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Districts of England



         


The Districts of England are the lowest level of local government in England except for civil parishes. England is first divided into governmental regions, then administrative counties. Counties are then subdivided into districts.

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Status

Most districts can be categorised as London boroughs, metropolitan districts and non-metropolitan districts. Non-metropolitan districts can be further subdivided into shire districts and unitary authorities.

Districts can have the honorific titles of borough, city, or royal borough; these are shown.

Where a county and district are coterminous, or where a non-metropolitan county council has been abolished; the districts are marked as Unitary. Where the council for a district is styled 'County Council', the district is marked as a county, although this can be held to be inaccurate.

There are in total 36 metropolitan districts, 32 London boroughs, 284 non-metropolitan districts (if the Isle of Wight is counted as a district), the Isles of Scilly, and the City of London, making a total of 354 district-level authorities.

The number of non-metropolitan districts has varied over time. Initially there were 296. This fell due to mergers in the 1990s.

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List A-D


Name Website Population   Type Ceremonial County
Adur 59,627   District West Sussex
Allerdale 93,492   Borough Cumbria
Alnwick 31,029   District Northumberland
Amber Valley 116,471   Borough Derbyshire
Arun 140,759   District West Sussex
Ashfield 111,387   District Nottinghamshire
Ashford 102,661   Borough Kent
Aylesbury Vale 165,748   District Buckinghamshire
Babergh 83,461   District Suffolk
Barking and Dagenham 163,944   London borough Greater London
Barnet 314,564   London borough Greater London
Barnsley 218,063   Metropolitan borough South Yorkshire
Barrow-in-Furness 71,980   Borough Cumbria
Basildon 165,668   District Essex
Basingstoke and Deane 152,573   Borough Hampshire
Bassetlaw 107,713   District Nottinghamshire
Bath and North East Somerset 169,040   Unitary, District Somerset
Bedford 147,911   Borough Bedfordshire
Berwick upon Tweed 25,949   Borough Northumberland
Bexley 218,307   London borough Greater London
Birmingham 977,087   Metropolitan borough, City (1889) West Midlands
Blaby 90,252   District Leicestershire
Blackburn with Darwen 137,470   Unitary, Borough Lancashire
Blackpool 142,283   Unitary, Borough Lancashire
Blyth Valley 81,265   Borough Northumberland
Bolsover 71,766   District Derbyshire
Bolton 261,037   Metropolitan borough Greater Manchester
Boston 55,750   Borough Lincolnshire
Bournemouth 163,444   Unitary, Borough Dorset
Bracknell Forest 109,617   Unitary, Borough Berkshire
Bradford 467,665   Metropolitan borough, City (1897) West Yorkshire
Braintree 132,179   District Essex
Breckland 121,418   District Norfolk
Brent 263,464   London borough Greater London
Brentwood 68,456   Borough Essex
Bridgnorth 52,497   District Shropshire
Brighton and Hove 247,817   Unitary, City (2000) East Sussex
Bristol 380,615   Unitary, City (1542) Bristol
Broadland 118,513   District Norfolk
Bromley 295,532   London borough Greater London
Bromsgrove 87,837   District Worcestershire
Broxbourne 87,054   Borough Hertfordshire
Broxtowe 107,570   Borough Nottinghamshire
Burnley 89,542   Borough Lancashire
Bury 180,608   Metropolitan borough Greater Manchester
Calderdale 192,405   Metropolitan borough West Yorkshire
Cambridge 108,863   City (1951) Cambridgeshire
Camden 198,020   London borough Greater London
Cannock Chase 92,126   District Staffordshire
Canterbury 135,278   City Kent
Caradon 79,649   District Cornwall
Carlisle 100,739   City Cumbria
Carrick 87,865   District Cornwall
Castle Morpeth 49,001   Borough Northumberland
Castle Point 86,608   Borough Essex
Charnwood 153,462   Borough Leicestershire
Chelmsford 157,072   Borough Essex
Cheltenham 110,013   Borough Gloucestershire
Cherwell 131,785   District Oxfordshire
Chester 118,210   City Cheshire
Chesterfield 98,845   Borough Derbyshire
Chester-le-Street 53,692   District Durham
Chichester 106,450   District West Sussex
Chiltern 89,228   District Buckinghamshire
Chorley 100,449   Borough Lancashire
Christchurch 44,865   Borough Dorset
City of London 7,185   London borough, City Greater London
Colchester 155,796   Borough Essex
Congleton 90,655   Borough Cheshire
Copeland 69,318   Borough Cumbria
Corby 53,174   Borough Northamptonshire
Cotswold 80,376   District Gloucestershire
Coventry 300,848   Metropolitan borough, City (1345) West Midlands
Craven 53,620   District North Yorkshire
Crawley 99,744   Borough West Sussex
Crewe and Nantwich 111,007   Borough Cheshire
Croydon 330,587   London borough Greater London
Dacorum 137,799   Borough Hertfordshire
Darlington 97,838   Unitary, Borough Durham
Dartford 85,911   Borough Kent
Daventry 71,838   District Northamptonshire
Derby 221,708   Unitary, City (1977) Derbyshire
Derbyshire Dales 69,469   District Derbyshire
Derwentside 85,074   District Durham
Doncaster 286,866   Metropolitan borough South Yorkshire
Dover 104,566   District Kent
Dudley 305,155   Metropolitan borough West Midlands
Durham 87,709   City Durham


