Lancashire History And Background
With a population of over five million, Lancashire is not the biggest county in the UK, but it covers some well known cities, and has a rich cultural past. It has an identity similar to that of it's 'cloth capped' neighbour Yorkshire, one of it's most famous dishes being the 'Lancashire Hot Pot'.
Lancashire was originally home to the Brigates, a group of Celtic tribes who occupied hill forts in the area, and tilled the land for food. When the Romans arrived in the first century, local tribes were split between those that succumbed and cooperated and those that resisted the invasion.
As with much of Britain, the Romans conquered the area, and then followed a subsequent building of fortifications to maintain the strongholds, and roads to link them, these roads being the originators of many modern roadways throughout the region.
After three centuries of rule, the Romans left due to problems within their own political system, which would eventually lead to the collapse of the Roman Empire in total. The lands reverted back to the Celtic tribes of the area, although with no governance in place, this was remedied by the military and administrative might of King Rheged who subsumed much of Lancashire into the kingdom of Northumbria.
The second wave of oversees invaders, the Scandinavians did trouble the region, despite its location on the west coast of the British Isles. Scandinavian involvement in the area had a pronounced effect, and many place names in current use are Norse in origination, and many of the current population are to some degree of Viking ancestry.
Like the Roman invasion, the Scandinavian occupation of the area was not all 'bad news' for the indigenous inhabitants, as wealth was created through trade with Ireland and Europe. William the Conqueror was the next invader to have a lasting effect on the area, his being to delineate the border of what had not been previously been recognised as an independent region.
This newly carved region, was to change its boundaries in 1889, resulting in a reduction of land and therefore les of an administrative task of governance.
Lancashire played its part in the industrial revolution resulting in extensive urbanisation during the 20th century, and by 1971, the population had increased to over five million. Within the boundaries there are several modern cities, although Lancaster itself does not serve as the administrative centre, Preston holds the head office.
Liverpool is probably the most famous of its cities, for more reasons than one. A huge port in its day it grew through being the biggest transporter of slaves to the Americas. It still exists as a major commercial shipping port to this day, and the wealth generated through shipping has made it one of the most populous and grand cities in the UK, although, it is not without its problems.
Manchester which became it's own borough in the 1960s had also grown extensively during the industrial period, it's 'dark satanic mills' producing much of the textiles that were woven form the cotton that was in effect bartered for the services of the slave that had been transported to the West Indies.
Many other areas of Lancashire attained their own governance through the splitting of counties during the 1960s, although culturally, they perhaps remain 'Lancs' in their customs.
All geographical history contains periods of invasion and sometimes brutal domination, but what counts is what exists to the current day. Lancashire offers the visitor a great coastline, as well as plenty to see and do, and even if you have no interest in history, then there are great open spaces and areas of outstanding natural beauty to enjoy within its boundaries.
