Evolution of Worcestershire county boundaries
Encyclopedia
The boundaries of Worcestershire, England
, have been fluid for over 150 years since the first major changes in 1844. Although the continual expansion of Birmingham
and the Black Country
during and after the Industrial Revolution
altered the county map considerably, even up to the later part of the 20th century.
of Worcestershire
was administrated by a combination of hundreds and by municipal boroughs, parishes, rural sanitary districts and poor law unions, etc. Each hundred was also sub-divided into 'divisions'.
Worcestershire's hundreds were Blakenhurst, Doddingtree, Halfshire, Oswaldslow and Pershore.
The main exception to the above table is Worcester
, which gained autonomy
from Worcestershire by vertue of it being a county corporate
since 1622.
The fractured layout of the hundreds was at best confusing. Most of the divisions were split twice, even three ways into differing parts of the county. As the above table shows, some of these parishes were islands that were surrounded by other hundreds. Meanwhile some of Worcestershire's parishes existed in other counties jurisdictions, these were known as enclaves, exclaves or simply 'islands'.
, Staffordshire
, Gloucestershire
, Herefordshire
, Shropshire
(Detached) and Oxfordshire
. This relationship with neighbouring counties mirrored the confusing and fragmented layout of parishes within Worcestershire's own hundreds. The most notable islands were Dudley, Evenlode, Blockley and the area around Shipston-on-Stour. Warley Wigorn formed a Worcestershire island contained entirely within Halesowen
parish, which in turn was a detached part of Shropshire.
Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Shropshire had their own exclaves within Worcestershire. These were found at Rochford
, Broome
, Clent
, Tardebigge
(Tutnall and Cobley
) and Halesowen respectively and were transferred to or rejoined Worcestershire in October 1844 following enactment of the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844
. This Act of Parliament
was designed to eradicate the issue of 'islands' or 'exclaves', however Shipston-on-Stour Rural District
remained in Worcestershire until April 1931 and likewise Dudley until 1966.
Tardebigge's history outside the county is even more colourful, considering it changed hands between Warwickshire, Worcestershire and also Staffordshire at differing times over the centuries. Halesowen's inclusion back into the county saw a unification between Warley Wigorn and neighbouring 'Warley Salop' to form the new parish of Warley
in 1884.
The southern boundary of the county was also confusing, with parish boundaries penetrating deep into Gloucestershire and vice-versa. Several parishes were transferred to Gloucestershire in 1844, including Alstone and Icomb. Followed in 1931 by enactment of the Provisional Order Confirmation (Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire) Act 1931 which transferred Blockley, Daylesford
and Evenlode, plus Warwickshire gained Alderminster, Tredington and Shipston-on-Stour Rural District
.
and covered the historic county, except for two newly designated county boroughs at Dudley and Worcester. The Local Government Act 1888 also saw the abolition of the hundreds, although the repealed Local Government (Boundaries) Act 1887
would have witnessed the formation of a county administration and a loss of territory to Birmingham. The Act also legislated for Dudley to unite with the rest of Worcestershire, through a transfer of territory from Staffordshire. This Act was repealed in favour of the new Local Government Act in 1888. Within a short space of time of the county's incorporation, the boundaries started altering. In 1893 the small Worcestershire island of Edvin Loach
, situated around three miles north of Bromyard
was transferred to Herefordshire. Then in two years; Worcestershire gained the parish of Upper Arley
, which was a small Staffordshire enclave surrounded by Worcestershire and Shropshire.
Birmingham's continuous expansion has been a large contributory factor to Worcestershire's fluid boundary changes and associated housing issues. The district of Balsall Heath
, which had originally constituted the most northerly part of the Parish of King's Norton, was the first area of the county to be added to the County Borough of Birmingham on 1 October 1891. This was followed by Quinton
Urban District
, which was ceded to Birmingham in November 1909, and then by both the Rural District
of Yardley
and the greater part of the Urban District of King's Norton and Northfield, which were absorbed into the City as part of the Greater Birmingham Scheme on 9 November 1911.
As a consequence of the transfer to Birmingham, these areas were no longer part of Worcestershire and became associated with Warwickshire.
