What is England's finest county?

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PaulB

Legendary Member
Location
Colne
It's great where i live but we are knocked into third or fourth place in the county table by (drum roll please) in first place......Cumbria.

Majestic lakes, England's highest mountains, terrific scenery. Don't we ALL agree that Cumbria is England's finest county?

What challenges it? Devon? Cornwall? Northumberland? They certainly get better weather in the south and some great sea/ocean scenery which Cumbria, for the most part, lacks. Also, Sellotape or Windtape or whatever they're calling that nuclear power station this week is an eye-sore but overall, the experience of Cumbria puts that county at number one in England.

Anyone want to argue their claims for an alternative county?
 

guitarpete247

Just about surviving
Location
Leicestershire
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mark barker

New Member
Location
Swindon, Wilts
I love Cumbria, but its all a bit too much alike... Hills, water, hills, water. I'd go for Kent, a great variation of attractions, traditional seaside resorts, stunning countryside, busy cities and relaxed towns.
 

upsidedown

Waiting for the great leap forward
Location
The middle bit
Shropshire, nobody knows where it is so there's never anybody there. Great hills for walking, rivers for kayaking and miles of bridleways for mountain biking.
 
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PaulB

PaulB

Legendary Member
Location
Colne
upsidedown said:
Shropshire, nobody knows where it is so there's never anybody there. Great hills for walking, rivers for kayaking and miles of bridleways for mountain biking.

Oooh, oooh, me, sir, me! I know where it is and you've got a good shout. I used to get the train down to Church Stretton and run up in the Long Mynd and it was very pleasant. Some great towns there and we once became English national fell running champions when the season's last race was held on Wenlock Edge from Much Wenlock (full of VERY strange people!) Brown Clee was a great hill to run up, also. Overall though, scenic as it is, it's not AS scenic as Cumbria which remains number one, but good challenge.

That shout for Yorkshire; that's just taking the wee-wee, that is! Nice scenery destroyed by god getting his own back by populating it with Yorkshiremen. Yorkshiremen, born and bred, thick in the arm and thick in the head. As they say. In some places. Allegedly.
 
Essex must have it all!
History - Brentwood; The birthplace of Noel Edmonds.
Architecture - The modern vision of Britain that is Basildon.
Seaside - You can almost see the sea from Southend beach when the tide is out as the pier majestically crumbles.
Industrial Heritage - Canvey Island gas works.
Romford – All the London excitement (crime) without all those tourist attractions to get in the way.
Plus all the jolly local characters.
 
I suspect distance makes the heart grow fonder, but Cornwall wins for me.

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The coast, the hills, the moors, the pubs, the villages and if there was any work to be found I'd be back home in a shot. I think other counties have Cornwall beat on individual attributes like Cotswolds/Gloucester for villages and yes Cumbria for hills. I'd even admit Devon (phftt!!) has the better moors. But as a whole Cornwall wins on averages.
 

upsidedown

Waiting for the great leap forward
Location
The middle bit
marzjennings said:
I suspect distance makes the heart grow fonder, but Cornwall wins for me.

cornish_flag.gif


The coast, the hills, the moors, the pubs, the villages and if there was any work to be found I'd be back home in a shot. I think other counties have Cornwall beat on individual attributes like Cotswolds/Gloucester for villages and yes Cumbria for hills. I'd even admit Devon (phftt!!) has the better moors. But as a whole Cornwall wins on averages.


But the fact that Richard Madeley has a holiday home there probably tells you all you need to know about the sort of people you're likely to encounter there these days.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
First, Cumbria for the reasons above.

Second, Lancashire: a great mix of coastal flat lands and rugged hills, which makes it ideal cycling terrain. Excellent empty roads and sleepy villages as well as the industrial heritage bit with the cotton mills and superb gritstone landscapes.

Third, Northumberland: massive, empty and beautiful.
 
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