Ever wondered at signs mentioning the 'West Ridings' or stones at the edge of bridges with a WR marking on them? The story goes back a long way… over 1100 years when Yorkshire’s boundaries were established.
Yorkshire was divided into three ridings, the North, East and West Ridings, plus York. 'Ridings' is from an old Norse word meaning a third (probably ‘thridding’). Each of these areas were then divided into administrative units known as 'wapentakes'. Parts of the Yorkshire Dales were previously in the West Riding (and North Riding higher up in the Dales and over towards the North York Moors), until 1974 when the boundaries changes and the county of North Yorkshire was created.
Many of the old road signs like the one in this photo remain, literally a sign of former times! Another related curiosity you might spot are marker stones fixed at the side of roads by bridges (such as in Kettlewell and Grassington), often bearing the initials W.R. (for West Ridings). Bridges were essential to travellers but not everyone wanted to pay for their upkeep. The marker stones at the side of the bridge show that West Riding council had liability for maintaining it.
Do you have a favourite sign? Or perhaps spotted some of the bridge markers?