On 16th July 2028, the Rt Hon Steve Reed (Secretary of State of Housing, Communities and Local Government) confirmed that all the remaining 1974 local government "counties" in England will be abolished on 1st April 2028. This final end of the 1974 fake "counties" will be a major boost to the work of the Association of British Counties (ABC). Henceforth, we can promote the real counties as the important geographical and cultural entities that they are, unencumbered by the widespread confusion caused by having local authorities masquerading as "counties".
We will wish a not-so-fond farewell to Cambridgeshire County Council, Essex County Council, Kent County Council, Lancashire County Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Staffordshire County Council, Surrey County Council, Warwickshire County Council and Worcestershire County Council - local authorities which for half a century have shamelessly portrayed themselves as some kind of institutional embodiment of the real counties whose names they so absurdly borrowed.
Each will be abolished, along with the district councils in its area, and replaced by two or more new unitary councils. The new unitary councils will be known just as "councils" and not as "county councils".
These local government changes form part of the Government's longer term plan for devolved government in England. The Government started a process in 2025 to see all of the remaining two-tier areas of local government (county council and district councils) replaced by unitary councils. The announcement of 16th July was that of the final batch of areas to be considered (although decisions were deferred in two areas).
The table below shows the outcome of the process for all two-tier areas in England. In most areas, shadow authorities will be elected in May 2027, fully taking office on 1st April 2028.
Naming the new unitary councils
ABC's concern now is to ensure that none of the new unitary councils repeats the mistake of 1974 and chooses a name which makes inappropriate use of a historic county name.
To be clear, ABC is not opposed to historic county names being used within a council's name, but only if this makes sense geographically. For some of the new councils the use of a historic county name with appropriate qualification would provide the best description of the location and area of that council, e.g. North Staffordshire Council, East Kent Council, Northern Oxfordshire Council etc.
Other councils do not have areas which are sensibly described by reference to a single historic county. In such cases using a historic county name at all can be a contrivance best avoided. For example, ABC has no objection to the proposed name of the new Ridgeway Council which will cover parts of both Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
The process by which the new council names will be determined is potentially quite lengthy. In the 16th July announcements, the Government was not prescriptive about what the new councils would be named. The names in the table above are those put forward in the initial consultations from earlier in the year. They are being quoted by the Government, but being described as "provisional" names at present. The Government needs to decide on a name for each new council to put into the Statutory Instrument which will create the new council. At present it is not clear when and how it is going to decide on those names. In any case, once elected each new shadow authority will be able to change its name from that in the Statutory Instrument.
Nonetheless, given the number and size of the new unitary councils, there is actually little scope for the new councils to make inappropriate use of a historic county name. We can be fairly confident that any doing so will be an exception rather than, as in 1974, the rule.
However, there are some problem areas we need to aware of:
- Our friends in Middlesex Heritage are fighting an ongoing battle to see the current shadow West Surrey Council rename itself to West Surrey and South Middlesex Council. This shadow authority was elected in May 2026 and will take office in April 2027. There is huge support in the Spelthorne area to see 'Middlesex' as part of the council name.
- The biggest source of controversy is likely to be around the names of the unitary councils replacing Lancashire County Council, primarily because two major areas of Yorkshire (Bowland and West Craven) have been in the Lancashire County Council area since 1974. It would be unconscionable for the names of the new councils to continue to portray these areas as being in Lancashire.
- The Government has actually yet to make a decision about the future form of local government in the current Cambridgeshire County Council area. This could yet produce proposals that apply the name Cambridgeshire to Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough area of Northamptonshire.
Below we take a more detailed look at the effect of the local government changes announced on 16th July in those parts of England which have suffered the most from "county confusion" since 1974. In each case we compare the new councils to the historic counties to provide a sanity check on the new council names.
Lancashire County Council / Blackburn with Darwen Council / Blackpool Council
These councils are to be abolished and replaced with four new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
Lancashire County Council was one of the worst named of all of the 1974 local authorities. Despite its name, it excludes the whole urban south of Lancashire where most of the county's people live. It also excludes the Furness and Cartmel peninsulas. It infamously includes the Forest of Bowland and West Craven areas of Yorkshire.
The names of each new unitary council must be chosen so as to properly reflect the location of the new council within Lancashire itself and, where relevant, to give proper respect to the Bowland and West Craven areas of Yorkshire. ABC has major objections to three of the provisional names:
- South Lancashire Council does not lie in the south of Lancashire and would be better named Central Lancashire Council;
- Around 30% of the North Lancashire Council area comprises the Forest of Bowland area of Yorkshire. It would be better named North Lancashire and Bowland Council;
- The Pennine Lancashire Council area includes the West Craven area of Yorkshire. A better name would be East Lancashire and West Craven Council.
Local pressure needs to be brought to bear in these areas to ensure that sensible council names are adopted.
Leicestershire County Council / Leicester City Council / Rutland Council
These councils will be replaced by two new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
As set up in 1974, Leicestershire County Council was infamous in that its area also included Rutland. Rutland Council became a unitary council in 1997.
The current local government reorganisation sees an expanded unitary Leicester City Council with the rest of the Leicestershire County Council and Rutland Council areas becoming the basis for a new unitary council. ABC considers it essential that this later authority has 'and Rutland' within its name. This does seem to be the intention.
Oxfordshire County Council / West Berkshire Council
These councils will be replaced by three new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The current Oxfordshire County Council is infamous for having a wildly inappropriate name, its area including a huge area in the north-west of Berkshire. The new unitary set-up will bring this ridiculous situation to an end after 54 years.
Whilst two of the successor unitary councils do cover parts of both counties, the provisional names (Greater Oxford Council and Ridgeway Council) are sensibly neutral as far as the counties are concerned. The name Northern Oxfordshire Council is entirely reasonable for the third council.
Lincolnshire County Council / North Lincolnshire Council / North East Lincolnshire Council
Lincolnshire County Council and the district councils in its area will be replaced by two new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties. North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council will continue.
The current Lincolnshire County Council, as set up in 1974, has always excluded the northern part of the county. From 1974-1996 this area was under Humberside County Council and has since been under the two unitary councils North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council.
The replacement of Lincolnshire County Council with two unitary councils presents an opportunity to find a less bizarre set of council names in this area. Unfortunately it is hard to see a council choosing to call itself Rural Lincolnshire Council, the provisional name. A better name than this needs to be found. Naming it just Lincolnshire Council should not be an option.
Warwickshire County Council
Warwickshire County Council and the districts councils in its area will be replaced by two new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The current Warwickshire County Council, set up in 1974, has one of the most outrageous of all local government names. Its area excludes the entire populous north-west of the county, including Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield.
The splitting of this council area into two unitary councils and the overwhelming likelihood that these will be called North Warwickshire Council and South Warwickshire Council will finally resolve this issue. When viewed in relation to their place in the historic county as a whole, these names are reasonable.
Worcestershire County Council
Worcestershire County Council and the districts councils in its area will be replaced by two new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The current Worcestershire County Council was set up in 1998 after the abolition of Hereford and Worcester County Council, itself a creation of 1974. The council's name is not ideal since its area excludes the populous north-east of the county.
The provisional unitary council names North Worcestershire Council and South Worcestershire Council are fairly reasonable for the areas they cover. Whilst North Worcestershire Council still doesn't cover the populous north-east of the county, at least these council names are not literally claiming to cover / be the whole county.
Staffordshire County Council / Stoke-on-Trent City Council
These councils will be replaced by two new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The name of Staffordshire County Council has, since 1974, been wholly inappropriate since this council area excludes the populous south-east of Staffordshire, including Wolverhampton, Walsall and West Bromwich.
The provisional new council names North Staffordshire Council and Southern and Mid Staffordshire Council are reasonable for the areas they cover, though the latter council would arguably be better called Mid Staffordshire Council.
Gloucestershire County Council
Gloucestershire County Council and the districts councils in its area will be replaced by a single new unitary council covering the same area as the current county council. This is shown below compared to the historic counties. South Gloucestershire Council will continue.
The current Gloucestershire County Council, as set up in 1974, has always excluded the southern part of the county. From 1974-1996 this area was under Avon County Council and has since been under the two unitary councils: South Gloucestershire Council and Bristol City Council.
This is the only instance in the ongoing reorganisation that a current county council area is being made the basis of a new unitary council. It seem highly likely that the new unitary council will end up being called Gloucestershire Council. The bizarre set-up of having a Gloucestershire Council and an adjacent South Gloucestershire Council could be avoided by calling the new council North and West Gloucestershire Council.
Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council and the district councils in its area will be replaced by four new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The current Hertfordshire County Council, as set up in 1974, has always excluded the High Barnet part of county. It also includes the town of Potters Bar in Middlesex.
Some thought should be given to whether a better name than South West Hertfordshire Council could be found for the new unitary council that includes Potters Bar. Possibilities include Watford and Borehamwood Council or Colne Valley Council.
Kent County Council / Medway Council
These councils will be replaced by four unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The main problem with the name of the 1974 Kent County Council has always been that its area excludes the highly populous part of the county in Greater London, including Bromley, Greenwich and Bexleyheath.
The creation of four unitary councils with compass-point names actually rather lessens the impression that the metropolitan part of Kent is not part of the historic county. Indeed, if one thinks of that area as Metropolitan Kent then it sits alongside the other council areas with no confusion at all.
Lieutenancy Areas
There is still the problem of the so-called "ceremonial counties", that is the counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997. These were based on the newly created local government "counties" in 1974 and have remained largely based on them ever since - even as areas have been removed from county council control and made the basis of unitary councils. But the on-going large-scale local government reorganisation presents the Government with problems in relation to the lieutenancies.
Campaigners in Rutland believe that the Government has already promised to maintain Rutland's "ceremonial status" once it has become part of a larger Leicestershire and Rutland Council. This suggests that the Government is going to create separate Leicestershire and Rutland lieutenancy areas within the Lieutenancies Act 1997. This would be a major change to the current approach of basing lieutenancies in England on current local government areas. At present, Stockton on Tees is the only council area to be split (along the River Tees) for lieutenancy purposes.
The abolition of local government Oxfordshire and the creation of Ridgeway Council and Greater Oxford Council also presents a problem to the Government. The current Oxfordshire and Berkshire lieutenancy areas reflect the 1974 local government areas of these names. The new unitary councils cut across the current local government boundaries. There has been no indication from Government as to how it plans to deal with this. Splitting these councils along the course of the Thames (cf. the Stockton-on-Tees approach) could be on the cards.
To ABC there is an obvious problem. Why should Rutland have its own lord-lieutenant but not Middlesex? Why not Huntingdonshire? Why not Glamorgan? Why not every historic county in Great Britain?
Continuing to base the lieutenancies on what will soon be former local government areas would be anachronistic and absurd. It is long since time that the lieutenancies throughout Great Britain were re-appointed to the historic counties. This move would fully end the last vestiges of "county confusion". We will be repeating our call on the Government to undertake this simple and common-sense measure.
Concluding Remarks - Reclaiming the Counties
The end of the 1974 local government geography is a necessary condition for the real counties to resume their role as the standard geographical and cultural divisions of England. But it is not sufficient in and of itself. The Association of British Counties, the Historic Counties Trust and many other national and local organisations have much more work to do in promoting the existence and importance of the real counties. But the main obstacle to public and media understanding of our message is being removed and we can pursue our aims with renewed vigour and confidence.
The counties need to be on road-signs, on maps, in postal addresses, in geographical databases and major reference sources. Their histories and importance needs to be taught in schools. It is also time for the heritage sector (British Museum, National Trust, English Heritage, Historic England et al.) to acknowledge and promote this important part of our living heritage.
Note that whilst this article is primarily concerned with the situation with regard to the historic counties in England, there are, of course, still issues with the confusion of local government and the historic counties in Scotland and Wales.
The banner photo of a "Welcome to Lancashire" sign as one leaves Blackpool is courtesy of Google Maps.
]]>On 16th July 2028, the Rt Hon Steve Reed (Secretary of State of Housing, Communities and Local Government) confirmed that all the remaining 1974 local government "counties" in England will be abolished on 1st April 2028. This final end of the 1974 fake "counties" will be a major boost to the work of the Association of British Counties (ABC). Henceforth, we can promote the real counties as the important geographical and cultural entities that they are, unencumbered by the widespread confusion caused by having local authorities masquerading as "counties".
We will wish a not-so-fond farewell to Cambridgeshire County Council, Essex County Council, Kent County Council, Lancashire County Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Staffordshire County Council, Surrey County Council, Warwickshire County Council and Worcestershire County Council - local authorities which for half a century have shamelessly portrayed themselves as some kind of institutional embodiment of the real counties whose names they so absurdly borrowed.
Each will be abolished, along with the district councils in its area, and replaced by two or more new unitary councils. The new unitary councils will be known just as "councils" and not as "county councils".
These local government changes form part of the Government's longer term plan for devolved government in England. The Government started a process in 2025 to see all of the remaining two-tier areas of local government (county council and district councils) replaced by unitary councils. The announcement of 16th July was that of the final batch of areas to be considered (although decisions were deferred in two areas).
The table below shows the outcome of the process for all two-tier areas in England. In most areas, shadow authorities will be elected in May 2027, fully taking office on 1st April 2028.
Naming the new unitary councils
ABC's concern now is to ensure that none of the new unitary councils repeats the mistake of 1974 and chooses a name which makes inappropriate use of a historic county name.
To be clear, ABC is not opposed to historic county names being used within a council's name, but only if this makes sense geographically. For some of the new councils the use of a historic county name with appropriate qualification would provide the best description of the location and area of that council, e.g. North Staffordshire Council, East Kent Council, Northern Oxfordshire Council etc.
Other councils do not have areas which are sensibly described by reference to a single historic county. In such cases using a historic county name at all can be a contrivance best avoided. For example, ABC has no objection to the proposed name of the new Ridgeway Council which will cover parts of both Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
The process by which the new council names will be determined is potentially quite lengthy. In the 16th July announcements, the Government was not prescriptive about what the new councils would be named. The names in the table above are those put forward in the initial consultations from earlier in the year. They are being quoted by the Government, but being described as "provisional" names at present. The Government needs to decide on a name for each new council to put into the Statutory Instrument which will create the new council. At present it is not clear when and how it is going to decide on those names. In any case, once elected each new shadow authority will be able to change its name from that in the Statutory Instrument.
Nonetheless, given the number and size of the new unitary councils, there is actually little scope for the new councils to make inappropriate use of a historic county name. We can be fairly confident that any doing so will be an exception rather than, as in 1974, the rule.
However, there are some problem areas we need to aware of:
- Our friends in Middlesex Heritage are fighting an ongoing battle to see the current shadow West Surrey Council rename itself to West Surrey and South Middlesex Council. This shadow authority was elected in May 2026 and will take office in April 2027. There is huge support in the Spelthorne area to see 'Middlesex' as part of the council name.
- The biggest source of controversy is likely to be around the names of the unitary councils replacing Lancashire County Council, primarily because two major areas of Yorkshire (Bowland and West Craven) have been in the Lancashire County Council area since 1974. It would be unconscionable for the names of the new councils to continue to portray these areas as being in Lancashire.
- The Government has actually yet to make a decision about the future form of local government in the current Cambridgeshire County Council area. This could yet produce proposals that apply the name Cambridgeshire to Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough area of Northamptonshire.
Below we take a more detailed look at the effect of the local government changes announced on 16th July in those parts of England which have suffered the most from "county confusion" since 1974. In each case we compare the new councils to the historic counties to provide a sanity check on the new council names.
Lancashire County Council / Blackburn with Darwen Council / Blackpool Council
These councils are to be abolished and replaced with four new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
Lancashire County Council was one of the worst named of all of the 1974 local authorities. Despite its name, it excludes the whole urban south of Lancashire where most of the county's people live. It also excludes the Furness and Cartmel peninsulas. It infamously includes the Forest of Bowland and West Craven areas of Yorkshire.
The names of each new unitary council must be chosen so as to properly reflect the location of the new council within Lancashire itself and, where relevant, to give proper respect to the Bowland and West Craven areas of Yorkshire. ABC has major objections to three of the provisional names:
- South Lancashire Council does not lie in the south of Lancashire and would be better named Central Lancashire Council;
- Around 30% of the North Lancashire Council area comprises the Forest of Bowland area of Yorkshire. It would be better named North Lancashire and Bowland Council;
- The Pennine Lancashire Council area includes the West Craven area of Yorkshire. A better name would be East Lancashire and West Craven Council.
Local pressure needs to be brought to bear in these areas to ensure that sensible council names are adopted.
