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

Cumbria Capers !

Of all the local government ‘counties’ created in 1974, is any more disliked than ‘Cumbria‘? The former Cumbria County Council did all it could to destroy the historic identities of Cumberland, Westmorland, the Furness area of Lancashire and and the Sedbergh area of Yorkshire. Our … Continue reading →

Cheshire Day: Seven Wonders of Cheshire

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. Cheshire Landscapes Much … Continue reading →

County Durham Day: Seven Wonders of County Durham

County Durham Day is celebrated each year on 20th March, the feast day of St Cuthbert. In celebration we present our Severn Wonders of County Durham. County Durham’s history was forged by the troubles of the Middle Ages. The county was a county palatine under … Continue reading →