The Local Government Boundary Commission proposed radical changes to the local government structures during 1948. The plans included merging Worcestershire with Herefordshire to form a new administrative unit, except Dudley and Oldbury which would become part of a new 'South Staffordshire' county. Worcester and Dudley would remain as county boroughs, however some services would be carried out by the respective county council. The commission's proposals were abandoned at this point, although revised proposals for a Herefordshire & South Worcestershire combined county surfaced twenty years later.
, so the boundaries were altered to include the whole area in Dudley County Borough.
Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries; the Birmingham and Black Country urban areas were converging into a single, but extensive conurbation spanning over the borders of three counties; namely Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire. This was similar to other areas in England which grew since the Industrial Revolution, such as Manchester
, Tyneside
, Liverpool
, London
or within Yorkshire West Riding. The convergence of these conurbations saw economic and physical integration with neighbouring towns and communities. This process became more prominent because of growing housing issues, due to extensive bombing during World War II
, slum
clearance and continuing migration into urban areas. The Black Country contained a combination of county boroughs, urban districts, municipal boroughs and county councils taking responsibility for services, thus resulting in a fragmented local government infrastructure. The Local Government Act 1958
appointed a Local Government Commission to review administrative structures and boundaries in England outside London. The Act designated a West Midlands Special Review Area. The commission made its report in July 1961, recommending that the Black Country area should be administered by five large county boroughs centred on Dudley, Walsall
, Warley, West Bromwich
and Wolverhampton
. The remaining urban districts or municipal boroughs within the Special Review Area were merged into the new county boroughs. As a consequence, the county council's responsibility for services within the majority of the conurbation were curtailed and association with the historic shire
was for ceremonial purposes only. The West Midlands SRA included Dudley, Oldbury, Stourbridge and Halesowen, although the latter two councils were not incorporated into the county borough plan and remained part of the administrative county. However, Worcestershire County Council ceded Oldbury to one of the enlarged county borough councils.
Subsequent associated legislation established the West Midlands Constabulary
, which policed the area and the establishment of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
.
In April 1966; Dudley expanded beyond its historical boundaries and took in the Staffordshire towns of Sedgley
, Brierley Hill
, Coseley
and part of Amblecote
. The West Midlands Order 1965 redefined its status and the County Borough of Dudley
became part of Staffordshire, the county which all of these areas (except Dudley itself) had been part of. At the same time, the geographical county of Worcestershire gained a new county borough
known as Warley
, which was an amalgamation of Oldbury Urban District, Rowley Regis Urban District, the County Borough of Smethwick and parts of Tipton
. The Oakham
area of Dudley, which was already in Worcestershire was transferred to the new county borough.
During these reorganisations; the area of the county council grew only where Stourbridge took in the majority of Amblecote Urban District from Staffordshire and the designation of Redditch
in 1964 as a 'New Town
'. This in turn saw expansion into the area in and around the villages of Ipsley and Matchborough in Warwickshire. The Redditch New Town designation coincided with a considerable programme of social and private house building in Droitwich, Worcester, Bromsgrove
, Kidderminster
and along the Birmingham boundary at Frankley
, Rubery
and Rednal
.
The proposals for Worcestershire included a considerable loss of territory to a proposed West Midlands Metropolitan Area. The Metropolitan District of Dudley included Stourbridge in the plans, whilst West Bromwich-Warley included Halesowen and a district known as North Worcestershire incorporated Bewdley
, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Redditch and Stourport-on-Severn
. The remaining part of central and southern Worcestershire (including Worcester), would be amalgamated with Herefordshire to form a new county.
The subsequent Local Government Act 1972
legislation didn't go as far as the "Redcliffe–Maud Report", although revised plans for a metropolitan
county
within the West Midlands
remained, plus the amalgamation of Herefordshire and the majority of the Worcestershire County Council area.
. The county boroughs of Dudley and Warley along with Stourbridge and Halesowen were incorporated into the new Metropolitan County of West Midlands
. This new county included Birmingham, Coventry
, Dudley, Solihull, Warley, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton. Dudley County Borough, Stourbridge Municipal Borough. and Halesowen Municipal Borough formed Dudley Metropolitan Borough, whilst Warley County Borough merged with West Bromwich to form Sandwell
. The West Midlands County Council
existed for only a short period before abolition in April 1986 via enactment of the Local Government Act 1985
.