Leicestershire County Council / Leicester City Council / Rutland Council
These councils will be replaced by two new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
As set up in 1974, Leicestershire County Council was infamous in that its area also included Rutland. Rutland Council became a unitary council in 1997.
The current local government reorganisation sees an expanded unitary Leicester City Council with the rest of the Leicestershire County Council and Rutland Council areas becoming the basis for a new unitary council. ABC considers it essential that this later authority has 'and Rutland' within its name. This does seem to be the intention.
Oxfordshire County Council / West Berkshire Council
These councils will be replaced by three new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The current Oxfordshire County Council is infamous for having a wildly inappropriate name, its area including a huge area in the north-west of Berkshire. The new unitary set-up will bring this ridiculous situation to an end after 54 years.
Whilst two of the successor unitary councils do cover parts of both counties, the provisional names (Greater Oxford Council and Ridgeway Council) are sensibly neutral as far as the counties are concerned. The name Northern Oxfordshire Council is entirely reasonable for the third council.
Lincolnshire County Council / North Lincolnshire Council / North East Lincolnshire Council
Lincolnshire County Council and the district councils in its area will be replaced by two new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties. North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council will continue.
The current Lincolnshire County Council, as set up in 1974, has always excluded the northern part of the county. From 1974-1996 this area was under Humberside County Council and has since been under the two unitary councils North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council.
The replacement of Lincolnshire County Council with two unitary councils presents an opportunity to find a less bizarre set of council names in this area. Unfortunately it is hard to see a council choosing to call itself Rural Lincolnshire Council, the provisional name. A better name than this needs to be found. Naming it just Lincolnshire Council should not be an option.
Warwickshire County Council
Warwickshire County Council and the districts councils in its area will be replaced by two new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The current Warwickshire County Council, set up in 1974, has one of the most outrageous of all local government names. Its area excludes the entire populous north-west of the county, including Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield.
The splitting of this council area into two unitary councils and the overwhelming likelihood that these will be called North Warwickshire Council and South Warwickshire Council will finally resolve this issue. When viewed in relation to their place in the historic county as a whole, these names are reasonable.
Worcestershire County Council
Worcestershire County Council and the districts councils in its area will be replaced by two new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The current Worcestershire County Council was set up in 1998 after the abolition of Hereford and Worcester County Council, itself a creation of 1974. The council's name is not ideal since its area excludes the populous north-east of the county.
The provisional unitary council names North Worcestershire Council and South Worcestershire Council are fairly reasonable for the areas they cover. Whilst North Worcestershire Council still doesn't cover the populous north-east of the county, at least these council names are not literally claiming to cover / be the whole county.
Staffordshire County Council / Stoke-on-Trent City Council
These councils will be replaced by two new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The name of Staffordshire County Council has, since 1974, been wholly inappropriate since this council area excludes the populous south-east of Staffordshire, including Wolverhampton, Walsall and West Bromwich.
The provisional new council names North Staffordshire Council and Southern and Mid Staffordshire Council are reasonable for the areas they cover, though the latter council would arguably be better called Mid Staffordshire Council.
Gloucestershire County Council
Gloucestershire County Council and the districts councils in its area will be replaced by a single new unitary council covering the same area as the current county council. This is shown below compared to the historic counties. South Gloucestershire Council will continue.
The current Gloucestershire County Council, as set up in 1974, has always excluded the southern part of the county. From 1974-1996 this area was under Avon County Council and has since been under the two unitary councils: South Gloucestershire Council and Bristol City Council.
This is the only instance in the ongoing reorganisation that a current county council area is being made the basis of a new unitary council. It seem highly likely that the new unitary council will end up being called Gloucestershire Council. The bizarre set-up of having a Gloucestershire Council and an adjacent South Gloucestershire Council could be avoided by calling the new council North and West Gloucestershire Council.
Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council and the district councils in its area will be replaced by four new unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The current Hertfordshire County Council, as set up in 1974, has always excluded the High Barnet part of county. It also includes the town of Potters Bar in Middlesex.
Some thought should be given to whether a better name than South West Hertfordshire Council could be found for the new unitary council that includes Potters Bar. Possibilities include Watford and Borehamwood Council or Colne Valley Council.
Kent County Council / Medway Council
These councils will be replaced by four unitary councils. These are shown below, along with their provisional names, compared to the historic counties.
The main problem with the name of the 1974 Kent County Council has always been that its area excludes the highly populous part of the county in Greater London, including Bromley, Greenwich and Bexleyheath.
The creation of four unitary councils with compass-point names actually rather lessens the impression that the metropolitan part of Kent is not part of the historic county. Indeed, if one thinks of that area as Metropolitan Kent then it sits alongside the other council areas with no confusion at all.
Lieutenancy Areas
There is still the problem of the so-called "ceremonial counties", that is the counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997. These were based on the newly created local government "counties" in 1974 and have remained largely based on them ever since - even as areas have been removed from county council control and made the basis of unitary councils. But the on-going large-scale local government reorganisation presents the Government with problems in relation to the lieutenancies.
Campaigners in Rutland believe that the Government has already promised to maintain Rutland's "ceremonial status" once it has become part of a larger Leicestershire and Rutland Council. This suggests that the Government is going to create separate Leicestershire and Rutland lieutenancy areas within the Lieutenancies Act 1997. This would be a major change to the current approach of basing lieutenancies in England on current local government areas. At present, Stockton on Tees is the only council area to be split (along the River Tees) for lieutenancy purposes.
The abolition of local government Oxfordshire and the creation of Ridgeway Council and Greater Oxford Council also presents a problem to the Government. The current Oxfordshire and Berkshire lieutenancy areas reflect the 1974 local government areas of these names. The new unitary councils cut across the current local government boundaries. There has been no indication from Government as to how it plans to deal with this. Splitting these councils along the course of the Thames (cf. the Stockton-on-Tees approach) could be on the cards.
To ABC there is an obvious problem. Why should Rutland have its own lord-lieutenant but not Middlesex? Why not Huntingdonshire? Why not Glamorgan? Why not every historic county in Great Britain?
Continuing to base the lieutenancies on what will soon be former local government areas would be anachronistic and absurd. It is long since time that the lieutenancies throughout Great Britain were re-appointed to the historic counties. This move would fully end the last vestiges of "county confusion". We will be repeating our call on the Government to undertake this simple and common-sense measure.
Concluding Remarks - Reclaiming the Counties
The end of the 1974 local government geography is a necessary condition for the real counties to resume their role as the standard geographical and cultural divisions of England. But it is not sufficient in and of itself. The Association of British Counties, the Historic Counties Trust and many other national and local organisations have much more work to do in promoting the existence and importance of the real counties. But the main obstacle to public and media understanding of our message is being removed and we can pursue our aims with renewed vigour and confidence.
The counties need to be on road-signs, on maps, in postal addresses, in geographical databases and major reference sources. Their histories and importance needs to be taught in schools. It is also time for the heritage sector (British Museum, National Trust, English Heritage, Historic England et al.) to acknowledge and promote this important part of our living heritage.
Note that whilst this article is primarily concerned with the situation with regard to the historic counties in England, there are, of course, still issues with the confusion of local government and the historic counties in Scotland and Wales.
The banner photo of a "Welcome to Lancashire" sign as one leaves Blackpool is courtesy of Google Maps.
]]>County Days come thick and fast at this time of the year. We present some highlights from the most recent.
Sussex Day - Tuesday 16th June 2026
Sussex Day is celebrated on 16th June, the feast day of St Richard of Chichester, the county’s patron saint. This has become a huge annual event, one of the largest and most joyful of all county day celebrations. 2026 has been the biggest yet.
Huge thanks and congratulations are due to our friends at Sussex Flag. You can see many more posts from the Sussex Day 2026 celebrations on their Facebook page.
Wiltshire Day - Friday 5th June 2026
Wiltshire Day is celebrated on 5th June each year, the date the county flag was first flown in 2007.
Devon Day - Thursday 4th June 2026
Devon Day is celebrated on 4th June, the feast day of St Petroc.
Dorset Day and Pembrokeshire Day - Monday 1st June 2026
Dorset Day is celebrated on 1st June – the feast day of Saint Wite. Pembrokeshire Day is celebrated on the same day.
Kent Day - Tuesday 26th May 2026
Kent Day is celebrated on 26th May, the feast day of St Augustine.
