Any friends here from Yorkshire, England. i recently purchased an old book (well, from 1979) entitled james herriot’s yorkshire. he was a scotch vet who moved to Yorkshire and wrote a string of best sellers regarding his vetenarian(sp?) exploits back in the 70’s and early 80’s. i’ve always been fascinated with this area of england simply for it’s history and spookiness and beauty. i’d love to leave america and be on a continual walking tour of england and europe. but really Yorkshire seems so profoundly beautiful with its gills and dales. have the times changed Yorkshire? have the villages disappeared?
Yes I’m in Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It’s not the Yorkshire that your thinking of, quiet flat and the only hills are man made flyovers over the railway.
Yorkshire is God’s Country Herriot was in The Dales, lots of rolling uplands, dry stone walls, and small villages, there still there. North Yorkshire Moors are beautiful, lots of upland heather moorland, the villages are still like in the TV program Heartbeat, even has its own steam railway. I’m from the Pennines in West Yorkshire, another upland area with lots of moors, valleys and hills. There are lots of unspoilt areas in Yorkshire. If you want to see what they are like try looking up the following TV programs - there might be snippets on the internet:- All Creatures Great and Small - TV series of Herriot’s books set in the Dales before and after the war. Heartbeat - TV series about a policeman working in the North Yorks Moors in the 1960s Last of the Summer Wine - a stupid comedy set in Holmfirth in the Pennines. The comedy is not up to much but it shows shots of the countryside that I grew up in. I spend my winter Saturdays beagling (Hare hunting with a pack of Beagles), so I am often on top of windswept hills watching the wildlife. Mainly in the Pennines, but we also had a cracking 2 days in Goathland (North Yorks Moors), and also visited the Lake District (another area of mountains (fells) and valleys in Cumbria in the north west) and the mountains of Wales. We usually end the day in a traditional country pub (in one of those villages you talk of) drinking real ale, singing hunting songs, and snuffing. The characters you read of in Herriot are still there and are every bit as colourful.
@Grommet I just spent some time looking up some of the areas you mentioned–you are very right about that pretty land!!! I don’t know too much of England. These country areas, are they protected ‘green space’ areas or can anyone walk them with permission? They seem to be so sparcely populated. Is this only because of their location and lack of work in the area that noone sets up a home? Quite possibly, it’s very expensive land? Sorry for all the questions, I thought you may know the answers far better than the Intergallactic Web would.
There are Green belts around the towns and villages - supposedly to stop the towns spreading out by making it more difficult to get planning permission, but the politicians have a nasty habit of moving the green belt outwards so allowing towns to grow - the very thing green belt was supposed to stop. The Dales (and I think the North yorks Moors) is a National Park, and some of the Pennines are in the Peat District National Park, this affects planning permission and helps preserve the countryside. There are many foot paths. The majority of the upland areas have free “right to roam” meaning you can go anywhere within specified upland areas so long as you are not causing damage, but this is sometimes restricted eg when ground nesting birds are nesting and at lambing time. These areas had a much higher population before farming was mechanised, in the industrial revolution many people left the country for the towns and many became workers in the woollen mills. It is more expensive to buy property in the countryside than the town. In some villages the youngsters have to move out because they cannot afford a house in the village where they were brought up. In the nicer well known villages often property is bought up for holiday homes, pricing out the locals. You have poorer access to amenities such as broadband, post offices, shopping, transport and health services. It can be difficult living in the remote areas if you don’t have transport. This causes many people to prefer the town.
@Grommet no, no, no Derbyshire is God’s county. We have 90% of the beautiful Peak District, quaint country villages and some damn good pubs. Stefan Chesterfield, Derbyshire (sheepshagger and proud lol)
The most beautiful county is Lancashire in actual fact. Bleak and windswept, especially with Pendle rising out of the mist. And the sheep are better looking…
Yorkshire tea is the best. Need the good tea there.
Derbyshire and Lancashire come verry close to being Gods Country. Dont tell anyone but I’m 50% Lancastrian (Mum), but born in Yorkshire! All sheep look the same to me unless its a suffolk ewe, Mmmm (oups shush)
pfft we all know god comes from Somerset.
I’m from James Herriot country - i haven’t been but the world of James Herriot center in Thirsk is only about 7 miles away from here. Some good walking to be had around these parts - took these on my phone last weekend, walked just to the left of that hill on the horizon in picture 1 but had to turn back as they were burning the heather up there and it was to smoky. 
It’s not that I don’t find other parts of england attractive, I’ve just never actually heard of them or seen them in particular. I’ve known of Yorkshire for years. I even love Old Peculiar ale! hahaha! But it’s the lonely desolate places I like, like Dartmoor in Devonshire. All these shires tend to be a bit confusing!
Exmoor is nice as well.
Thanks for the info, Grommet and others. The beauty of the country PLUS the availability of easy sheep has sealed the deal. I’ll be bringing my waders when I do decide to visit…
Try this saucy_jack http://www.picturesofengland.com/mapofengland/counties-map.html