Yorkshire (inc. York)

Geographically, a large county, where the many disparate parts contribute to the whole. The prosperity of central Yorkshire was built on wool. As the centuries passed, the wool mills helped villages develop into towns, and later into prosperous cities. The profits accrued, contributed to the splendours found in many fine country houses that are such a feature of this region. North Yorkshire is a countryside of high moorlands, limestone hills, steep-sided valleys and plunging waterfalls - the harsh magnificence of Bronte country. In the east of the county lie the Wolds, a broad expanse of lowland, where views stretch for miles over quiet villages and great houses. At the very heart of Yorkshire is its jewel, England's 'eternal city', York.

This is a city of outstanding beauty, with its history recorded in the streets, buildings and museums gathered around its mighty Minster. Within its towering medieval walls, substantial relics of Roman, Viking, Victorian and Edwardian influence jostle each other for attention.