Regular UKCS readers may recall that last year I set myself a 'pointless but fun challenge' to camp under canvas in as many English counties as I could between 1 September 2010 and 31 August 2011. I'd originally hoped to camp in all of them but that proved too ambitious.
I decided to adopt the pre-1974 county boundaries (as examples, dividing Yorkshire into its original three Ridings and discarding modern 'Cumbria' in favour of the three historic counties of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancs Detached) and ignoring the post-1974 creations like 'Merseyside', 'South Yorkshire' and 'West Midlands'.
One factor that has limited the number of counties (given the limited time I can spend camping) is that I have revisited some counties several times - I go to Cornwall and to the Lake District fairly regularly, for example
Anyway, here is the list of counties I camped in during the twelve months from 1 Sept 2010 to 31 August 2011: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, County Durham, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Lancashire (Detached), Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Yorkshire East Riding, Yorkshire North Riding, Yorkshire West Riding, Westmorland, Wiltshire, Worcestershire. (21 entries)
Since the deadline, I have camped in Cumberland. So here are the counties I have yet to camp in: Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdon, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey. (15 entries).
I've not kept a record of how much time I've spent camping in the last twelve months but (excluding garden camping) I guestimate it around fifty-sixty nights under canvas.
Scep, I 'm impressed with your achievement- well done. But on the flip side I'm born and bred in Middlesex , what did my county do so that it doesn't even get onto any of your lists ?
------------- DOZY
Life should not be measured by the amount of breaths we take but the moments that take your breath away.
Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 08/9/2011Now go home and get the lawn cut!
Oh, you know my missus then?
DOZY and Mussells - my apologies to you both. Middlesex and Kent are definitely both on my 'to do' list but seem to have got excluded from the post above.
Brettsy - Wales is a good suggestion for a future project (assuming I can find sufficiently detailed maps of the old counties).
Elaine - the quest continues! We mentioned Derbyshire a while back and I'll be there backpacking soon but I still need to camp in Notts so maybe a meet there?
err and the isle of wight has been a county since well before 1974!! actually became an independant administritive county in 1890!!
so...when you coming over to see meeeeeee???!!! i can pick you up from the boat if you want to leave the car behind. loads of places to camp over here. x
------------- tina xx
mum to 5 kids
DD-20
DS-16
DD-14
DD-9
DS-3 and a half!
and a large, daft, black dog!!
Quote: Originally posted by tinallkn4 on 08/9/2011
err and the isle of wight has been a county since well before 1974!! actually became an independant administritive county in 1890!!
so...when you coming over to see meeeeeee???!!! i can pick you up from the boat if you want to leave the car behind. loads of places to camp over here. x
Immigration won't let him in.
------------- 2021
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A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Counties under canvas - results
