Portal:England

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England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It shares a land border with Scotland to the north and another land border with Wales to the west, and is otherwise surrounded by the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south, the Celtic Sea to the south-west, and the Irish Sea to the west. Continental Europe lies to the south-east, and Ireland to the west. At the 2021 census, the population was 56,490,048. London is both the largest city and the capital.

The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Paleolithic. It takes its name from the Angles, a Germanic tribe who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in the 10th century and has had extensive cultural and legal impact on the wider world since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century. The Kingdom of England, which included Wales after 1535, ceased to be a separate sovereign state on 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union brought into effect a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland that created the Kingdom of Great Britain.

England is the origin of the English language, the English legal system (which served as the basis for the common law systems of many other countries), association football, and the Anglican branch of Christianity; its parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England is home to the two oldest universities in the English-speaking world: the University of Oxford, founded in 1096, and the University of Cambridge, founded in 1209. Both universities are ranked amongst the most prestigious in the world.

England's terrain chiefly consists of low hills and plains, especially in the centre and south. Upland and mountainous terrain is mostly found in the north and west, including Dartmoor, the Lake District, the Pennines, and the Shropshire Hills. The London metropolitan area has a population of 14.2 million as of 2021, representing the United Kingdom's largest metropolitan area. England's population of 56.3 million comprises 84% of the population of the United Kingdom, largely concentrated around London, the South East, and conurbations in the Midlands, the North West, the North East, and Yorkshire, which each developed as major industrial regions during the 19th century. (Full article...)

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Shackleton in 1904

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

Born in Kilkea, County Kildare, Ireland, Shackleton and his Anglo-Irish family moved to Sydenham in suburban south London when he was ten. Shackleton's first experience of the polar regions was as third officer on Captain Robert Falcon Scott's Discovery Expedition of 1901–1904, from which he was sent home early on health grounds, after he and his companions Scott and Edward Adrian Wilson set a new southern record by marching to latitude 82°S. During the Nimrod Expedition of 1907–1909, he and three companions established a new record Farthest South latitude of 88°23′ S, only 97 geographical miles (112 statute miles or 180 kilometres) from the South Pole, the largest advance to the pole in exploration history. Also, members of his team climbed Mount Erebus, the most active Antarctic volcano. On returning home, Shackleton was knighted for his achievements by King Edward VII. (Full article...)

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Methodist church, Lostock Hall

Lostock Hall /ˌlɒstɒk ˈhɔːl/ is a suburban village within the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England. It is located on the south side of the River Ribble, some 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Preston and 3 miles (5 km) north of Leyland. It is bordered on its southeastern side by the interchange for the M6, M61 and M65 motorways.

