About
Open County Report is an English-language publication about county geography and identity. It looks at how boundaries, landforms, local names and built features help people describe places and understand how they connect.
What we cover
Our coverage follows the features that give counties a shape: the courses of rivers, the contours of landscapes, names carried on maps, roads and buildings, and the links between neighbouring places. We favour subjects that remain worth exploring beyond a single news cycle.
Who it is for
The publication is for curious general readers, whether they are looking at a familiar county or learning about one elsewhere. No specialist background is needed; the aim is to make geographical ideas clear without pretending a map tells the whole story.
How we approach place
We separate what a feature shows from what it can prove. A boundary, name or landmark may suggest a useful question, but it does not stand in for a complete account of local history or identity. We make room for complexity and avoid treating any county as a single story.
Place makes more sense in context
A county boundary is one way to describe a place, not the whole story. We look across the lines to the features and connections that give places their character.