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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Altrincham (/ˈɒltrɪŋəm/ ^ⓘ OL-tring-əm, locally /ˈɒltrɪŋɡəm/) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Manchester, 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Sale and 10 miles (16 km) east of Warrington. At the 2021 census, the built up area had a population of 49,680.

It lies within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and became part of Greater Manchester in 1974. Altrincham developed as a market town following the right to hold a market being granted in 1290; the market continues today. Further socioeconomic development came with the extension of the Bridgewater Canal to Altrincham in 1765 and the arrival of the railway in 1849, stimulating industrial activity in the town. Outlying villages were absorbed by Altrincham's subsequent growth, along with the grounds of Dunham Massey Hall, formerly the home of the Earl of Stamford, and now a tourist attraction with three Grade I Listed Buildings and a deer park. (Full article...)

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Brown in 2009

June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera EastEnders (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the Inside Soap Awards and received the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2005 British Soap Awards. Brown was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to drama and to charity, and promoted to an OBE in the 2022 New Year Honours. In 2009, she was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress, making her the second performer to receive a BAFTA nomination for their work in a soap opera, after Jean Alexander. In February 2020, at the age of 93, she announced that she had left EastEnders permanently. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1England 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 2The 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 3Silbury Hill, c. 2400 BC (from History of England)
Image 4Anglo-Saxon helmet from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, 625 AD (replica) (from History of England)
Image 5The Ruthwell Cross, 8th century AD (from History of England)
Image 6Elizabeth I (from History of England)
Image 7Canterbury Cathedral nave, 1377 (from History of England)
Image 8The White Tower of the Tower of London, built in 1078 (from History of England)
Image 9Countries where English is natively spoken or has official status (from Culture of England)
Image 10First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644 (from History of England)
Image 11Depiction of the Battle of Hastings (1066) on the Bayeux Tapestry (from History of England)
Image 12William 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 13Anglo-Saxon king with his Witan. Biblical scene in the Old English Hexateuch (11th century) (from History of England)
Image 14Durham Cathedral. The Norman cathedral was built 1093–1133 (from History of England)
Image 15Tomb of Richard I of England and Isabella of Angoulême (from History of England)
Image 16The Mob Quad of Merton College, University of Oxford, 13th–14th century (from History of England)
Image 17King'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 18Artefacts from Bush Barrow at Stonehenge. Wessex culture, Early Bronze Age, c. 1900 BC (from History of England)
Image 19Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 720 AD (from History of England)
Image 20Stinking Bishop cheese (from Culture of England)
Image 21Francis 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 22King James I of England (from History of England)
Image 23First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. (from Culture of England)
Image 24Stonehenge, erected in several stages from c.3000–2500 BC (from History of England)
Image 25A traditional Punch and Judy booth, at Swanage, Dorset, England (from Culture of England)
Image 26The Alfred Jewel, late 9th century (from History of England)
Image 27King Henry VIII (from History of England)
Image 28The Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral (from Culture of England)
Image 29Durham Cathedral, dating from 1093 (from Culture of England)
Image 30Portrait of Edward VI, c. 1550 (from History of England)
Image 31Geoffrey Chaucer, c. 1340s–1400, author of The Canterbury Tales (from History of England)
Image 32Frontispiece 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 33The Royal College of Music is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, established by royal charter in 1882. (from Culture of England)
Image 34Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill. (from Culture of England)
Image 35Dover Castle, 12th–13th century (from History of England)
Image 36The Great Fire London, 1666. (from History of England)
Image 37Remains of the Roman baths at Bath, England. (from History of England)
Image 38Chester, c. 1880 (from History of England)
Image 39Morris dancing (from Culture of England)
Image 40The Battersea Shield (detail), 350 BC. (from History of England)
Image 41Maps of territory held by Royalists (red) and Parliamentarians (green) during the English Civil War (1642–1645) (from History of England)
Image 42Whitehall by Francis Dodd (1920) displaying the Palace of Westminster (from Culture of England)
Image 43King 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 44King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 (from History of England)
Image 45View of the ramparts of the hillfort of Maiden Castle (450 BC), as they look today (from History of England)
Image 46The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers (from History of England)
Image 47Sir Francis Drake's voyage 1585–86 (from History of England)
Image 48The Fairy Ring by William Holmes Sullivan, c.1908 (from Culture of England)
Image 49The Spanish Armada and English ships in August 1588, (unknown, 16th-century, English School) (from History of England)
Image 50King Alfred the Great statue in Winchester, Hampshire. The 9th-century English king encouraged education in his kingdom. (from Culture of England)
Image 51The wizard Merlin features as a character in many works of fiction, including the BBC series Merlin. (from Culture of England)
Image 52Gold torc from Snettisham, 70 BC (from History of England)
Image 53Interior of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (from Culture of England)
Image 54Sir 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 55Bronze coins of Cunobelin, called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. 1–42 AD. (from History of England)
Image 56The 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 57The 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 58Flatford Mill ('Scene on a Navigable River') by John Constable, c. 1816 (from Culture of England)
Image 59One of only four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text, Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, property of the British Library (from History of England)
Image 60The English landscape garden at Stourhead, described as a 'living work of art' when first opened in the 1750s (from Culture of England)
Image 61Portrait 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 62Procession of characters from Shakespeare's plays (from Culture of England)
Image 63Canterbury 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 64King Charles II (from History of England)
Image 65Jack 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 66England in 878 (from History of England)
Image 67The epic poem Beowulf, set in 6th century Scandinavia, composed c. 700–1000 AD. (from History of England)
Image 68A pint of real ale (from Culture of England)
Image 69Christopher Lee (seen here as Dracula in 1958) starred in many of Hammer's British horror films. (from Culture of England)
Image 70Shoulder clasp from Sutton Hoo, 625 AD (from History of England)
Image 71Remains of Hadrian's Wall (from History of England)
Image 72Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers. (from Culture of England)
Image 73Kingdoms and tribes in Britain, c. AD 600 (from History of England)
Image 74National performing arts are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as The Proms during the summer. (from Culture of England)
Image 75Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945 (from History of England)
Image 76Alfred 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 77Josiah Wedgwood was a leading entrepreneur in the Industrial Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 78The Billingsgate Fish Market in London in the early 19th century (from History of England)
Image 79The Lindisfarne Gospels (from Culture of England)

