THE ANGLO-CELTIC FRINGE

People speak of the Celtic Fringe as the countries that surround (and hate) England because their ancestors used to own it but lost it because they preferred fighting each other to our Anglo-Saxons forebears. But England's borders with those regions has changed since our country was established by the Treaty of Eamont Bridge in 927, and some areas that were outside have come in. Here are all three johnny-come-latelys; Cumberland, the Isle of Man and Cornwall.

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1.Cumberland

The name of this county comes from cymry (say 'goomri'), the Celtic word for comrades, which is also the Welsh word for Wales. The Anglo-Saxons used the term 'Welsh' (wealh = slave), and after their early successes against them, referred to the North (Cumberland), Mid- (Wales), West (Cornwall) and South (Brittany) Welsh. The Cumberlanders later became part of the Scottish kingdom of Strathclyde, and although England was united in 927 (Eamont Bridge lies on the border with Westmorland), Cumberland didn't join until it was conquered by William II in 1093. It's part of the beautiful Lake District, and since 1974 has been grouped with neighbouring Westmorland and part of Lancashire into something called Cumbria, which local people ignore (imagine merging Maryland with Virginia and Washington DC!). It's a lovely area and the people are very friendly. The weather ... well, the people are very friendly. Visit Whitehaven, scene of the last battle (okay, skirmish) fought on English soil. Can't remember who we beat at that one.... oh yes. The Americans. The towns of Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith are particularly attractive, whilst smaller lakes like Wast Water are surprisingly untouristy. Hadrian's Wall, a Roman defence against the savage folks north of the border, can be traced from its start at Bowness-on-Solway into neighbouring Northumberland. A special recommendation goes to the Baywatch Hotel at Allonby.

2. Isle of Man

This small British dependency is not part of the United Kingdom. Originally it belonged to the Norwegian Kingdom of the Isles, before being conquered by Scotland in 1265. It swapped between the Scots and English until the Union of the Crowns in 1603, and was purchased for the U.K. in 1765 to stop it being used by smugglers. It retains its own parliament (Tynwald, one of the oldest democratic institutions still in existence), its own language (Manx) and a cat without a tail (also Manx). They issue their own notes and coins which, whilst identical in size and shape to British ones, feature a bewildering range of back designs.

The key to the island is transport. The Irish Sea crossing is often choppy, or you can fly there from many places in Great Britain and Ireland (Euromanx Airlines are very good). There is a narrow-guage steam railway connecting the centrally-placed capital Douglas with the former capital Castletown and delightful Port Erin in the south, and an electric tramcar links Douglas with Laxey (biggest waterwheel in the world) and Ramsey in the north. These two do not quite connect at Douglas, but a horse-tram (yes, a horse-tram!) plugs most of the gap. Laxey is also the terminus for the Snaefell Mountain Railway, which climbs up the island's highest peak. Unfortunately this service is often very crowded in summer. You can buy good value Island explorers for 1, 3, 5 or 7 days. You may of course consider hiring a car - but there is a problem unique to the island. Bikers. Every September roads around the north and centre of the island house the TT (Tourist Trophy), a bike race through the towns and villages. Ah, you may think, I'll miss that. The problem is that bikers visit the island all year round, particularly as part of their summer holidays. During the time I was there, one ran into and killed a pensioner. Their driving is appalling, and anyone thinking of taking a car onto Manx roads should be well warned.

3. Cornwall

It was bad luck for Dumnonia, one of the larger Celtic kingdoms that spanned south-western England, that a small Anglo-Saxon kingdom called Gewissia established itself on its eastern fringe in Hampshire around the year 500 AD. That small state spent the next three centuries gradually pushing Dumnonia back, until by 786 it had lost over three-quarters of its land area. Gewissia had by this time been renamed Wessex, and spent the next 150 years fighting off the Vikings and turning itself into England, during which time the remains of Dumnonia became known as Cornwall. The name comes from Cerniw-weahl, meaning the Welsh (Celtic) people living in the horn-shaped land (the Penwith peninsula, Cornwall's western tip). After England was finally recognized at Eamont Bridge in 927, the English kings made short work of this small but fierce southern rival, absorbing it within the decade. The county still retains a strong sense of independence, and has its own flag (same design as the English one, but a white cross on black) and its own language (almost obsolete).

In spite of their independent spirit, the Cornish are amongst the most patriotic of Englishmen, and are more geared than most to the tourist industry. Avoid the tourist trap that is Lands End; it's utter crap. You can avoid paying the hefty charge by going to beaches a mile either side of it and walking round if you must see it. Polperro and Looe are also best avoided, as parking is virtually impossible. The Lizard (England's most southerly point) is surprisingly untouristy and worth a visit; many quiet and delightful beaches are nearby. I also recommend Tintagel (possible site of King Arthur's Camelot), which despite being touristy has a magic of its own. Visit the other Atlantic resorts like Boscastle (scene of a disastrous flood in 2004) and look out towards home, just over 3000 miles away! If you want to get even closer, take a ferry or plane out into the Atlantic and visit the Isles of Scilly, but beware; in spite of the warm climate these islands add a whole new dimension to 'remote'.