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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Trafford Town Hall in Stretford

Stretford is a market town in Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England, sited on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal; the Bridgewater Canal bisects the town. The town is located 4 miles (6.4 km) south of central Manchester, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Salford and 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Altrincham. Stretford borders Chorlton-cum-Hardy to the east, Moss Side and Whalley Range to the south-east, Hulme to the north-east, Urmston to the west, Salford to the north and Sale to the south. In 2011 it had a population of 46,910.

Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, Stretford was an agricultural village in the 19th century; it was known locally as Porkhampton, due to the large number of pigs produced for the Manchester market. It was also an extensive market-gardening area, producing more than 500 long tons (508 t) of vegetables each week for sale in Manchester by 1845. The arrival of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894, and the subsequent development of the Trafford Park industrial estate, accelerated the industrialisation that had begun in the late 19th century. By 2001, less than one per cent of Stretford's population was employed in agriculture. (Full article...)

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Oxford (/ˈɒksfərd/ ^ⓘ) is a cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.

The city is home to the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world; it has buildings in every style of English architecture since late Anglo-Saxon. Oxford's industries include motor manufacturing, education, publishing, science and information technologies. Founded in the eighth century, it was granted city status in 1542. The city is located at the confluence of the rivers Thames (known locally as the Isis) and Cherwell. It had a population of 166,034 in 2024. It lies 56 miles (90 km) north-west of London, 64 miles (103 km) south-east of Birmingham and 61 miles (98 km) north-east of Bristol. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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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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The tower of St. Paul's Church, in Brighton

...that the Rev. Arthur Wagner, the first curate of the Church of St. Paul, Brighton, England, commissioned stained glass windows of his mother, father and aunt for the church?
...that Scots' Dike was constructed by the English and the Scots in 1552 to mark the division of the Debatable Lands and thereby settle the exact boundary between the kingdoms of Scotland and England?
...that the famed message "England expects that every man will do his duty" is misquoted on Nelson's Column in London?

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In the news

28 June 2026 –: The British government announces that it will scrap the 202-year-old Vagrancy Act that criminalizes rough sleeping in England and Wales, saying that a new law will aim at "preventing homelessness" rather than "punishing" it. (The Independent)
25 June 2026 – 2026 European heatwaves: Switzerland and the United Kingdom both record their hottest ever temperatures in June with a provisional high of 36.7°C (98.06F), recorded in Somerset, England, and a temperature of 38°C recorded by a weather station in Basel, Switzerland. (The Guardian)
22 June 2026 – 2026 Labour Party leadership crisis: Keir Starmer announces his resignation as British prime minister and leader of the Labour Party in an address to the nation outside 10 Downing Street, London. He will remain as caretaker prime minister until a new party leader is elected. (AP) (BBC News)
20 June 2026 –: Three people are killed in a fire at a single-story pavilion in West London, London, England. (Sky News)
19 June 2026 – 2026 Bedford train collision: One person is killed and 89 others are injured, including 33 seriously with nine in critical condition, after two passenger trains collide near Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. (BBC News) (The Daily Telegraph) (BBC News)
18 June 2026 –: A study published in the The Lancet medical journal, led by the Queen Mary University of London and funded by Cancer Research UK, estimates that the HPV vaccine has prevented around 200 deaths from cervical cancer in England. Additionally, the study also finds that no women aged 20–24 have died from the disease between 2020 and 2024. (Sky News)

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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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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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