Editor’s note: This article sets out the basic facts about Britain’s historic counties – what they are, why they exist, and why confusion arose in the late twentieth century. It reflects the Campaign for Historic Counties’ long‑standing position that historic counties were never abolished and remain Britain’s true geographical counties.
The United Kingdom is divided into 92 counties or shires. These counties are not a modern invention, nor are they administrative conveniences. They are the oldest extant national divisions in the world, with origins that stretch back centuries – and in many cases, more than a thousand years.
Yet despite their age, permanence, and cultural importance, Britain’s counties are widely misunderstood today.
What are historic counties?
Where a distinction is needed from statutory or administrative areas, Britain’s real counties are variously described as historic, traditional, ancient, or geographical counties.
These counties:
- have no administrative function
- do not change when councils are reorganised
- exist as geographical and cultural areas, not bureaucratic units
They are real places, shaped by landscape, history, and long-standing local identity — not by legislation or local government reform.
Counties older than the state itself
Most of Britain’s counties have existed since the Middle Ages, and almost all English counties have been established for over a millennium.
Even the comparatively young Highland shires of Scotland – formally organised only around 450 years ago – have far older roots as recognised geographical and cultural regions.
In other words, counties are not temporary constructs. They predate modern government and have outlasted countless administrative systems.
Why counties mattered – and still do
For centuries, counties formed the basic framework of everyday life in Britain.
Administrative functions were traditionally carried out using county boundaries, or close approximations to them. As a result:
- public records were organised county by county
- legal, ecclesiastical, and civic structures followed county lines
- local identity developed in direct connection with the county
This is why an understanding of counties remains essential for genealogical research, local history, and the interpretation of historic records.
County identity did not emerge by accident. It grew organically over generations, becoming a vital part of British and Irish cultural life.
Not abolished – just ignored
A common misconception is that historic counties were abolished or replaced.
They were not.
What changed in the late twentieth century was the growth of administrative areas that borrowed county names while operating to different, shifting boundaries. Over time, these temporary structures came to be treated — incorrectly — as if they were the counties themselves.
The result has been decades of confusion, in which many people are unsure what county they actually live in, or assume that historic counties no longer exist.
Why recognition matters
Counties are not about nostalgia or resisting change. They are about clarity, continuity, and truth in geography.
Historic counties still define:
- cultural and regional identity
- the organisation of historic records
- long-standing social understanding of place
Recognising them does not prevent modern administration from functioning. It simply restores accuracy — and respect — to Britain’s geography.
Find your real county
Britain’s counties were never abolished. They were sidelined.
Understanding the 92 historic counties is the first step toward restoring awareness of one of the country’s most enduring and meaningful divisions.
You can learn more about historic counties, their boundaries, and their continued relevance at RealCounties.com.
Campaign for Historic Counties 