Your Favourite County?

[Whistler40145]

My favourite county is Lancashire, it has so much, Liverpool's waterfront and underground trains, Manchester and Salford's trams and skyscrapers, Blackpool's Illuminations and tramway, part of the Lake District, Pendle Hill, the East Lancashire Railway, my home town of Fleetwood, etc, it's magical every time I go back there. In August I had my most recent trip (I might post about it sometime), went round Lancaster, Preston, Blackpool, Manchester and Liverpool and every day was fun.

Ofcourse every county in England is special in it's own way, but I always feel at home in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Lincolnshire counties too


The pre-1974 boundaries were never abolished, Durham has always continued to exist in the same geographical setting, just a county council and lieutenancy area of the same name are different smaller area causing Wikipedia to spread mis-information. Best thing in Durham is the Winter Gardens in Sunderland then a trip to the Wilko Cafe.

Richmondshire is technically not a current or historical county despite being a "shire" (akin to Hallamshire), but it is larger than many of them. Do the rules include County Boroughs? Some places were treated as a county for some administrative purposes despite remaining in their original county, Stockport County is one such example that has some fans.

It's only the local authorities who changed the boundaries, not the people

Lancashire, especially the Eastern part of the county, some stunning scenery

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

It's only the local authorities who changed the boundaries, not the people.
Lancashire, especially the Eastern part of the county, some stunning scenery

I agree with both statements, once I walked from Barley up Pendle Hill and down on the other side.

 

[satisnek]

The Isle of Wight was a county I believe before it was subsumed into Hampshire.
If it wasn't for the outrageous ferry fares I would visit far more often.
Being a shiny-trousered soft Southerner I feel duty bound to offer Surrey as a county with attractive countryside (e.g. the Surrey Hills) and being conveniently close to the Metropolis should that be a necessity, but I have to say E Yorkshire has a lot to offer in terms of moorland scenery and coastal charms.

I agree with you about Surrey - especially the North Downs to the east-southeast of Guildford. I have fond memories of Pewley Down, The Chantries, St. Martha's Hill, Newlands Corner etc. There were several good bits of my childhood and that was one of them!

 

[WestCoast]

Originally from Lancashire so I probably shouldn’t say this but I’ve always loved North Yorkshire for its towns and scenery. The A59 out of Lancs through Skipton to Harrogate and onto York showcases that well!

In my adopted home north of the border, there isn’t a county I dislike. However, I’ve always thought Fife is rather under appreciated as a county for its scenery along the lovely coastal route past Leven up to St Andrews and of course the Forth and Tay Bridges!

 

[nlogax]

I have fond memories of Pewley Down, The Chantries, St. Martha's Hill, Newlands Corner etc.

Newlands Corner is lovely indeed, though on the odd occasion when I drive past it the car park always looks absolutely rammed. It's an extremely popular spot for walker and hikers from across the south east.

 

[hermit]

I think it is I who was mistaken. The IoW seems to have annexed itself from Hampshire as an administrative county in 1890(!) but shared the same Lord Lieutenant until 1974 and still shares its Police, Fire and Rescue services with Hants.

One reliable way to upset islanders is to assume that we are part of Hampshire! We are indeed a separate county.
We have always been served by the Hampshire Police Force, but in a revolutionary step it has recently been renamed the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Force. On the other hand, we had our own Fire and Rescue Service until a couple of years ago, but it has now been merged with Hampshire’s.
Leaving the island aside, I think Herefordshire, Cumbria and Ross and Cromarty would be among the best on North Island.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

One reliable way to upset islanders is to assume that we are part of Hampshire! We are indeed a separate county.
We have always been served by the Hampshire Police Force, but in a revolutionary step it has recently been renamed the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Force. On the other hand, we had our own Fire and Rescue Service until a couple of years ago, but it has now been merged with Hampshire’s.
Leaving the island aside, I think Herefordshire, Cumbria and Ross and Cromarty would be among the best on North Island.

You shouldn't get upset, but the fact is Hampshire (not the similarly named council or lieutenancy areas which also use the term county confusingly) still includes the Isle of Wight to this day in legal terms, the Office for National Statistics includes this definition as well as the others. The government has always said the councils are for administrative reasons only and that the traditional counties remain largely unchanged.