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The Roman Baths in the city of Bath, England

The Roman Baths are well-preserved thermae in the city of Bath, Somerset, England. A temple was constructed on the site between 60 and 70 AD in the first few decades of Roman Britain. Its presence led to the development of the small Roman urban settlement known as Aquae Sulis around the site. The Roman baths—designed for public bathing—were used until the end of Roman rule in Britain in the 5th century AD. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the original Roman baths were in ruins a century later. The area around the natural springs was redeveloped several times during the Early and Late Middle Ages.

The Roman Baths are preserved in four main features: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House, and a museum which holds artefacts from Aquae Sulis. However, all buildings at street level date from the 19th century. It is a major tourist attraction in the UK, and together with the Grand Pump Room, receives more than 1.3 million visitors annually. Visitors can tour the baths and museum but cannot enter the water. (Full article...)

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Did you know?

A trade-cog, the main horse-transport type used during the invasion of England

...that Mary Somerville was the first to sign John Stuart Mill's petition to give women the right to vote?
...that William the Conqueror's transport of over 2000 horses across the English Channel during the Norman invasion of England is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry?
...that the Premier League's proposal to play some matches outside England was condemned by the Football Supporters' Federation as an "outrageous desecration of the national game"?

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In the news

20 June 2025 –: The United Kingdom parliament votes to approve a bill allowing terminally ill adults to voluntarily end their lives, moving towards legalizing assisted suicide in England and Wales. (DW) (BBC News)
10 June 2025 – Fossil fuel phase-out: The British government announces it will invest £14.2 billion (US$19 billion) to construct the new Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk, England, to reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels. (AP) (Reuters)

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“

An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one.

”

— George Mikes

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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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