The Making of England's Counties

For centuries, England’s counties have been imagined as fixed, ancient, clearly defined units. Yet their real history is far more complex. The Making of England’s Counties uncovers the true evolution of shires and counties, from Anglo-Saxon origins and medieval jurisdictions to the patchwork of liberties, counties corporate, exclaves, and peculiar boundaries that endured into the modern era. Drawing on legal, administrative, and cartographic history, the book shows why no single 'standard' historic county map has ever existed, and how Victorian reforms, the rise of the Ordnance Survey, and the creation of administrative counties in 1888 reshaped public understanding. It explains how boundaries shifted over centuries, how identities formed, and why modern debates about historic counties often rest on misunderstandings of earlier practice. Clear, accessible, and meticulously researched, this book offers a definitive guide to the development, confusion, and enduring significance of England’s counties.