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East Midlands
Counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire (except North and North East Lincolnshire), Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland.
Main cities and town: Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Mansfield, Northampton, Nottingham, Boston, Chesterfield, Corby, etc.
The region's main rivers are the Nene, the Soar, the Trent and the Welland.
Some areas of the East Midlands use a distinctive form of spoken dialects and accents. In the northern part of the region, people tend to use the dialect and accent similar to Northern English.
HISTORY
It is believed that the history of the East Midlands began thanks to the Corieltauvi tribe. When the Romans took control over the territory, Leicester was made their one of the main forts, and the main town in Roman times was Lincoln.
One of the Germanic tribes, Angles, formed the Kingdom of Mercia (which means "borderlands") and then also the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw were founded here. So, in about 917 the region was subdivided between Danelaw (Vikings) to the north, and Mercia (Anglo-Saxons) to the south.
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Yorkshire
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The county contains such natural areas as the Peak District National Park and some part of the National Forest.
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The longest river of Derbyshire is the River Derwent (106km).
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Derbyshire is a non-metropolitan county and its land is mildly populated.
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The county has a lot to offer and it attracts many tourists: apart from beautiful sceneries at the Peak District, there are such places as Bolsover Castle, Castleton, National Tramway Museum, Dovedale, Haddon Hall, etc.
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Calke Abbey, Hardwick Hall, Longshaw Estate, Sudbury Hall are properties and lands in the care of the National Trust open to the public.
Leicestershire
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Leicestershire is the only English county that doesn't have a registered flag. However, in 2017 it was proposed to base a flag on symbols associated with the county - a fox and a cinquefoil.
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The name of the county was mentioned in the Domesday Book and since then the boundaries of the county haven't changed a lot.
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The county is famous for farming, especially for different types of sheep.
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The industry of knitwear, hosiery and footwear used to be at a high level in Leicestershire. The local manufacturing industry began with hand knitting in the Middle Ages and survived until the end of the XX century.
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Some places of interest: Belvoir Castle, National Space Centre, Sharwood Museum, Ashby de la Zouch Castle, etc.
Northamptonshire
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The county town is Northampton. Other big centres include Kettering, Corby, Rushden, Daventry and Wellingborough.
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The area of the county used to be part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, but in about 889 it was conquered by the Danes and became part of the Danelaw.
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It was recaptured by the English in 917 by King Edward the Elder, son of Alfred the Great.
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The name of the county first appeared in the Anglo-Saxon Chronical as Hamtunscire: scire - the shire and Hamtun - the homestead.
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When in the 18th and 19th centuries, Northamptonshire was industrialized, it became of one Britain's major centres of Shoemaking and the leather industry.
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Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park (1814) was mostly set in Northamptonshire.
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There's also a 2005 British-Amarican comedy-drama film "Kinky Boots" based on a true story which takes place in Northampton. It tells about a shoe factory's owner who is trying to save the factory with the help of his friend Lola, a drag queen.
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Some places of interest: Rockingham Castle, Holdenby House, Boughton House, Althorp, Brackly.
Rutland
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Rutland is the smallest historic county in England and the fourth smallest in the UK.
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The only towns of this county are Oakham (the county town), and Uppingham.
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The origin of the name Rutland is still discussed - some say the name Rutland should be Ruthland (there's a part of Essex called Ruth), while others claim that such name existed even before the Norman Conquest. However, A Dictionary of British Place Names by A. D. Mills says the name comes from "Rota's land" (Old English name + land).
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In the middle of the county there is Rutland Water, a large artificial lake, a reservoir. It is one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe. It's a beautiful place to visit as it's an important nature reserve.
Nottinghamshire
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The districts of this county include Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Broxtowe, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, and Rushcliffe.
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There are a lot of Roman settlements (e.g. at Mansfield and in Bilborough).
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During the Industrial Revolution, Nottinghamshire was the place where one of the first experimental waggonways was constructed.
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Nottinghamshire is specially famous for the legend of Robin Hood. Many tourists visit Sherwood Forest, its surrounding villages and City of Nottingham.
Sculpture of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest
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landmarks
Clumber Park
- This country park is located in the Dukeries near Worksop in Nottinghamshire.
- The gardens and the estate are under control of the National Trust and are always open to the public.
- The area of the park is really large and has miles of paths and cycle tracks, as well as the chapel in Gothic Revival style and a walled kitchen garden.
- Moreover, on the territory of the Clumber Park there are rare livestock breeds (cows, sheep) around the lak.
Calke Abbey
- It is a country house near Ticknall, Derbyshire, which in reality was never an abbey, but it is a Baroque mansion built between 1701 and 1704.
- But before the Dissolution of the monasteries, it was an Augustinian priory founded in the 12th century and named Calke Priory.
- During later years, it had various owners, until in 1985 it became part of the National Trust.
Wollaton Hall
- This Elizabethan country house of the 1580s stands on a small hill in Wollaton Park, Nottingham.
- Nowadays, the house is Nottingham Natural History Museum. Moreover, there is a herd of deer on the park land which is also sometimes used for rock concerts, sports event and festivals.
- The gallery of the main hall contains Nottinghamshire's oldest pipe organ that is thought to date from the end of the 17th century.
Rockingham Castle
- It is a former royal castle and hunting lodge in Rockingham Forest, two miles away from Corby, Nottinghamshire.
- In the 11th century William the Conqueror ordered a construction of a wooden castle here, and in three decades, William II replaced it with a stone one.
- Today the castle belongs to the Saunders-Watson family. Charles Dickens was a great friend of the Watsons and often visited this place.
- Tours are available to tourists during some months.
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