The REAL North-South divide revealed: Massive survey of 46,000 adults settles age-old debate… but do YOU agree with the boundary?

The debate over exactly where the South ends and the North begins has vexed Britain for decades.

But the age-old question has apparently been answered.

The North’s border stretches from Shrewsbury to Grimsby, according to the largest survey of its kind of 46,000 adults from across the country.

The South, meanwhile, stretches from the Severn to Great Yarmouth.

Reputable pollsters YouGov asked residents in each district where they truly feel they belong.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, those living in the three regions generally considered the north, North-East, North-West and Yorkshire and the Humber voted 91-95 per cent in favor of the north.

The South East and South West came in with the opposite commitment at 94 per cent and 89 per cent respectively.

Things get even more interesting in the West Midlands, where 78 per cent say they live in neither the North nor the South.

This sentiment was echoed by 69 per cent of those living in the East Midlands, while only a fifth (22 per cent) of East Midlands residents considered themselves living in the North.

The eastern region is similarly unified in terms of where it sees itself; While 28 percent say they are neither in the North nor in the South, 67 percent describe themselves as southern.

Digging deeper into the county data shows that the majority of residents in the northernmost parts of the Midlands consider themselves to live in the North.

This sentiment is most evident in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, where 94 per cent of residents consider themselves to live in the North, putting it on par with areas in the central counties to the north.

Three quarters (75 per cent) of people living in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire, also think they live in the North; So are 55-58 per cent of people living in North Shropshire, the Newcastle-under-Lyme and Moorlands areas of Staffordshire and the surrounding areas of Chesterfield and Bolsover in Derbyshire.

The northern feeling continues a little longer; 30-39 per cent of people living in the midlands of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire consider themselves to live in the North.

In contrast to the northern identity that pervades parts of the Midlands, there seems to be less desire to claim southernness.

Few people in the Midlands consider themselves living in the South, apart from the 21 per cent living in Northamptonshire and 12 per cent in Herefordshire.

Data shows that those living in the Anglican region of the east of England reject the idea of ​​being in the South.

Few people in the South East and South West of England reject the ‘south’ label, but the residents of Milton Keynes are a notable exception; A quarter (25 percent) think they are neither in the North nor in the South.

However, deprivation zones persist in parts of the South; 14 per cent of those in Gloucestershire and 12 per cent of those in Essex think that where they live is neither North nor South.

Perhaps indicative of their distinct identities, 10 per cent of residents of Cornwall, England’s southernmost county, do not consider themselves part of Southern England.

The findings could finally settle the heated debate over where the North-South divide lies, which some argue dates back to the Vikings.

Studies have attempted but failed to pinpoint the driving force behind geographic barriers to health, poverty, inequality, housing prices, political voting patterns, and public investment.

Subjective discussion can be the subject of both serious analysis and light-hearted jokes.

Some have even argued that this distinction lies at the point where ‘hello’ becomes ‘hey up’.

Others believe it depends on what condiment you like your chips with: curry sauce or ketchup.

However, there is a school of thought that believes the line is drawn where high streets are mostly occupied by Greggs bakery and Pret A Manger.