YORKSHIRE. 
composition, possessing a soil more favourable to vegetation 
than those of the east, are considerably colder in climate, 
being far more elevated, and generally (as not exposed to 
the sea air) much longer covered with snow. In Yorkshire, 
and the other English counties bordering on the German 
ocean, during a great part of the spring the east wind usually 
predominates, as does the west on the western side of the 
island. To the conflict of these two winds on the Western 
Moorlands, may probably be ascribed the rains which fall, 
with little intermission, in this mountainous district. 
The principal rivers of this division are the Swale, the 
Tees, and the Derwent. 
The North Riding is divided into twelve wapentakes, viz. 
Allertonshire, Birdforth, Bulmer, Gilling East and West, 
Halikeld, Hang East and West, Langbaurgh, Pickering Lyth, 
Ryedale, and Whitby Strand ; containing five boroughs, 
Mahon, Northallerton, Richmond, Scarborough, and Thirsk. 
The total population 183,694. 
The East Riding is bounded on the north and the west by 
the little river Hartford and the Derwent, which separate it 
from the North Riding, as far as the vicinity of Stamford 
Bridge. An irregular line from the Derwent to the Ouse, 
commencing about a mile above that place, and joining the 
latter river a little below York, forms the remaining limit 
between these two Ridings. From that point it is bounded 
on the west and south-west by the Ouse, which divides it 
from the West Riding; on the south by the Humber; and 
on the east by the German ocean. 
This division of Yorkshire, though far less conspicuously 
marked by the bolder features of nature than the other parts 
of the county, contains scenes of great extent and magnifi¬ 
cence, especially where the sea or the Humber enters into the 
view. It may be considered as consisting of three different 
districts; the Wolds, a range of chalky hills extending from 
north to south, through nearly the whole of the Riding; 
and the two level tracts which lie to the east and west of 
them respectively. Of these, however, the first, stretching 
from Filey, through Hurmanby and Bridlington southward, 
is occasionally diversified by considerable swells; the Wolds 
extending to the coast, which, near the villages of Speeton, 
Bempton, and Flamborough, rises in cliffs of 300 or 400 
feet in perpendicular altitude. At Bridlington, the country 
sinks into a flat, which continues towards the south for 
eight or nine miles, wfith little variation. Here commences 
the wapentake of Holderness, of which the eastern part is 
somewhat variegated; while its western edge, of about four 
or five miles in breadth, and twenty in length, as far as the 
banks of the Humber, is low and fenny. The southern part 
of Holderness also, along the borders of that vast estuary, 
partakes of the same character; and the county terminates in 
a point at the Ocellum Promontorium of Ptolemy, now 
called Spurn-head. Throughout this level district, however, 
the prospects are, to a considerable degree, enlivened by 
views of the Yorkshire or the Lincolnshire Wolds. Clay 
and loam are its predominant soils. 
The ascent to the Wolds is generally rather steep, except 
on the eastern side, where they rise in gentle acclivities. But 
their greatest height, which is not calculated at more than 
600 feet, falls far below that of the East or West Moorlands 
in the north of the Craven hills, in the West Riding. Their 
extent is variously estimated: it cannot, probably, be less 
than 400,000 acres. Their surface is divided into extensive 
plains, with many intervening dales or valleys. The soil is 
commonly a somewhat light loam, with a mixture of gravel 
on a substratum of chalk; but in some parts occurs a deeper 
loam, and in others a poor and almost unproductive sand. 
The third division, extending from the western foot of the 
Wolds to the boundaries of the North and West Ridings, 
and usually called the Levels, is everywhere unpicturesque. 
The soil is generally clay or sand. An extensive sandy, and 
in some places moorish tract, runs through the middle of it; 
but near the banks of the Derwent and the Ouse, it consists 
chiefly of a clayey loam; and from Howden and Gilberdike 
southward to the latter river, of a very strong clay. This 
Vox,. XXIV. No. 1673. ' ' " 
780 
part of the country, though overspread with houses and ham¬ 
lets, is extremely dirty and disagreeable. 
