Wessex

The western border skirts around the North Dorset Downs up toward the Mendip and Cotswold foothills, while the Berkshire Downs mark the North. The east is characterised by the return of the North Downs around to the parallel South Downs. The capital Southampton by the New Forest national park and is unusually fortunate in having four large surrounding ‘areas of outstanding natural beauty’ to the north, south, east and west.

Of all the lost kingdoms the Kingdom of the West-Saxons must be the most recognised, maybe due to Thomas Hardy, or maybe because it was this region which was to emerge supreme from the plethora of early kingdoms after decisively defeating the Mercians in 825, whom had hitherto thwarted its northward expansion . Like all formative kingdoms its borders were in a constant flux, however the the area around its capital Winchester was always the Wessex heartland. The kingdom was to have a profound effect upon the genesis of modern England and the evolution of this language.

Flag - ‘Wessex wight’

St Georges cross in southerly aspect creates four quarters [the four traditional counties] with the traditional Wessex ensign at its center. The recently created Isle of Wight district is suggested in the flag title

Population of Wessex: 3,882,801

Districts [Unitary Authorities]
Bournemouth UA 163,441
Bracknell Forest UA 109,606
Isle of Wight UA 132,719
Poole UA 138,299
Portsmouth UA 186,704
Reading UA 143,124
Slough UA 119,070
Southampton UA 217,478
Swindon UA 180,061
West Berkshire UA 144,445
Windsor and Maidenhead UA 133,606
Wokingham UA 150,257
Counties
Dorset 390,986
Hampshire 1,240,032
Wiltshire 432,973

Area (Sq Km) of Wessex: 11549

Hampshire 3,769
Wiltshire 3,485
Dorset 2,653
Berkshire 1,262
Isle of Wight 380