History of Yorkshire - Changes in 1974

Changes in 1974

Local government in England was reformed in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972. Under the act, the ridings lost their lieutenancies and shrievalties and the administrative counties, county boroughs and their councils were abolished. The area of Yorkshire was divided between a number of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties:

Some areas of the historic county were transferred to other counties:

• Sedbergh, Dent and the rest of the Sedbergh Rural District was transferred from the West Riding to Cumbria
• Slaidburn and the rest of Bowland Rural District was transferred from the West Riding to Lancashire
• Barnoldswick and other places in West Craven were transferred from the West Riding to Lancashire
• Saddleworth was transferred from the West Riding to Greater Manchester
• Bowes and the rest of Startforth Rural District was transferred from the North Riding to County Durham
• Middlesbrough, Redcar and nearby areas were transferred from the North Riding to Cleveland. The area was returned to Yorkshire in 1996 as part of the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire.
• most of the East Riding was transferred to Humberside. The area became the larger part of the new ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1996.
• Goole and Goole Rural District was transferred from the West Riding to Humberside. The area became part of the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1996.

The remaining areas of the East Riding and the North Riding, the city of York and northern and eastern areas of the West Riding became North Yorkshire.

The remaining areas of the West Riding became the metropolitan counties of South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.