WHEN founded in 1860 the Journal was also known as The Four Shires Advertiser to reflect its broad reach across Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.

However, in the distant past much of this area was covered by a single shire - the long-forgotten county of Winchcombeshire.

With Winchcombe at its heart it included a large swathe of the Vale of Evesham, an area of Warwickshire reaching to the gates of Stratford and the Cotswolds as far south as Bourton-on-the-Water - taking in Cheltenham along the way.

With the 1,000th anniversary of the foundation of this ancient shire fast approaching, Journal readers are being urged to think of ways to mark this special millennium.

Historian Tim Porter said he hoped it could make people more aware of a largely ignored period of history. "The Anglo Saxon period has been very much overlooked since the Norman Conquest became the big event in English history - for a lot of people it is as if nothing happened before then.

"In fact it was when England was formed as a nation - 1066 was just a regime change."

He added that the turning of the Year 2000 Millennium five years ago might have helped people look beyond this watershed year in English history. "There was suddenly a lot of interest in what was happening in the year 1000. I think this helped to lift the cloud that the pre-1066 period had been under."

It is thought that Winchcombeshire was created in 1007 during the reign of Ethelred the Unready.

Frequent Danish incursions into the west of England made strengthening local administration - so improving the efficiency of tax gathering - an urgent priority. As a result five counties were formed - Winchcombeshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire.

"Four of the counties survive largely unchanged to this day, but Winchcombeshire was done away with in the next big shake-up in 1017 and most of it was absorbed into Gloucestershire."

He added that the original shape of Winchcombeshire, combining the lowlands of the Vale of Evesham and Warwickshire with the uplands of the Cotswolds was based on economic good sense.

"It was important to have a mixed landscape with low-lying fertile areas for crops and upland areas for livestock."

He said that this consideration could also explain the presence of so many rich monasteries in the area, such as Evesham, Winchcombe and Hailes. "They are all along the edge of the Cotswold Hills, meaning that they could draw wealth from growing crops and from rearing livestock."

He added that traces of this tradition could still be identified in the practices of some modern farmers, who hold land in both areas for different purposes.

Mr Porter, who is a professional history lecturer, said he would be keen to hear from any groups who would like to find out more about Winchcombeshire.

To arrange a presentation contact him on 01386 700664.

Anyone with ideas about how to mark the millennium of the foundation of Winchcombeshire in 2007 should contact the Vicar of Winchcombe, the Rev John Partington on 01242 602368.

4 History man Tim Porter as his home in Stow. dc7815-e

6 This map which shows the huge area, in yellow, covered by ancient Winchcombeshire.