Riding (division) facts for kids

A riding is a special way that some very large historic areas in the United Kingdom were divided. Imagine a big county, like a large state or province. A riding was usually one of three parts of that county. The word "riding" comes from an old word, trithing, which means 'third part'.

What Are Ridings?

Ridings helped manage really big counties. Even though a county might have ridings, it was usually still run by one main council. This council had the same name as the county itself.

Yorkshire's Special Ridings

The ridings in Yorkshire, a very large county in England, were different. They were so big that each riding had its own separate council! These were called the East Riding, the North Riding, and the West Riding. Each one acted almost like its own smaller county.

Changes in 1974

In 1974, the way administrative areas were organized in England and Wales changed a lot. The old riding councils in Yorkshire were replaced. New areas were created, some completely new and some using parts of the old ridings. These new areas included North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cleveland, Durham, and Humberside.

Ridings in Canada

In Canada, the word "riding" means something different. It's used for a federal constituency. This is an area where people vote for their representative in the national government. In Canada, these are also called electoral divisions.