Is Abingdon REALLY in Oxfordshire? 🤔

Devon Day: celebrating one of England’s great historic counties Devon Day, celebrated on 4 June, honours Devon's heritage and community, reflecting its historic identity and promoting local pride through activities and the county's flag.

Happy Devon Day! Today is the feast of Saint Petroc, a 6th century Celtic saint significant in the county, to whom the Devon flag is dedicated. Though modest in population, Devonshire is one of the largest counties, with an area of 2,405 sq miles.

On This Day in 1525, Bayham Abbey in Sussex became the scene of a remarkable local uprising. After Cardinal Wolsey ordered the abbey’s suppression, more than 100 local men stormed the site - armed, organised, and with their faces painted.

Councils run services. Counties define places. A council may collect your bins, maintain streetlights and process planning applications. Those are important jobs. But councils are administrative organisations. They come and go as governments reorganise local administration.

Is Abingdon in Berkshire? 🤔

Happy Pembrokeshire Day! The flag of Pembrokeshire consists of a yellow cross on a blue field, recalling the cross of St David. In the centre of the cross is Tudor rose, to recall that Henry Tudor, King Henry VII, was born in the county:

Today is Dorset Day! Celebrated on the feast day of Saint Wite, after whom the county flag was originally named. The saint’s origins are unknown but she is understood to have been from west Dorset and worked tirelessly for the community:

You’ve probably been told: “Birkenhead, Atrincham, Whaley Bridge and Tintwistle used to be in Cheshire but aren't anymore.” It sounds true. But it isn’t. Cheshire hasn’t changed - only administration has. So why are we pretending otherwise?

Is Edinburgh in Midlothian? 🤔

You’ve probably been told: “Edinburgh used to be in Midlothian but isn't anymore.” It sounds true. But it isn’t. Midlothian hasn’t changed - only administration has. So why are we pretending otherwise?

You’ve probably been told: “Newcastle upon Tyne used to be in Northumberland but isn't anymore.” It sounds true. But it isn’t. Northumberland hasn’t changed - only administration has. So why are we pretending otherwise?

Is Cumberland a county? 🤔

You’ve probably been told: “County Antrim doesn't exist anymore because Northern Ireland's counties were abolished.” It sounds true. But it isn’t. County Antrim hasn’t changed - only administration has. So why are we pretending otherwise?

Scotland's Historic Counties - Older than the Union.

Every county has a character of its own. What three words best describe yours?

Calling somewhere by its historic county is not nostalgia. It is geographical accuracy.

For centuries, the historic counties have been Britain’s enduring geographic framework. Many administrative systems have come and gone around them. Administration is transient. Counties endure.

Think England’s counties were created by the Normans after 1066? Think again. Most of England’s historic counties were already centuries old by the time William the Conqueror arrived - with origins in ancient kingdoms, shires and territories dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period and earlier.

You’ve probably been told: “These were the counties of England before they were abolished.” It sounds true. But it isn’t. The historic and geographic counties haven’t changed - only local administration has. So why are we pretending otherwise?

Administrative areas can be useful without becoming cultural identities. Historic counties can be meaningful without running public services.

“Who runs this place?” and “Where is this place?” are different questions. Councils answer the first. Counties answer the second. Easy!

Most people assume the “Yorkshire and the Humber” region is simply Yorkshire. It isn’t. The region actually includes parts of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Durham, Westmorland and even Cheshire.

Think of it like layers on a map: • parish • town or city • council area • historic county • lieutenancy • region • nation They can all be true at once - and there's no need for any of them to be excluded. 💡