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
Rogues’ Gallery: Scotland’s Worst-Named Councils
The deplorable practice of councils making inappropriate use of historic county names is sadly no less prevalent in Scotland than in England. Here we name and shame the worst offenders. Local government in Scotland is provided by 32 unitary councils which take the style “council” … Continue reading
Government announces new ‘Lancashire and Yorkshire Strategic Authority’
AN EXPIRED APRIL FOOL – but don’t put it past them! English Devolution is proving a mixed-blessing for all who cherish our nation’s historic counties. On the positive side, in 2028 the remaining 1974 “county councils” will be replaced with many small unitary councils, most … Continue reading
Cheshire Day 30th March 2026
Cheshire Day is celebrated each year on 30th March. The date commemorates the day in 1300 when Edward I confirmed a charter of liberties for Cheshire, sometimes dubbed the Magna Carta of Cheshire. In celebration, we present our Seven Wonders of Cheshire. Your browser does not support the … Continue reading