Lostock Hall traces its origins to James de Lostock who in 1212 built Lostock's Hall in the then rural area of Cuerden Green in the township of Walton-le-Dale. A settlement expanded outwards from Lostock's Hall, taking its name from the Hall. The former separate community of Tardy Gate is now for all intents and purposes a part of Lostock Hall - it used to be the farming community linking one part of rural Lancashire to another. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various England-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Shoulder clasp from Sutton Hoo, 625 AD (from History of England)
Image 2Durham Cathedral. The Norman cathedral was built 1093–1133 (from History of England)
Image 3A traditional Punch and Judy booth, at Swanage, Dorset, England (from Culture of England)
Image 4Tomb of Richard I of England and Isabella of Angoulême (from History of England)
Image 5Josiah Wedgwood was a leading entrepreneur in the Industrial Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 6Elizabeth I (from History of England)
Image 7Remains of the Roman baths at Bath, England. (from History of England)
Image 8National performing arts are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as The Proms during the summer. (from Culture of England)
Image 9Countries where English is natively spoken or has official status (from Culture of England)
Image 10Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the Primate of All England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior bishop of the Church of England. (It was the property of the Roman Catholic Church before the English Reformation.) (from Culture of England)
Image 11Jack In the Green, a traditional English folk custom being celebrated in Hastings Old Town, known for its many pre-Victorian buildings. (from Culture of England)
Image 12The Roman Baths in Bath; a temple was constructed on the site between 60–70CE in the first few decades of Roman Britain. (from Culture of England)
Image 13Francis Bacon led the advancement of both natural philosophy and the scientific method and his works remained deeply influential in the Scientific Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 14The epic poem Beowulf, set in 6th century Scandinavia, composed c. 700–1000 AD. (from History of England)
Image 15View of the ramparts of the hillfort of Maiden Castle (450 BC), as they look today (from History of England)
Image 16Durham Cathedral, dating from 1093 (from Culture of England)
Image 17Stonehenge, erected in several stages from c.3000–2500 BC (from History of England)
Image 18King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 (from History of England)
Image 19The first general laws against child labour, the Factory Acts, were passed in Britain in the first half of the 19th century. Children younger than nine were not allowed to work and the work day of youth under the age of 18 was limited to twelve hours. (from History of England)
Image 20Canterbury Cathedral nave, 1377 (from History of England)
Image 21Christopher Lee (seen here as Dracula in 1958) starred in many of Hammer's British horror films. (from Culture of England)
Image 22Geoffrey Chaucer, c. 1340s–1400, author of The Canterbury Tales (from History of England)
Image 23The Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral (from Culture of England)
Image 24King Alfred the Great statue in Winchester, Hampshire. The 9th-century English king encouraged education in his kingdom. (from Culture of England)
Image 25Silbury Hill, c. 2400 BC (from History of England)
Image 26Chester, c. 1880 (from History of England)
Image 27Stinking Bishop cheese (from Culture of England)
Image 28Kingdoms and tribes in Britain, c. AD 600 (from History of England)
Image 29The Great Fire London, 1666. (from History of England)
Image 30Ancient Celtic warrior; with trumpet horn, plaid/ tartan cloak, and horned bronze helmet (called the Waterloo or Battersea helmet). (from History of England)
Image 31Sir Francis Drake's voyage 1585–86 (from History of England)
Image 32The English landscape garden at Stourhead, described as a 'living work of art' when first opened in the 1750s (from Culture of England)
Image 33Dover Castle, 12th–13th century (from History of England)
Image 34Anglo-Saxon helmet from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, 625 AD (replica) (from History of England)
Image 35Morris dancing (from Culture of England)
Image 36The Billingsgate Fish Market in London in the early 19th century (from History of England)
Image 37One of only four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text, Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, property of the British Library (from History of England)
Image 38The wizard Merlin features as a character in many works of fiction, including the BBC series Merlin. (from Culture of England)
Image 39Portrait of Edward VI, c. 1550 (from History of England)
Image 40King's College in Cambridge is regarded as one of the greatest examples of late English Gothic architecture. It has the world's largest fan vault, while the chapel's stained-glass windows and wooden chancel screen are considered some of the finest from their era. (from Culture of England)
Image 41The Mob Quad of Merton College, University of Oxford, 13th–14th century (from History of England)
Image 42Frontispiece of Bede's Life of St Cuthbert, showing King Æthelstan presenting a copy of the book to the saint himself. c. 930 (from History of England)
Image 43The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers (from History of England)
Image 44King Charles II, a patron of the arts and sciences, supported the Royal Society, a scientific group whose early members included Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle and Sir Isaac Newton. (from Culture of England)
Image 45The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork yet found^[update]. It consists of almost 4,600 items and metal fragments. (from Culture of England)
Image 46Whitehall by Francis Dodd (1920) displaying the Palace of Westminster (from Culture of England)
Image 47The Royal College of Music is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, established by royal charter in 1882. (from Culture of England)
Image 48Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 720 AD (from History of England)
Image 49Procession of characters from Shakespeare's plays (from Culture of England)
Image 50First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. (from Culture of England)
Image 51King James I of England (from History of England)
Image 52Remains of Hadrian's Wall (from History of England)
Image 53Alfred Hitchcock is often regarded as the greatest British filmmaker, and was described as "a straightforward middle-class Englishman who just happened to be an artistic genius." (from Culture of England)
Image 54The Fairy Ring by William Holmes Sullivan, c.1908 (from Culture of England)
Image 55Gold torc from Snettisham, 70 BC (from History of England)
Image 56Anglo-Saxon king with his Witan. Biblical scene in the Old English Hexateuch (11th century) (from History of England)
Image 57First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644 (from History of England)
Image 58Flatford Mill ('Scene on a Navigable River') by John Constable, c. 1816 (from Culture of England)
Image 59The White Tower of the Tower of London, built in 1078 (from History of England)
Image 60Maps of territory held by Royalists (red) and Parliamentarians (green) during the English Civil War (1642–1645) (from History of England)
Image 61King Henry VIII (from History of England)
Image 62Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers. (from Culture of England)
Image 63William Hogarth's depiction of a scene from Shakespeare's The Tempest is an example of how English literature influenced English painting in the 18th century. (from Culture of England)
Image 64Bronze coins of Cunobelin, called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. 1–42 AD. (from History of England)
Image 65Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill. (from Culture of England)
Image 66The Lindisfarne Gospels (from Culture of England)
Image 67Depiction of the Battle of Hastings (1066) on the Bayeux Tapestry (from History of England)
Image 68England in 878 (from History of England)
Image 69The Spanish Armada and English ships in August 1588, (unknown, 16th-century, English School) (from History of England)
Image 70The Alfred Jewel, late 9th century (from History of England)
Image 71Interior of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (from Culture of England)
Image 72England playing Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground in the 2009 Ashes series. After winning the 2019 Cricket World Cup, England became the first country to win the World Cups in football, rugby union and cricket. (from Culture of England)
Image 73The Battersea Shield (detail), 350 BC. (from History of England)
Image 74A pint of real ale (from Culture of England)
Image 75Artefacts from Bush Barrow at Stonehenge. Wessex culture, Early Bronze Age, c. 1900 BC (from History of England)
Image 76Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945 (from History of England)
Image 77King Charles II (from History of England)
Image 78Portrait of the Royal Tudors. At left, Henry VII, with Prince Arthur behind him, then Prince Henry (later Henry VIII), and Prince Edmund, who did not survive early childhood. To the right is Elizabeth of York, with Princess Margaret, then Princess Elizabeth who didn't survive childhood, Princess Mary, and Princess Katherine, who died shortly after her birth. (from History of England)
Image 79Sir Isaac Newton is regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time and as a key figure in the Scientific Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 80The Ruthwell Cross, 8th century AD (from History of England)

