Information
on South YorkshireIt was created as a metropolitan county in 1974 the southern part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, as a result of the Local Government Act 1972.
The principal settlements of South Yorkshire are:
Sheffield, an industrial city, with a history dating back, to the Iron Age - England's 4th city and the only one in the county.
Doncaster, a large town, bigger than most cities in England, and traditionally a central hub of the nation's rail network.
Rotherham, an industrial town that lies between Sheffield and Doncaster, on the River Don.
Barnsley, a market town on the river Dearne, and the administrative centre of the county.
Each of these settlements gives its name to a
metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire - the City of
Sheffield, the borough of Doncaster, the borough of Barnsley
and the borough of Rotherham.
In 1986, the metropolitan county councils were abolished,
with control devolving to the boroughs. These metropolitan
districts are now part of the larger region of Yorkshire and
the Humber.
Because Yorkshire as a whole covers some 15,000 sq km, it is
naturally desirable to break the region up into more
manageable localities. While it is true that most
inhabitants of the area who were around before 1974 will
tend to be nostalgic for the old Ridings system, there is
also a sense of independence in the region, if only by
virtue of the shared industries and the shared valley. That
said, this independence is perhaps confined to the Don
Valley area, at the expense of Barnsley (which sits more at
ease with its former West Riding neighbours to the north).
Although the county council was abolished, South Yorkshire
still exists as a ceremonial county - there is a Lord
Lieutenant of South Yorkshire and also a High Sheriff. In
addition there are some governmental functions that are run
at the South Yorkshire level despite the abolition of the
county council, such as police, public transport, and fire &
rescue.