Counties in the UK.

[swt class 450]

Hi all. I am just trying to work out all of the current counties in the UK which is surprisingly very difficult! England / Wales / Northern Ireland seem fairly simple. But Scotland is where it gets confusing! Ive tried to look online but there seems to be a million different lists and definitions of scottish counties! Does anyone have any idea how Scottish counties work nowadays? Do they even have counties?

Also is Bristol a county? From looking online it seems that Bristol is now a county but i always thought that it was part of Avon so i am a bit confused? And am i correct in thinking that Middlesex is no longer a county?

This is what i have found so far.

• England •
Bedfordshire
Berkshire
Bristol
Buckinghamshire
Cambridgeshire
Cheshire
Cornwall
Cumbria
Derbyshire
Devon
Dorset
Durham
Essex
Gloucestershire
Greater London
Greater Manchester
Hampshire
Herefordshire
Hertfordshire
Isle Of Wight
Kent
Lancashire
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Merseyside
Midlands
Norfolk
Northamptonshire
Northumberland
Nottinghamshire
Oxfordshire
Rutland
Shropshire
Somerset
Staffordshire
Suffolk
Surrey
Sussex
Tyne & Wear
Warwickshire
Wiltshire
Worcestershire
Yorkshire

• Wales •
Dyfed
Clywd
Glamorgan
Gwent
Gwynedd
Powys

• Scotland •
????

• Northern Ireland •
Antrim
Armagh
Fermanagh
Derry Londonderry
Down
Tyrone

I might have got some incorrect so im not 100% sure.

Many thanks.

 

[Howardh]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_counties_by_highest_point

 

[AlterEgo]

You've missed out the Isle of Wight.

 

[BRX]

For what purpose is the list? Your question is a bit meaningless without knowing what you want to achieve.

Unlike in England, counties are of no relevance in Scotland as far as government is concerned - Scotland is divided into council areas for local government.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subdivisions_of_Scotland#Council_areas

 

[telstarbox]

The list here is essentially accurate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_and_non-metropolitan_counties_of_England#Shire_counties

Middlesex hasn't existed since 1965.

 

[radamfi]

Counties are a surprisingly controversial and emotive topic. Many people will say they live in a county that is different to the one they officially live in today because they feel a sense of belonging to the traditional county. This is particularly the case where people now live in a metropolitan country that didn't exist before 1974. Many people in Bolton, for example, will insist they live in Lancashire rather than Greater Manchester.

There is an additional quirk that some places no longer have a county council, with the county being divided into unitary authorities. But the county still exists.

Bristol and surrounding area is an exception to this rule. It was traditionally a county and city. In 1974 it was transferred to a new county called Avon. Avon was subsequently abolished with the whole area being converted to unitary authorities. But Bristol returned to being a county in its own right again, with the surrounding authorities transferred to Somerset and Gloucestershire. But those authorities do not come under Somerset and Gloucestershire county councils.

So you need to know both the administrative sub-divisions (link given above) as well as the ceremonial counties

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceremonial_counties_of_England

As I mentioned earlier, many people will still refer to the historic country, either out of ignorance or out of long standing allegiance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_counties_of_England

 

[GB]

You can add Norfolk and Suffolk to your England list.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Wales has never had those 6 counties..from 1974 'til 1996 it had eight...Glamorgan was split into South Mid and West (plus the other 5 you mention)

 

[Busaholic]

You'll be getting someone (not me) saying Cornwall is a duchy rather than a county. Someone else (probably the same person) will then say that Cornwall has never been a part of England. Believe me, when there's not much news to report the letters pages of Cornish newspapers get filled with all this stuff.

 

[Howardh]

Many people in Bolton, for example, will insist they live in Lancashire rather than Greater Manchester.

Not half. Saying the G M phrase is the equivalent of swearing up here, not just Bolton but Bury and Wigan too.

Sod Brexit, that's nothing compared to our wishes for a referendum to put us back in our rightful county. Yes, yes, yes we hear it a million times "oh, it's only an administrative region" which is like telling us a body cut into a thousand pieces is "only a bit dead".

Gmexit for us.

 

[EM2]

East Sussex and West Sussex are separate counties.

 

[Butts]

Well with regard to Scotland I live in Stirlingshire as Falkirk forms part of that County.

I believe there used to be 33 Counties in Scotland but don't ask me to name them all

 

[radamfi]

East Sussex and West Sussex are separate counties.

Some traditionalists are even upset about that and only believe in a single complete Sussex.

 

[Spamcan81]

Some traditionalists are even upset about that and only believe in a single complete Sussex.

Quite right too.

 

[J-2739]

South Yorkshire

How could you?!

 

[headshot119]

Clwyd hasn't been a real county since April 1st 1996, most of it is now Wrexham county.

 

[Calthrop]

I believe there used to be 33 Counties in Scotland but don't ask me to name them all

I'm not an expert, or Scots; but from the Ian Allan-produced historical rail atlases relevant 1920s -- 40s, I count re those times, 31 Scottish counties.

 

[EM2]

Some traditionalists are even upset about that and only believe in a single complete Sussex.

I doubt that anyone alive has ever lived in Sussex, as the county was divided into East and West Sussex in 1889.

 

[meridian2]

Not half. Saying the G M phrase is the equivalent of swearing up here, not just Bolton but Bury and Wigan too.

Sod Brexit, that's nothing compared to our wishes for a referendum to put us back in our rightful county. Yes, yes, yes we hear it a million times "oh, it's only an administrative region" which is like telling us a body cut into a thousand pieces is "only a bit dead".

Gmexit for us.

Add the West Riding villages of Saddleworth to GMexit.

 

[radamfi]

Add the West Riding villages of Saddleworth to GMexit.

You've now got a Yorkshire sign at the old boundary, what more do you want?

Obviously the modern counties make more administrative sense. It would be quite illogical for Greenfield, Uppermill etc. to be administered from somewhere in Yorkshire, separated by miles of empty moorland, rather than the urban area it is very close to.

 

[PhilipRhayader]

Of course, there is only one county in England - Co Durham.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Cheshire is now split in twain:-
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire East.

 

[Greenback]

I live in Carmarthenshire, not Dyfed.

 

[Foxcote]

headshot119 is correct, Clwyd, (English - Gateway) a combination mostly of parts of Denbighshire and Flintshire ceased to exist from 1.4. 96. The new counties from that date became; Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.

Wrexham was at first referred to as Non Metropolitan County Borough. At the time the residents of Llangollen area became concerned about being on the extreme edge of the new Denbighshire. Their concerns were addressed by a referendum in 1998. The result was that Llangollen Rural became part of Wrexham County, and Llangollen Urban remained in Denbighshire.

 

[Butts]

I live in Carmarthenshire, not Dyfed.

I can remember when I used to drive down to work in Swansea it used to say welcome to The City and County of Swansea - what was all that about ?

 

[radamfi]

I can remember when I used to drive down to work in Swansea it used to say welcome to The City and County of Swansea - what was all that about ?

It means what it says. Same goes for Cardiff and Bristol.

 

[Butts]

headshot119 is correct, Clwyd, (English - Gateway) a combination mostly of parts of Denbighshire and Flintshire ceased to exist from 1.4. 96. The new counties from that date became; Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.

Wrexham was at first referred to as Non Metropolitan County Borough. At the time the residents of Llangollen area became concerned about being on the extreme edge of the new Denbighshire. Their concerns were addressed by a referendum in 1998. The result was that Llangollen Rural became part of Wrexham County, and Llangollen Urban remained in Denbighshire.

So where does Greenback live as neither he mentions are on that list ?

 

[Foxcote]

Hi Butts, My apologies; I omitted to say that my list was for North Wales only. I wrongly assumed that all would realise that Mid and South Wales were not included. But on seeing your location, I understand your query.

Greenback has told us where he lives, as many still prefer the older county names. One example but outside of Wales; many living on the Wirral,which was formerly Cheshire, did not like the imposed Merseyside name or its postcodes. Eventually, after pressure, all their postcodes were changed from L (Liverpool) to CH (Chester)

 

[Gareth]

Cheshire is now split in twain:-
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire East.

Technically, they're both still part of 'Cheshire'; along with Warrington & Halton. Most unitary authorities created are still technically a part of the county they escaped from. The differences are Rutland, Bristol & Isle of Wight which are considered counties in their own right. Herefordshire is also a county once more, after being temporarily amalgamated with Worcestershire to make 'Hereford & Worcester'. Worcestershire remained two-tier though and was essentially the continuation of Hereford & Worcester renamed. Avon, Humberside & Cleveland were the only post-74 counties to be abolished outright. Metropolitan counties like Merseyside & Greater Manchester are still deemed to exist, even their county councils were long abolished.

 

[backontrack]

Add the West Riding villages of Saddleworth to GMexit.

Agreed.

You've now got a Yorkshire sign at the old boundary, what more do you want?

Obviously the modern counties make more administrative sense. It would be quite illogical for Greenfield, Uppermill etc. to be administered from somewhere in Yorkshire, separated by miles of empty moorland, rather than the urban area it is very close to.

I disagree. They're Yorkshire places. They belong in Yorkshire.