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Runcorn's Silver Jubilee Bridge

Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England. Runcorn is on the south bank of the River Mersey, where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. It is 15 miles (24 km) upstream from the port of Liverpool. The Runcorn built-up area had a population of 61,145 at the 2021 census.

Runcorn was founded by Æthelflæd of Mercia in 915 AD as a fortification to guard against Viking invasion at a narrowing of the River Mersey. Under Norman rule, Runcorn fell under the Barony of Halton, and an Augustinian abbey was established there in 1115. It remained a small, isolated settlement until the Industrial Revolution, when the extension of the Bridgewater Canal to Runcorn in 1776 established it as a port that would link Liverpool with inland Manchester and Staffordshire. The docks enabled the growth of industry, initially shipwrights and sandstone quarries. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it was a spa and health resort, but that ended with the growth of polluting industries, especially soap and chemical works. In 1964, Runcorn was designated a new town and expanded eastward, swallowing neighbouring settlements and more than doubling its population. (Full article...)

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Did you know?

The Westminster Assembly

... that the 1643 Westminster Assembly, which was appointed by the Parliament of England to restructure the Church of England, produced the Westminster Confession, the foundation of the Presbyterian Church?
... that Declaration of Sports was a 1617 declaration of James I of England listing archery and dancing as permissible on Sundays and that Puritans in Parliament had it publicly burned in 1643?
... that Jemmy Button was a Yaghan from Tierra del Fuego who was bought for a mother-of-pearl button in 1830 and taken on HMS Beagle to meet the King and Queen of England?

In the news

29 April 2025 –: A 38-year-old man suspected of seriously injuring two women on Saturday in a shooting and crossbow attack on the Otley Run pub crawl in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, succumbs to a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the hospital. It is confirmed that the perpetrator's motive was misogyny. (BBC News)
26 April 2025 –: Two women are seriously injured in an attack on a road when a 38-year-old man attacks them with a crossbow and a firearm before shooting and injuring himself in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Counter Terrorism Policing is currently investigating the incident. (BBC News)
12 April 2025 –: Three prison officers sustain life-threatening injuries in a mass stabbing and burn attack when Hashem Abedi, the brother of Islamic terrorist Salman Abedi, the perpetrator of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, attacks prison officers at HM Prison Frankland in County Durham, England, with hot cooking oil and shivs. (BBC News)
9 April 2025 –: Universal Destinations & Experiences formally announces that they have chosen a site near Kempston Hardwick in Bedfordshire, England, as the location for their Universal Studios United Kingdom resort. The theme park will officially open in 2031 and will be the largest theme park in the UK upon completion. (AP)
7 April 2025 –: The first birth of a baby in the United Kingdom to a woman with a transplanted womb is announced. The baby girl, delivered at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London to a 36-year-old woman, is reported to be healthy. (BBC News)
5 April 2025 –: Two people are killed after a caravan catches fire at a campsite in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England. (Sky News)

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“

I have seen much to hate here, much to forgive. But in a world where England is finished and dead, I do not wish to live.

”

— Alice Duer Miller

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Related WikiProjects

England • Bedfordshire • Brighton • Cheshire • Cornwall • Derbyshire • Dorset • Greater Manchester • Hampshire • Lincolnshire • London • Merseyside • Northamptonshire • North East England • Sheffield • Surrey. Warwickshire • West Midlands • Worcestershire • Yorkshire

Topics

Cities and major towns: Blackpool • Birmingham • Bristol • Chelmsford • Leeds • Liverpool • London • Manchester • Newcastle • Nottingham • Oxford • Portsmouth • Sheffield • Southampton • Stoke-on-Trent

Culture: The Football Association • Rugby Football Union • England and Wales Cricket Board • English inventions and discoveries

Geography: Geology • Climate • Mountains and hills • Islands • Rivers

Economy: Bank of England • London Stock Exchange • Chancellor of the Exchequer • Monetary Policy Committee • HM Treasury

History: Timeline of English history • Prehistoric Britain • Roman Britain • Anglo-Saxon England • Norman England • Plantagenet England • House of Lancaster • House of York • House of Tudor • House of Stuart

Governance: Kingdom of England • Prime Minister of the United Kingdom • Parliament of the United Kingdom • Home Secretary • Local Government Boundary Commission for England • Administrative divisions of England • English law

Symbols: Flags • Flag of England • St George's Cross • Tudor rose • Coat of arms of England

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