The county certainly has a lot to celebrate – from its stunning dales and moors, ancient York and multi-cultural Leeds not to mention its claim to fame as the birthplace of the Chuckle Brothers, Dame Judi Dench and the Yorkshire pudding.

We’ve got plenty of fantastic, and some surprising, Yorkshire heritage stories to share thanks to projects across the county all made possible by National Lottery players!

Here are just five of our favourites:

Nearly half of Britain’s caves are under the Yorkshire Dales

It’s hard to believe now but elephants, rhinos and hippopotamus were once a common sight here. Evidence of them can be found in cave systems which hide a breath-taking record of the Yorkshire Dales’ rich ecosystems, extinct species and even the arrival of modern humans. DigVentures are now on a mission to bring millions of years of history into the 21st century by digitising records and building a network of community curators.

Pudding and parkin is NOT the whole story

Of course the roast dinner staple and the famous ginger cake are a big part of Yorkshire’s culinary heritage but Selby High School’s Let’s Get Cooking and Growing Club is exploring other tasty traditions. From cooking up genuine Yorkshire dishes using time-honoured recipes to visiting local producers to discover their food roots, the group has a lot on its plate as it creates a cookbook telling Yorkshire’s food story.

Sheffield FC is the world’s oldest football club

In fact the town has played a major role in football’s history. Sheffield FC’s insistence that the game be played just with feet (and not hands) was a major influence for the Rule Book of Association Football in 1863 and it was key to another major turning point as the host of the first game broadcast on radio. These were just some of the stories explored by the town’s All Saints Catholic High School.

Huddersfield has a rich reggae heritage

Thanks to its early Jamaican settlers, at one point Huddersfield had over 30 reggae sound systems – groups of DJs, engineers and MCs using turntables, generators and huge speakers. Let’s Go (Yorkshire) are making sure the story of this fascinating cultural legacy is heard with the creation of memory evoking vinyls and interactive exhibitions.

A mobile cricket museum visits events across Yorkshire

The Yorkshire Cricket Foundation has its very own mobile museum dedicated to the beloved sport. Complete with memorabilia, videos, quizzes and the stick cricket challenge it takes the story of Yorkshire’s rich cricketing history to events across the county.

Which part of Yorkshire’s heritage will you be celebrating on the 1 August? Let us know at @HLFYandH using #YorkshireDay.