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List E-K


Name Website Population   Type Ceremonial County
Ealing 300,948   London borough Greater London
Easington 93,993   District Durham
East Cambridgeshire 73,214   District Cambridgeshire
East Devon 125,520   District Devon
East Dorset 83,786   District Dorset
East Hampshire 109,274   District Hampshire
East Hertfordshire 128,919   District Hertfordshire
East Lindsey 130,447   District Lincolnshire
East Northamptonshire 76,550   District Northamptonshire
East Riding of Yorkshire 314,113   Unitary, District East Riding of Yorkshire
East Staffordshire 103,770   Borough Staffordshire
Eastbourne 89,667   Borough East Sussex
Eastleigh 116,169   Borough Hampshire
Eden 49,777   District Cumbria
Ellesmere Port and Neston 81,672   Borough Cheshire
Elmbridge 121,936   Borough Surrey
Enfield 273,559   London borough Greater London
Epping Forest (district) 120,896   District Essex
Epsom and Ewell 67,059   Borough Surrey
Erewash 110,099   Borough Derbyshire
Exeter 111,076   City Devon
Fareham 107,977   Borough Hampshire
Fenland 83,519   District Cambridgeshire
Forest Heath 55,510   District Suffolk
Forest of Dean 79,982   District Gloucestershire
Fylde 73,217   Borough Lancashire
Gateshead 191,151   Metropolitan borough Tyne and Wear
Gedling 111,787   Borough Nottinghamshire
Gloucester 109,885   City Gloucestershire
Gosport 76,415   Borough Hampshire
Gravesham 95,717   Borough Kent
Great Yarmouth 90,810   Borough Norfolk
Greenwich 214,403   London borough Greater London
Guildford 129,701   Borough Surrey
Hackney 202,824   London borough Greater London
Halton 118,208   Unitary, Borough Cheshire
Hambleton 84,111   District North Yorkshire
Hammersmith and Fulham 165,242   London borough Greater London
Harborough 76,559   District Leicestershire
Haringey 216,507   London borough Greater London
Harlow 78,768   District Essex
Harrogate 151,336   District North Yorkshire
Harrow 206,814   London borough Greater London
Hart 83,505   District Hampshire
Hartlepool 88,611   Unitary, Borough Durham
Hastings 85,029   Borough East Sussex
Havant 116,849   Borough Hampshire
Havering 224,248   London borough Greater London
Herefordshire 174,871   Unitary, County Herefordshire
Hertsmere 94,450   Borough Hertfordshire
High Peak 89,433   Borough Derbyshire
Hillingdon 243,006   London borough Greater London
Hinckley and Bosworth 100,141   Borough Leicestershire
Horsham 122,088   District West Sussex
Hounslow 212,341   London borough Greater London
Hull 243,589   Unitary, City (1299) East Riding of Yorkshire
Huntingdonshire 156,954   District Cambridgeshire
Hyndburn 81,496   Borough Lancashire
Ipswich 117,069   Borough Suffolk
Isle of Wight 132,731   Unitary, County Isle of Wight
Isles of Scilly 2,153   Unitary, District Cornwall
Islington 175,797   London borough Greater London
Kennet 74,838   District Wiltshire
Kensington and Chelsea 158,919   London borough, Royal borough Greater London
Kerrier 92,517   District Cornwall
Kettering 81,844   Borough Northamptonshire
King's Lynn and West Norfolk 135,345   Borough Norfolk
Kingston upon Thames 147,273   London borough, Royal borough Greater London
Kirklees 388,567   Metropolitan borough West Yorkshire
Knowsley 150,459   Metropolitan borough Merseyside


