Friday 1st August 2025

Ey up, it’s Yorkshire Day! We’re chuffed to bits to have been born and bred in Yorkshire. But what’s all the fuss about God’s Own Country?

Why is Yorkshire Day celebrated on 1st August?

There are a number of reasons why it’s celebrated on 1st of August. Commemorating the Battle of Minden of 1759 which is the origin of the White Rose of Yorkshire. According to the story, the British ‘Minden’ Regiment advanced into battle with white roses tucked into their hats and they successfully repelled the attacks of the French cavalry. On the 1st of August, the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 was passed and Yorkshire MP William Wilberforce was a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade.

You can find out more about Yorkshire Day here.

What is Yorkshire famous for?

Yorkshire is the largest county in the United Kingdom and is known for it beautiful countryside and coastal towns. But there’s so much more that we’re known for!

The Yorkshire Accent

The Yorkshire accent is distinctive and something we’re proud of as a county. Our dialect has been prominent in British culture for years. From Wuthering Heights to Monty Python sketches and Game of Thrones. Not from Yorkshire? You can give the accent a go here!

Entertainment

Yorkshire has a thriving entertainment industry with Leeds often serving as a thriving filming hub. The likes of Emmerdale, Heartbeat, Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax are filmed and set in Yorkshire. Pudsey Bear was named after the town of Pudsey in Leeds and Harry Crobett, the creator of The Sooty Show was from the Yorkshire town of Shipley. We’re sometimes lucky enough to have film crews out on Park Square. So far we have had multiple episodes of Emmerdale and Gentleman Jack filmed outside and we’ve had Annette Benning and Bill Nighy filming here too!

Literature

The Bronte Family were born in the village of Thornton and later associated with the village of Haworth. The literary family were responsible for the classic novels Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights among many others. The stunning Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby helped inspire Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It’s also widely believed that a carving of a rabbit housed in Mary’s Church, Beverley is the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland’s White Rabbit.

Food & Drink

It’s safe to say that we’re known for our food and drink in Yorkshire. For example, the classic Yorkshire Pudding, you can’t have a Sunday roast without them. Yorkshire is also famous for Liquorice Allsorts, Rhubarb, Henderson’s Relish and Terry’s Chocolate Orange to name a few. Now a major British multinational retailer, Marks and Spencer originated in Leeds Kirkgate Market in 1884. We also have Yorkshire to thank for sparkling water! Joseph Priestley, from Birstall, invented sparkling water by accident when he suspended a bowl of water above a beer vat at a brewery in Leeds. And we can’t mention brewery’s without giving a nod to Yorkshire beer. Tetley’s Brewery was founded in 1822 in Hunslet, Leeds. Although the plant closed in 2011, the former Tetley Brewery Offices have ben taken over by another Yorkshire Brewery powerhouse, Kirkstall Brewery.

Famous Folk

We have a whole host of famous folk born and bred in Yorkshire. We could spend all day listing them, but a few notable figures include Guy Fawkes, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Patrick Stewart, Sean Bean, David Hockney, Michael Palin, Mel B and the Arctic Monkeys to name just a few. Yorkshire was also home to the tallest man ever recorded in Britain!

Innovation

Yorkshire has a long and proud history of innovation. Stainless steel was invented by Harry Brearley in Sheffield in 1913. We also have Matthew Murray to thank for designing and building the first commercially viable steam locomotive, the Salamanca in 1812, right here in Yorkshire. Yorkshireman Sir George Cayley, nicknamed “The Father of Aviation”, developed the world’s first manned, fixed-wing glider in 1853 and is one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics. You can read more about him here. Cat’s eyes, the reflective road studs, were invented in Halifax in 1934 by Percy Shaw.

Landscape

We’re so lucky to have so many beautiful places to visit in Yorkshire. From the bustling historical wonders of York and Whitby, to the sprawling countryside of the Three Peaks and the Yorkshire Dales, there are so many places to explore. Some of our favourite places to visit in Yorkshire are Hebden Bridge, Ribblehead Viaduct, Bolton Abbey and Flamborough Head.

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