Referring to a Hampshire county council area that excludes the Isle of Wight is a reliable way to upset many in Bournemouth who have been lumped into Dorset County Council area aswell

Fire and Police Service names are no indication of county, where I live Humberside Fire and Rescue and Humberside Police are providing a good service despite the strains, it doesn't mean Grimsby is not in Lincolnshire.

 

[Red Onion]

In Scotland it’s undeniably the Highlands although my home county of Aberdeenshire is actually pretty nice.

In England I’d plump for Cumbria.

I’ve never really explored Northern Ireland beyond Belfast and I’ve only ever spent three hours of my life in Wales when I was 12 so I have little recollection of the place!

 

[eotw]

Wiltshire and Fermanagh

 

[hermit]

You shouldn't get upset, but the fact is Hampshire (not the similarly named council or lieutenancy areas which also use the term county confusingly) still includes the Isle of Wight to this day in legal terms, the Office for National Statistics includes this definition as well as the others. The government has always said the councils are for administrative reasons only and that the traditional counties remain largely unchanged.

Referring to a Hampshire county council area that excludes the Isle of Wight is a reliable way to upset many in Bournemouth who have been lumped into Dorset County Council area aswell

Fire and Police Service names are no indication of county, where I live Humberside Fire and Rescue and Humberside Police are providing a good service despite the strains, it doesn't mean Grimsby is not in Lincolnshire.

Not worth prolonging this unduly, but administrative independence since 1890 and ceremonial independence since 1974 is good enough for me. The fact that the NSO lumps us in with Hampshire for certain purposes is neither here nor there.
I agree that sharing of public services such as police and fire has no bearing on the matter. It’s very common around the country. I mentioned it only to update a previous poster’s comment.
But, to muddy the waters, Hampshire have played first class cricket on the island (most recently as two years ago), and I believe the IW is the only non-first class county not to have a Minor Counties team……!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Nobody has answered "Greater London".

Likewise, nobody has answered with a pretendy post-1974 county like Cleveland or Tyne & Wear.

Goes to show what we all think of when it comes to counties.

No, but the OP mentioned "Richmondshire" which is possibly the silliest former county.

 

[Diplodicus]

The answer is DORSET. Other subscribers clearly didn't understand the question

 

[Purple Orange]

Some 10 years ago I did an ALR based on traditional counties and attempting to have a pint in each one that was both served from cask and brewed from said county. The only two I failed with were Rutland(Oakham brewery no longer in Rutland and failure to find a substitute) and Cornwall (Delayed sleeper caused me to cut short at Lostwhistle and drink a bottle of Doom bar on the platform)
Most counties were fairly simple but all the Ridings of Yorkshire were by far the best. Based on this alone being from Wiltshire, West Riding gets my vote.

I try to have a locally brewed pint whenever I travel somewhere. These days m6 favourites tend to be brewed in the cities, as there is a huge range of small brewers popping up, which is great to see of course.

 

[johnnychips]

The answer is DORSET. Other subscribers clearly didn't understand the question

I would have to agree. I used to manage a summer school in the sadly-closed St Mary’s School in Shaftesbury, which was sublime. Then I found out that Dorset ended at literally the last house on the east of Shaftesbury, and we were in fact in Wiltshire.

 

[GusB]

After much deliberation, I've decided that Perthshire is probably my favourite county. My dad had a timeshare place by Loch Rannoch and I've had a few holidays there over the years. Much of my ancestry was from rural Perthshire and when driving around I'd see place names that were familiar from when I was researching my family history - it almost felt like home, even though I've never lived there.

Having said that, I love where I am now and probably wouldn't move away (although right now somewhere that's a bit more sheltered from a northerly gale would be nice!) I've never been to NI (Ireland is on the bucket list) and I haven't really spent enough time in England to make any judgement, although Cornwall is nice and I'd love to visit again.

 

[backontrack]

Sutherland and Ross & Cromarty. Either / or.

Up there for me! Orkney is top though.

Also Cumbria is up there.