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List L-R


Lambeth 266,169   London borough Greater London
Lancaster 133,914   City (1937) Lancashire
Leeds 715,402   Metropolitan borough, City (1893) West Yorkshire
Leicester 279,921   Unitary, City (1919) Leicestershire
Lewes 92,177   District East Sussex
Lewisham 248,922   London borough Greater London
Lichfield 93,232   District Staffordshire
Lincoln 85,595   City Lincolnshire
Liverpool 439,473   Metropolitan borough, City (1880) Merseyside
Luton 184,371   Unitary, Borough Bedfordshire
Macclesfield 150,155   Borough Cheshire
Maidstone 138,948   Borough Kent
Maldon 59,418   District Essex
Malvern Hills 72,172   District Worcestershire
Manchester 392,819   Metropolitan borough, City (1853) Greater Manchester
Mansfield 98,181   District Nottinghamshire
Medway 249,488   Unitary, Borough Kent
Melton 47,866   Borough Leicestershire
Mendip 103,869   District Somerset
Merton 187,908   London borough Greater London
Mid Bedfordshire 121,024   District Bedfordshire
Mid Devon 69,774   District Devon
Mid Suffolk 86,837   District Suffolk
Mid Sussex 127,378   District West Sussex
Middlesbrough 134,855   Unitary, Borough North Yorkshire
Milton Keynes 207,057   Unitary, Borough Buckinghamshire
Mole Valley 80,287   District Surrey
New Forest 169,331   District Hampshire
Newark and Sherwood 106,273   District Nottinghamshire
Newcastle-under-Lyme 122,030   Borough Staffordshire
Newcastle upon Tyne 259,536   Metropolitan borough, City (1882) Tyne and Wear
Newham 243,891   London borough Greater London
North Cornwall 80,509   District Cornwall
North Devon 87,508   District Devon
North Dorset 61,905   District Dorset
North East Derbyshire 96,940   District Derbyshire
North East Lincolnshire 157,979   Unitary, Borough Lincolnshire
North Hertfordshire 116,908   District Hertfordshire
North Kesteven 94,024   District Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire 152,849   Unitary, Borough Lincolnshire
North Norfolk 98,382   District Norfolk
North Shropshire 57,108   District Shropshire
North Somerset 188,564   Unitary, District Somerset
North Tyneside 191,659   Metropolitan borough Tyne and Wear
North Warwickshire 61,860   Borough Warwickshire
North West Leicestershire 85,503   District Leicestershire
North Wiltshire 125,372   District Wiltshire
Northampton 194,458   Borough Northamptonshire
Norwich 121,550   City (1195) Norfolk
Nottingham 266,988   Unitary, City (1897) Nottinghamshire
Nuneaton and Bedworth 119,132   Borough Warwickshire
Oadby and Wigston 55,795   Borough Leicestershire
Oldham 217,273   Metropolitan borough Greater Manchester
Oswestry 37,308   Borough Shropshire
Oxford 134,248   City (1542) Oxfordshire
Pendle 89,248   Borough Lancashire
Penwith 63,012   District Cornwall
Peterborough 156,061   Unitary, City (1541) Cambridgeshire
Plymouth 240,720   Unitary, City (1928) Devon
Poole 138,288   Unitary, Borough Dorset
Portsmouth 186,701   Unitary, City (1926) Hampshire
Preston 129,633   City (2002) Lancashire
Purbeck 44,416   District Dorset
Reading 143,096   Unitary, Borough Berkshire
Redbridge 238,635   London borough Greater London
Redcar and Cleveland 139,132   Unitary, Borough North Yorkshire
Redditch 78,807   Borough Worcestershire
Reigate and Banstead 126,523   Borough Surrey
Restormel 95,562   Borough Cornwall
Ribble Valley 53,960   Borough Lancashire
Richmond upon Thames 172,335   London borough Greater London
Richmondshire 47,010   District North Yorkshire
Rochdale 205,357   Metropolitan borough Greater Manchester
Rochford 78,488   District Essex
Rossendale 65,652   Borough Lancashire
Rother 85,428   District East Sussex
Rotherham 248,175   Metropolitan borough South Yorkshire
Rugby 87,453   Borough Warwickshire
Runnymede 78,033   Borough Surrey
Rushcliffe 105,599   Borough Nottinghamshire
Rushmoor 90,987   Borough Hampshire
Rutland 34,563   Unitary, County Rutland
Ryedale 50,872   District North Yorkshire


