They had been successive district administration in the County of Durham. The ancient county was formerly structured around the Bishop of Durham with ancient wards and boroughs.
The county palatine was restructured to a standard county system of the time through successive Durham County Palatine Acts 1836 to 1889. Municipal boroughs were established under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. The administrative county and county boroughs were introduced in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888. Urban and rural districts were created under the Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73). The structure was replaced under the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974.
A borough could either have or not have a rural controlled from the same set of municipal buildings. A municipal borough’s area was part-governed by the administrative county; a municipal borough could become a county borough which was only ceremonially linked with the county.
Borough | Type | From | Until | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Darlington [1] | Municipal | 1867 | 1915 | |
County | 1915 | 1974 | Replaced by the Borough of Darlington | |
Durham [2] | Municipal | 1835 | 1974 | Replaced by City of Durham, since 2009 the Unitary Authority of County Durham |
Gateshead [3] | Municipal | 1835 | 1888 | |
County | 1888 | 1974 | Replaced by the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead | |
West Hartlepool [4] | Municipal | 1887 | 1902 | |
County | 1902 | 1967 | Boroughs merged | |
Hartlepool [5] | Municipal | 1850 | 1967 | |
County | 1967 | 1974 | Replaced by the Borough of Hartlepool | |
Jarrow [6] | Municipal | 1875 | 1974 | Replaced by the Borough of South Tyneside |
South Shields [7] | Municipal | 1850 | 1889 | |
County | 1889 | 1974 | Replaced by the Borough of South Tyneside | |
Stockton-on-Tees [8] | Municipal | 1835 | 1968 | Merged into the County Borough of Teesside |
Sunderland [9] | Municipal | 1835 | 1888 | |
County | 1888 | 1974 | replaced by the Borough of Sunderland |
A rural and or urban district could be controlled from a single set of municipal buildings: [10]
District | Type | From | Until |
---|---|---|---|
Annfield Plain | Urban | 1896 | 1937 |
Auckland | Rural | 1894 | 1937 |
Barnard Castle | Rural | 1894 | 1974 |
Barnard Castle | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Benfieldside | Urban | 1894 | 1937 |
Billingham | Urban | 1923 | 1968 |
Bishop Auckland | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Blaydon | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Boldon | Urban | 1936 | 1974 |
Brandon and Byshottles | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Chester-le-Street | Rural | 1894 | 1974 |
Chester-le-Street | Urban | 1909 | 1974 |
Consett | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Crook | Urban | 1898 | 1937 |
Crook and Willington | Urban | 1937 | 1974 |
Darlington | Rural | 1894 | 1974 |
Durham | Rural | 1894 | 1974 |
Easington | Rural | 1894 | 1974 |
Felling | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Hartlepool | Rural | 1894 | 1937 |
Hebburn | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Hetton | Urban | 1895 | 1974 |
Houghton-le-Spring | Rural | 1894 | 1937 |
Houghton-le-Spring | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Lanchester | Rural | 1894 | 1974 |
Leadgate | Urban | 1894 | 1937 |
Ryton | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Seaham | Urban | 1937 | 1974 |
Seaham Harbour | Urban | 1894 | 1937 |
Sedgefield | Rural | 1894 | 1974 |
Shildon | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
South Shields | Rural | 1894 | 1936 |
Southwick on Wear | Urban | 1894 | 1928 |
Spennymoor | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Stanhope | Urban | 1894 | 1937 |
Stanley | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Stockton | Rural | 1894 | 1974 |
Sunderland | Rural | 1894 | 1967 |
Tanfield | Urban | 1895 | 1937 |
Tow Law | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Washington | Urban | 1922 | 1974 |
Weardale | Rural | 1894 | 1974 |
Whickham | Urban | 1894 | 1974 |
Willington | Urban | 1894 | 1937 |
Under the Local Government Act 1972, the county's ceremonial, district and borough boundaries were moved to align to the newly created non-metropolitan county of Durham. The ceremonial county had the boroughs Darlington (borough) of Sedgefield and the City of Durham as well as five districts:
unitary authority under the Local Government Act 1992. Darlington borough became a unitary authority in 1995. The county of Cleveland disbanded in 1996, Boroughs of Hartlepool and of Stockton-on-Tees became unitary authorities in the ceremonial county. The Borough of Stockton-on Tees is split between the ceremonial counties of Durham and North Yorkshire.
The non-metropolitan county was subject to 2009 reforms. The council county, districts and boroughs were merged into a unitary authority. The ceremonial county now covers four unitary authorities:
North Yorkshire is a ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber and North East regions of England. It borders County Durham to the north, the North Sea to the east, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the south-east, South Yorkshire to the south, West Yorkshire to the south-west, and Cumbria and Lancashire to the west.
Hartlepool is a seaside and port town in County Durham, England. It is governed by a unitary authority borough named after the town. The borough is part of the devolved Tees Valley area. With an estimated population of 92,600, it is the second-largest settlement in County Durham, after Darlington.
