The Westcountry is the name that people living in the South West of the United Kingdom give to their region. It consists of the penninsula (that sticky out bit) south of Wales. There is some debate over what lands are part of the 'real' Westcountry'. Some would argue that only the Duchy of Cornwall (aka Kernow) and the county of Devon deserve the title of Westcountry. Others would argue for the inclusion of Somerset, Dorset, even as far east as Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, though I feel that most would say that Gloucestershire is part of the Midlands/Mercia. The realy binding thing about the area is the regional accent. To those of you not from the UK the accent in question is the one that Sean Astin was attemting to adopt in the Lord of the Rings movies. Many feel that it is a good, strong, accent redolent of practical, capable people. The rest of the country think that it is redolant of inbred rural folk with low IQs. As a Westcountry lad I side with the former argument. The official capital of the South West of England according to the Government is Exeter, though the Janners claim otherwise. Much of Cornwall would refuse to recongnise any connection with any part of England whatsoever.

       
                                                                       *   Gloucestershire #       
                                                                       *                     #        
                                                                       * ##    @             #    
                                                                       *    ##     ##########       
                                                                       **   #######         #
                                                                       **@     ###            #      
                                                                    ****       #               #     
                                                                  **           #               #    
                                                                **             #               #    
                                                                *              #  Wiltshire  #   
                                                               **              #               #    
                                       ***************         *               ##            ###    
                                     **       ###    ***********               #             #      
                                     * @      ##                               #             #       
                                     *         ###          Somerset       ##         @    #      
                              ****  *             # ###                  #####            #      
                              *   **               ##  ##     @          ###  ############  #     
                              * #                        ####           #                ###      
                             *  #                          ####       ###                  #         
                             ** #                              #######                    #          
                            ** @ ##        Devon                 #        Dorset       #          
                           **     #                             ****                   @ ****       
                         **       #                    @   *******  ****                 *           
                       ***    @    ##                    **             ***  ***       ***     
                     ***            #                @ ***                 ***   ********             
                   *                ##              **                     **                       
                   *@                ##             **                                               
                ***   Cornwall     ### @        @***                                           
                *          @*    ******* #        ***                                               
              **        ********        *          **                                                
           ***   @  *    *                *****    *                                                  
      *****       *******                   **** *                         
   ***       @    ****                          **                          
    *  ******    *                                                             
   *****    **   *                                                                                  
             * ***                                                                                  
              **                                                                                    

* = Coast
# = County border (land)
@ = Town / City (hardlinked)

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