Our Work
Our Work
Counties are often confused with council areas, lieutenancy areas, postcodes and other administrative boundaries.
Once those different systems are separated, most county confusion disappears.
Using the right geography for the right purpose
Councils matter. Lieutenancies matter. Postcodes matter. But none of them are counties.
Confusion begins when different systems are treated as though they describe the same geography.
The solution is not to abolish anything. It is simply to describe each geography accurately and use the right one for the right purpose.
What HCI does
How confusion is tackled
County confusion appears in maps, media reporting, official information, educational material and everyday language. The work focuses on correcting those misunderstandings wherever they appear.
Explanation
Clear explanations
Many common misconceptions disappear once geographic counties, council areas and lieutenancy areas are separated properly.
Mapping and place information
Practical reference tools
Seeing county boundaries alongside council and lieutenancy boundaries often makes the distinction immediately obvious.
Evidence and source material
Verifiable sources
Official sources repeatedly distinguish county geography from administrative systems and later reforms.
Media and public communication
Accurate public language
Much public confusion originates in inaccurate terminology. Better language produces better understanding.
Engagement with public bodies
Constructive contact
Public bodies influence how millions of people understand place. Accurate terminology matters.
Supporter-funded development
Keeping county evidence public
Publicly accessible evidence and mapping make county geography easier to check and describe accurately.
Map development
The map is continually improving.
Join the Monthly County Progress Report for updates on new features, datasets, research and map development.
Public recognition
County geography should be visible in public life.
County signs, flags, county days, maps and accurate public information all help keep county geography visible and understood.
In practice
What this looks like in practice
These are practical examples of county geography being explained, mapped and recognised correctly.
Map
Real Counties Map
The public map shows places in their historic counties and compares that geography with council areas and lieutenancies.
County reference
118 county references
County reference material explains county geography, identity and practical usage across Britain and Ireland.
Evidence
Official evidence and standards
Official statements, legislation, standards, census evidence, mapping notes and source material show how county geography is recorded and distinguished from other systems.
Official data context
ONS place-name reference
The ONS Index of Place Names records every city, town, village and locality by its historic county while also recording council areas and other official classifications.
Public engagement
County content reaching people
County content has reached more than 12 million views, with 192 videos introducing the counties and their distinction from other geographies.
Public bodies
Submissions and contact
The work has included contact with every MP and more than 20 submissions to government and public bodies.
Five practical principles
- Historic county boundaries accurately represented in mapping and public information.
- County names used accurately by public bodies, media, schools, cultural organisations and community groups.
- Lieutenancy areas, council areas, postcodes and statistical geographies described as distinct systems.
- Place-name and boundary tools for finding the historic county of a place.
- County geography used accurately enough to be carried into future records, maps and public language.
What this does not mean
Recognising counties does not mean replacing councils
Councils perform important functions and are not the problem. Confusion arises only when council areas, lieutenancy areas or other systems are mistaken for counties.
Next step
See what support makes possible
The next phase is to expand the county reference, mapping, education and public-recognition work already under way.
Evidence, map and public use
Explore the evidence
Organisation
About HCI
The Historic Counties Institute maintains county reference work, mapping and source evidence.
Evidence
Evidence & Sources
Official statements, standards and source material show why counties should not be confused with other boundary systems.
Map
Real Counties Map
A place can be checked against its historic county and compared with other public geographies.
Support
Support the Work
County maps, public explanations and source evidence remain useful only when they are maintained and kept available.
Media
Press / Media
Media enquiries need precise wording, clear distinctions and source-backed facts.