Welcome
The Association of British Counties (ABC) is a society dedicated to promoting awareness of the continuing importance of the 92 historic (or traditional) 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.
Featured Articles
Boost for the historic counties – ‘Cumbria’ is axed!
Moves towards unitary local government in England provide the perfect opportunity to clear up the longstanding confusion between the historic counties and local government, to the advantage of both. Is this opportunity going to be grasped? The latest news about local government changes in the … Continue reading
Caernarfonshire Day – Sun 28th Nov 2021
Caernarfonshire Day is celebrated on 28th November, the date of death of Owain ap Gruffudd (1100 – 1170). In celebration we present a Map of Caernarfonshire and our portrait of the county. Caernarfonshire (Sir Gaernarfon) is a maritime county in north Wales. A large proportion … Continue reading
Bedfordshire Day – Sun 28th Nov 2021
#BedfordshireDay is celebrated on 28th November, the birthday of John Bunyan (b. Elstow 1628). In celebration we present a Map of Bedfordshire and our portrait of the county. Check out the Friends of Bedfordshire Society (also on Twitter and Facebook) for more information about Bedfordshire … Continue reading