New Homes in Yorkshire

Welcome to Yorkshire

Famed for its beautiful countryside, historic architecture and friendly community, Yorkshire is a county with something for everyone to enjoy. As one of the largest historic counties of England, Yorkshire is also home to many major towns and cities including Sheffield, Leeds, York, Bradford, Kingston upon Hull Halifax and Harrogate. So whether you’re shopping along the cobbled streets of York, rambling through the Yorkshire Dales or exploring the county’s many castles and museums, you’ll have plenty to see and do from your new home in Yorkshire.

A quick history

Like most of England, Yorkshire was part of the Roman Empire from 43 AD until 410 AD. As one of the first places in England that the Vikings invaded in the 9th century, many of the place names in Yorkshire have been influenced by Old Norse, and countless artefacts and even skeletons have since been discovered. After the Norman invasion of Britain, Yorkshire became a place of battle during the infamous War of the Roses, when the House of Lancaster and the House of York were fighting for the throne.

Over the centuries, Yorkshire became an industrial county, and has historically played a big role in manufacturing, especially in the West Ridings during the industrial revolution. The North and East Ridings were better known for agriculture and fishing, while the Leeds and Liverpool Canal - the longest in the country - was at one time a major route for transportation of goods.

Businesses and industry

Traditionally Yorkshire has been a region of shipping, coal, textiles, steel, agriculture and fishing, especially during the early 20th century. Nowadays the region has a diverse range of industries and employment opportunities, from retail to energy, education and tourism.

The largest businesses in Yorkshire include Bradford-based supermarket Morrisons, Asda Group in Leeds, Drax Group in Selby and Total Lindsey Oil Refinery in Immingham. Other major employers in the region include Wilko Retail in Worksop, Boparan Holdings in Wakefield, Arla Foods in Leeds, Persimmon PLC construction in York, and Pace PLC in Shipley. Nisa Retail, Young’s Seafood, Northern Gas Networks, McCain Foods and Hermes Parcelnet are also based in Yorkshire.

Things to do in the area

Yorkshire is well-known for its countryside, from the sprawling Yorkshire Dales National Park to the wild North York Moors. Other places to enjoy the great outdoors include Filey Beach, RSPB Bempton Cliffs, and Malham Cove and Gordale.

The city of York itself has plenty for you to explore, including York Minster, York City Walls and York Cold War Bunker, while other popular attractions include the National Railway Museum, York Bird of Prey Centre, the National Coal Mining Museum, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden in Ripon. For children, Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Diggerland and Lightwater Valley Theme Park are great days out. Other places worth visiting are Selby Abbey, Doncaster Racecourse, Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, and Castle Howard.

Travel and commuting

The A1 is one of the busiest roads in Yorkshire, running from north to south and stretching all the way up to Edinburgh and down to London, while other major A road link towns and cities including Doncaster and Newcastle in the North East. The M62 provides a fast route from Hull to Manchester and Liverpool, while the M1 goes south to London.

As for public transport, the East Coast Main Line train service connects Yorkshire with London and Edinburgh, with a journey from York to London taking just 2 hours 10 minutes on Virgin Trains. The Trans Pennine route connects Hull and Leeds by train, making this a convenient commuter route. There is a ferry service to Holland and Belgium from Hull, while international flights depart to Europe and worldwide from Leeds Bradford Airport and Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield.