The Historic Counties Standard

The Historic Counties Standard provides a comprehensive definition of the names, areas and borders of the historic counties of the UK. The Standard can be downloaded as a PDF format document.

By providing a definition for the terminology and the names, areas and borders of the historic counties, the Standard will enable a more consistent use of the historic counties to be made in those numerous contexts for which they are the most natural geographical framework, principally in the fields of history, geography, heritage and education. For example:

A description of the Ordnance Survey's practice in relation to the mereing and depiction of county boundaries can be found in A history of 'Ordnance Survey 'County' boundaries.

Images on this page from top: Haytor, Devon; Merthyr Mawr, Glamorgan.