The North Riding of Yorkshire (technically abolished on 1 April 1974) is predominantly a beautiful rural area. It stretches from beyond Hawes in the west, to the River Tees and County Durham in the north, along the coast to south of Scarborough, then through farming country almost to York and up back to the Pennines. It encompasses both the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. Middlesbrough is the only town of real size in the Riding – but it is today considered part of Teeside rather than Yorkshire.