Where is the home of English sport?

England may be a small nation but its contribution to the world of sport is enormous. But where in the country is the home of English sport?

Go anywhere in England's green and pleasant land and you will almost certainly find some sport being played, be it the nation's staple sports such as football, cricket and rugby or quirkier local games like conkers or cheese chasing.

Now VisitEngland has shortlisted six contenders hoping to be crowned England's home of sport.

Gloucestershire

A football match is played in the River Windrush in Bourton-on-the-Water every August

Fans angered by footballers taking a dive may want to give Bourton-on-the Water a wide berth.

The village's annual river football match is just one of the quirky games which has seen Gloucestershire shortlisted as the home of English sport.

But why is Gloucestershire home to so many eccentric activities?

"In Gloucestershire we have got a natural playground," said Maureen McAllister of the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association.

"And when you have a natural playground you play naturally, we like to use the beautiful countryside to shape our sports.

"Gloucestershire is also a place for individual and creative thought, we have a lot of creative thinkers here so it stands to reason we would come up with some of the wackiest sports.

"We do not do things by halves here."

The Severn Bore is a large tidal surge which occurs on the River Severn, the largest one occurs on about 25 days a year

Gloucestershire also shines at some more mainstream sports - its county cricket team won the Royal London One-Day Cup this summer and Gloucester won the European Rugby Challenge Cup in May. But the county's only Football League team, Cheltenham Town, were relegated out of the league last season.

London

With six Premier League football clubs, including current champions Chelsea, two international cricket grounds, the national stadiums for football and rugby, Wimbledon and the stretch of river used for the Oxford and Cambridge university boat race, London's sporting credentials run on and on (much like the entrants in the city's annual marathon).

And that's not even to mention the city's hosting of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.

"London is home to a host of iconic sporting venues," said Iain Edmondson of London and Partner.

"The streets and parks of London have also played host to some of the biggest sporting occasions in the world, from London 2012 to the Tour de France last year and the annual London Marathon and RideLondon, all underlining that London is the best city in the world for both watching and participating in sport."

Manchester

With two of the world's biggest football clubs, England's football museum and national centres for squash and cycling, Manchester is a strong contender for being the home of English sport.

So says Nick Brooks-Sykes from Marketing Manchester.

"The city has a fantastic sporting heritage," he said.

"Manchester's passion for sport is deeply ingrained in its people and has led to the establishment of truly world-class sporting facilities."

In 2002 the city hosted the Commonwealth Games, a £32m swimming pool and the City of Manchester Stadium were built for the occasion and are still in use today, the latter being the home of Manchester City FC.

Football is still the city's first sport with Manchester United having won more league titles than any other English team.

United's Old Trafford stadium is the largest club ground in the country while the same-named cricket stadium hosted the first ever Ashes test to be held in England.

The Manchester Velodrome opened in 1994 while the city's squash centre is also home to England's squash governing body.

Nottingham

Nottingham's association as the historical home of archery started with Robin Hood

Nottingham made the final six as the people's choice, receiving more nominations than anywhere else.

"It's not surprising," said Jennifer Spencer of Experience Nottinghamshire, adding: "Nottingham has more sporting facilities per head than anywhere else in Europe."

And it's not just statistics that make Nottingham a sporting super spot, she added.

The city has several famous sportsmen and women associated with it, from Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough and figure skaters Torvill and Dean to boxer Carl Froch and swimmer Rebecca Adlington.

Boxer Carl Froch, ice skaters Torvill and Dean and swimmer Rebecca Adlington all either came from Nottingham or trained in the city

Notts County is the oldest professional football club in the world while the city's Trent Bridge cricket ground bills itself as the world's third oldest Test match venue.

And next year Nottingham will host the European championships in archery, a sport closely associated with the city's most famous legendary resident Robin Hood.

The Cerebral Palsy World Games are also held in Nottingham.

"We have a proud sporting heritage here and a diverse offer," said Ms Spencer.

"Nottingham absolutely deserves to be England's home of sport."

Nottingham's Trent Bridge cricket ground hosts international matches as well as the county games

Rugby

Many schools have their own games which would seem frankly absurd to outsiders, but only one has gone on to become a major international sport.

Though the game of rugby may have existed in various different guises it was the school of Rugby which gave the sport a unifying name and set of rules.

The common story is that in 1823 Rugby student William Webb Ellis picked up and ran with the ball during a game of football - thus rugby arrived.

Heather Timms, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for culture and for the economy, said: "As the only town to have given its name to a global sport it is no surprise that Rugby has been nominated as Visit England's Home of Sport.

"As the Rugby World Cup gets under way the eyes of the world are on us, and we are ready to give all our visitors a warm welcome to the proud home and birthplace of the game."

Yorkshire

Yorkshire has staged its own pro cycling events since hosting le Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France

The undulating hills and dales of Yorkshire have always been popular with ramblers and riders alike.

But having hosted a stage of the Tour De France cycling race in 2014, the area's sporting credentials have been introduced to a global audience, said Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire.

"It's no surprise to me that Yorkshire has been recognised for its stunning landscapes and all it offers sports and outdoor enthusiasts.

"The first ever Tour de Yorkshire and Yorkshire's Grand Départ certainly showed how we can host major sporting events on a global scale."

The spiritual home of snooker can also be found in Yorkshire - the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield has hosted the world championships every year since 1977.

Away from hosting events, some of Yorkshire's sports teams are also doing rather well at the moment.

Yorkshire's cricketers are currently the County Cricket Champions and the competition's most successful ever team while Leeds Rhinos are the reigning Rugby League Challenge Cup holders.

Yorkshire have won the County Cricket Championships more than any other team

But the county's football teams are not faring so well - no Yorkshire clubs are in the Premier League, with Hull City relegated last season and Leeds United and the two Sheffield clubs, Wednesday and United, enduring long periods in the doldrums.

Some top sporting individuals have enjoyed great success though.

Olympic and world champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill is from Sheffield while Olympic gold-winning boxer Nicola Adams hails from Leeds.

And Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, both triathlon champions, come from Horsforth in Leeds.

"We're proud to be home to some of the country's greatest sporting champions," said Sir Gary.

"We would say Yorkshire has definitely got what it takes to be crowned The Home of Sport."

VisitEngland is inviting people to vote online for the home of English sport. The vote closes on 19 October with the winner to be announced on 23 October.