The North of England - where does it start?

[DarloRich]

Following on from a silly exchange about northern MP's in this thread: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2631226&posted=1#post2631226


Where do you think the North of England starts?

If I were being generous I would draw a line along the bottom of the historic counties of Lanchasire, West Riding and along the north bank of the Humber and define the area between there and the Scottish border as the north

Being a proud north easterner and if i were not being generous I would say the north east alone! That is county Durham, Cleveland, Tyne and wear and Northumberland.

What are your views?

 

[Domh245]

Watford Gap, obviously :P

 

[Gutfright]

It starts just south of Gretna and moves northeast to just north of Berwick-Upon-Tweed!

 

[DarloRich]

Watford Gap, obviously :P

I knew it :roll::roll:

 

[northwichcat]

I'm happy to use the political regions which put Crewe and Sheffield in the north and Whitchurch and Dronfield in the midlands. Although, with the Derbyshire border and Derbyshire being classed as East Midlands, it puts Glossop in the East Midlands, which I don't think is right!

 

[DarloRich]

It starts just south of Gretna and moves northwest to just north of Berwick-Upon-Tweed!

that sounds like Scotland and thus outside of the a scope of this discussion My Scottish colleagues refer to all of England as "the south"

 

[Gutfright]

that sounds like Scotland and thus outside of the a scope of this discussion My Scottish colleagues refer to all of England as "the south"

It's where Scotland ends and the North of England starts.

 

[DarloRich]

It's where Scotland ends and the North of England starts.

but where, in that case, does the north of England end

 

[Iskra]

Sheffield is the start of the North IMO.

 

[Domh245]

Joking aside, I think it's difficult to define where the North begins, as it is relative, although it is also worth noting that you can't really just split the country into the North and the South. My definition of the North would be more or less the same as DarloRich's but would also include Cheshire. I would define the regions as shown

 

[Gutfright]

but where, in that case, does the north of England end

In a straight line from the south of Chester to the south of Grimsby (both of which are northern in my mind).

 

[backontrack]

This is basically how I would define it - but even then it's a bit generous.

I've also decided to contrast it with Northern Rail's network boundaries.

 

[mikeg]

As someone from North Yorkshire, but living in the East Midlands, I would say:

The historic counties of Northumberland, County Durham Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire , the historic ridings of Yorkshire and in addition the unitary authorities of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. Which incidentally more or less consists of the following Euro constituencies/English regions: North West England, North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber.

Thinking about it, Lincolnshire's a funny county, I associate most of it with being in the East Midlands, the unitary authorities as being in the North, along with maybe Lincoln at a pinch and the South Eastern extremities as being practically anglian. The closest equivalent in this sense I can think of is Derbyshire, North West Derbyshire areas in the North West, Northern bits are almost an extension of Yorkshire, most of it in the Midlands, most East Midlands but some almost bordering on West Midlands. Then again maybe I've been paying too much attention to what ITV regions it receives!

 

[lejog]

There are perfectly good officially defined regions of England. The North is obviously north of the Midlands.

 

[Gutfright]

Joking aside, I think it's difficult to define where the North begins, as it is relative, although it is also worth noting that you can't really just split the country into the North and the South. My definition of the North would be more or less the same as DarloRich's but would also include Cheshire. I would define the regions as shown

I agree with that map but I'd give Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire to the Midlands.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

This is basically how I would define it - but even then it's a bit generous.

I've also decided to contrast it with Northern Rail's network boundaries.

If we're going to use network boundaries, then Manchester, Stafford, Birmingham, Cheltenham etc are all part of Wales!

 

[backontrack]

If we're going to use network boundaries, then Manchester, Stafford, Birmingham, Cheltenham etc are all part of Wales!

Lucky that I'm not using them then

 

[Harbornite]

Cheshire in the west, then Sheffield and Hull in the East. Join the dots and that's what constitutes the north, IMO.

 

[DasLunatic]

.... or watch this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENeCYwms-Cc

 

[AlterEgo]

I'd say Sheffield is the start of the North.

 

[Mojo]

I think it's a line from The Wash that runs north of Peterborough, but then south of Corby, between Coventry & Leamington Spa, south of Stratford (upon Avon), and then north of Worcester and then north of Hereford to the Welsh "border."

 

[edwin_m]

There are perfectly good officially defined regions of England. The North is obviously north of the Midlands.

This is pretty close to where I'd split it too, except that the government regions have unsurprisingly chosen to include whole counties only. I'd say the northern half of Derbyshire definitely belongs in the north, as possibly does northern Nottinghamshire and maybe a bit of Lincolnshire.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

The North is simply Yorkshire & Humberside, North West England, & North East England, they are the three northern most English regions currently used and the only non-personal preference out there. It's easy to understand the borders using the regions so that's what I use.

If it was up to me, I'll add the northern most districts of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, & Lincolnshire County Councils, but it's not. And the current definition is fine.

 

[Blamethrower]

I think it's a line from The Wash that runs north of Peterborough, but then south of Corby, between Coventry & Leamington Spa, south of Stratford (upon Avon), and then north of Worcester and then north of Hereford to the Welsh "border."

I think that's about right. However, this does indicate that it is the Watford Gap.

Growing up in Rugby, we pronounce our u's stronger than most and we say bath, grass and path, not barth, grarss and parth.

Go to Northampton and it is a mockney hotbed, same with Leam, Cov is most definitely north.

Therefore, line runs from wash to severn estuary, just south of rugby and coventry but north of Leamington.

 

[backontrack]

I think that's about right. However, this does indicate that it is the Watford Gap.

Growing up in Rugby, we pronounce our u's stronger than most and we say bath, grass and path, not barth, grarss and parth.

Go to Northampton and it is a mockney hotbed, same with Leam, Cov is most definitely north.

Therefore, line runs from wash to severn estuary, just south of rugby and coventry but north of Leamington.

You're Midlands. Like it or lump it.

 

[Mojo]

You're Midlands. Like it or lump it.

I don't think theres such a thing. You're either South, North or Scotland

Wales and Northern Ireland are honorary members of the North.

 

[backontrack]

I don't think theres such a thing. You're either South, North or Scotland

Wales and Northern Ireland are honorary members of the North.

Meh - Rugby is south of Nuneaton so is southern anyway

 

[Gutfright]

I think it's a line from The Wash that runs north of Peterborough, but then south of Corby, between Coventry & Leamington Spa, south of Stratford (upon Avon), and then north of Worcester and then north of Hereford to the Welsh "border."

So William Shakespeare was a Northerner?

 

[Ploughman]

Meh - Rugby is south of Nuneaton so is southern anyway

But they do not play League in the South, just some Jessies game called Union
Where they play League is the North.

 

[Howardh]

The north starts in the no-mans land between Keele and Sandbach Probably the key is the customs and immigration points on that stretch of the motorway, one side is too posh to wash, the other side tha' as'fort wear clogs n' flat caps or tha' carn't gerrin.

 

[DarloRich]

I am shocked by some responses! Keele, Sandbach, Rugby, Coventry, Corby, Peterborough, Worcester & Hereford are not Northern towns. i doubt some of those councils would thank you for lumping them in with places like Middlebrough!

Edit: Do we consider there to be a Midlands zone or do we just have north and south?