This is a list of the municipal boroughs, urban districts, and rural districts in Wales immediately prior to the coming into force of the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974. The number of districts gradually reduced from their creation in 1894 through consolidation.
In addition to these 164 local government sub divisions of the 13 County Councils, Wales also had 4 county boroughs, Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Merthyr Tydfil. Following the establishment of the Welsh Office in 1966, and subsequent legislative processes, the question of whether Monmouthshire (including Newport) should be considered as being within Wales was no longer in serious dispute, and it was finally conclusively resolved by the Local Government Act 1972.
District | Successor |
---|---|
Aethwy Rural District | Anglesey |
Amlwch Urban District | Anglesey |
Beaumaris Borough | Anglesey |
Holyhead Urban District | Anglesey |
Llangefni Urban District | Anglesey |
Menai Bridge Urban District | Anglesey |
Twrcelyn Rural District | Anglesey |
Valley Rural District | Anglesey |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Brecknock Rural District | Brecknock |
Brecon Borough | Brecknock |
Brynmawr Urban District | Blaenau Gwent |
Builth Wells Rural District | Brecknock |
Builth Wells Urban District | Brecknock |
Crickhowell Rural District | Blaenau Gwent, Brecknock |
Hay Rural District | Brecknock |
Hay Urban District | Brecknock |
Llanwrtyd Wells Urban District | Brecknock |
Vaynor and Penderyn Rural District | Merthyr Tydfil, Brecknock, Cynon Valley |
Ystradgynlais Rural District | Brecknock |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Bangor Borough | Arfon |
Bethesda Urban District | Arfon |
Betws-y-Coed Urban District | Aberconwy |
Caernarfon Royal Borough | Arfon |
Conwy Borough | Aberconwy |
Criccieth Urban District | Dwyfor |
Gwyrfai Rural District | Arfon, Dwyfor |
Llandudno Urban District | Aberconwy |
Llanfairfechan Urban District | Aberconwy |
Lleyn Rural District | Dwyfor |
Nant Conway Rural District | Aberconwy |
Ogwen Rural District | Arfon |
Penmaenmawr Urban District | Aberconwy |
Porthmadog Urban District | Dwyfor |
Pwllheli Borough | Dwyfor |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Aberaeron Rural District | Ceredigion |
Aberaeron Urban District | Ceredigion |
Aberystwyth Borough | Ceredigion |
Aberystwyth Rural District | Ceredigion |
Cardigan Borough | Ceredigion |
Lampeter Borough | Ceredigion |
New Quay Urban District | Ceredigion |
Teifiside Rural District | Ceredigion |
Tregaron Rural District | Ceredigion |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Ammanford Urban District | Dinefwr |
Burry Port Urban District | Llanelli |
Carmarthen Borough Council | Carmarthen |
Carmarthen Rural District | Carmarthen |
Cwmamman Urban District | Dinefwr |
Kidwelly Borough | Llanelli |
Llandeilo Rural District | Dinefwr |
Llandeilo Urban District | Dinefwr |
Llandovery Borough | Dinefwr |
Llanelli Borough | Llanelli |
Llanelli Rural District | Llanelli |
Newcastle Emlyn Rural District | Carmarthen |
Newcastle Emlyn Urban District | Carmarthen |
Whitland Rural District | Carmarthen |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Abergele Urban District | Colwyn |
Aled Rural District | Colwyn, Aberconwy |
Ceiriog Rural District | Glyndwr |