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List S-Z


St Albans 129,005   City (1877) Hertfordshire
St Edmundsbury 98,193   Borough Suffolk
St Helens 176,843   Metropolitan borough Merseyside
Salford 216,103   Metropolitan borough, City (1926) Greater Manchester
Salisbury 114,613   District Wiltshire
Sandwell 282,904   Metropolitan borough West Midlands
Scarborough 106,243   Borough North Yorkshire
Sedgefield 87,206   Borough Durham
Sedgemoor 105,881   District Somerset
Sefton 282,958   Metropolitan borough Merseyside
Selby 76,468   District North Yorkshire
Sevenoaks 109,305   District Kent
Sheffield 513,234   Metropolitan borough, City (1893) South Yorkshire
Shepway 96,238   District Kent
Shrewsbury and Atcham 95,850   Borough Shropshire
Slough 119,067   Unitary, Borough Berkshire
Solihull 199,517   Metropolitan borough West Midlands
South Bedfordshire 112,637   District Bedfordshire
South Bucks 61,945   District Buckinghamshire
South Cambridgeshire 130,108   District Cambridgeshire
South Derbyshire 81,562   District Derbyshire
South Gloucestershire 245,641   Unitary, District Gloucestershire
South Hams 81,849   District Devon
South Holland 76,522   District Lincolnshire
South Kesteven 124,792   District Lincolnshire
South Lakeland 102,301   District Cumbria
South Norfolk 110,710   District Norfolk
South Northamptonshire 79,293   District Northamptonshire
South Oxfordshire 128,188   District Oxfordshire
South Ribble 103,867   Borough Lancashire
South Shropshire 40,410   District Shropshire
South Somerset 150,969   District Somerset
South Staffordshire 105,896   District Staffordshire
South Tyneside 152,785   Metropolitan borough Tyne and Wear
Southampton 217,445   Unitary, City (1964) Hampshire
Southend-on-Sea 160,257   Unitary, Borough Essex
Southwark 244,866   London borough Greater London
Spelthorne 90,390   Borough Surrey
Stafford 120,670   District Staffordshire
Staffordshire Moorlands 94,489   District Staffordshire
Stevenage 79,715   Borough Hertfordshire
Stockport 284,528   Metropolitan borough Greater Manchester
Stockton-on-Tees 178,408   Unitary, Borough Durham and North Yorkshire
Stoke-on-Trent 240,636   Unitary, City (1925) Staffordshire
Stratford-on-Avon 111,484   District Warwickshire
Stroud 107,898   District Gloucestershire
Suffolk Coastal 115,141   District Suffolk
Sunderland 280,807   Metropolitan borough, City (1992) Tyne and Wear
Surrey Heath 80,314   Borough Surrey
Sutton 179,768   London borough Greater London
Swale 122,801   Borough Kent
Swindon 180,051   Unitary, Borough Wiltshire
Tameside 213,043   Metropolitan borough Greater Manchester
Tamworth 74,531   Borough Staffordshire
Tandridge 79,267   District Surrey
Taunton Deane 102,299   Borough Somerset
Teesdale 24,457   District Durham
Teignbridge 120,958   District Devon
Telford and Wrekin 158,325   Unitary, Borough Shropshire
