Welcome
The Association of British Counties (ABC) is a society dedicated to promoting awareness of the continuing importance of the 92 historic counties of the United Kingdom.
The ABC believes that the historic counties are an important part of the culture, geography and heritage of The United Kingdom. The ABC contends that Britain needs a fixed popular geography, one divorced from the ever-changing names and areas of local government but, instead, one rooted in history, public understanding and commonly held notions of community and identity. The ABC, therefore, seeks to fully re-establish the use of the historic counties as the standard popular geographical reference frame of Britain and to further encourage their use as a basis for social, sporting and cultural activities.
More information about what the historic counties are and why they matter can be found in our An introduction to the historic counties factsheet.
Featured Articles
Christmas Gifts for County-lovers
Christmas will be soon upon us and we present a few ideas for Christmas presents for the county-lover in your life. County Flags of England, Wales and Scotland by Jason Saber Over the last 20 years county flags have become a familiar sight in Great … Continue reading
Bedfordshire Day – 28th Nov 2024
Bedfordshire Day is celebrated each year on 28th November, the birthday of John Bunyan. Bedfordshire Day 2024 was another wonderful celebration of the county. Huge thanks are due to our friends at the Friends of Bedfordshire Society and to the many people and organisations which … Continue reading
Lancashire Day – 27th Nov 2024
Lancashire Day is celebrated each year on 27th November. On this day in 1295 the first elected representatives from Lancashire were called to Westminster by King Edward I to attend what later became known as “The Model Parliament”. Lancashire Day is the brainchild of our … Continue reading