Home counties

Home Counties
Country United Kingdom
Constituent country England
RegionEast of England
South East England
CountiesUsually includes:

Sometimes included:

Time zoneUTC+00:00 (Greenwich Mean Time)
  Summer (DST)UTC+01:00 (British Summer Time)

The term home counties applies to a group of counties that neighbour London. The area is not precisely defined, with various influences and interpretations affecting perceptions of the constituent counties. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent and Surrey are generally seen as members, as they all border London. Parts of the country outside the home counties have often been referred to as The Provinces.

Other counties slightly further from London – such as Bedfordshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, East Sussex and West Sussex – are less frequently regarded as home counties, although they have sometimes been included in formal uses of the term, and might also be thought of as such due to their proximity to London and their connection to the London regional economy.