Riding

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the riding as a unit of local government and as an electoral district; for usage of the more common homonym, a form of the verb to ride, see equestrianism and related articles such as riding animal. For the song by Chamillionaire, see Ridin'.

In the British Isles since Anglo-Saxon times, a riding is traditionally a sub-division (especially in three) of a county. The term has similar or analogous meanings in other countries.

The term farthing (from four-thing) is analogous for quarters of a county. Gloucestershire was once divided into Farthings. In Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, the Shire is divided into four Farthings, until the Fourth Age, when a fifth was added.