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Essex, county, England

(Encyclopedia)Essex, county, 1,520 sq mi (3,938 sq km) SE England, on the Thames River and the North Sea, one of the “Home Counties” of London. Chelmsford is the ...

(Encyclopedia)Peterborough, city and unitary authority (1991 pop. 155,050), E central England, on the Nene River. Designated as a new town in 1968, Peterborough is an engineering and rail hub and a farm trade cente...

riddle

(Encyclopedia)riddle, puzzling question, specifically one that consists of a fanciful description or definition of something to be guessed. A famous riddle was asked by the Sphinx: “What goes on four legs in the ...

Old Sarum

(Encyclopedia)Old Sarum sârˈəm [key], site of a former city, Wiltshire, S England, just N of Salisbury (New Sarum). Excavations and scanning technologies have revealed remains of a British Iron Age fort, the Rom...

Alfred

(Encyclopedia)Alfred, 849–99, king of Wessex (871–99), sometimes called Alfred the Great, b. Wantage, Berkshire. All these pursuits were interrupted, but not ended, by new Danish invasions between 892 and 896...

Gloucestershire

(Encyclopedia)Gloucestershire glŏsˈtərshĭrˌ, glôˈstər– [key], county, 1,025 sq mi (2,655 ...

Durham, county, England

(Encyclopedia)Durham, officially County Durham, county, 1,015 sq mi (2,629 sq km), NE England, on the North Sea between the Tees and Tyne rivers; administratively...

Pollock, Sir Frederick

(Encyclopedia)Pollock, Sir Frederick pŏlˈək [key], 1845–1937, English jurist, b. London. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge and was admitted to the bar in 1871. He succeeded to his baronetcy in 1888. Polloc...

Northamptonshire

(Encyclopedia)Northamptonshire nôrth-hăntsˈ [key], county (1991 pop. 568,900), 914 sq mi (2,367 sq km), central England. The county seat is Northampton. The county comprises seven districts: South Northamptonshi...

Norfolk, county, England

(Encyclopedia)Norfolk nôrˈfək [key], county (1991 pop. 736,700), 2,054 sq mi (5,320 sq km), E England. The county seat is Norwich. Administratively, Norfolk is divided into the districts of Great Yarmouth, North...