Colwyn Bay Borough | Colwyn |
Denbigh Borough | Glyndwr |
Hiraethog Rural District | Aberconwy, Colwyn |
Llangollen Urban District | Glyndwr |
Llanrwst Urban District | Aberconwy |
Ruthin Borough | Glyndwr |
Ruthin Rural District | Glyndwr |
Wrexham Borough | Wrexham Maelor |
Wrexham Rural District | Wrexham Maelor, Glyndwr |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Buckley Urban District | Alyn and Deeside |
Connah's Quay Urban District | Alyn and Deeside |
Flint Borough | Delyn |
Hawarden Rural District | Wrexham Maelor, Alyn and Deeside |
Holywell Rural District | Delyn |
Holywell Urban District | Delyn |
Maelor Rural District | Wrexham Maelor |
Mold Urban District | Delyn |
Prestatyn Urban District | Rhuddlan |
Rhyl Urban District | Rhuddlan |
St Asaph (Flint) Rural District | Rhuddlan |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Aberdare Urban District | Cynon Valley |
Barry Borough | Vale of Glamorgan |
Bridgend Urban District | Ogwr |
Caerphilly Urban District | Rhymney Valley, Taff-Ely |
Cardiff Rural District | Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Rhymney Valley, Taff-Ely |
Cowbridge Borough | Vale of Glamorgan |
Cowbridge Rural District | Taff-Ely, Vale of Glamorgan |
Gelligaer Urban District | Rhymney Valley, Merthyr Tydfil |
Glyncorrwg Urban District | Port Talbot |
Gower Rural District | Swansea |
Llantrisant and Llantwit Fardre Rural District | Taff-Ely |
Llwchwr Urban District | Lliw Valley |
Maesteg Urban District | Ogwr |
Mountain Ash Urban District | Cynon Valley |
Neath Borough | Neath |
Neath Rural District | Neath, Cynon Valley |
Ogmore and Garw Urban District | Ogwr |
Penarth Urban District | Vale of Glamorgan |
Penybont Rural District | Ogwr |
Pontardawe Rural District | Lliw Valley |
Pontypridd Urban District | Taff-Ely |
Port Talbot Borough | Port Talbot |
Porthcawl Urban District | Ogwr |
Rhondda Borough | Rhondda |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Bala Urban District | Meirionnydd |
Barmouth Urban District | Meirionnydd |
Deudraeth Rural District | Meirionnydd |
Dolgellau Rural District | Meirionnydd |
Dolgellau Urban District | Meirionnydd |
Edeyrnion Rural District | Glyndwr |
Ffestiniog Urban District | Meirionnydd |
Penllyn Rural District | Meirionnydd |
Tywyn Urban District | Meirionnydd |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Abercarn Urban District | Islwyn |
Abergavenny Borough | Monmouth |
Abergavenny Rural District | Monmouth |
Abertillery Urban District | Blaenau Gwent |
Bedwas and Machen Urban District | Rhymney Valley |
Bedwellty Urban District | Islwyn, Rhymney Valley |
Blaenavon Urban District | Torfaen |
Caerleon Urban District | Newport |
Chepstow Rural District | Monmouth |
Chepstow Urban District | Monmouth |
Cwmbran Urban District | Torfaen |
Ebbw Vale Urban District | Blaenau Gwent |
Magor and St Mellons Rural District | Cardiff, Newport, Torfaen |
Monmouth Borough | Monmouth |
Monmouth Rural District | Monmouth |
Mynyddislwyn Urban District | Islwyn |
Nantyglo and Blaina Urban District | Blaenau Gwent |
Pontypool Rural District | Torfaen, Monmouth |
Pontypool Urban District | Torfaen |
Rhymney Urban District | Rhymney Valley |
Risca Urban District | Islwyn |
Tredegar Urban District | Blaenau Gwent |
Usk Urban District | Monmouth |
Newport was a county borough.