County Days come thick and fast at this time of the year. We present some highlights from the most recent.
Sussex Day - Tuesday 16th June 2026
Sussex Day is celebrated on 16th June, the feast day of St Richard of Chichester, the county’s patron saint. This has become a huge annual event, one of the largest and most joyful of all county day celebrations. 2026 has been the biggest yet.
Huge thanks and congratulations are due to our friends at Sussex Flag. You can see many more posts from the Sussex Day 2026 celebrations on their Facebook page.
Wiltshire Day - Friday 5th June 2026
Wiltshire Day is celebrated on 5th June each year, the date the county flag was first flown in 2007.
Devon Day - Thursday 4th June 2026
Devon Day is celebrated on 4th June, the feast day of St Petroc.
Dorset Day and Pembrokeshire Day - Monday 1st June 2026
Dorset Day is celebrated on 1st June – the feast day of Saint Wite. Pembrokeshire Day is celebrated on the same day.
Kent Day - Tuesday 26th May 2026
Kent Day is celebrated on 26th May, the feast day of St Augustine.
Six crossing of the River Tees have been marked by new road signs showing the border between County Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire. Two further signs mark the Yorkshire - Westmorland border at Ley Seat Edge. This project was instigated by the Yorkshire Ridings Society, paid for by the Historic Counties Trust and undertaken by Durham County Council. All three are to be heartily thanked and congratulated.
An unveiling ceremony was performed on Monday 15th June 2026 at the new border signs at Egglestone Abbey Bridge. Councillor Robbie Rodiss, Chairman of Durham County Council, unveiled the signs and spoke about the importance of our history and heritage to our sense of belonging and continuity. Also present were Higher Teesdale councillor Richard Bell, former ceremonial mayor of Stockton-on-Tees Council Ross Patterson, and representatives from the Historic Counties Trust and the Yorkshire Ridings Society.
Peter Boyce of the Historic Counties Trust said, “Could one even imagine our country without Yorkshire and County Durham? Not just beloved by the people who call them home, but by all Britons. We are very grateful to Durham County Council for marking the ancient border between them and to Councillor Rodiss for unveiling the new signs at Egglestone Abbey Bridge”.
Nigel Wilkin of the Yorkshire Ridings Society said, “The River Tees has marked the border between County Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire for over a thousand years. Despite the indelible place of our two great counties in our history and our hearts, this border has not been properly marked for over 50 years. We are overjoyed to see this omission rectified.”
Peter Boyce continued, “We also wish to warmly thank Councillor Ross Patterson. During his year as the ceremonial mayor of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Ross raised over £14,000 for the erection of historic county roads signs and kindly donated that money to the Historic Counties Trust. Some of that money has funded these signs.”
At Councillor Patterson's suggestion, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council has erected North Riding of Yorkshire / County Durham signs at most crossings of the River Tees in its area.
As of Tues 16th June 2026 the border signs at Ley Seat Edge, Winston Bridge, Egglestone Abbey Bridge and Eggleston Bridge are in place. The signs at County Bridge (Castle Barnard/Startforth) and at Middleton Bridge will be installed in the next two weeks. The sign at Whorlton Suspension Bridge will be installed prior to the reopening of the bridge following major restoration work.
Due to a misunderstanding, the ceremony had to be moved at short notice from County Bridge in Barnard Castle to Egglestone Abbey Bridge. The sign at County Bridge could not be installed in time for the ceremony. We would like to apologise to anyone inconvenienced by this.
The border road signs in Teesdale are part of a larger project to see all Yorkshire riding borders marked and also to extend historic county border markings to other counties, as funds and cooperative local authorities allow.
The banner image shows the North Riding of Yorkshire sign at Ley Seat Edge.
]]>Six crossing of the River Tees have been marked by new road signs showing the border between County Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire. Two further signs mark the Yorkshire - Westmorland border at Ley Seat Edge. This project was instigated by the Yorkshire Ridings Society, paid for by the Historic Counties Trust and undertaken by Durham County Council. All three are to be heartily thanked and congratulated.
An unveiling ceremony was performed on Monday 15th June 2026 at the new border signs at Egglestone Abbey Bridge. Councillor Robbie Rodiss, Chairman of Durham County Council, unveiled the signs and spoke about the importance of our history and heritage to our sense of belonging and continuity. Also present were Higher Teesdale councillor Richard Bell, former ceremonial mayor of Stockton-on-Tees Council Ross Patterson, and representatives from the Historic Counties Trust and the Yorkshire Ridings Society.
Peter Boyce of the Historic Counties Trust said, “Could one even imagine our country without Yorkshire and County Durham? Not just beloved by the people who call them home, but by all Britons. We are very grateful to Durham County Council for marking the ancient border between them and to Councillor Rodiss for unveiling the new signs at Egglestone Abbey Bridge”.
Nigel Wilkin of the Yorkshire Ridings Society said, “The River Tees has marked the border between County Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire for over a thousand years. Despite the indelible place of our two great counties in our history and our hearts, this border has not been properly marked for over 50 years. We are overjoyed to see this omission rectified.”
Peter Boyce continued, “We also wish to warmly thank Councillor Ross Patterson. During his year as the ceremonial mayor of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Ross raised over £14,000 for the erection of historic county roads signs and kindly donated that money to the Historic Counties Trust. Some of that money has funded these signs.”
At Councillor Patterson's suggestion, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council has erected North Riding of Yorkshire / County Durham signs at most crossings of the River Tees in its area.
As of Tues 16th June 2026 the border signs at Ley Seat Edge, Winston Bridge, Egglestone Abbey Bridge and Eggleston Bridge are in place. The signs at County Bridge (Castle Barnard/Startforth) and at Middleton Bridge will be installed in the next two weeks. The sign at Whorlton Suspension Bridge will be installed prior to the reopening of the bridge following major restoration work.
Due to a misunderstanding, the ceremony had to be moved at short notice from County Bridge in Barnard Castle to Egglestone Abbey Bridge. The sign at County Bridge could not be installed in time for the ceremony. We would like to apologise to anyone inconvenienced by this.
The border road signs in Teesdale are part of a larger project to see all Yorkshire riding borders marked and also to extend historic county border markings to other counties, as funds and cooperative local authorities allow.
The banner image shows the North Riding of Yorkshire sign at Ley Seat Edge.
]]>Dust off your three seaxes and raise a glass to community, heritage and identity - for today, Saturday 16th May 2026, is Middlesex Day. The date commemorates the actions of the 57th (West Middlesex Regiment) at the Battle of Albuera (1811) during the Peninsula War - the origin of the phrase "Die Hard".
It proved to be a spectacular day across the county. As ever, huge credit to our friends at Middlesex Heritage for making it all happen. We present some highlights below.
Thanks also to the Daily Telegraph for this excellent article The secrets of Middlesex, the county that London tried to kill which covers Huntingdonshire and Cumberland too along the way!
Dust off your three seaxes and raise a glass to community, heritage and identity - for today, Saturday 16th May 2026, is Middlesex Day. The date commemorates the actions of the 57th (West Middlesex Regiment) at the Battle of Albuera (1811) during the Peninsula War - the origin of the phrase "Die Hard".
It proved to be a spectacular day across the county. As ever, huge credit to our friends at Middlesex Heritage for making it all happen. We present some highlights below.
Thanks also to the Daily Telegraph for this excellent article The secrets of Middlesex, the county that London tried to kill which covers Huntingdonshire and Cumberland too along the way!
The weekend of 9-10th May 2026 saw two county day celebrations. Our friends at Passion for Somerset have made Somerset Day one of the biggest county days in the country. This year the celebrations took place over the whole weekend of 9-10th May and on the day itself, Mon 11th May. Surrey Day was also well celebrated on Saturday 9th May 2026. We present highlights of both days.
Flags are already going up and preparations being finalised for Middlesex Day on Sat 16th May 2026.
The weekend of 9-10th May 2026 saw two county day celebrations. Our friends at Passion for Somerset have made Somerset Day one of the biggest county days in the country. This year the celebrations took place over the whole weekend of 9-10th May and on the day itself, Mon 11th May. Surrey Day was also well celebrated on Saturday 9th May 2026. We present highlights of both days.
Flags are already going up and preparations being finalised for Middlesex Day on Sat 16th May 2026.
There's a whole lot happening in the traditional county movement at the moment, from the upcoming abolition of the last of the 1974 "county councils", to the erection of new historic county border signs and much else besides. We present a roundup of the latest news.
