Happy Yorkshire Day! To mark this special day we wanted to share some interesting facts about Yorkshire you may not know!
1. England's (and maybe the worlds) smallest window is in Yorkshire! Situated on Land of Green Ginger in Hull is The George Hotel which dates back to 1683 when it was a coaching inn. A porter would sit watching for coaches/guests to arrive then attend to them on arrival.
2. The unofficial anthem of Yorkshire is the popular folk song On Ilkla Moor Baht ‘at (“On Ilkley Moor without a hat”). The lyrics of which include many features of the Yorkshire dialect, such as the first line "Wheear wor ta bahn when Ah saw thee?" (Where were you going when I saw you), though "Wheear 'ast tha bin sin' Ah saw thee" is the more common version nowadays.
3. Jelly Tots were invented in Yorkshire! Leeds based scientist Brian Boffey accidentally invented the tasty sweet treat in 1967, while trying to create a powdered jelly which would set instantly when added to cold water.
4. The first ever movie was made in Yorkshire! In 1887 Louis Le Prince invented the Single Lens Camera and captured the first moving picture in Leeds Roundhay Garden. His blue plaque can be seen on Leeds Bridge where he filmed Traffic crossing Leeds Bridge in 1888.
5. Englands oldest registered visitor’s attraction to charge a fee can be found in North Yorkshire. Mother Shipton’s Cave and Petrifying Well has been open to visitors since as far back as 1630.
6. The UK's biggest earth quake was in Yorkshire! This happened at Dogger Bank off the East shores of Yorkshire in 1931. The earth quake measured 6.1 on the Richter Scale and no earth quake has come close since!
7. The oldest surviving business and oldest surviving pub in the United Kingdom is in Yorkshire! The Bingley Arms in Leeds, West Yorkshire holds these 2 impressive accolades. Not forgetting this pub was around before England had it's first King!
8. Yorkshire has 800 conservation areas! It hosts the Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, as well as the industrial setting of Saltaire & Salts Mill near Bradford, both of which have been dubbed UNESCO World Heritage Sites. While boasting 116 registered gardens and parks and over 2,600 ancient monuments that are considered to be of national importance.
9. Yorkshire holds the record for the longest bunting! Villagers in Craig Vale village in Calderdale, West Yorkshire created a 7 mile stretch of bunting along the 2014 Tour de France route. Made with tablecloths, curtains and even butcher’s aprons.
10. Sheffield has the highest ratio of trees to people in Europe. With an estimated 4.5 million trees, 250+ public parks and 52 square miles of national park, Sheffield remains one of the greenest cities in the country.