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Wiltshire Day – 5th June

The lockdown has done nothing to dampen the celebration of county days this year. Although celebrations have been restricted to being on social media, the year on year growth in their popularity continues. On 23rd February we celebrated Shropshire Day. In March we celebrated Cornwall … Continue reading

More “county councils” to go – to the huge benefit of our historic counties

Upcoming local government changes continue the trend which will eventually clear-up the confusion in the public mind between the historic counties and local government – to the huge benefit of both. A core aim of ABC is to see a clear line drawn between the … Continue reading

27 February 2020 10 responses

Shropshire Day – Sun 23rd Feb

Shropshire has the privilege of kicking off the county day season for 2020. Sunday 23rd February 2020 is Shropshire Day, a day to celebrate everything we love about this beautiful shire. And there is much to love. The Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, … Continue reading

22 February 2020 one response

Gazetteer Gets An Upgrade

We’ve spent the last few months giving the Gazetteer of British Place Names (http://www.gazetteer.org.uk) a major upgrade. We first published the Gazetteer back in 1997 and it quickly became the standard reference work for the geography of Great Britain. Since then it has been hugely … Continue reading

11 February 2020 23 September 2022 2 responses

Westmorland Day – Sunday 29th September 2019

Sunday 29th September is the day to celebrate everything we love about the beautiful historic county of Westmorland. From Kirkby Lonsdale to Newbiggin, from Ambleside to Kirkby Stephen, from the top of Helvellyn to the waters of Windermere, it is a day to celebrate the … Continue reading

28 September 2019 4 responses

Cumberland Day – Tuesday 24th September 2019

Tuesday 24th September is the day to celebrate everything we love about the magnificent historic county of Cumberland. From Millom to Longtown, from Whitehaven to Penrith, from the top of Scafell Pike to the shores of Derwentwater, it is a day to celebrate the extraordinary … Continue reading

18 September 2019 4 responses

New Government Guidance on Celebrating the Counties

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has issued guidance for councils on Celebrating the Historic Counties of England . This guidance sets out the rationale for the promotion of the historic counties and what local authorities can currently do in relation to placing boundary road … Continue reading

19 July 2019 one response

The Battle for County Cricket is On

As the 2019 cricket season begins, ABC Chairman Peter Boyce reflects on the challenges – and the opportunities – for county cricket.   Cricket is the only mass spectator sport which is based upon our historic counties. Total attendance figures for county cricket in 2018 were … Continue reading

23 April 2019 4 responses

Towns astride county borders

If ever one wanted an example of why the historic counties are not particularly suited to local government, this list of towns astride county boundaries is a case in point. From striking cases such as the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border on Newmarket High Street, to more self-evident … Continue reading

5 February 2017 24 May 2021 12 responses

New marker post on Lancashire / Yorkshire border

The Friends of Real Lancashire, one of our affiliated groups, invite you to attend the unveiling ceremony for a new marker post on 22 March 2015 and say:   Walkers on the Pennine Way near Oldham will from this week know when they are crossing … Continue reading


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