It's The End of Local Government As We Know It...
Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, recently announced the outcome of the Government's deliberations on the structure of unitary councils which will replace Hampshire County Council, Essex County Council, Norfolk County Council and Suffolk County Council from April 2028.
- Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea Council and Thurrock Council will be replaced by 5 unitary councils to be named West Essex Council, North East Essex Council, Mid Essex Council, South West Essex Council and South East Essex Council. Map.
- Suffolk County Council will be replaced by 3 unitary councils to be named Western Suffolk Council, Eastern and Central Suffolk Council and Ipswich and South Suffolk Council. Map.
- Norfolk County Council will be replaced by 3 unitary councils to be named Great Norwich City Council, East Norfolk Council and West Norfolk Council. Map.
- Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council will be replaced by 4 unitary councils to be named North Hampshire Council, Mid Hampshire Council, South-West Hampshire Council and South-East Hampshire Council. Isle of Wight Council will continue. Map.
The Association of British Counties (ABC) welcomes these decisions in two key regards:
- that each of the new councils is to be called "Council" and not "County Council";
- that none of the new councils makes unqualified, inappropriate use of a historic county name.
This ending of local government entities being portrayed and promoted as "counties" cannot come soon enough as far as ABC is concerned. It will be a massive help in our task of promoting the real counties.
We might quibble as to whether South West Essex Council and South-West Hampshire Council are accurate in a geographical sense, but such names will not undermine the identities of the real Essex and Hampshire to anything like the extent that the names Essex County Council and Hampshire County Council have. Ultimately, the new councils themselves will be able to change the names initially given them by the Government.
The Government will be announcing the unitary structures to replace the remaining county councils in the summer. All of the new councils will have shadow authorities elected in May 2027 and will take office on 1st April 2028.
Mr Reed appears to have a preference for smaller councils. This gives us hope that even those smaller county councils which grossly misuse a real county name (notably Oxfordshire County Council and Warwickshire County Council) may not be made the basis of single unitary councils.
The Government's stated intention is to deal with "ceremonial matters that need specific provision, such as Lord Lieutenants or Charter Trustees" via a Statutory Instrument in time for the local government changes of 1st April 2028. This means it can avoid publicly dealing with such issues for some considerable time yet. Our views on what it should do with the lieutenancies are discussed in our factsheet The lieutenancies of England and their relationship to the historic counties.
Proposing 'West Surrey and South Middlesex Council'
Surrey County Council will actually be abolished in April 2027, a year earlier than the other county councils. It is being replaced by two unitary councils, provisionally called West Surrey Council and East Surrey Council. Our friends in Middlesex have been fighting a magnificent campaign which is Proposing the name 'West Surrey and South Middlesex Council', to properly reflect the Middlesex identity of the sizeable Spelthorne area.
The power to change the name will lie with the new shadow authority once it is elected on May 7th 2026. The idea has significant local political support, including from Spelthorne MP Lincoln Jopp and from councillors and candidates across the political spectrum. Whatever the make-up of the new council, the case for a change of name will be made loudly both inside and outside the council. Watch this space...
YouTuber Tom Scott explores the counties of England
Prominent Youtuber Tom Scott has embarked on a road trip to every county of England, visiting infrastructure, traditions, and a surprising number of bells. And the good news is that Tom is visiting each of the real counties - and each of the ridings of Yorkshire. Tom's videos regularly get several million views. Tom's project is both fantastic publicity for our counties and also a measure of how far we have come in re-establishing the counties as our nation's standard geography. Tom has been kind enough to name-check the Historic Counties Trust's Historic Counties Border Project. You can follow Tom's journey and check out his videos on England: The Map.
Somerset Day 2026 - Naming the Somerset Dragon
Our friends at Passion for Somerset are hard at work preparing for the celebration of Somerset Day 2026. The celebration will take place over the whole weekend of 9th and 10th May and on the day itself, Mon 11th May 2026.
At the heart of this year’s celebrations is The Journey of the Somerset Dragon, a county-wide storytelling tour running throughout April and May. The Dragon has been traveling across Somerset, appearing in Wells, Minehead, Evercreech, Weston-super-Mare, Sparkford, Watchet, Street, Somerton, Nailsea and more, bringing families together for live interactive readings of The Tail of the Somerset Dragon and celebrations at each stop.
BBC Somerset has been running a Name the Somerset Dragon Competition, the result to be announced on Somerset Day itself. The shortlisted names are Dunkery, Skittles, Kingston and Spitfire. The whole idea of having a county mascot is proving an effective way to promote the county, especially to children, and could certainly be extended to other counties.
Among the many other events planned are An Evening of Poetry with Mark Freestone and Valerie Singleton OBE at the Old Town Hall in Somerton; the Somerset Day Pilgrimage Walk across the Levels in the footsteps of King Alfred; Somerset Cycle 2026 honouring the county’s natural beauty and resilience by riding its rolling hills, quiet lanes and sweeping views; Party in the Park at Blenheim Gardens; and the Grand Opening of Maidenbrook Country Park featuring live music and finishing with the lighting of the beacon and fireworks.
Middlesex Day Fair in Ashford - Sat 16th May 2026
Our friends at Middlesex Heritage are busy preparing for Middlesex Day on Saturday 16th May. We are delighted to report that this year Ashford Revive are to hold their first ever Middlesex Day County Fair on May 16th from 11am-4pm, 3rd Ashford Scouts Hall. It promises to be a fun event. Get along if you are in the area.
The Great Glamorgan Way
Marking our counties on footpaths, cycleways, bridleways and canal banks is just as important as marking them on highways. ABC is delighted to see the creation of The Great Glamorgan Way, a new network of 26 connected cycleways and bridleways that cover over 260 miles across the eastern and central parts of Glamorgan.
The Great Glamorgan Way is a joint project between Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cardiff Council, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, Merthyr Tydfil Council and Bridgend Council and funded by the UK Government. Existing routes have been restored, new routes created and consistent Great Glamorgan Way signing installed.
Despite some unfortunate county confusion on the project website, this project will do much to promote the name and identity of Glamorgan. We would love to see this project extended to the western part of Glamorgan and to see a similar project for the county's footpaths and canal paths. And, of course, to see similar initiatives in other counties.
Lancashire rose added to more village signs
Bolton Council is to be applauded for agreeing to include the red rose on two further village signs in its area, for Egerton and Bromley Cross. The signs are similar to those recently installed on roads into Horwich, Farnworth and Kearsley - featuring each town's crest and the red rose. More on this story from the Bolton News. The inclusion of an appropriate county symbol or county flag on village and town signs is a terrific idea that could be used throughout the country.
County Days in April 2026
County days start coming thick and fast as we get into spring and summer. This year Huntingdonshire Day, Warwickshire Day and Staffordshire Day were far bigger celebrations than previously. Warwickshire Day, in particular, seems to be benefiting from the ever increasing celebration of St George's Day.
Coming Soon ... County Border Signs in Teesdale
We are pleased to announce that road signs marking the Yorkshire / County Durham border along the River Tees in Upper Teesdale will be installed over the summer. This is a joint project between the Yorkshire Ridings Society and the Historic Counties Trust, with especial thanks due to Durham County Council. The signs are part of a wider project to see all Yorkshire and riding borders properly marked. An unveiling ceremony is planned at County Bridge in Barnard Castle. More details to follow...
The Wall Map of the Historic Counties of the United Kingdom featured in the article banner is available from Stanfords for £9.99 + P&P.
]]>There's a whole lot happening in the traditional county movement at the moment, from the upcoming abolition of the last of the 1974 "county councils", to the erection of new historic county border signs and much else besides. We present a roundup of the latest news.
It's The End of Local Government As We Know It...
Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, recently announced the outcome of the Government's deliberations on the structure of unitary councils which will replace Hampshire County Council, Essex County Council, Norfolk County Council and Suffolk County Council from April 2028.
- Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea Council and Thurrock Council will be replaced by 5 unitary councils to be named West Essex Council, North East Essex Council, Mid Essex Council, South West Essex Council and South East Essex Council. Map.
- Suffolk County Council will be replaced by 3 unitary councils to be named Western Suffolk Council, Eastern and Central Suffolk Council and Ipswich and South Suffolk Council. Map.
- Norfolk County Council will be replaced by 3 unitary councils to be named Great Norwich City Council, East Norfolk Council and West Norfolk Council. Map.
- Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council will be replaced by 4 unitary councils to be named North Hampshire Council, Mid Hampshire Council, South-West Hampshire Council and South-East Hampshire Council. Isle of Wight Council will continue. Map.
The Association of British Counties (ABC) welcomes these decisions in two key regards:
- that each of the new councils is to be called "Council" and not "County Council";
- that none of the new councils makes unqualified, inappropriate use of a historic county name.
This ending of local government entities being portrayed and promoted as "counties" cannot come soon enough as far as ABC is concerned. It will be a massive help in our task of promoting the real counties.
We might quibble as to whether South West Essex Council and South-West Hampshire Council are accurate in a geographical sense, but such names will not undermine the identities of the real Essex and Hampshire to anything like the extent that the names Essex County Council and Hampshire County Council have. Ultimately, the new councils themselves will be able to change the names initially given them by the Government.
The Government will be announcing the unitary structures to replace the remaining county councils in the summer. All of the new councils will have shadow authorities elected in May 2027 and will take office on 1st April 2028.
Mr Reed appears to have a preference for smaller councils. This gives us hope that even those smaller county councils which grossly misuse a real county name (notably Oxfordshire County Council and Warwickshire County Council) may not be made the basis of single unitary councils.
The Government's stated intention is to deal with "ceremonial matters that need specific provision, such as Lord Lieutenants or Charter Trustees" via a Statutory Instrument in time for the local government changes of 1st April 2028. This means it can avoid publicly dealing with such issues for some considerable time yet. Our views on what it should do with the lieutenancies are discussed in our factsheet The lieutenancies of England and their relationship to the historic counties.
Proposing 'West Surrey and South Middlesex Council'
Surrey County Council will actually be abolished in April 2027, a year earlier than the other county councils. It is being replaced by two unitary councils, provisionally called West Surrey Council and East Surrey Council. Our friends in Middlesex have been fighting a magnificent campaign which is Proposing the name 'West Surrey and South Middlesex Council', to properly reflect the Middlesex identity of the sizeable Spelthorne area.
The power to change the name will lie with the new shadow authority once it is elected on May 7th 2026. The idea has significant local political support, including from Spelthorne MP Lincoln Jopp and from councillors and candidates across the political spectrum. Whatever the make-up of the new council, the case for a change of name will be made loudly both inside and outside the council. Watch this space...
YouTuber Tom Scott explores the counties of England
Prominent Youtuber Tom Scott has embarked on a road trip to every county of England, visiting infrastructure, traditions, and a surprising number of bells. And the good news is that Tom is visiting each of the real counties - and each of the ridings of Yorkshire. Tom's videos regularly get several million views. Tom's project is both fantastic publicity for our counties and also a measure of how far we have come in re-establishing the counties as our nation's standard geography. Tom has been kind enough to name-check the Historic Counties Trust's Historic Counties Border Project. You can follow Tom's journey and check out his videos on England: The Map.
Somerset Day 2026 - Naming the Somerset Dragon
Our friends at Passion for Somerset are hard at work preparing for the celebration of Somerset Day 2026. The celebration will take place over the whole weekend of 9th and 10th May and on the day itself, Mon 11th May 2026.
At the heart of this year’s celebrations is The Journey of the Somerset Dragon, a county-wide storytelling tour running throughout April and May. The Dragon has been traveling across Somerset, appearing in Wells, Minehead, Evercreech, Weston-super-Mare, Sparkford, Watchet, Street, Somerton, Nailsea and more, bringing families together for live interactive readings of The Tail of the Somerset Dragon and celebrations at each stop.
BBC Somerset has been running a Name the Somerset Dragon Competition, the result to be announced on Somerset Day itself. The shortlisted names are Dunkery, Skittles, Kingston and Spitfire. The whole idea of having a county mascot is proving an effective way to promote the county, especially to children, and could certainly be extended to other counties.
Among the many other events planned are An Evening of Poetry with Mark Freestone and Valerie Singleton OBE at the Old Town Hall in Somerton; the Somerset Day Pilgrimage Walk across the Levels in the footsteps of King Alfred; Somerset Cycle 2026 honouring the county’s natural beauty and resilience by riding its rolling hills, quiet lanes and sweeping views; Party in the Park at Blenheim Gardens; and the Grand Opening of Maidenbrook Country Park featuring live music and finishing with the lighting of the beacon and fireworks.
Middlesex Day Fair in Ashford - Sat 16th May 2026
Our friends at Middlesex Heritage are busy preparing for Middlesex Day on Saturday 16th May. We are delighted to report that this year Ashford Revive are to hold their first ever Middlesex Day County Fair on May 16th from 11am-4pm, 3rd Ashford Scouts Hall. It promises to be a fun event. Get along if you are in the area.
The Great Glamorgan Way
Marking our counties on footpaths, cycleways, bridleways and canal banks is just as important as marking them on highways. ABC is delighted to see the creation of The Great Glamorgan Way, a new network of 26 connected cycleways and bridleways that cover over 260 miles across the eastern and central parts of Glamorgan.
The Great Glamorgan Way is a joint project between Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cardiff Council, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, Merthyr Tydfil Council and Bridgend Council and funded by the UK Government. Existing routes have been restored, new routes created and consistent Great Glamorgan Way signing installed.
Despite some unfortunate county confusion on the project website, this project will do much to promote the name and identity of Glamorgan. We would love to see this project extended to the western part of Glamorgan and to see a similar project for the county's footpaths and canal paths. And, of course, to see similar initiatives in other counties.
Lancashire rose added to more village signs
Bolton Council is to be applauded for agreeing to include the red rose on two further village signs in its area, for Egerton and Bromley Cross. The signs are similar to those recently installed on roads into Horwich, Farnworth and Kearsley - featuring each town's crest and the red rose. More on this story from the Bolton News. The inclusion of an appropriate county symbol or county flag on village and town signs is a terrific idea that could be used throughout the country.
County Days in April 2026
County days start coming thick and fast as we get into spring and summer. This year Huntingdonshire Day, Warwickshire Day and Staffordshire Day were far bigger celebrations than previously. Warwickshire Day, in particular, seems to be benefiting from the ever increasing celebration of St George's Day.
Coming Soon ... County Border Signs in Teesdale
We are pleased to announce that road signs marking the Yorkshire / County Durham border along the River Tees in Upper Teesdale will be installed over the summer. This is a joint project between the Yorkshire Ridings Society and the Historic Counties Trust, with especial thanks due to Durham County Council. The signs are part of a wider project to see all Yorkshire and riding borders properly marked. An unveiling ceremony is planned at County Bridge in Barnard Castle. More details to follow...
The Wall Map of the Historic Counties of the United Kingdom featured in the article banner is available from Stanfords for £9.99 + P&P.
]]>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" rather than "county council” and whose areas are known as "council areas". From 2028, local government throughout England will have a similar set-up. This ending of the use of the word "county" within local government parlance is essential if the public are to fully understand the difference in kind between local government and our historic counties.
But the end of the “county council” will not be enough on its own to fully end the problem of "county confusion". It is also essential that local authorities cease to make inappropriate use of historic county names. For some councils the use of a historic county name with appropriate qualification may provide the best description of the location and area of that council, e.g. as in the current South Ayrshire Council. Other councils do not have areas which are sensibly described by reference to a historic county. For these, a county name should not be used, e.g. as in the current Highland Council.
The Rogues' Gallery
When Grampian Region (1974-1996) was abolished it was replaced with three unitray councils: Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Moray Council.
- Aberdeenshire Council does cover most of Aberdeenshire, excluding Aberdeen itself, but it also covers almost the whole of Kincardineshire and a large piece of coastal Banffshire. When a council uses a historic county name but actually covers a large part of a different historic county, this has a terrible effect on public understanding of the historic counties concerned. Our friends in the Kincardineshire Association can bear witness to this. The name "East Grampian Council" may be contrived but it would avoid this county confusion.
- Moray Council does not cover all of Morayshire but does cover around 70% of Banffshire. One might just about take the name "Moray" to refer to the much larger mediæval Province of Moray, but this name does significantly obscure and undermine the identity of Banffshire. The name "West Grampian Council" would avoid the county confusion.
East Dunbartonshire Council was created in 1996 from the abolished districts of Bearsden & Milngavie and Strathkelvin. Its area doesn't bear even a passing resemblance to the eastern portion of Dunbartonshire. Three-quarters of its area is in Stirlingshire and a sizeable part is in Lanarkshire.