The North Riding of Yorkshire was a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point was at Mickle Fell at 2,585 ft (788 m).
The counties of England are a type of subdivision of England. Counties have been used as administrative areas in England since Anglo-Saxon times. There are three definitions of county in England: the 48 ceremonial counties used for the purposes of lieutenancy; the 84 metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties for local government; and the 39 historic counties.
County Durham, officially simply Durham (/ˈdʌrəm/), is a ceremonial county in North East England. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne and Wear to the north, the North Sea to the east, North Yorkshire to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The largest settlement is Darlington.
The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees is a unitary authority area in England with borough status in County Durham and North Yorkshire. In 2021, it had a population of 196,600. Its main settlement and namesake of the borough is Stockton-on-Tees, which lies on the north bank of the River Tees, along with the towns of Billingham and Norton-on-Tees, in County Durham. It also includes the towns of Ingleby Barwick, Thornaby-on-Tees and Yarm, all south of the Tees, in North Yorkshire. The borough locally governed by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. The borough forms part of the Tees Valley together with four other nearby boroughs.
Tees Valley is a combined authority area in North East England, around the lower River Tees. The area is not a geographical valley; the local term for the valley is Teesdale. The combined authority covers five council areas: Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees.
The history of County Durham.
Aislaby is a small village and civil parish on the north bank of the River Tees within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is located to the west of Eaglescliffe and Yarm.
Cleveland was abolished in 1996 both as a county council and a non-metropolitan county, being succeeded by the unitary authorities of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees. The constituency boundaries used up to the 2005 United Kingdom general election were drawn up when the county still existed. For the review which came into effect for the 2010 general election, the four authorities were considered separately, with Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland being combined.
The Borough of Darlington is a unitary authority area with borough status in County Durham, England. Since 1997 Darlington Borough Council has been a unitary authority; it is independent from Durham County Council. It is named after its largest settlement, the town of Darlington, where the council is based. The borough also includes a rural area surrounding the town which contains several villages. The population of the borough at the 2021 census was 107,800, of which over 86% (93,015) lived in the built-up area of Darlington itself.
The Borough of Hartlepool is a unitary authority area with borough status in County Durham, England. Hartlepool Borough Council became a unitary authority in 1996; it is independent from Durham County Council. It is named after its largest settlement, Hartlepool, where the council is based. The borough also includes a rural area to the west of the town. The population of the borough at the 2021 census was 92,571, of which over 95% (87,995) lived in the built-up area of Hartlepool itself.
Cleveland was a non-metropolitan county located in North East England which existed between 1974 and 1996. Cleveland was a two-tier county and had four boroughs: Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough and Langbaurgh-on-Tees. The county town was Middlesbrough, where Cleveland County Council met. The county was named after the historic area of Cleveland, Yorkshire. Its area is now split between the counties of North Yorkshire and County Durham.
Durham County Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of County Durham in North East England. The council is a unitary authority, being a non-metropolitan county council which also performs the functions of a non-metropolitan district council. It has its headquarters at County Hall in Durham.
The County Borough of Teesside was a county borough in the north-east of England, which existed for just six years. It was created in 1968 to cover the Teesside conurbation which had grown up around the various port and industrial towns near the mouth of the River Tees. The council was based in Middlesbrough, the area's largest town. The county borough was abolished in 1974 on the creation of the new county of Cleveland, which covered a larger area, with the county borough's territory being split between three of the four districts created in the new county.
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, which straddles the ceremonial counties of County Durham and North Yorkshire in England. Since 1996 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It therefore provides services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, town planning, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. Since 2016 the council has been a member of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Tees Valley Mayor since 2017.
County Durham is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is governed by Durham County Council. The district has an area of 2,226 square kilometres (859 sq mi), and contains 135 civil parishes. It forms part of the larger ceremonial county of Durham, together with boroughs of Darlington, Hartlepool, and the part of Stockton-on-Tees north of the River Tees.
The county of Durham returned 7 MPs to the UK Parliament from 1983 to 2024. Under the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, coming into effect for the 2024 general election, the boundary commission proposed that one constituency be shared with the county of Tyne and Wear. In addition, the unitary authority of Darlington, which had previously been included with Durham, was now included with the four unitary authorities which make up the former county of Cleveland. For the purposes of this series of articles, Darlington continues to be included with Durham.
The non-metropolitan county of Cleveland was created under the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect on 1 April 1974, comprising the urban areas around the mouth of the River Tees, previously parts of the administrative counties of Durham and North Riding of Yorkshire. Cleveland was abolished in 1996 both as a county council and a non-metropolitan county, being succeeded by the unitary authorities of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees. The constituency boundaries used up to the 2005 United Kingdom general election were drawn up when the county still existed. For the review which came into effect for the 2010 general election, the four authorities were considered separately, with Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland being combined.