For nearly a thousand years following invasion from the Vikings, Yorkshire was divided into 3 'ridings' - East, North and West. The term 'riding' is derived from the Danish word 'thridding', meaning a third. The ridings were abolished in 1974 as part of local government reforms which added South Yorkshire, and the boundaries of East and South Yorkshire further altered in 1996 with the abolishment of Humberside.

Many staunch Yorkshire folk still abide by the old 'ridings' boundaries and refuse to acknowledge the changes. I'm not one of them and this site uses the revised boundaries (Map above). Each of the 4 regions of Yorkshire have their own distinct geographical features and wildlife highlights - click on each menu item for further information and maps showing each region's top wildlife sites.

Old boundaries (Map below)

 

Footer Image - Yorkshire flag

Footer Image Yorkshire map attribution - TUBS, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons