Yorkshire Day is an annual event that promotes and celebrates the county of Yorkshire. It is observed on August 1 every year. The county of Yorkshire offers a wealth of beauty and heritage, from luscious scenic moors and national parks, to historical ruins and archaeological delights.
History of Yorkshire Day:
Yorkshire Day was first celebrated in 1975 by the Yorkshire Ridings Society. It began as part of a protest movement against local government reforms that came into force in 1974. The celebrations originally started with just a reading, but now the day involves anything to do with Yorkshire, from local cuisine and confectionery, to its rich historic past.
The decision to mark Yorkshire Day with an annual civic gathering of Mayors, Lord Mayors, their attendants and other dignitaries ‘in full costume and regalia’ was taken at a meeting of Local Authorities within the boundary of the old county of Yorkshire i.e. the three ridings and York and The Yorkshire Society at County Hall, Wakefield, on 29 June 1985.
The Yorkshire Society was then charged with the guardianship of the idea and organising the annual event, which now forms the centerpiece and focal point for the celebrations undertaken across the whole county.
Unknown facts about Yorkshire:
- Yorkshire has nearly a third of the total area of National Parks in England (the North York Moors, most of the Yorkshire Dales and part of the Peak District) covering a fifth of the region’s land area.
- At 2.9 million glorious acres, Yorkshire is the largest county in the UK. It stretches from the North Sea coast deep into and over the Pennines, and from the River Tees to the Humber and further south inland.
- Yorkshire is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites – Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal in North Yorkshire as well as the industrial setting of Saltaire & Salts Mill near Bradford. Bradford has also been designated a UNESCO City of Film.
- Scarborough is Britain’s first seaside resort and has been welcoming families for over 360 years.
- Yorkshire has over 2,600 ancient monuments of national importance (14% of the English total), 800 conservation areas, and 116 registered parks & gardens.
- The county’s most well-known delicacy, by far, is the Yorkshire pudding.