In few parts of England has agriculture been conducted 
on a larger scale, or brought to a higher degree of perfec¬ 
tion, than in the East Riding of Yorkshire, particularly upon 
the Wolds. In that district, half a century ago, barley and 
oats were the principal kinds of graiu produced : and of the 
former was made the chief portion of the bread used by the 
inhabitants. Now the valleys and slopes of the hills wave 
with wheat; and with wheaten bread alone are the servants 
and labourers supplied. The Western Levels also have re¬ 
ceived great improvements. Within the last thirty years, 
vast commons in its southern part (about Wallingfen) have 
been inclosed and cultivated; and a dreary and swampy 
waste, which in fogs or stormy weather could not be crossed 
without danger, is now covered with well built farm-steads, 
and intersected in various directions with excellent roads. 
The climate of the East Riding includes some varieties, as 
the Wolds break the force of the cold and raw winds which 
blow from the German ocean, and check the vegetation of 
the early spring on their eastern side. The manufactures in 
this district being less extensive, and the population conse¬ 
quently less crowded than in the other Ridings, its produce 
is more than adequate to its consumption, and it exports 
grain, bacon, butter, and potatoes. It furnishes wool also 
in large quantities to the West Riding clothiers; and great 
numbers of horses are purchased at the York and Howden 
fairs, by the London dealers. Hull is its grand emporium 
of foreign trade. The chief manufacture of the Riding is 
established at Wansford, near Driffield, for carpets and spin¬ 
ning cotton. Having little wood, it receives its coal for fuel 
chiefly from the neighbourhood of Wakefield and Leeds, ex¬ 
cept upon the coast, which is supplied from the Sunderland 
and Newcastle pits. 
It is divided into seven wapentakes, viz. Dickering, Buck- 
rose, Harthill, Holderness, Howdenshire, Ouse, and Derwent, 
and the town and county of Kingston-upon-Hull. The po¬ 
pulation is stated at 190,709. It contains three boroughs, 
Beverly, Hedon, and Hull. 
The West Riding, far exceeding in size the two other di¬ 
visions of the county, is computed to contain about 1,568,000 
statute acres. It is bounded on the north by the North Ri¬ 
ding, on the east by the East Riding and Lincolnshire, by 
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire on the south, and by Che¬ 
shire, Lancashire, and Westmoreland on the west; and may 
be divided into three extensive districts, varying from a level 
and marshy to a rough and mountainous region. The level 
part, of unequal breadth, extends westward from its eastern 
side, along the banks of the Ouse, to within three or four 
miles of an imaginary line drawn from Doncaster to Sher- 
burn. Its middle district rises gradually into hills, and is 
beautifully variegated; after which, proceeding still farther 
westward, we find the surface in the third division extremely 
rugged and barren. Beyond Sheffield, black moors, run¬ 
ning to the north-west, unite with the lofty hills of Black- 
stone Edge, on the borders of Lancashire; while the western 
part of Craven presents a confused heap of rocks and moun¬ 
tains; among which, Pennigart, Ingleborough, and Wharn- 
side, stand eminently conspicuous, being estimated at the 
heights of 3930, 3987, and 4052 feet respectively. Amidst 
these dreary regions, however, occur many romantic valleys 
(such as Hetherdale, Wharfdale, and the vale of the Aire) 
presenting the most picturesque and beautiful scenery; the 
greatest part of them being inclosed, well wooded, and 
thickly studded with flourishing and almost continuous vil¬ 
lages. 
By Mr. Smith the Riding is divided into four divisions, 
viz. I. On the east the Levels, traversed by the great rivers 
Ouse, Aire, and Don, which, from the vast quantities of 
mud suspended in them during the agitation of the tide, 
have afforded great service to agriculture, through the pro¬ 
fitable operation of warping. 2. The Magnesian Limestone, 
which forms a narrow range of dry land, running north¬ 
ward from Tickhill by Doncaster, Ferrybridge, Wetherby, 
8 N Knaresborough, 
