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Old 01-02-2010, 05:29 AM   #248
Carruthers
Junior Master Dwellar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Buckinghamshire UK
Posts: 4,059
Quote:
Buckinghamshire County? I didn't realize you had counties, although I'm from New England and that was patterned after Olde England.
Oh yes, we have a more than adequate supply! They form the top tier of local government and the origins of most are lost in the mists of time. There was a reorganisation of local government back in 1974 and some only date from then. For instance, Westmorland and Cumberland were amalgamated to form Cumbria.
I imagine that as those counties were fairly sparsely populated by UK standards, there were economies of scale to be had from their amalgamation.

In the case of Buckinghamshire, (Bucks), the southern boundaries of the county were changed and the town of Slough (as grim as it sounds) found itself in Berkshire. No doubt the impoverished Royal County* needed the income that Slough generated.

Incidentally, we usually only refer to Buckinghamshire, Essex, Norfolk, Herefordshire etc. We don't use the word 'County' in their titles.

I was looking at Bucks County, PA, on Google Earth last night and was struck by how similar the field patterns are to ours here. Google Street View reveals the roads to be the width that we are also used to.

Carruthers.


*Windsor Castle, one of HM Queen's residences, is in Berkshire, hence the title.

Wikipedia: English Counties.
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