Northern History

A blue background with part of an antique map showing Northumberland. Text reads: Northern History A Review of the History of the North of England and the Borders

Northern History publishes scholarly work on the history of the seven historic counties of northern England - Cheshire, Cumberland, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire - as well as the borders, from Roman times to the 21st century. It supports research into the north's fascinating history, explores broader historical debates through the prism of the north, and situates the region's distinct people and places in wider historical contexts.

Two issues are published per year, in March and September. The easiest way to access Northern History is through our publisher’s website which holds every issue of the journal. Please follow us on Twitter at @NorthernHist for updates on new issues, articles, and reviews.

Gordon Forster Essay Prize

The journal runs the annual Gordon Forster Essay Prize, which is open to graduate students and early-career researchers. A prize of £200 is awarded for the winning essay, which is also considered for publication in the journal. The inaugural Prize was awarded in 2019. 

The next deadline for the competition is 1 March 2025. See the journal website for more details and submission guidance. 

2022 winners

Jesse Harrington: ‘Henry of Huntingdon, Ralph Nowell, and the York Archiepiscopal Succession of 1140’.

Guy Hinton ‘War Memorials and Culture Wars in Mid-Nineteenth Century Sunderland’. Published in Northern History, 59.2 (2022), 261-80.

Editorial Board

Contact Us

Email: northernhistory@leeds.ac.uk 

Twitter/X: @northernhist 

Bluesky: @northernhist.bsky.social 

Address: School of History, Michael Sadler Building, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, UK, LS2 9JT