Where does 'the north' start in England?

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loving30

that's a beautiful question - i love it!!

i went to newcastle upon tyne recently (i'm from australia - my partner is from newcastle) and the signage to go south in the country is a big green sign saying simply "The South". i found that hilarious - as though "The South" is a completely separate entity from "The North"!

Enoch Root

If you drive through England up the M1 or A1(M) then the road signs stop saying "North" at around Nottingham/ Grantham. Since Nottingham/Leicester/Birmingham are considered to be the "Midlands", then I would say that as far as the Highways Agency goes, then it is anything North of the Midlands.

Polo

It starts at the Watford Gap and ends in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

seven Â©

Where the South ends........ just far enough for true northerners to be free of southerners.......

Hedge Witch

Watford gap services - on the M1 - just draw a line across the country about there.

Prince of Tides

When you cant understand what anyone is saying, you're oop North.
Or North of the Watford Gap services.

Luke Warnes

Historically it was the village of "Watford Gap" in Northamptonshire, an old coaching route, which is what the "Watford Gap Service Station" on the M1 is named after, just before the turn off of the Motorway for Birmingham.

Watford is another place entirely, but people do confuse the two places!

Whether, of course, this is still the dividing line between north and south today is debatable.

dave

The way iv'e always seen it is imagine a map of the uk. Look at the north Wales coast and draw a line parrallel with this across England. Anything above that line is "north". In other words manchester, liverpool, sheffield etc are the southern markers for "the north" ie they are in the far south of the north if you know what i mean. The watford gap geographically is clearly south or midlands, not "north" by any means, only to southerners!

asdajohnlover

I would say CHESTERFIELD

Jock

I was always led to believe it was around Yorkshire.

Chloe M...for all intents & purposes the South is a different entity from the North. The people in the North are more friendly & above all more real.

yeah, i'd agree with hedge witch - i've heard a lot of people say watford gap service station on the M1

Andrew W

It you work your way up the country, it starts just after 'the south' finishes.

smiff78

north of the watford gap best place for it

Veronica Alicia

Ashby de la Zouche is reckoned to be the most central Town of the Country.
Kidderminster is said by the locals to be the "dead centre"!

Afallon

Well, if Birmingham is in the Midlands,rugby league counties Yorks and Lancs are called northern, then I would guess anything above Stoke on Trent would be nearing the north.

podge

Watford.

fiona

As far as Londoners are concerned, it is Watford (probably due to that being the limit of the London Underground).

There is no definite boundary - the best estimate is a line about forty miles south of the Mersey and Humber rivers.

(In Scotland, it is far easier because of existing geological features, such as the Central Rift Valley and the Great Glen)

LauraJ C

Watford Gap historically, but nowadays it's Birmingham.

james_jcn

The M4.

Ian M

Watford

Do not confuse this with the "Watford Gap" which is somewhere in the midlands

Surrey resident

Ian M