Around two-thirds of North Lanarkshire Council‘s area does actually lie in Lanarkshire. But it also includes a large and populous part of the eastern portion of Dunbartonshire, including Cumbernauld, along with a sizeable part of Stirlingshire around Kilsyth.
Renfrewshire Council‘s area covers only the central third of Renfrewshire. It was created in 1996 based on the former district of Renfrew. It sits between East Renfrewshire Council and Inverclyde Council. Either "Central Renfrewshire Council" or "Renfrew Council" would be sensible names.
Whilst the City of Edinburgh covers sizeable parts of West Lothian and Midlothian, this is no excuse for the absurd names born by West Lothian Council and Midlothian Council.
- Almost half of West Lothian Council‘s area actually lies in Midlothian;
- Midlothian Council‘s area only occupies around one-third of the county whose name it borrows.
The lieutenancies of Scotland and the historic counties
It is sometimes thought that the lieutenancy areas in Scotland are more closely aligned to the real counties than are those of England and Wales. This is not actually the case.
In fact, most of the lieutenancy areas of Scotland are defined as a combination of pre-1996 local government districts. Many have been given the name of the historic county to which they are most similar in area. Whilst a majority of the 35 lieutenancies do bear an historic county name, only 15 of them have an area reasonably close to that historic county. See our Factsheet The Lieutenancies of Scotland and their relationship to the historic counties for full details.
There are, however, two important lessons we can learn from the set-up of the lieutenancies of Scotland. The first is that there is no practical reason why a lieutenancy area has to be related to a present-day local government areas and, indeed, no reason at all why it cannot be based on a historic county. Though some lieutenancy offices are based in council offices, they are not local government posts. Some lieutenancies are based within a local solicitor’s office.
The second is that lieutenancy areas do not need to referred to in legislation as "counties". Whilst the Lieutenancies Act 1997 refers to lieutenancies in England and Wales as “counties”, it refers to those in Scotland as “areas”. Referring to the lieutenancies as “areas” throughout Great Britain would clarify the administrative nature of these areas and put an end to the whole tiresome notion of the “ceremonial county“. This would not prevent the appointment of the lord-lieutenants to the historic counties, but it would end the common misconception that the lord-lieutenants’ areas literally define the counties.
In Conclusion
The final lesson from Scotland is that the adjective ‘historic’ (or ‘traditional’, ‘ancient’, ‘geographical’ etc.) in ‘historic county’ is not needed if there are no administrative entities which are also called “county”. We look forward to the day when this is the case throughout the whole of the UK.
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" rather than "county council” and whose areas are known as "council areas". From 2028, local government throughout England will have a similar set-up. This ending of the use of the word "county" within local government parlance is essential if the public are to fully understand the difference in kind between local government and our historic counties.
But the end of the “county council” will not be enough on its own to fully end the problem of "county confusion". It is also essential that local authorities cease to make inappropriate use of historic county names. For some councils the use of a historic county name with appropriate qualification may provide the best description of the location and area of that council, e.g. as in the current South Ayrshire Council. Other councils do not have areas which are sensibly described by reference to a historic county. For these, a county name should not be used, e.g. as in the current Highland Council.
The Rogues' Gallery
When Grampian Region (1974-1996) was abolished it was replaced with three unitray councils: Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Moray Council.
- Aberdeenshire Council does cover most of Aberdeenshire, excluding Aberdeen itself, but it also covers almost the whole of Kincardineshire and a large piece of coastal Banffshire. When a council uses a historic county name but actually covers a large part of a different historic county, this has a terrible effect on public understanding of the historic counties concerned. Our friends in the Kincardineshire Association can bear witness to this. The name "East Grampian Council" may be contrived but it would avoid this county confusion.
- Moray Council does not cover all of Morayshire but does cover around 70% of Banffshire. One might just about take the name "Moray" to refer to the much larger mediæval Province of Moray, but this name does significantly obscure and undermine the identity of Banffshire. The name "West Grampian Council" would avoid the county confusion.
East Dunbartonshire Council was created in 1996 from the abolished districts of Bearsden & Milngavie and Strathkelvin. Its area doesn't bear even a passing resemblance to the eastern portion of Dunbartonshire. Three-quarters of its area is in Stirlingshire and a sizeable part is in Lanarkshire.
Around two-thirds of North Lanarkshire Council‘s area does actually lie in Lanarkshire. But it also includes a large and populous part of the eastern portion of Dunbartonshire, including Cumbernauld, along with a sizeable part of Stirlingshire around Kilsyth.
Renfrewshire Council‘s area covers only the central third of Renfrewshire. It was created in 1996 based on the former district of Renfrew. It sits between East Renfrewshire Council and Inverclyde Council. Either "Central Renfrewshire Council" or "Renfrew Council" would be sensible names.
Whilst the City of Edinburgh covers sizeable parts of West Lothian and Midlothian, this is no excuse for the absurd names born by West Lothian Council and Midlothian Council.
- Almost half of West Lothian Council‘s area actually lies in Midlothian;
- Midlothian Council‘s area only occupies around one-third of the county whose name it borrows.
The lieutenancies of Scotland and the historic counties
It is sometimes thought that the lieutenancy areas in Scotland are more closely aligned to the real counties than are those of England and Wales. This is not actually the case.
In fact, most of the lieutenancy areas of Scotland are defined as a combination of pre-1996 local government districts. Many have been given the name of the historic county to which they are most similar in area. Whilst a majority of the 35 lieutenancies do bear an historic county name, only 15 of them have an area reasonably close to that historic county. See our Factsheet The Lieutenancies of Scotland and their relationship to the historic counties for full details.
There are, however, two important lessons we can learn from the set-up of the lieutenancies of Scotland. The first is that there is no practical reason why a lieutenancy area has to be related to a present-day local government areas and, indeed, no reason at all why it cannot be based on a historic county. Though some lieutenancy offices are based in council offices, they are not local government posts. Some lieutenancies are based within a local solicitor’s office.
The second is that lieutenancy areas do not need to referred to in legislation as "counties". Whilst the Lieutenancies Act 1997 refers to lieutenancies in England and Wales as “counties”, it refers to those in Scotland as “areas”. Referring to the lieutenancies as “areas” throughout Great Britain would clarify the administrative nature of these areas and put an end to the whole tiresome notion of the “ceremonial county“. This would not prevent the appointment of the lord-lieutenants to the historic counties, but it would end the common misconception that the lord-lieutenants’ areas literally define the counties.
In Conclusion
The final lesson from Scotland is that the adjective ‘historic’ (or ‘traditional’, ‘ancient’, ‘geographical’ etc.) in ‘historic county’ is not needed if there are no administrative entities which are also called “county”. We look forward to the day when this is the case throughout the whole of the UK.
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 of which will not conflict with historic county identities. Groups of these unitary councils will then be banded together to form Strategic Authorities, each with an elected mayor. Unfortunately, the practice of making inappropriate use of county names could continue in the naming of some of these Strategic Authorities.
The Government has just announced that the first of the Strategic Authorities will be a huge Lancashire and Yorkshire Strategic Authority. Despite the name, this authority will not cover the real Lancashire and Yorkshire, but the combined area of the present local government areas of Lancashire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and East Riding of Yorkshire. There will also be a Mayor of Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Steve Reid said: "The number one mission of this government is to relight the fire of our economy and ignite growth in every region. We are undertaking the biggest reform of local government in a generation, ending the two-tier system and replacing it with new single-tier unitary councils. Alongside this, we will establish Strategic Authorities, each of which will comprise a number of councils working together under a directly-elected mayor. Each Strategic Authority will be responsible for important Government functions - including health, education and economic development - in their region."
He continued: "I am pleased to announce the first of these will be the Lancashire and Yorkshire Strategic Authority. This new regional body reflects our view that each Strategic Authority has to have sufficient size to reap the benefits of a devolution settlement. Bringing together Yorkshire and Lancashire is a bold scheme which will create a "northern powerhouse" capable of playing a major role in our country's economy. We have been delighted with the support shown by local stakeholders and look forward to seeing the new authority and its mayor making a real difference to the lives of people in Lancashire and Yorkshire."
Peter Boyce, Chairman of the Association of British Counties (ABC), said: "We have no concern with administrative areas so long as they don't pretend to be counties, but this is a classic example of the Government cynically misappropriating historic county names to try to get the public to accept a new, contrived and potentially highly controversial administrative area."
