# West Country > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/West_Country > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/West_Country.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Country > Source revision: 1348465044 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) This article is about the area in England. For the region in Norway translated as "West Country", see [Vestlandet](/source/Vestlandet). "Westcountry" redirects here. For the former ITV station, see [Westcountry Television](/source/Westcountry_Television). The **West Country** is a loosely defined area within [South West England](/source/South_West_England),[1] usually taken to include the counties of [Cornwall](/source/Cornwall), [Devon](/source/Devon), [Dorset](/source/Dorset), [Somerset](/source/Somerset) and [Bristol](/source/Bristol), with some considering it to extend to all or parts of [Wiltshire](/source/Wiltshire), [Gloucestershire](/source/Gloucestershire) and [Herefordshire](/source/Herefordshire).[2] The West Country has a distinctive regional English [dialect and accent](/source/West_Country_English),[3] and is also home to the [Cornish language](/source/Cornish_language). ## Extent The West Country is bounded by the [English Channel](/source/English_Channel) to the south and the [Atlantic Ocean](/source/Atlantic_Ocean), [Bristol Channel](/source/Bristol_Channel) and [Severn Estuary](/source/Severn_Estuary) to the north. The eastern limit is less clearly defined.[4][5][6][7] Some definitions match that of the official [South West England](/source/South_West_England) region. In a 2019 [YouGov](/source/YouGov) survey, 72% of respondents considered Cornwall and Devon to be in the West Country, while 70% included Somerset, 69% included Bristol, and 55% included Dorset. Other counties received less than 50% agreement, with 28% including Wiltshire, 27% including Gloucestershire, 12% including Herefordshire and 9% including Worcestershire, though those last two counties are officially part of the [West Midlands](/source/West_Midlands_(region)) region.[2] ## Specific uses During [Jack Cade's Rebellion](/source/Jack_Cade's_Rebellion) in 1450, English chroniclers described an uprising in [Wiltshire](/source/Wiltshire) being carried out by: *"the comenys of the weste contre"*, indicating that in the late medieval period the county was certainly considered by contemporaries to be part of the West Country.[8] [West Country Carnivals](/source/West_Country_Carnival) are held in many towns in and around Somerset. A map of the West Country was produced for motorists by [Esso](/source/Esso) in 1932. [Bristol](/source/Bristol) and [Salisbury](/source/Salisbury) form the most northerly and easterly cities on the map respectively, marking the one interpretation of the region at that time.[9] West Country Lamb and West Country Beef are [EU Protected Geographical Indications](/source/Geographical_indications_and_traditional_specialities_in_the_European_Union) (PGI) covering products from animals born and reared in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire or Gloucestershire.[10] "West Country Farmhouse Cheddar" is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) limited to [cheddar cheese](/source/Cheddar_cheese) made in the traditional way in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset or Somerset.[11][needs update] [ITV West Country](/source/ITV_West_Country) is an [ITV franchise](/source/ITV_(TV_network)) which broadcasts local news, weather and current affairs programmes over two regions; ITV West Country West covering the [Isles of Scilly](/source/Isles_of_Scilly), Cornwall, Devon and parts of Dorset and Somerset with ITV West Country East covering the remainder of Somerset and Dorset together with Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. A [government](/source/Department_for_Culture,_Media_and_Sport)-supported museum, galleries, and major attractions atlas[12] matched the South West Region, save for Gloucestershire. The term [West Country derby](/source/West_Country_derby) is used to refer to sports matches between such cities as Bristol and Bath[13] or Gloucester and Bath.[14] A former brewery in [Cheltenham](/source/Cheltenham) traded as West Country Ales; their ceramic plaques can still be seen built into pub walls around Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire and parts of Wales.[15] ## See also - [Dumnonia](/source/Dumnonia) - [Durotriges](/source/Durotriges) - [Scrumpy and Western](/source/Scrumpy_and_Western) music - [South West Peninsula](/source/South_West_Peninsula) - [Thomas Hardy's Wessex](/source/Thomas_Hardy's_Wessex) - [Wessex](/source/Wessex) - [West Country–class locomotives](/source/SR_West_Country_and_Battle_of_Britain_classes) - [West of England](/source/West_of_England) ## References 1. ["the West Country"](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/west-country). *Dictionary.cambridge.org*. Retrieved 2 May 2017. 1. ["Which counties make up the West Country?", *YouGov.co.uk*, 23 October 2019](https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/25593-which-counties-make-west-country). Retrieved 22 June 2021 1. ["THE DEVON DIALECT CHALLENGE"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/southwest/series7/devon-dialect.shtml). Retrieved 20 November 2019. 1. ["BBC - "ITV West Country staff to be axed""](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/7644254.stm). [BBC News](/source/BBC_News). 30 September 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2019. 1. ["Blue Badge Tourist Guides - The West Country"](http://www.blue-badge-guides.com/WestCountry.html). *Blue-badge-guides.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110708073356/http://www.blue-badge-guides.com/WestCountry.html) 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 May 2010. 1. ["The West Country"](https://www.picturesofengland.com/mapofengland/south-west-map.html). Pictures of England. 2 August 2007. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190917192920/https://www.picturesofengland.com/mapofengland/south-west-map.html) 17 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 November 2019. 1. ["Latest local news from Thisisthewestcountry.co.uk covering Cornwall, Devon and Somerset"](https://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/news/). *Thisisthewestcountry.co.uk*. Retrieved 8 November 2018. 1. ["A Short English Chronicle: London under Henry VI (1422-71) | British History Online"](https://www.british-history.ac.uk/camden-record-soc/vol28/pp58-78) 1. ["Pratts and Esso Pictorial plans from the UK"](http://www.petrolmaps.co.uk/essomaps/pratpict.htm) 1. ["West Country meat wins EU protection"](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-25733368). BBC News. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018. 1. ["PDO - our provenance"](https://www.farmhousecheesemakers.com/pdo-our-provenance/). West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20191118091247/https://www.farmhousecheesemakers.com/pdo-our-provenance/) 18 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 November 2019. 1. ["West Country - Icons of England"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100827225622/http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/icons-atlas/west-country). *Icons.org.uk*. Archived from [the original](http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/icons-atlas/west-country) on 27 August 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010. 1. ["Derby match excites Hill & Meehan"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/7490456.stm). BBC News. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2019. 1. ["Gloucester rough and ready for West Country derby"](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article3904452.ece). *Thetimes.co.uk*. 10 May 2008. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080517140058/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article3904452.ece) 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine. 1. ["West Country Ales Ceramic Plaques"](https://web.archive.org/web/20191023212727/http://www.gloucestershirepubs.co.uk/west_country_plaques.php). CAMRA Gloucestershire. Archived from [the original](http://www.gloucestershirepubs.co.uk/west_country_plaques.php) on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019. ## Further reading - Jenner, Michael (1996) *Traveller's Companion to the West Country*. Claremont Books (Godfrey Cave Associates) ISBN 1854718266 (first published by Michael Joseph, 1990) - Weir, John (1993) *The West Country*. (Great Walks.) London: Ward Lock ISBN 0-7063-6943-2 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [West Country](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Country) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Country?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.