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A society dedicated to celebrating and promoting the 92 historic counties of the United Kingdom and the important part they play in our culture, heritage and geography.

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A tale of three Somersets

Among the many outrages of the Local Government Act 1972 was the naming of “Somerset County Council”. Whilst this local authority does cover a large part of the historic county of Somerset, it does not cover the highly populated north of the county. Nonetheless, for … Continue reading

1 February 2022 one response

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

26 January 2022 22 February 2023 39 responses

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

Lancashire Day – 27th November

#LancashireDay is celebrated 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”. We present our portrait of the county and a Map … Continue reading

27 November 2021 one response

Essex Day – 26th October

Essex Day is celebrated on October 26th, the feast day of St Cedd, bishop of the East Saxons and the county’s patron saint. Cedd founded many churches, among them the Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall at Bradwell-on-Sea, one of the oldest intact Christian churches in England. … Continue reading

Westmorland Day – 29th September

Westmorland Day is celebrated on 29th September. On this day in 1397, Ralph Neville was created the first Earl of Westmorland by Richard II. This date was chosen in a public vote at the Westmorland county show in 2013. Westmorland was one of the last … Continue reading

29 September 2021 start the discussion

Monmouthshire Day – 25th September

Monmouthshire Day is celebrated on September 25th, the feast day of Saint Cadoc. We present our portrait of the county and a Map of Monmouthshire. Monmouthshire is a maritime county in south-east Wales. Monmouthshire was once the heart of the Kingdom of Gwent, then the … Continue reading

25 September 2021 start the discussion

Local government naming that respects the historic counties

The Association of British Counties (ABC) promotes the importance of the historic counties of the UK to our history, heritage and culture. The biggest challenge facing the identities of the historic counties in England is the continued confusion of the historic counties with local government … Continue reading

15 September 2021 23 September 2022 19 responses

Yorkshire Day – 1st August

Yorkshire Day, held annually on 1 August, was created by the Yorkshire Ridings Society in 1975 as a celebration of the county. It has grown to become a huge event, both within the county and for Yorkshire men and women throughout the world. In celebration … Continue reading

31 July 2021 8 responses

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