West Country
For the local ITV broadcaster, see the Westcountry Television.The
West Country is an informal term for the area of south-western
England, roughly corresponding to the administrative region
South West England. This is generally understood as
Devon,
Cornwall,
Somerset,
Gloucestershire,
Wiltshire and
Dorset. The area is mostly
rural, with a few notable cities.
Tourism and
agriculture, especially
dairy farming, play a significant role in the economy. The landscape is principally
granite moorland in the west,
chalk and
limestone downland and
clay vales in the east. Historically,
tin mining and the
fishery were sources of income and employment, but not so much today, although the latter still contributes to the economy. The region is most famous for its produce of cider, clotted cream and pasties.
As with any informal area, its boundaries are difficult to define. For example, the further West, the less Easterly one would consider part of the region. It is often difficult to define a county as being "West Country" when it is a popular destination for commuters, but it is important to look at the lifestyle, accents and dialects of the true residents before making an informed decision.
Cornwall especially has a distinct view on the exclusivity of what defines a West Country county; it was one of the last areas to come under Saxon domination. To this day, some natives of Cornwall do not consider themselves English (see
Constitutional status of Cornwall,
Cornish self-government movement, and
Cornish people).
The West Country is sometimes associated with the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of
Wessex, and
Wessex regionalists seek to promote this as an alternative to the South-West region. Wessex includes the adjacent counties in central southern England;
Hampshire,
Berkshire,
Oxfordshire and the
Isle of Wight. These movements, as they do not include Cornwall, are generally supported by Cornish nationalists. The
Welsh traditional county of
Monmouthshire is also considered part of the region by some people.
West Country and Cornish nationalism or separatism are very much concerns of a tiny minority.
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Britain*
England*
South England*
South West England*
Wessex*
West England*
United KingdomCounties (and unitary authorities)
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Former County of Avon**
Bath and North East Somerset**
Bristol**
North Somerset**
South Gloucestershire*
Cornwall**
Isles of Scilly*
Devon**
Plymouth**
Torbay*
Dorset**
Bournemouth**
Poole*
Gloucestershire *
Somerset*
Wiltshire**
Chippenham **
Trowbridge **
SwindonNotable Towns and Cities
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Barnstaple*
Bath*
Bournemouth*
Bridgwater*
Bristol*
Calne*
Chippenham*
Devizes*
Dorchester*
Exeter*
Glastonbury*
Marlborough*
Newquay*
Penzance*
Plymouth*
Salisbury*
Swindon*
Taunton*
Tiverton*
Torquay*
Trowbridge*
Truro*
Warminster*
Westbury*
Weston-super-Mare*
Weymouth*
Yeovil(See county pages for more.)Places of interest
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Avebury*
Bodmin Moor*
Dartmoor*
Exmoor*
Glastonbury Tor*
Jurassic Coast*
Mendip Hills*
South West Coast*
Stonehenge*
West Country Carnival circuit
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White Horse at Cherhill(See county pages for more.)*
Scrumpy and Western music*
Thomas Hardy (West Country novelist)
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UK topics*
West Country dialects
