The History of England's Counties — and What They Mean Today
The English counties as we know them have a long and complex history. From Northumberland to East Sussex, Cornwall to Norfolk and everywhere in between, they help shape our sense of place and identity. Scratch beneath the surface and each reveals its own culture, customs, traditions, food and even dialects.
But how did the English counties we know today come to be in the first place? We take a look at the fascinating history behind their geography — and ask what counties still mean to us today.
From Anglo-Saxon shires to English counties
The origins of many English counties stretch back more than a thousand years.
During the Anglo-Saxon period, shires became important units of royal government, justice and taxation. Many were organised around an important town, which survives in names such as Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire.
Others have even older roots. Kent, Sussex and Essex developed from earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, giving their identities histories that stretch back well over a thousand years.
The pattern didn't emerge everywhere at the same time or in quite the same way. But gradually these different kingdoms, territories and shires helped form the geographical patchwork that we still recognise in England today.
From shires to counties
The Norman Conquest did not sweep away England's existing shires. They continued as important territorial divisions, although over time the French-derived term county came to be used alongside shire.
The two words therefore have different origins but came to describe essentially the same level of territorial division — which is why we still have names such as Yorkshire and Gloucestershire alongside Kent, Essex and Norfolk.
Counties played important roles in justice, taxation and local administration, with the sheriff acting as an important representative of royal authority.
During the medieval period, some important towns and cities were also given separate county status.
Remarkably, despite centuries of political and social change, the basic geography of many of England's historic counties proved extremely durable.
The great local-government shake-up of 1974
April 1974 brought one of the biggest reorganisations of local government in the history of England and Wales.
Under the Local Government Act 1972, the existing system of administrative counties, county boroughs and other local authorities was substantially reorganised. New administrative counties were created, boundaries changed and a more uniform two-tier structure of counties and districts was introduced across much of England.
Importantly, these were changes to local government. They did not abolish England's historic counties or the identities associated with them.
Further changes followed during the 1990s, when unitary authorities were introduced in a number of areas, combining county- and district-level responsibilities within a single authority.
Local government has continued to evolve since then, with further reorganisations in the 2000s and 2020s and another programme of change currently under way.
The result is a rather complicated picture in which a county name can refer to a historic county, a ceremonial county or a modern administrative area — and those boundaries don't necessarily coincide.
And yet, despite all those changes to local government, many of the older county identities have proved remarkably resilient.
What do English counties mean today?
Perhaps that's the more interesting question.
Are counties simply geographical and administrative areas where we live and work, or do they represent something more?
For many people, county identity remains surprisingly strong. The names Yorkshire, Cornwall, Devon, Lancashire, Somerset or Kent conjure up far more than a boundary on a map. They bring with them landscapes, accents, food, traditions and a sense of belonging.
As author Matthew Engel put it:
“I firmly believe that these counties are immensely important in giving people an identity — both a self-identity and a way of being known.”
ou can see that identity expressed in county flags, regional food, local customs, festivals and dialects.
Cornwall is perhaps one of the clearest examples, with Saint Piran's black and white flag, Cornish pasties, clotted cream, festivals including Golowan and a distinct Cornish language and cultural identity.
But the same attachment exists in different forms throughout England. Yorkshire, Lancashire, Devon, Somerset, Northumberland and many others retain identities that reach far beyond their modern administrative boundaries.
The geography may have been reorganised over the centuries, but people's connection to place has proved considerably harder to redraw.
Celebrating England's counties
One expression of that continuing identity is the recognition of individual County Days.
Different counties celebrate on different dates, often chosen because of a significant local event, tradition or patron saint. Cornwall celebrates St Piran's Day on 5 March, while Somerset Day falls on 11 May.
They may be relatively small celebrations, but they're another reminder that county identity still means something to people.
Perhaps that's why county maps remain so interesting too. A map doesn't simply show where one place ends and another begins. It can represent somewhere we grew up, somewhere we live now, or simply somewhere we feel we belong.
Mapping the counties
Our own county maps grew out of the same fascination with local geography and identity.
Beginning with Somerset, we've approached them as proper reference maps as well as pieces of wall art — detailed maps of places that people have a genuine connection with.
Printed using a lithographic process on FSC-certified paper, each colour is laid down individually to create a highly detailed print with the definition and surface quality we look for in all our maps.
Explore our county maps.
References: