The division into counties is one of the larger divisions of England. Administrative counties were created in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888 and abolished in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972. They were replaced by metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties which are often referred to, somewhat incorrectly, as administrative counties. Other definitions of county are traditional counties and ceremonial counties. For local government purposes, England is divided into three types of areas - non-unitary authorities, unitary authorities, and London boroughs. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... The Local Government Act 1972 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales, on April 1, 1974. ... The British Isles are divided into the following traditional counties (also vice counties or historic counties). ... The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to administrative counties of England. ...

Counties are usually divided into several districts, each with its own separate administration (districts may be called boroughs or cities in some cases). In the 1990s UK local government reform counties which consist of only one district, more popularly called unitary authorities, were created. However, very few unitary authorities are styled as counties (known as a titular counties), most are styled as boroughs or cities. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count. ... The Districts of England are the lowest level of local government in England, except for civil parishes. ... A borough is a local government administrative subdivision used in the Canadian province of Quebec, in some states of the United States, and formerly in New Zealand. ... Historically, city status was associated with the presence of a cathedral, such as York Minster. ... The structure of local government in the United Kingdom underwent large changes in the 1990s. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single-tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ...

Map: Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England (as of 2005)

Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England
Northumberland Tyne and Wear † Durham Cumbria Lancashire Blackpool * Blackburn with Darwen * West Yorkshire † North Yorkshire Darlington * Stockton-on-Tees * Middlesbrough * Hartlepool * Redcar and Cleveland * York * East Riding of Yorkshire * Hull * North Lincolnshire * North East Lincolnshire * Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire Nottingham * South Yorkshire † Derbyshire Derby * Greater Manchester † Merseyside † Halton *	Warrington * Cheshire Shropshire Telford and Wrekin * Staffordshire Stoke-on-Trent * West Midlands † Warwickshire Leicestershire Leicester * Rutland * Northamptonshire Peterborough * Cambridgeshire Norfolk Suffolk Essex Southend-on-Sea * Thurrock * Hertfordshire Bedfordshire Luton * Milton Keynes * Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire Gloucestershire	Worcestershire Herefordshire * South Gloucestershire * Bristol * North Somerset * Bath and North East Somerset * Wiltshire Swindon * Berkshire ‡ Greater London ¹ Medway * Kent East Sussex Brighton and Hove * West Sussex Surrey Hampshire Southampton * Portsmouth * Isle of Wight * Dorset Poole * Bournemouth * Somerset Devon Torbay * Plymouth * Cornwall

* unitary authority
† metropolitan county
‡ no county council
¹ 'administrative area' not a county. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other places with this name, see Northumberland (disambiguation) Northumberland is a traditional, ceremonial and administrative county in northern England. ... Tyne and Wear is one of six metropolitan counties in England, comprising the estuary areas of the rivers Tyne and Wear. ... County Durham is a county in north-east England. ... Cumbria is a administrative county located in the northwest area of England. ... Lancashire (archaically, the County of Lancaster) is a county palatine of England, lying on the Irish Sea. ... The Tower, Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in England, on the coast of the Irish Sea. ... Blackburn with Darwen is a borough in Lancashire, north west England. ... West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in England, corresponding roughly to the core of the West Riding of the traditional county of Yorkshire. ... North Yorkshire is a county within the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. ... Darlington is an industrial town in the north-east of England. ... Stockton-on-Tees is a local government district and borough in north-east England, with a resident population in 2001 of 178,408 rising to 185,880 in 2005 estimates. ... Map sources for Middlesbrough at grid reference NZ5118 Middlesbrough is a town and district in North-East England, with a resident population in 2001 of 134,855. ... Hartlepool (pronounced HART-le-pool) is a North Sea port in North East England. ... Redcar and Cleveland is a unitary authority in the former county of Cleveland, consisting of Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Guisborough, and small towns such as Brotton, Skelton, and Loftus. ... York is a city in northern England, at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss. ... The East Riding of Yorkshire is a local government district in the United Kingdom. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority in England, established in April 1996, one of the first unitary councils. ... North East Lincolnshire is a unitary authority in the north east of England, bordering onto North Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the East Midlands of England. ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ... Nottingham is a city located in Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of England. ... South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in England. ... Derbyshire (pronounced Dar-bee-shur) is a county in the East Midlands of England, which boasts some of Englands most attractive scenery. ... This article is about the city of Derby in England. ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in England established in 1974 which covers an area roughly encompassing the conurbation of Manchester. ... Merseyside is a metropolitan county, located in the North West of England, Merseyside is named after the River Mersey and comprises the conurbation by the Mersey estuary centred upon Liverpool. ... Halton is a borough in North West England, administered by a unitary authority. ... Warrington, the United Kingdom’s third biggest town (as opposed to city), is a town and borough in North West England, between Manchester and Liverpool. ... This article is about the English county. ... Shropshire (abbreviated Salop or Shrops) is a traditional, ceremonial and administrative county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Telford and Wrekin is a borough in the West Midlands region of England. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... This page is about Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... The County of West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England, the United Kingdom, formed in 1974. ... Warwickshire (pronounced worrickshur or worricksheer) is a landlocked county in central England. ... Leicestershire (abbreviated Leics) is a landlocked county in central England. ... Leicester (pronounced ) is a city in the English East Midlands, on the River Soar. ... Rutland is traditionally Englands smallest county and is bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by Northamptonshire. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... Peterborough is a city in the East of England. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... For alternative meanings see: Norfolk (disambiguation) Norfolk (pronounced NOR-fk) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... Suffolk (pronounced suffuk) is a large traditional and administrative county in the East Anglia region of eastern England. ... This article is about the county of Essex in England. ... Southend-on-Sea is a resort town in Essex, England. ... Thurrock is a unitary authority in England. ... Hertfordshire (pronounced Hartfordshire or Harfordshire and abbreviated as Herts) is an inland county in the United Kingdom, officially part of the East of England Government region. ... Bedfordshire is a county in England. ... Luton is a town and local government district in England, located 50km north of central London. ... The Borough of Milton Keynes is a borough in England. ... Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a county in South East England. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in South East England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. ... Gloucestershire (pronounced [ ˈglɒstəʃəʳ]; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a ceremonial and administrative county in southwest England. ... Worcestershire (pronounced /ˈwÊŠstÉ™.təʃə/ or /ˈwÊŠstÉ™.təʃiːɜː/ or /ˈwÊŠstÉ™.təʃaɪə/; abbreviated Worcs) is a county, located in the West Midlands region of central England. ... Herefordshire is a traditional and ceremonial county and unitary district in the West Midlands region of England in the United Kingdom. ... South Gloucestershire is a local government area in South West England. ... Bristol is an English city and county and one of the two administrative centres of South West England (the other being Plymouth). ... North Somerset is a unitary authority in England, historically part of the county of Somerset but now administered independently. ... Bath and North East Somerset (commonly referred to as BANES or B&NES) is an English unitary local government authority that was created on April 1, 1996 following the abolition of Avon County Council, and is an administrative county in its own right. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... Swindon is a borough in South West, England. ... For other places named Berkshire, see: Berkshire (disambiguation) Berkshire (IPA: or  ; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in the south of England, to the west of London and also bordering on Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... The Medway Towns is the name given to a conurbation located to the north of Kent in England: until 1998 it was part of that county (see below). ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... East Sussex is a county in South East England. ... Brighton and Hove is a city on the south coast of England. ... West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex (with Brighton and Hove), Hampshire and Surrey. ... Surrey is a county in southern England, one of the Home Counties. ... Hampshire (abbr. ... Civic Centre, Southampton Southampton is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England. ... This article is about the English city of Portsmouth. ... The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England, opposite Southampton. ... Dorset (pronounced Dorsit, sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the southwest of England, on the English Channel coast. ... Poole is a coastal town, port and tourist destination in the traditional county of Dorset in southern England. ... Bournemouth is a seaside resort in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... Devon (Dewnans in Cornish )is usually regarded as a county in South West England nation, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Torbay is an east facing bay at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south west of England. ... Smeatons tower on Plymouth Hoe Plymouth is a city in the South West of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ... Motto: Onan hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Cornwall, England Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Administrative county Traditional county Duchy of Cornwall Region South West England Area - Total - Admin. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single-tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... The metropolitan counties of England are counties that cover large urban areas, each with several metropolitan districts. ...

List

Metropolitan counties

The metropolitan counties are Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands and West Yorkshire. The metropolitan counties of England are counties that cover large urban areas, each with several metropolitan districts. ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in England established in 1974 which covers an area roughly encompassing the conurbation of Manchester. ... Merseyside is a metropolitan county, located in the North West of England, Merseyside is named after the River Mersey and comprises the conurbation by the Mersey estuary centred upon Liverpool. ... South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in England. ... Tyne and Wear is one of six metropolitan counties in England, comprising the estuary areas of the rivers Tyne and Wear. ... The County of West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England, the United Kingdom, formed in 1974. ... West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in England, corresponding roughly to the core of the West Riding of the traditional county of Yorkshire. ...

The county councils of these were abolished in 1986 by the Thatcher government for largely political rather than practical reasons, but they still exist legally. They are used for some administrative and geographic purposes, and are still ceremonial counties. Most of the powers that the former county councils used to have, devolved to their metropolitan boroughs, which are now in effect unitary authorities, however some functions such as emergency services, civil defence, and public transport are still run jointly on a metropolitan county wide basis. 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British stateswoman and was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, also Leader of the Opposition from 1975, and the only woman to date to hold the former... The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to administrative counties of England. ... A Metropolitan Borough (or Metropolitan District) is a type of local government district in England, covering urban areas within metropolitan counties. ... A unitary authority is a term used in a two-tier local government system to describe a unit of local government that operates as a single tier. ...

Greater London is not a county but an 'administrative area'. It was created in 1965 and its Greater London Council abolished in 1986 along with the metropolitan county councils. It now has a Greater London Authority in its capacity as a region of England. Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to its abolition in 1986. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Greater London Authority (GLA) administers the 1579 sq. ... The region (sometimes known as Government Office Region) is currently the highest tier of local government in England. ...

Non-metropolitan counties

Shire counties

A 'shire county' is a non-metropolitan county which has multiple districts. Its name need not have 'shire' in it. Non-metropolitan districts (usually just called Districts) are local government sub-divisions of English Counties. ... For information on the fictional Shire of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, see Shire (Middle-earth) A shire is an administrative area of Great Britain. ...

There are 35 such counties:

Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Wiltshire, Worcestershire Bedfordshire is a county in England. ... For other places named Berkshire, see: Berkshire (disambiguation) Berkshire (IPA: or  ; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in the south of England, to the west of London and also bordering on Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire. ... Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a county in South East England. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... This article is about the English county. ... Motto: Onan hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Cornwall, England Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Administrative county Traditional county Duchy of Cornwall Region South West England Area - Total - Admin. ... Cumbria is a administrative county located in the northwest area of England. ... Derbyshire (pronounced Dar-bee-shur) is a county in the East Midlands of England, which boasts some of Englands most attractive scenery. ... Devon (Dewnans in Cornish )is usually regarded as a county in South West England nation, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Dorset (pronounced Dorsit, sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the southwest of England, on the English Channel coast. ... County Durham is a county in north-east England. ... East Sussex is a county in South East England. ... This article is about the county of Essex in England. ... Gloucestershire (pronounced [ ˈglɒstəʃəʳ]; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a ceremonial and administrative county in southwest England. ... Hampshire (abbr. ... Hertfordshire (pronounced Hartfordshire or Harfordshire and abbreviated as Herts) is an inland county in the United Kingdom, officially part of the East of England Government region. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... Lancashire (archaically, the County of Lancaster) is a county palatine of England, lying on the Irish Sea. ... Leicestershire (abbreviated Leics) is a landlocked county in central England. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the East Midlands of England. ... For alternative meanings see: Norfolk (disambiguation) Norfolk (pronounced NOR-fk) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... For other places with this name, see Northumberland (disambiguation) Northumberland is a traditional, ceremonial and administrative county in northern England. ... North Yorkshire is a county within the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in South East England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. ... Shropshire (abbreviated Salop or Shrops) is a traditional, ceremonial and administrative county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Suffolk (pronounced suffuk) is a large traditional and administrative county in the East Anglia region of eastern England. ... This is about Surrey, England. ... Warwickshire (pronounced worrickshur or worricksheer) is a landlocked county in central England. ... West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex (with Brighton and Hove), Hampshire and Surrey. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... Worcestershire (pronounced /ˈwÊŠstÉ™.təʃə/ or /ˈwÊŠstÉ™.təʃiːɜː/ or /ˈwÊŠstÉ™.təʃaɪə/; abbreviated Worcs) is a county, located in the West Midlands region of central England. ...

All, apart from Berkshire, have county councils. Sometimes 'shire county' is used to exclude Berkshire, because it has no county council. There is some debate as to the status of Cornwall, whether it is a shire county or not. It is interesting to note that Cornwall[1] is the only 'county' where a large minority dispute its constitutional status and instead claim it should be described as a Duchy and one of the home nations of the UK. For other places named Berkshire, see: Berkshire (disambiguation) Berkshire (IPA: or  ; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in the south of England, to the west of London and also bordering on Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire. ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ... Motto: Onan hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Cornwall, England Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Administrative county Traditional county Duchy of Cornwall Region South West England Area - Total - Admin. ... The constitutional status of Cornwall, in the southwest of Great Britain, is the subject of ongoing debate. ... A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Constituent Countries. ...

Unitary authorities

Unitary authorities are areas with only one council. 40 of these are coterminous with a county. A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single-tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ...

Bath and North East Somerset, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Derby, Darlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, Halton, Hartlepool, Herefordshire, Isle of Wight, Kingston upon Hull, Leicester, Luton, Medway Towns, Middlesbrough, Borough of Milton Keynes, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Redcar and Cleveland, Rutland, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, South Gloucestershire, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Telford and Wrekin, Thurrock, Torbay, Warrington, York Bath and North East Somerset (commonly referred to as BANES or B&NES) is an English unitary local government authority that was created on April 1, 1996 following the abolition of Avon County Council, and is an administrative county in its own right. ... Blackburn with Darwen is a borough in Lancashire, north west England. ... The Tower, Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in England, on the coast of the Irish Sea. ... Bournemouth is a seaside resort in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. ... Brighton and Hove is a city on the south coast of England. ... Bristol is an English city and county and one of the two administrative centres of South West England (the other being Plymouth). ... Derby (pronounced dar-bee ) is a city in the East Midlands of England. ... Darlington is an industrial town in the north-east of England. ... The East Riding of Yorkshire is a local government district in the United Kingdom. ... Halton is a borough in North West England, administered by a unitary authority. ... Hartlepool (pronounced HART-le-pool) is a North Sea port in North East England. ... Herefordshire is a traditional and ceremonial county and unitary district in the West Midlands region of England in the United Kingdom. ... The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England, opposite Southampton. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... Leicester (pronounced ) is a city in the English East Midlands, on the River Soar. ... Luton is a town and local government district in England, located 50km north of central London. ... This article is about Medway in England. ... Map sources for Middlesbrough at grid reference NZ5118 Middlesbrough is a town and district in North-East England, with a resident population in 2001 of 134,855. ... The Borough of Milton Keynes is a borough in England. ... North East Lincolnshire is a unitary authority in the north east of England, bordering onto North Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire. ... North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority in England, established in April 1996, one of the first unitary councils. ... North Somerset is a unitary authority in England, historically part of the county of Somerset but now administered independently. ... Nottingham is a city located in Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of England. ... Peterborough is a city in the east of England. ... Smeatons tower on Plymouth Hoe Plymouth is a city in the South West of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ... Poole is a coastal town, port and tourist destination in the traditional county of Dorset in southern England. ... This article is about the English city of Portsmouth. ... Redcar and Cleveland is a unitary authority in the former county of Cleveland, consisting of Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Guisborough, and small towns such as Brotton, Skelton, and Loftus. ... Rutland is traditionally Englands smallest county and is bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by Northamptonshire. ... Civic Centre, Southampton Southampton is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England. ... Southend-on-Sea is a resort town in Essex, England. ... South Gloucestershire is a local government area in South West England. ... Stockton-on-Tees is an industrial town and port on the River Tees in north-eastern England. ... This page is about Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... Swindon is a borough in South West, England. ... Telford and Wrekin is a borough in the West Midlands region of England. ... Thurrock is a unitary authority in England. ... Torbay is an east facing bay at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south west of England. ... Warrington, the United Kingdom’s third biggest town (as opposed to city), is a town and borough in North West England, between Manchester and Liverpool. ... This article is about the English city. ...

For 39 of these, they are defined as a county with a single district, which has a district council, and no county council. For the Isle of Wight, technically it is a county with a county council and no district councils, but the effect is the same. The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England, opposite Southampton. ...

The districts of Berkshire are unitary authorities, but are not granted county status. For other places named Berkshire, see: Berkshire (disambiguation) Berkshire (IPA: or  ; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in the south of England, to the west of London and also bordering on Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire. ...

The Isles of Scilly are not part of Cornwall for administrative purposes, but neither do they constitute a county. Tresco, the second largest Island of Scillonia The Isles of Scilly (Cornish: Ynysek Syllan) form an archipelago of islands off the Cornish coast. ... Motto: Onan hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Cornwall, England Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Administrative county Traditional county Duchy of Cornwall Region South West England Area - Total - Admin. ...

See Subdivisions of England for the full list of unitary authorities. For local government purposes, England is divided into three types of areas - non-unitary authorities, unitary authorities, and London boroughs. ...

History

Administrative counties didn't exist prior to 1888. See traditional counties of England for the history of the English counties before then. 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... The traditional counties of England are historic subdivisions of the country into around 40 regions. ...

1888: County Councils

In 1888 the government, led by the Tory Prime Minister Lord Salisbury established county councils for all of England and Wales, covering areas known as administrative counties. Excluded from administrative counties were the county boroughs, which were what today are known as unitary authorities. 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (February 3, 1830–August 22, 1903). ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ... An administrative county is an administrative area in the British Isles. ... County borough was a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom to refer to a borough or a city independent of county administration. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single-tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ...

Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Suffolk, Sussex, and Yorkshire were split up for administrative purposes, following historical divisions used by the Courts of Quarter Sessions. Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the East Midlands of England. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... Suffolk (pronounced suffuk) is a large traditional and administrative county in the East Anglia region of eastern England. ... Sussex is a traditional county in southern England, divided for administrative purposes into West Sussex and East Sussex and the city of Brighton and Hove. ... Yorkshire as a traditional county. ... Historically, the Courts of Quarter Sessions, or Quarter Sessions, were periodic courts held in each county and county borough in England and Wales until 1972, when together with the Assizes courts they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court of England and...

Additionally there was a County of London which covered the area today known as Inner London. The Isle of Wight was originally included under the administrative county of Hampshire but obtained its own county council in 1890. The County of London (in red), super imposed upon todays Greater London area, to show the difference in size with post-1965 Borough boundaries The County of London was an administrative county of England from 1888 to 1965. ... Inner London is technically a term for the central part of Greater London, in contrast to Outer London. ... The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England, opposite Southampton. ... Hampshire (abbr. ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Some exclaves that had been left untouched by the 1844 Act were affected by this one, for example the Measham area of Derbyshire was placed under the control of Leicestershire County Council. 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Measham is a village on the Leicestershire-Staffordshire border, located just off the A42 just south of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. ... Derbyshire (pronounced Dar-bee-shur) is a county in the East Midlands of England, which boasts some of Englands most attractive scenery. ... Leicestershire (abbreviated Leics) is a landlocked county in central England. ...

In 1894 a uniform two-tier system was established, with subdivisions of the administrative counties called urban districts, rural districts and municipal boroughs. 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... In British and Irish local government, an urban district is a subdivision of a county that covers an urbanised area. ... In local government on the British Isles, a rural district was a predominantly rural area used for local government. ... A borough is a political division originally used in England. ...

Map: Administrative counties of England from 1890 to 1965

This map follows the usual practice of not showing county boroughs. Instead, they were included in their 'host' county. When a county borough expanded into territory of a county that wasn't the one it came from, maps often showed this as an increase in size of the county the county borough was associated with. So, for example, Bristol south of the River Avon would be shown as part of Gloucestershire rather than Somerset. County borough was a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom to refer to a borough or a city independent of county administration. ... Bristol is an English city and county and one of the two administrative centres of South West England (the other being Plymouth). ... The Avon Gorge and Clifton Suspension Bridge The River Avon is a river in the south west of England. ... Gloucestershire (pronounced [ ˈglɒstəʃəʳ]; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a ceremonial and administrative county in southwest England. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ...

This system was the basis of the ceremonial counties used for Lieutenancy - except that Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Suffolk and Sussex were not split for Lieutenancy. (Yorkshire, however, was). The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to administrative counties of England. ...

Encroachment

As urbanisation increased, and suburbs were built on a scale not seen before, the urban areas surrounding various towns and cities started to cross traditional county borders. Since boroughs, urban districts, and parishes could not cross administrative county boundaries, the administrative county borders were adjusted. Urbanization is the degree of or increase in urban character or nature. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ... A borough is a local government administrative subdivision used in the Canadian province of Quebec, in some states of the United States, and formerly in New Zealand. ... In British and Irish local government, an urban district is a subdivision of a county that covers an urbanised area. ... In England a civil parish (usually just parish) is the smallest unit of local government. ...

Examples of these include:

• Beauchief, Dore, Norton, Totley in Derbyshire, annexed by Sheffield in West Riding, in 1934
• Caversham in Oxfordshire, annexed by Reading, Berkshire, in 1911
• Little Bowden in Northamptonshire, annexed by Market Harborough, Leicestershire
• half of Tamworth, Staffordshire, historically in Warwickshire
• Winshill in Derbyshire, annexed by Burton-upon-Trent
• Wythenshawe in Cheshire, annexed by City of Manchester, Lancashire
• Reddish and the Heatons in Lancashire, annexed by Stockport County Borough, Cheshire

Beauchief is a village, formerly in Derbyshire, England, which has become a suburb of Sheffield. ... Dore (grid reference SK311812) is a village in South Yorkshire. ... Derbyshire (pronounced Dar-bee-shur) is a county in the East Midlands of England, which boasts some of Englands most attractive scenery. ... This article is about the city in England. ... The West Riding as an administrative county prior to its abolition in 1974. ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Caversham is a village in the unitary authority of Reading, England, although, historically, Caversham was part of Oxfordshire. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in South East England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. ... St Marys Church and market Reading is a town and unitary authority in Berkshire in England, at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, halfway between London and Oxford. ... 1911 was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... The stilted Grammar School Market Harborough is a market town in Leicestershire, England, upon the River Welland. ... Leicestershire (abbreviated Leics) is a landlocked county in central England. ... Tamworth town centre Map sources for Tamworth at grid reference SK2203 Tamworth is a historic town and local government district in Staffordshire England, located 17 miles (25km) north-east from the city of Birmingham. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Warwickshire (pronounced worrickshur or worricksheer) is a landlocked county in central England. ... Derbyshire (pronounced Dar-bee-shur) is a county in the East Midlands of England, which boasts some of Englands most attractive scenery. ... Burton-upon-Trent is a large town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England, which originally grew up around the monastery of St. ... Wythenshawe is a housing estate to the south of Manchester. ... This article is about the English county. ... This article is about the city in England. ... Lancashire (archaically, the County of Lancaster) is a county palatine of England, lying on the Irish Sea. ... Lancashire (archaically, the County of Lancaster) is a county palatine of England, lying on the Irish Sea. ... This article is about the English county. ...

1965: Greater London

Main article: London Government Act 1963

Throughout the next century, debates took place about what should be done about local government in respect of the increasing urbanisation of the country. Proposals to expand or change county boroughs or to create larger urban counties were discussed, but nothing happened until 1963, when legislation was passed to come into effect in 1965. 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ...

The County of London was expanded and renamed Greater London, and consumed nearly all of Middlesex - the remaining parts being ceded to Surrey and Hertfordshire. Some other changes took place, such as the Soke of Peterborough and Huntingdonshire being merged into Huntingdon and Peterborough, and the merger of the original Cambridgeshire county council and the Isle of Ely county council. Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... Middlesex as a traditional county before 1888. ... Surrey is a county in southern England, one of the Home Counties. ... Hertfordshire (pronounced Hartfordshire or Harfordshire and abbreviated as Herts) is an inland county in the United Kingdom, officially part of the East of England Government region. ... Categories: United Kingdom-related stubs | Cambridgeshire ... Huntingdonshire (abbreviated Hunts) is a part of England around Huntingdon, which is currently administered as a local government district of Cambridgeshire. ... Huntingdonshire and Peterborough was a short-lived administrative county in England. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... Categories: UK geography stubs | Cambridgeshire | English islands ...

Map: Administrative counties of England from 1965 from 1974

The map below is shown with the county boroughs immediately prior to 1974. County borough was a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom to refer to a borough or a city independent of county administration. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ...

Administrative counties of England from 1965 to 1974
Northumberland Durham Westmorland Cumberland Lancashire West Riding of Yorkshire North Riding of Yorkshire East Riding of Yorkshire Lindsey Holland Kesteven Nottinghamshire Derbyshire Cheshire Salop (Shropshire) Staffordshire Warwickshire Leicestershire Rutland Northamptonshire Huntingdon and Peterborough	Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely Norfolk East Suffolk West Suffolk Essex Hertfordshire Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire Gloucestershire Worcestershire Herefordshire Wiltshire Berkshire Greater London Kent East Sussex West Sussex Surrey Hampshire Isle of Wight Dorset Somerset Devon Cornwall

For other places with this name, see Northumberland (disambiguation) Northumberland is a traditional, ceremonial and administrative county in northern England. ... County Durham is a county in north-east England. ... Westmorland is one of the