Tendring 138,555   District Essex
Test Valley 109,801   Borough Hampshire
Tewkesbury 76,405   Borough Gloucestershire
Thanet 126,702   District Kent
Three Rivers 82,848   District Hertfordshire
Thurrock 143,128   Unitary, Borough Essex
Tonbridge and Malling 107,561   Borough Kent
Torbay 129,706   Unitary, Borough Devon
Torridge 58,965   District Devon
Tower Hamlets 196,106   London borough Greater London
Trafford 210,145   Metropolitan borough Greater Manchester
Tunbridge Wells 104,030   Borough Kent
Tynedale 58,808   District Northumberland
Uttlesford 68,946   District Essex
Vale of White Horse 115,627   District Oxfordshire
Vale Royal 122,089   Borough Cheshire
Wakefield 315,172   Metropolitan borough, City (1888) West Yorkshire
Walsall 253,499   Metropolitan borough West Midlands
Waltham Forest 218,341   London borough Greater London
Wandsworth 260,380   London borough Greater London
Wansbeck 61,138   District Northumberland
Warrington 191,080   Unitary, Borough Cheshire
Warwick 125,931   District Warwickshire
Watford 79,726   Borough Hertfordshire
Waveney 112,342   District Suffolk
Waverley 115,665   Borough Surrey
Wealden 140,023   District East Sussex
Wear Valley 61,339   District Durham
Wellingborough 72,519   Borough Northamptonshire
Welwyn Hatfield 97,553   District Hertfordshire
West Berkshire 144,483   Unitary, District Berkshire
West Devon 48,843   Borough Devon
West Dorset 92,360   District Dorset
West Lancashire 108,378   District Lancashire
West Lindsey 79,515   District Lincolnshire
West Oxfordshire 95,640   District Oxfordshire
West Somerset 35,075   District Somerset
West Wiltshire 118,150   District Wiltshire
Westminster 181,286   London borough, City (1540) Greater London
Weymouth and Portland 63,648   Borough Dorset
Wigan 301,415   Metropolitan borough Greater Manchester
Winchester 107,222   City Hampshire
Windsor and Maidenhead 133,626   Unitary, Royal Borough Berkshire
Wirral 312,293   Metropolitan borough Merseyside
Woking 89,840   Borough Surrey
Wokingham 150,229   Unitary, District Berkshire
Wolverhampton 236,582   Metropolitan borough, City (2000) West Midlands
Worcester 93,353   City (1189) Worcestershire
Worthing 97,568   Borough West Sussex
Wychavon 112,957   District Worcestershire
Wycombe 162,105   District Buckinghamshire
Wyre 105,618   Borough Lancashire
Wyre Forest 96,981   District Worcestershire
York 181,094   Unitary, City North Yorkshire


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Former districts

The current pattern of districts was introduced in 1974 throughout England and Wales, replacing an older system of urban districts, rural districts and county boroughs.

In England, several changes have taken place, but only within the framework created then. However in Wales the Welsh districts have been replaced entirely with new unitary counties and county boroughs of Wales.

