What is England's finest county?

[vernon]

I'm rather fond of the bits of County Durham that make up Teesdale.

 

[Alan Whicker]

I need to add Essex to my other choices earlier on. Once you get beyond London's Deathstar-like influence (like, beyond Epping) it's a lovely, underrated county.

 

[4F]

Hampshire or Suffolk

 

[Speck]

And it's got Buckhaven in it.

Sadly I used to go up there on my hols as my Dad's mate from the army live there.

 

[mickle]

Herefordshire I said. Don't you people listen?

 

[User169]

Dorset - home of the great pastoral poet, William Barnes.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLD6UOycWtc

 

[Speck]

I come from North Derbyshire but now live in Somerset, so hard to choose. It's got to be Somerset because of the weather!

 

[Chromatic]

It's beautiful to be sure, but Cumbria isn't a county in the traditional sense though is it? It's an administrative convenience made up from Cumberland, Westmorland and north Lancashire. I note that the residents of Appleby changed the name of their town to "Appleby in Westmorland" after Westmorland had been abolished...I doubt they feel particularly Cumbrian.

Seeing as part of the Lake District used to be in Lancashire, I'm tempted to vote for that, but there are also some godforsaken old mill towns too. A bit of ying for the yang, I suppose.

So I shall vote for Bristol instead, as it is both a city and a county. Fantastic mountain biking and road riding is available in the city's doorstep. Wonderful.

If we are going to get all traditional then Bristol is in Gloucestershire.

 

[mickle]

If we are going to get all traditional then Bristol is in Gloucestershire.

You're Avon a larf!

 

[Yellow Fang]

I have to admit, the nicest English county I passed through during my LEJOG was Cumbria. I haven't done all the other counties but it's the prettiest English county I've visited. Round about here, south Oxfordshire is v. pretty.

 

[Fnaar]

Northumberland. End of argument.
Especially for cycling. It really is the business... has hills if you want, flat if you want, coastal paths if you want... off-road trails if you want... countryside with bu99er all traffic; basically it is England's cycling heaven.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Round about here, south north Oxfordshire is v. pretty.

Gotta agree with you

 

[wafflycat]

Northumberland. End of argument.
Especially for cycling. It really is the business... has hills if you want, flat if you want, coastal paths if you want... off-road trails if you want... countryside with bu99er all traffic; basically it is England's cycling heaven.

Along with Norfolk, England's two finest counties!

 

[Yellow Fang]

Gotta agree with you

I can't comment on North Oxfordshire, but the Chilterns run through South Oxfordshire, which are jolly nice.

Along with Norfolk, England's two finest counties!

Don't know about Norfolk, but Suffolk strikes me as a great place to cycle around. Lots of lanes and not much traffic. A good place for a 10K or half marathon too, I would think.

 

[mcshroom]

I'll have to go Cumbria, especially cycling along the Wasdale valley with the fells around you and a pub at the end(although some very nice coastline around St. Bees and some lovely flat roads up on the Solway plain). The East Riding of Yorkshire for cycling, lovely picturesque and flat, and Dorset, especially the Isle of Purbeck, breathtaking scenery and great walking.

To be honest there are lots of counties I could list, one hidden gem being the southern & western parts of Berkshire, which have some beautiful rolling hills and nice quiet country lanes.