The is one of the three historic subdivisions of
Yorkshire ,
England . The highest point in the North Riding is
Mickle Fell at 788
Metre s (2585
Ft ). From the
Restoration it was used as a
Lieutenancy Area . The three ridings were treated as three counties for many purposes, such as having separate
Quarter Sessions . An administrative county was created with a
County Council in 1889 under the
Local Government Act 1888 on the historic boundaries. In 1974 both the administrative county and the Lieutenancy of the North Riding of Yorkshire were abolished, being succeeded in most of the Riding by the new non-metropolitan county of
North Yorkshire .
Unlike most English counties which were divided into hundreds, Yorkshire was divided first into three
Riding s and then into
Wapentake s. The wapentakes of the North Riding were
Allertonshire ,
Birdforth ,
Bulmer ,
Gilling East Gilling West ,
Halikeld ,
Hang East ,
Hang West ,
Langbaurgh East ,
Langbaurgh West ,
Pickering Lythe ,
Ryedale , and
Whitby Strand .
The administrative county was formed in 1889. In 1894 it was divided into municipal boroughs, urban districts and rural districts under the
Local Government Act 1894 .
Middlesbrough had already been incorporated as a
Municipal Borough in 1853 and formed a
County Borough , exempt from county council control, from 1889. Richmond and
Scarborough had been incorporated as municipal boroughs in 1835, with
Thornaby-on-Tees added in 1892.
The
Urban District s in 1894 were
Eston , Guisborough, Hinderwell, Kirkleatham,
Kirklington Cum Upsland , Loftus, Malton, Masham, Northallerton, Pickering, Redcar, Saltburn and Marske by the Sea, Scalby, Skelton and Brotton, and Whitby. In 1922 Redcar was incorporated as a borough.
The
Rural District s in 1894 were Aysgarth,
Bedale , Croft, Easingwold, Flaxton, Guisborough, Helmsley, Kirkby Moorside, Leyburn, Malton, Masham, Middlesbrough, Northallerton, Pickering, Reeth, Richmond, Scarborough,
Startforth , Stokesley, Thirsk, Wath, and Whitby.
County Review Order s reduced the number of urban and rural districts in the county:The North Riding of York (Northern Areas) Order 1932, The North Riding of York Review Order 1934
- Hinderwell urban district was absorbed by Whitby rural district in 1932
- A new Saltburn and Marske by the Sea urban district was formed from from Saltburn by the Sea urban district and part of Guisborough rural district. the remainder of Guisborough RD passed to Loftus urban district and Whitby rural district in 1932
- Kirklington cum Upsland urban district was absorbed by Bedale rural district in 1934
- Masham urban district was redesignated as Masham rural district in 1934
In 1968 a new
County Borough of
Teesside was created, taking in
Middlesbrough and parts of the administrative counties of Durham and North Riding. From the North Riding came the boroughs of Redcar and Thornaby-on-Tees, the urban district of Eston, and part of Stokesley rural district (although the remainder of the rural district continued as part of the county). The entirety of Teesside, including the parts north of the
River Tees historically in Durham, was associated with the North Riding for lieutenancy and other purposes.
In 1974 the North Riding was abolished as both an administrative county and a Lieutenancy. The majority of its former area became part of the new non-metropolitan county of
North Yorkshire , which also includes much of the northern rural part of the
West Riding as well as the city of
York and the northern and western fringes of the traditional
East Riding .
Middlesbrough and
Redcar became part of
Cleveland and are now in independent unitary authorities which became part of
North Yorkshire for ceremonial purposes. The Startforth Rural District (South Teesdale) was transferred to
County Durham , becoming part of the
Teesdale .
The North Riding is now represented in the districts of
Hambleton ,
Richmondshire ,
Harrogate ,
Ryedale , and
Scarborough in North Yorkshire, with parts in
Middlesbrough ,
Stockton-on-Tees (south of the River Tees),
Teesdale , and
Redcar And Cleveland . The principal towns are
Middlesbrough ,
Redcar ,
Whitby ,
Scarborough and
Northallerton .F. R. Youngs, ''Local Administrative Units of England'', Vol.II, Northern England, London, 1991
On three occasions a re-use of the North Riding for local government purposes has been considered. During the
1990s UK Local Government Reform , the
Banham Commission suggested uniting
Richmondshire ,
Hambleton ,
Ryedale , and
Scarborough districts in a new
Unitary Authority called North Riding of Yorkshire. Later, the government proposed renaming the county of North Yorkshire the North Riding of Yorkshire
1. This was deemed inappropriate and rejected, after a "chorus of disapprobation".
23
During a further local government review in the 2000s as part of the preparations for the
Regional Assembly Referendums , a North Riding of Yorkshire unitary authority consisting of Richmondshire, Hambleton, Ryedale and Scarborough was again suggested. However, the Commission withdrew this in favour or two unitary authorities, one for Hambleton and Richmondshire, the other for Ryedale and Scarborough.
Boundary Committee report : Final Recommendations for unitary local government in North Yorkshire