He continued: "To call this new Strategic Authority "Lancashire and Yorkshire" is ridiculous. It excludes the whole southern part of Lancashire, where most Lancastrians actually live, along with the Lancashire North of the Sands area. It also excludes several large areas of Yorkshire, including Sedbergh, Upper Teesdale and part of the North Riding around Middlesbrough. These two great counties, with their long histories and proud identities, deserve better than to have their names taken in vain like this."
Clitheroe MP Jonathon Holder expressed concern about public support for the new authority: "I fully support the Government's aim to create strong regional devolved government, but this plan to bring Lancashire and Yorkshire together is going to upset a lot of people. On either side of the Pennines, we each love our county and we love the rivalry between them. Are people going to welcome the idea of a Mayor of Lancashire and Yorkshire? The Government's attempt to end the War of the Roses in this way may well succeed in uniting our counties - in opposition to it!"
He continued: "The approach of creating large, regional Strategic Authorities is a sensible one. But it would make a lot more sense to create a North West Strategic Authority, replacing Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire and Cumbria. This would far better match the geographical reality of our economy and provide a strong regional voice for the people of the North West. It would also much better reflect people's sense of identity. There is already a North East Combined Authority. The people of the North West deserve parity with this."
Announcements of further Strategic Authorities will be made over the coming months. The plans for the new Lancashire and Yorkshire Strategic Authority will now be subject to public consultation. ABC will certainly be making its views known. Make sure you do too!
]]>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 of which will not conflict with historic county identities. Groups of these unitary councils will then be banded together to form Strategic Authorities, each with an elected mayor. Unfortunately, the practice of making inappropriate use of county names could continue in the naming of some of these Strategic Authorities.
The Government has just announced that the first of the Strategic Authorities will be a huge Lancashire and Yorkshire Strategic Authority. Despite the name, this authority will not cover the real Lancashire and Yorkshire, but the combined area of the present local government areas of Lancashire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and East Riding of Yorkshire. There will also be a Mayor of Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Steve Reid said: "The number one mission of this government is to relight the fire of our economy and ignite growth in every region. We are undertaking the biggest reform of local government in a generation, ending the two-tier system and replacing it with new single-tier unitary councils. Alongside this, we will establish Strategic Authorities, each of which will comprise a number of councils working together under a directly-elected mayor. Each Strategic Authority will be responsible for important Government functions - including health, education and economic development - in their region."
He continued: "I am pleased to announce the first of these will be the Lancashire and Yorkshire Strategic Authority. This new regional body reflects our view that each Strategic Authority has to have sufficient size to reap the benefits of a devolution settlement. Bringing together Yorkshire and Lancashire is a bold scheme which will create a "northern powerhouse" capable of playing a major role in our country's economy. We have been delighted with the support shown by local stakeholders and look forward to seeing the new authority and its mayor making a real difference to the lives of people in Lancashire and Yorkshire."
Peter Boyce, Chairman of the Association of British Counties (ABC), said: "We have no concern with administrative areas so long as they don't pretend to be counties, but this is a classic example of the Government cynically misappropriating historic county names to try to get the public to accept a new, contrived and potentially highly controversial administrative area."
He continued: "To call this new Strategic Authority "Lancashire and Yorkshire" is ridiculous. It excludes the whole southern part of Lancashire, where most Lancastrians actually live, along with the Lancashire North of the Sands area. It also excludes several large areas of Yorkshire, including Sedbergh, Upper Teesdale and part of the North Riding around Middlesbrough. These two great counties, with their long histories and proud identities, deserve better than to have their names taken in vain like this."
Clitheroe MP Jonathon Holder expressed concern about public support for the new authority: "I fully support the Government's aim to create strong regional devolved government, but this plan to bring Lancashire and Yorkshire together is going to upset a lot of people. On either side of the Pennines, we each love our county and we love the rivalry between them. Are people going to welcome the idea of a Mayor of Lancashire and Yorkshire? The Government's attempt to end the War of the Roses in this way may well succeed in uniting our counties - in opposition to it!"
He continued: "The approach of creating large, regional Strategic Authorities is a sensible one. But it would make a lot more sense to create a North West Strategic Authority, replacing Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire and Cumbria. This would far better match the geographical reality of our economy and provide a strong regional voice for the people of the North West. It would also much better reflect people's sense of identity. There is already a North East Combined Authority. The people of the North West deserve parity with this."
Announcements of further Strategic Authorities will be made over the coming months. The plans for the new Lancashire and Yorkshire Strategic Authority will now be subject to public consultation. ABC will certainly be making its views known. Make sure you do too!
]]>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.
The theme for Cheshire Day 2026 was 'Made in Cheshire' with festivities revolving around everything from the county's bounty and passionate artisans to its key industries of cheese, salt and silk.
Cllr Simon Eardley, Sheriff of Chester, Cllr Sherin Akhtar , Lord Mayor of Chester and Cllr Margaret Parker, Deputy Lord Mayor of Chester outside Chester Town Hall on Cheshire Day 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.
The theme for Cheshire Day 2026 was 'Made in Cheshire' with festivities revolving around everything from the county's bounty and passionate artisans to its key industries of cheese, salt and silk.
Cllr Simon Eardley, Sheriff of Chester, Cllr Sherin Akhtar , Lord Mayor of Chester and Cllr Margaret Parker, Deputy Lord Mayor of Chester outside Chester Town Hall on Cheshire Day 2026.
]]>This County Durham Day, celebrated on St Cuthbert's Day 20th March, has been the biggest celebration so far. We present some highlights from the day, along with our video of The Seven Wonders of County Durham. We are especially grateful for the continued support of South Tyneside Council, County Durham Council and Darlington Borough Council.
South Tyneside Mayor Jay Potts commented: “The towns and villages in the borough have a proud past rooted in historic County Durham and I am pleased to be able to support County Durham Day. County Days are an opportunity to help promote historic counties and increase geographical awareness and identity for local communities."
The Mayor highlighted the importance of the historic county to tourism: "As English Tourism Week continues, County Durham Day provides a further opportunity to highlight the borough’s tourism offer and encourage visitors to come and enjoy our wonderful coast and the many attractions on offer.”
County Durham Council ran a programme of events including displays of school children's County Durham-inspired artwork in the council's libraries, a blue and yellow LEGO challenge for children, and public buildings lit up in the blue and yellow of the county flag.
We were also pleased to see Darlington Borough Council flying the County Durham flag at Darlington Town Hall.
We are also very grateful to to many MPs, local politicians, town and parish councils who posted their support for County Durham Day 2026.
Our thanks are especially due to Graeme Keedy, ABC's County Durham Coordinator. Graeme explained “South Shields, Jarrow, Hebburn, Whitburn, Cleadon and The Boldons all remain in County Durham. County Days celebrate the history, heritage, culture and people of a county - they are growing in popularity and can provide a real boost for local tourism.”
This County Durham Day, celebrated on St Cuthbert's Day 20th March, has been the biggest celebration so far. We present some highlights from the day, along with our video of The Seven Wonders of County Durham. We are especially grateful for the continued support of South Tyneside Council, County Durham Council and Darlington Borough Council.
South Tyneside Mayor Jay Potts commented: “The towns and villages in the borough have a proud past rooted in historic County Durham and I am pleased to be able to support County Durham Day. County Days are an opportunity to help promote historic counties and increase geographical awareness and identity for local communities."
The Mayor highlighted the importance of the historic county to tourism: "As English Tourism Week continues, County Durham Day provides a further opportunity to highlight the borough’s tourism offer and encourage visitors to come and enjoy our wonderful coast and the many attractions on offer.”
County Durham Council ran a programme of events including displays of school children's County Durham-inspired artwork in the council's libraries, a blue and yellow LEGO challenge for children, and public buildings lit up in the blue and yellow of the county flag.
We were also pleased to see Darlington Borough Council flying the County Durham flag at Darlington Town Hall.
We are also very grateful to to many MPs, local politicians, town and parish councils who posted their support for County Durham Day 2026.
Our thanks are especially due to Graeme Keedy, ABC's County Durham Coordinator. Graeme explained “South Shields, Jarrow, Hebburn, Whitburn, Cleadon and The Boldons all remain in County Durham. County Days celebrate the history, heritage, culture and people of a county - they are growing in popularity and can provide a real boost for local tourism.”