RICHMONDSHIRE

district, administrative county of North Yorkshire, historic county of Yorkshire, England, centred on the valleys of Swaledale and Wensleydale in the northwestern corner of the county. The upper dales are sparsely populated sheep-rearing country, but, as they open eastward, livestock farming opportunities become greater. Swaledale gives its name to a well-known breed of hardy sheep, and Wensleydale is famous for its cheese, now factory-processed at Hawes. The stone farmhouses and small towns, which include former lead-mining centres such as Hawes and Askrigg, are frequented by tourists. Yorkshire Dales National Park covers a large part of the district. Richmond is the main administrative, tourist, and service centre, although Leyburn in Wensleydale has the largest livestock market. Reeth serves Swaledale as an auxiliary service centre. Area 508 square miles (1,317 square km). Pop. (1998 est.) 49,300.