Midlands

Lore & Background

The Midlands is defined by no single boundary; if defined as the East and West Midlands statistical regions, it includes the counties of Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, most of Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands metropolitan boroughs. Other definitions include Gloucestershire as 'West Midland', Bedfordshire as 'South Midland', and Huntingdonshire as 'East Midland'. Cheshire is occasionally recognised as being in the Midlands, while parts of southern Mercia are often labelled 'Central England'.

Reader's Guide

The Midlands holds significance as the central region of England, bridging Northern and Southern England in culture and geography. The region's largest city, Birmingham, is the second-largest in the United Kingdom. Culturally, the Midlands has produced notable literary figures including William Shakespeare (born in Stratford upon Avon), George Eliot (from Nuneaton), Arnold Bennett (from Hanley), and D. H. Lawrence (born in Nottingham). Its musical contributions include pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath from Birmingham, as well as bands such as Duran Duran, The Specials from Coventry, and Slade from Wolverhampton. Foods originating in the Midlands include Bakewell tart, Staffordshire oatcake, Melton Mowbray pork pie, Stilton cheese, and Worcestershire sauce.

Did You Know?

• The Midlands corresponds broadly to the early-medieval kingdom of Mercia.
• The Black Country, broadly the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Walsall, played an important part in the Industrial Revolution.
• William Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon in the heart of the Midlands.