Former English districts are as follows


District Status Date abolished Former county Successor
Bath City April 1, 1996 Avon Bath and North East Somerset
Beverley Borough April 1, 1996 Humberside East Riding of Yorkshire
Boothferry Borough April 1, 1996 Humberside East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire
Brighton Borough April 1, 1997 East Sussex Brighton and Hove
Cleethorpes Borough April 1, 1996 Humberside North East Lincolnshire
East Yorkshire Borough April 1, 1996 Humberside East Riding of Yorkshire
Gillingham Borough April 1, 1998 Kent Medway
Glanford Borough April 1, 1996 Humberside North Lincolnshire
Great Grimsby Borough April 1, 1996 Humberside North East Lincolnshire
Hereford City April 1, 1998 Hereford and Worcester Herefordshire
Holderness Borough April 1, 1996 Humberside East Riding of Yorkshire
Hove Borough April 1, 1997 East Sussex Brighton and Hove
Kingswood Borough April 1, 1996 Avon South Gloucestershire
Leominster District April 1, 1998 Hereford and Worcester Herefordshire (part to Malvern Hills)
Malvern Hills District April 1, 1998 Hereford and Worcester Herefordshire and Malvern Hills
Medina Borough April 1, 1995 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight
Northavon District April 1, 1996 Avon South Gloucestershire
Rochester City April 1, 1998 Kent Medway
Scunthorpe Borough April 1, 1996 Humberside North Lincolnshire
South Herefordshire District April 1, 1998 Hereford and Worcester Herefordshire
South Wight Borough April 1, 1995 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight
Wansdyke District April 1, 1996 Avon Bath and North East Somerset


Most these districts were merged to form unitary authorities, which are indicated in the right.

The exceptions were Malvern Hills and Leominster, which were both split between the new district of Herefordshire and a new district of Malvern Hills.

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New districts

Districts created post-1974 are


District Date created Predecessor(s)
Bath and North East Somerset April 1, 1996 Bath and Wansdyke
Brighton and Hove April 1, 1997 Brighton and Hove
East Riding of Yorkshire April 1, 1996 Boothferry, Beverley, East Yorkshire, Holderness
Herefordshire April 1, 1998 Hereford, Malvern Hills (part), Leominster (part) South Herefordshire
Isle of Wight April 1, 1995 Medina, South Wight
Malvern Hills April 1, 1998 Malvern Hills (part) and Leominster (part)
Medway April 1, 1998 Rochester and Gillingham
North Lincolnshire April 1, 1996 Boothferry, Glanford, Scunthorpe
North East Lincolnshire April 1, 1996 Cleethorpes, Great Grimsby
South Gloucestershire April 1, 1996 Kingswood, Northavon


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Renamings

Under section 74 of the Local Government Act 1972, the council of a district, county or London borough (or county borough in Wales) may unilaterally change its name, providing the resolution to do so gains two-thirds of the votes at a special meeting.

Several English districts have done this


Old nameNew nameDate
Beaconsfield South Bucks April 1, 1980
Blackburn Blackburn with Darwen May 2, 1997
Bracknell Bracknell Forest May 1988
East Dorset & Wimborne East Dorset before 1991
Huntingdon Huntingdonshire October 1, 1984
Langbaurgh Langbaurgh-on-Tees January 1, 1988
Langbaurgh-on-Tees Redcar and Cleveland April 1, 1996
Medway Towns Medway April 1, 1998
Newark Newark and Sherwood April 1, 1995
Newbury West Berkshire April 1, 1998
North Bedfordshire Bedford 1992
North Wolds East Yorkshire  ?
Thamesdown Swindon April 24, 1997
Tiverton Mid Devon 1978
West Derbyshire Derbyshire Dales before 1991
West Norfolk King's Lynn and West Norfolk 1981
Wimborne East Dorset & Wimborne before 1991
Woodspring North Somerset April 1, 1996
The Wrekin Telford and Wrekin April 1, 1998
Yeovil South Somerset before 1991


Additionally, one English county has been renamed. Shropshire was originally formally known as 'Salop'. Its name was changed effective April 1, 1980.

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Trivia

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See also





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