District | Successor |
---|---|
Forden Rural District | Montgomery |
Llanfyllin Borough | Montgomery |
Llanfyllin Rural District | Montgomery |
Llanidloes Borough | Montgomery |
Machynlleth Rural District | Montgomery |
Machynlleth Urban District | Montgomery |
Montgomery Borough | Montgomery |
Newtown and Llanidloes Rural District | Montgomery |
Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Urban District | Montgomery |
Welshpool Borough | Montgomery |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Cemaes Rural District | Preseli |
Fishguard and Goodwick Urban District | Preseli |
Haverfordwest Borough | Preseli |
Haverfordwest Rural District | Preseli |
Milford Haven Urban District | Preseli |
Narberth Rural District | South Pembrokeshire |
Narberth Urban District | South Pembrokeshire |
Neyland Urban District | Preseli |
Pembroke Borough | South Pembrokeshire |
Pembroke Rural District | South Pembrokeshire |
Tenby Borough | South Pembrokeshire |
District | Successor |
---|---|
Colwyn Rural District | Radnor |
Knighton Rural District | Radnor |
Knighton Urban District | Radnor |
Llandrindod Wells Urban District | Radnor |
New Radnor Rural District | Radnor |
Painscastle Rural District | Radnor |
Presteigne Urban District | Radnor |
Rhayader Rural District | Radnor |
Newport City Council is the governing body for Newport, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. It consists of 51 councillors, who represent the city's 20 wards.
Torfaen is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to the south-west and north-west. It is within the boundaries of the historic county of Monmouthshire, and between 1974 and 1996 was a district of Gwent, until it was reconstituted as a principal area in 1996.
The City of Milton Keynes is a unitary authority area with both borough and city status, in Buckinghamshire. It is the northernmost district of the South East England Region. The borough abuts Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and the remainder of Buckinghamshire.
Monmouthshire, also known as the County of Monmouth, is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county. It corresponds approximately to the present principal areas of Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Newport and Torfaen, and those parts of Caerphilly and Cardiff east of the Rhymney River.
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales. It is a maritime county, bounded to the north by the Irish Sea, to the east by Flintshire, Cheshire and Shropshire, to the south by Montgomeryshire and Merionethshire, and to the west by Caernarfonshire.
In England and Wales an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected urban district council (UDC), which shared local government responsibilities with a county council.
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.
In 1974, Wales was re-divided for local government purposes into thirty-seven districts. Districts were the second tier of local government introduced by the Local Government Act 1972, being subdivisions of the eight counties introduced at the same time. This system of two-tier local government was abolished in 1996 and replaced with the current system of unitary principal areas.
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in Scotland from 1833 to 1975 with the reform of royal burghs and creation of police burghs.
The Borough of Aberconwy was a local government district with borough status from 1974 to 1996, being one of five districts in the county of Gwynedd, north-west Wales.
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Government of 1970–74.
Monmouth is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The seat was created for the 1918 general election. Since 2005 the Member of Parliament (MP) has been David Davies of the Conservative Party.
Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1872 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:
The Local Government Act 1933 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that consolidated and revised existing legislation that regulated local government in England and Wales. It remained the principal legislation regulating local government until the Local Government Act 1972 took effect in 1974.
The Newport district was one of the five local government districts of Gwent from 1974 to 1996. The district comprised the county borough of Newport and several surrounding parishes. It inherited the borough status of the former authority and was therefore styled as the Borough of Newport.
Rhymney Valley was one of six local government districts in Mid Glamorgan from 1974 to 1996.
Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen is a community and an electoral ward in the county borough of Caerphilly, constituting the villages of Machen, Trethomas, Bedwas, and Upper and Lower Graig-y-Rhacca. It lies in the Caerphilly Basin in the shadow of Mynydd y Grug and Mynydd Machen. All villages in the area grew as a result of the coal mining industry, which carries its legacy on today.
Gwent is a preserved county and former local government county in southeast Wales. A county of Gwent was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972; it was named after the ancient Kingdom of Gwent. The authority was a successor to both the administrative county of Monmouthshire and the county borough of Newport.
Milton Keynes City Council is the local authority of the City of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It has both borough status and city status. The borough is divided into 19 wards, electing 57 councillors.
The history of local government in Wales in a recognisably modern form emerged during the late 19th century. Administrative counties and county boroughs were first established in Wales in 1889. Urban and rural districts were formed in 1894. These were replaced in 1974 by a two-tier authority system across the country comprising eight counties and, within them, thirty-seven districts. This system was itself replaced by the introduction of 22 single-tier authorities in 1996.