North Riding of Yorkshire facts for kids
| County of York, North Riding | |
 Flag of North Riding (2013) |
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 North Riding shown within England |
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| Geography | |
| Status | Riding then Administrative county |
| 1911 area | 1,359,600 acres (5,502 km2) |
| 1961 area | 1,376,607 acres (5,570.93 km2) |
| HQ | Northallerton |
| Chapman code | NRY |
| History | |
| Created | 1889 |
| Abolished | 1974 |
| Succeeded by | North Yorkshire Cleveland County Durham |
Quick facts for kids Demography |
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| 1901 population | 286,036 |
| 1971 population | 329,410 |
 Coat of arms of North Riding County Council |
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The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three main parts, called ridings, of the large county of Yorkshire in England. The other two parts were the East Riding and the West Riding.
For a long time, these three ridings were treated almost like separate counties for many important tasks. For example, they each had their own special courts called "quarter sessions."
In 1889, a new type of local government was created. The North Riding became an "administrative county" with its own county council. This council helped manage local services. However, in 1974, the North Riding as an administrative county was officially ended. Most of its area became part of the new county called North Yorkshire.
The highest point in the North Riding is Mickle Fell, which is 2,585 feet (788 meters) tall.
Contents
A Look at North Riding's Past
During the English Civil War (a big conflict in England between 1642 and 1651), the North Riding mostly supported the King (known as the Royalists). Other parts of Yorkshire, however, often supported the Parliament (known as the Parliamentarians).
How the North Riding Was Governed
The County of York, North Riding was set up as an administrative county in 1889. This meant it had its own local government. It was divided into different types of areas to help manage things:
- Municipal boroughs: These were towns with their own local councils, like Middlesbrough, Richmond, and Scarborough. Middlesbrough became a "county borough" in 1889, which meant it was independent from the county council.
- Urban districts: These were smaller towns or built-up areas that managed their own local services.
- Rural districts: These covered the countryside and smaller villages.
Over the years, the way these areas were organized changed. Some smaller urban districts were combined with rural areas.
In 1968, a new large area called Teesside was created. It included Middlesbrough and parts of the North Riding, like Redcar and Thornaby-on-Tees.
The End of the North Riding
In 1974, the North Riding officially stopped being an administrative county. Most of its land became part of the new county of North Yorkshire. This new county also included parts of the West Riding and the city of York.
Some parts of the North Riding went to other areas:
- Middlesbrough and Redcar became part of a new county called Cleveland. Today, these are independent "unitary authorities" but are still linked to North Yorkshire for ceremonial events.
- A small part, Startforth Rural District, was moved to County Durham.
Today, the area that was once the North Riding is covered by several different local government districts. The main towns in this former area include Middlesbrough, Redcar, Whitby, Scarborough, and Northallerton.
Ideas for Bringing Back the Name
There have been a few times when people thought about using the name "North Riding of Yorkshire" again for local government.
In the 1990s, a group suggested creating a new single local council area called "North Riding of Yorkshire." This new area would have included districts like Richmondshire, Hambleton, Ryedale, and Scarborough.
Later, the government even thought about renaming the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire to "North Riding of Yorkshire." But this idea was not popular and was rejected.
Again, in the 2000s, the idea of a "North Riding of Yorkshire" council area was brought up. However, this plan was also changed. Instead, they suggested two separate council areas for the region.
Ancient Divisions of the North Riding
Unlike most English counties that were divided into "hundreds," Yorkshire was first split into its three ridings. Each riding was then divided into smaller areas called "wapentakes." The North Riding of Yorkshire had thirteen wapentakes in total.
What Were Wapentakes?
Wapentakes were like smaller districts within the ridings. They were used for administrative and legal purposes a long time ago.
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