The York-class of heavy cruisers was a follow up to the County-class and a response to the need of the Royal Navy to concentrate construction on a larger number of light cruisers. The York-class was therefore smaller and lighter than their predecessors and carried one less twin turret for a total of only six 8-in guns. This was considered the minimum necessary for accurate firing before the advent of radar ranging. Anti-aircraft armament was identical to their predecessors and improved early in the war; additionally, there was an extra pair of torpedo tubes. Armor protection was improved compared to the County-class ships thanks to a thicker belt but was similar elsewhere. In contrast, machinery was identical and thanks to the smaller size could therefore manage a slight increase in speed, to just over 32 knots, and require only two funnels rather than three. Only two ships were built out of a planned seven, and these two had some important structural differences: HMS Exeter had straight funnels, a slightly wider beam, and a redesigned lower bridge. Both ships saw extensive action in the early years of the war but were sunk in 1941-42. The York-class was also the last class of heavy cruisers built for the Royal Navy.

HMS York began service in World War II as a convoy escort and later participated in the Norway campaign and later, in the Mediterranean where it was present during the attack on Taranto. It was latter attacked by Italian motorboats in Suda Bay, Crete and later sunk by German aircraft. The HMS Exeter was one of the three British cruisers that engaged the Admiral Graf Spee in the Battle of the River Plate. It survived despite extensive damage and after a refit, served in the Atlantic and later the Far East where it was sunk by Japanese cruisers in the Java Sea in March 1942.