From a chocolate orange to the first locomotive, Yorkshire has given the world a whole lot. It’s been at the forefront of some of the biggest discoveries in the world, and hardly anyone knew anything about Yorkshire until our own Sean Bean made the accent famous on a world stage with his portrayal of Ned Stark on a Game of Thrones.
1. Football
Sheffield didn’t only bring us steel, they also brought us the first football club, Sheffield FC. The team formed on 24th October 1857. It should be called ‘The Steel Footy City’.
2. Planes
Before you were jumping on your flight to Spain from Leeds Bradford airport, Cyril Foggin built Blackburn Type D, the oldest flying aeroplane in Britain, back in 1912.
3. Chocolate Orange
The OG of all chocolate oranges, Terry’s, was created at the Nestle factory in York along with Kitkats and Yorkies.
4. Yorkshire Puddings
Yorkshire puddings are the greatest export of Yorkshire’s. Those fluffy clouds of heaven have been pleasing folk since the first recipe was recorded back in 1737.
5. Marks & Spencer
Oh, yes! The supermarket chain has been in the headlines a lot recently because of their Colin the Caterpillar cake, but M&S started its like as a stall on Leeds Market.
6. Dracula
That’s right. If it wasn’t for Whitby’s beautiful Abbey, Bram Stoker would not have had the inspiration for the now-infamous character Dracula. The surrounding area of Whitby is said to have inspired the novelist when he stayed there in 1890.
7. Lighthouses
Yorkshire has been guiding ships in longer than any other county in the UK. The first-ever lighthouse was built in Flamborough in 1669. There is still a lighthouse at Flamborough Head now, but it was built in 1806.
8. Cat’s Eyes
Those things that help you see in the dark in the middle of the road, yeah, those things. Cat’s eyes or road studs, were invented by Yorkshire folk, namely Percy Shaw from Halifax.
9. Sean Bean
The best bastarding actor the world has ever seen. From his roles as Sharpe to his portrayal as Ned Stark in Game of Thrones, Sean Bean has represented Yorkshire proudly throughout his career.
10. Steam Locomotives
Oh, aye. No messing about in Yorkshire. We got this country up and running back in 1790 with the world’s first steam locomotive. Don’t think the inventor Matthew Murray from Leeds would be happy with the state of Northern Rail trains at the minute – do you?
11. Steel
Where would the world be without stainless steel? Nowhere that’s where. And good ol’ Sheffield lad, Harry Brearley discovered it back in 1913, giving Sheffield its name ‘The Steel City’.
12. Beautiful Cheese
There is a range of cheeses that Yorkshire produces that are beautiful, but the most famous one is from the Yorkshire Dales, Wensleydale – favourite of Wallace & Gromit.
Read More: 22 Brilliant Yorkshire Sayings That Would Confuse Non-Yorkshire Folk
