Lancashire

Lancashire is a county in the North West of England. It is the second most populous county in England, with a population of just under 5 million. Its southern border with Cheshire is marked by the River Mersey, with its eastern border with Yorkshire being marked by the Pennines. It borders Westmorland to the north at Morecambe Bay, while "Lancashire-over-Sands" (or Furness) in the north west is detached from the rest of the county by the shallow Kent estuary, contains part of the Lake District and borders Westmorland partially along Lake Windermere to the east and Cumberland along the River Duddon to the west.

The traditional county town of Lancashire is Lancaster in the north of the county, whilst the largest city is by far Liverpool, on the Mersey estuary in the south west of the county. The second-largest Lancashire city is Manchester (whose southernmost suburbs are located in Cheshire). Other major settlements include Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Preston, Rochdale, Salford, St. Helens, Warrington (again, partially in Cheshire) and Wigan.

Lancashire is the newest county in England, with its name being recorded first in the 12th century.

History

The House of Lancaster was one of the two competing factions in the Wars of the Roses.

In 1612, the famous trial of the Pendle Witches, who had held their sabbats on Pendle Hill in the county, resulted in multiple executions.

Churches in the area were instructed to not share hymn books to as a precaution against the 2020 spread of coronavirus.

Sport

The predominant team sports are soccer with Liverpool FC and Manchester United. Rugby league also has a large presence, with teams such as Wigan Warriors and St Helens RFC.

Trivia

The Lancashire Terrier and Lancashire Heeler dog breeds originated in the county.