recognition of its beauty and wildlife. There are over 20 main Yorkshire Dales, each with its own character and culture, with only 20,000 people spread throughout the small scattered farms, villages and market towns. The area has been populated for 10,000 years and remnants of the early settlements can still be seen. When farmers began to seriously farm the area, the woodland regions were cleared and fields were cultivated solely for rearing animals and farming crops. The Yorkshire Dales area has been farmed for many hundreds of years now and this has had its effect on the landscape, leaving it a patchwork of fields with sheep on the fells and hay meadows in the valleys. The Yorkshire Dales area is a region of unique natural beauty but also has its fair share of historical cities and picturesque towns.

York

York is the thought of as the ancient capital of the Yorkshire Dales and is one of the world's finest examples of medieval architecture. The city is surrounded by an ancient wall and within the city stands the magnificent York Minster. York Minster is the finest example of Gothic church in Europe. To compliment York Minster, the city is rich in medieval architecture and you get such a good idea of ancient life just walking through the city. Cobbled roads and narrow paths with looming buildings contrast with the modern shops and chic cafés to provide a thoroughly modern city with a great historical past. The Shambles is a great street somehow hidden away in the heart of the city which is filled with shops selling traditional produce and crafts which really must be seen when in the city. North Yorkshire hotels are plentiful and offer a great opportunity for touring this area.

York's Viking History

There are many attractions to visit when in the area, including the great Jorvik Viking Museum, (there are normally long queues to visit this museum so make sure you turn up early). The museum sits you in small carriages and takes you through a tour of Viking England - watch from the safety of your carriage as lifesize models go about their daily lives; fighting, cooking, craft-making, living. Then take a tour on foot of the laboratories of the museum where ancient artefacts are on display to be seen and touched. York's Railway Museum is another not-to-be-missed attraction which shows the history of the railway, from George Stephenson's first steam railway to the Japanese Bullet - the fastest train in the world. York is famed for its ghosts and ghouls and throughout the year tours are on offer showing the best places to see ghosts. Don't be surprised if you see ghosts wandering around the street in the middle of the day though - these are just the tour guides advertising their tours. The railway museum, Viking centre and York Minster really cannot be missed whilst in York and there are a variety of North Yorkshire hotels to use as a base for touring this exciting city.

York has passed from Roman rule as the capital of the North, known then as Eboracum, to the Vikings who gave it the name York, derived from Jorvik. Norman rule followed the Vikings and it was the Normans who made the city a vital government centre with a great dominance in commerce and religion. York played a key role in the Wars of the Roses as the centre for the Plantaganet Kings and when their reign ended in 1485, the Tudor age began and 250 years after it was begun, the fabulous Minster in the heart of York was eventually completed. During the 18th Century, York became a fashionable centre with Georgian architecture and elegance adding to its existing ancient architecture. The 19th Century saw York taking a major role in the industrial revolution with a variety of factories and production houses being founded; all helped by the introduction of the railways. A variety of north Yorkshire hotels, helmsley hotels, leeds hotels and Yorkshire accommodation is on offer to provide a central point for touring the area.

Halifax and Huddersfield

Halifax and Huddersfield are examples of the Industrial Revolution's effect on the area with many Victorian buildings and areas of the town still in existence. These towns are filled with their own attractions but also make great bases for exploring the Pennine Hill country. North Yorkshire hotels are plentiful and offer a great opportunity for touring this area. The Yorkshire area has many beautiful country towns which provide a great contrast to the bustling cities, including Wetherby, Otley, Ilkley, Hebden Bridge and Marsden. This area was a great inspiration to the Bronte sisters and their home town of Haworth is much as it would have been when they resided there. The popular television series Last of the Summer Wine was filmed in Holmfirth from where you can follow the moors up to the Peak District National Park. The Yorkshire Dales is also the setting for the popular Emmerdale Farm television series. Emmerdale Farm is set and filmed in the area and, if you're an Emmerdale Farm fan there's an opportunity to visit the towns where the show is set.

Amongst the other cities and towns of the area, Leeds, Bradford, Hull, Doncaster and Sheffield are important landmark cities. Each city is a fabulous base for exploring the surrounding countryside or as a visitor attraction in its own rights with shopping centres, pubs and clubs galore. North Yorkshire hotels are plentiful and offer a great opportunity for touring this area. Leeds is rapidly becoming the main commercial centre after London in the UK and also offers sites such as the Royal Armouries, Leeds Castle and Brewery Wharf. Leeds Castle is a popular attraction in the area and you really must visit Leeds Castle to fully appreciate the historical significance of Leeds within the UK. Leeds hotels are varied and plentiful and Leeds hotels offer a great base for touring the entire area. Skipton and Skipton Castle and Whitby and Whitby Castle are also must see attractions in the Yorkshire Dales area. Bradford offers the National Museum of Film, Photography and Television, whilst Sheffield has some of the best sporting facilities in the country. Each town has its own special attractions which really must be seen when visiting the area.

Find accommodation in specific towns using our A-Z of towns below:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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