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. England shares a land border with Scotland to the north and another land border with Wales to the west, and is 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. In 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, forming 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 over 15 million as of 2025, 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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A 17th century portrait of Fox

George Fox (July 1624 O.S. (July–August 1624 N.S.) – 13 January 1691 O.S. (23 January 1692 N.S.)) was an English Dissenter, who was a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends. The son of a Leicestershire weaver, he lived in times of social upheaval and war. He rebelled against the religious and political authorities by proposing an unusual, uncompromising approach to the Christian faith. He travelled throughout Britain as a dissenting preacher, performed hundreds of healings, and was often persecuted by the disapproving authorities.

In 1669, he married Margaret Fell, widow of a wealthy supporter, Thomas Fell; she was a leading Friend. His ministry expanded and he made tours of North America and the Low Countries. He was arrested and jailed numerous times for his beliefs. He spent his final decade working in London to organise the expanding Quaker movement. Despite disdain from some Anglicans and Puritans, he was viewed with respect by the Quaker convert William Penn and the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell. (Full article...)

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Crawford in 2025

Michael Patrick Smith (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English actor, comedian and singer.

Crawford is best known for playing the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Cornelius Hackl in the musical film Hello, Dolly!, and the titular character in the stage musical The Phantom of the Opera. His acclaimed performance in the last of these earned him both the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical and Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He has received international critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his acting career, which has included many film and television performances as well as stage work on both London's West End and on New York's Broadway. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of 70 acres (28 hectares). It is the former natural tidal river Avon through the city but was made into its current form in 1809 when the tide was prevented from going out permanently. A tidal by-pass was dug for 2 miles through the fields of Bedminster for the river, known as the "River Avon New Cut", "New Cut", or simply "The Cut". It is often called the Floating Harbour as the water level remains constant and it is not affected by the state of the tide on the river in the Avon Gorge, The New Cut or the natural river southeast of Temple Meads to its source.

Netham Lock at the east end of the 1809 Feeder Canal is the upstream limit of the floating harbour. Beyond the lock is a junction: on one arm the navigable River Avon continues upstream to Bath, and on the other arm is the tidal natural River Avon. The first 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) of the floating harbour, downstream from Netham Lock to Totterdown Basin, is an artificial canal known as the Feeder Canal, while the tidal River Avon follows its original route. Downstream of Totterdown Basin, the floating harbour occupies the former natural course of the River Avon, whilst the tidal River Avon flows through an artificial channel known as the New Cut. This separation of the floating harbour and the tidal River Avon allows boats in the harbour to remain floating at low tide, reduces currents and silting and prevents flooding. (Full article...)

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Did you know?

...that Lambeth, in the London Borough of Lambeth appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086?
...that Kate Marsden journeyed overland to Siberia to find a leprosy cure.
...that the Old Bailey was destroyed in the 1666 Great Fire of London, only to be rebuilt in 1674?
...that a Jury is only sent to cases of an indictable offence that has been sent to a Crown Court by a magistrates?

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In the news

19 April 2026 – Terrorism in the United Kingdom, Antisemitism in the United Kingdom: A synagogue in North London, England, is targeted in a firebombing attack, which is suspected to be an act of terrorism. (The Independent)
16 April 2026 –: A mystery location of Shakespeare's London house finally uncovered. (Euronews)
16 April 2026 – United Kingdom anti-immigration protests: Surrey Police issue a disorder warning in Epsom, England, after protesters clash with riot police in the town. The protesters are demanding the description of men who gang raped a woman outside a Methodist Church the previous weekend. (BBC News)
15 April 2026 – Antisemitism in the United Kingdom: Two people are arrested in Watford on suspicion of arson in an attempted attack on Finchley Reform Synagogue in North Finchley, London, England. The Metropolitan Police are treating the attempted attack as a hate crime. (BBC) (Politico)
11 April 2026 – 2026 Grand National: In horse racing, I Am Maximus, ridden by Irish jockey Paul Townend, wins this year's Grand National at Aintree Racecourse, England, becoming the second horse since Red Rum to win the Grand National twice. (BBC News)
7 April 2026 –: This year's Wireless Festival in London, England, is cancelled and all tickets are refunded after its headliner, American rapper Kanye West, is banned from entering the United Kingdom by the Home Office on the grounds that "his presence would not be conducive to the public good" amid controversy over his past antisemitic comments on Jews and Adolf Hitler, and his association with neo-Nazis. (BBC News) (CNN)

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The rustics of England, especially those inhabiting the South hams (villages) of Devonshire, have great fun Wassailing the Orchards on Christmans Eve, New Year's and Twelfth Nigh (Boxing Day), when they drink toasts to the largest apple trees and sprinkle them with cyder (cider) carried by the beadle, the parish clerk, or some other such obsolete individual. The Devonshire people do this because they did it the year before.

”

— Will Cuppy

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

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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

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