Celtic Britons

The Ancient Britons were the indigenous Celtic people who inhabited Great Britain from at least the British Iron Age until the High Middle Ages, at which point they diverged into the Welsh, Cornish, and Bretons (among others). They spoke Common Brittonic, the ancestor of the modern Brittonic languages. The Brittonic people inhabited most of the country with Scotland being mostly Picts and some Goidelic with the Picts speaking Pictish and the Goidelic speaking Gaelic. Boundaries to areas around Britain were largely changeable areas between tribal groups until the Roman Invasion in 43 AD Once the Italians left the country, the Germans moved in. The Saxons from The Stem Duchy of Saxony and the Angles from the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein. These folk formed the Anglo Saxons, the first known boy band. Once their popularity waned the Scandinavians decided to invade, they called themselves the Vikings - sort of like Abba but a bit earlier. The Picts, Scots, and Britons retreated to the West whilst Danelaw took control of the East. The British had just about got back control of their lands with the central belt of the country known as Mercia, the South West known as Wessex and the North known as Northumbria when along come the French to try their luck. England had been unified by King Æthelstan the Glorious in 927 and after William I won at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 he created the Domesday Book in 1086 which set out the counties so that nobody ever again could avoid paying their taxes to the King - until someone invented washing cars by hand behind the bins at the local petrol station.

For centuries, rulers have amended boundaries, first by fighting for them and then by installing a government to do the admin. In later years governments have changed them for varying reasons but mostly to make sure they win elections next time around - either way it always ends up in politicians getting more cash from the minions in their own pockets to go on holiday or hold a party. The historical county boundaries of the UK have evolved significantly due to political, administrative, and social changes over the centuries. Although modern administrative counties and unitary authorities may differ from the historic boundaries, the cultural and historical significance of these ancient divisions remains deeply embedded in British identity. Many people still refer to the historic counties in everyday life, and they continue to serve as a connection to Britain’s long and rich history. Sometimes, name changes to a county are disliked by the people so much that they change back again due to public pressure such as when Shropshire was changed to Salop. Some have lost the ‘shire’ bit from the end of their name such as Somersetshire or Dorsetshire. Other counties have been merged into their neighbours such as the loss of Middlesex or Westmorland and some counties have lost bits of their areas to form the metropolitan counties such as Merseyside or the West Midlands - We use a mixture of these boundary changes for convenience.

Major Historical Changes to County Boundaries:

• 1974 Local Government Act (England and Wales): One of the most significant changes to UK county boundaries, this act merged or split some counties, created new administrative counties (e.g., Avon, Humberside), and changed the traditional boundaries of some counties (e.g., Yorkshire was divided into North, South, and West Yorkshire). • 1996 Reforms (Wales and Scotland): Wales and Scotland reverted to a unitary system of government, with some counties and boundaries being restored or redefined. • Greater London: Established in 1965, Greater London absorbed parts of several surrounding counties, including Middlesex, Kent, and Surrey.

Resilience of Historic County Boundaries:

• Despite administrative changes, many historic county boundaries are still significant for cultural, ceremonial, and historical reasons. These historic counties are still used for traditional purposes, such as Lord Lieutenancies, and remain important in terms of identity and heritage. • For example, the historic counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Kent, and Cornwall still have strong local identities despite administrative changes. • Traditional County Day events and campaigns like the Association of British Counties promote the use of historic county boundaries and preserve their cultural importance.

England

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

The historical counties of England are often referred to as the "historic counties" or "traditional counties" and were established well before the Norman Conquest in 1066. Many were based on Anglo-Saxon tribal kingdoms and administrative divisions.

Welsh counties were historically established following Edward I’s conquest of Wales in the late 13th century, formalised in the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542.

Scottish counties, or "shires", were established in medieval times, though their boundaries changed over the centuries.

Historically part of Ireland, Ulster's six counties (which now make up Northern Ireland) were established under the English Crown's governance in the 16th century.

The Local Government Act 1888: This act introduced administrative counties, which modified the boundaries of historic counties for governance purposes. Some new counties were created, such as London, and some boundaries were altered to better reflect population centres.

Historically, Wales was divided into counties such as Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire, Breconshire, Flintshire, and Monmouthshire.

The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 created county councils and shifted some boundaries, but the biggest changes occurred in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which introduced large regional authorities such as Strathclyde.

The six counties of Antrim, Armagh, Londonderry (Derry), Down, Fermanagh, and Tyrone make up Northern Ireland.

Westmorland and Cumberland (both historic counties) were merged into Cumbria during the 1974 local government reorganization.

Monmouthshire had a unique status for many years, being ambiguously considered either part of Wales or England, though it is now firmly within Wales.

In 1996, Scotland reverted to a unitary authority system, though many of these authorities have names and boundaries that reflect historic counties (e.g., Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross).

These boundaries have remained largely unchanged since their creation in the 16th century.

Counties such as Middlesex, though historic, have largely disappeared from modern usage after the administrative reforms, with parts being absorbed into Greater London.

The Local Government Act 1972 reorganised Welsh counties into larger areas like Gwent, Dyfed, and Powys, merging several of the smaller historic counties.

Despite modern administrative changes, including the formation of 11 district councils in 2015, the historic county boundaries remain culturally significant.

Pub Counties

Due to the lower population density of some of the Scottish and Welsh counties we use the larger county boundaries but his doesn’t mean we agree in any way whatsoever with any county created by a politician to increase their vote share. We are happy if someone who was born in Staffordshire but is now regarded as coming from the West Midlands is happy with that. We even have a Fat Badger that lives Upper Ramsbottom - if he’s happy with that then so are we.

The historical county boundaries of the United Kingdom are rooted in centuries-old divisions, many of which have significantly changed over time. These boundaries defined the counties (also known as shires) that functioned as administrative units for local governance, justice, and geographical identity. While some of these counties have retained their historical boundaries, others have seen dramatic changes due to governmental reforms, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Historical UK County Boundaries

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