Leominster
District Council
proposed a boundary change at Burford
, near Tenbury Wells
to incorporate the area into Hereford & Worcester from Shropshire during 1987/1988. This proposal was rejected by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England
as well as a minor adjustment at Upper Arley
. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England also investigated splitting Hereford & Worcester in 1990, following submissions by Hereford City Council and the 'Herefordshire Action Committee', although the proposals were rejected at this time. Boundary changes between Hereford & Worcester and Warwickshire at Mappleborough Green, Pebworth
, Long Marston
and Studley
were also proposed and some of which was accepted resulting in minor changes to both counties. In 1993 there were more minor adjustments of the county boundary, this time between Bromsgrove and Dudley Metropolitan Borough near to Lye
& Wollescote
and Solihull
Metropolitan Borough
near Hockley Heath
.
The most recent transfer of areas between the West Midlands County and Hereford & Worcester (including 'post-1998' Worcestershire) occurred in Frankley
Parish
and Hopwood
. Frankley was split into two parts with New Frankley
and the area around Bartley Reservoir
transferring from Bromsgrove District to Birmingham in April 1995. The small village of Frankley remained in Hereford & Worcester and formed a new Civil Parish
under the same name. Areas around Hopwood were transferred from Birmingham to Bromsgrove.
These boundary changes were relatively minor in comparison to previous transfers.
was charged with examining all English non-metropolitan counties. Hereford & Worcester was to be reviewed again, despite a recent earlier review which recommended no change to the county.
Various options were put to consultation, including...
Other ideas put forward and discounted before the consultation stage included a 'City of Worcester unitary authority' (supported by Worcester City Council), an enlarged county of Herefordshire complete with Malvern Hills and Leominster districts in their entirety and also a restoration of the Pre-1974 Worcestershire county boundary. This final option included Stourbridge and Halesowen, as they were under the jurisdiction of Worcestershire County Council until 1 April 1974. The LGBCFE deemed that this Local Government review did not include metropolitan counties (except a one-off review of Sefton on Merseyside
), so there would be no change to the boundaries of Dudley Metropolitan Borough.
The Local Government Boundary Commission recommended the hybrid unitary and two-tier option which saw the abolition of Hereford & Worcester.
.
The former 'Hereford & Worcester' districts of Redditch, Worcester, Bromsgrove, Wychavon
and Wyre Forest
were retained with little or no change. The Leominster
and Malvern Hills districts crossed over the historic border, so a new Malvern Hills
district was constituted which straddled the pre-April 1974 county boundary to the west, south-west and north-west.
in April 2009, which abolished some two-tier administrative counties (including Shropshire) did not affect Worcestershire.
Despite the abolition of Hereford & Worcester as an administrative county, some cross-boundary organisations and resources are shared with the Herefordshire unitary authority
. These include waste management, the youth offending service, Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service
and the radio station BBC Hereford & Worcester
. West Mercia Police is still shared with Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. The 'Hereford & Worcester Ambulance Service' was merged into the West Midlands Ambulance Service
in 2006.
The West Midlands
legally exists to this day as an administrative county
and ceremonial county, with countywide functions such as West Midlands Police
, West Midlands Fire Service
and the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive. The new Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership has been given the go ahead by the United Kingdom Government.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, have been fluid for over 150 years since the first major changes in 1844. Although the continual expansion of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
during and after the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
altered the county map considerably, even up to the later part of the 20th century.
Worcestershire's Hundreds
Until enactment of the Local Government Act 1888 on 1 April 1889; the English CountyCounty
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
was administrated by a combination of hundreds and by municipal boroughs, parishes, rural sanitary districts and poor law unions, etc. Each hundred was also sub-divided into 'divisions'.
Worcestershire's hundreds were Blakenhurst, Doddingtree, Halfshire, Oswaldslow and Pershore.
| Name of Hundred | Number of Divisions | Parish / Placename |
|---|---|---|
| Blakenhurst | 2 | Badsey Badsey Badsey is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom. It has two parks and a small first school located in the centre of the village.-Location:... , Bretforton Bretforton Bretforton is a rural village in Worcestershire, England. Bretforton is east of Evesham, in the Vale of Evesham. It is the largest farming village around Evesham. At the 2001 census, Bretforton had a population of 1,023 in 428 households... , Evesham Evesham Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon... , Honeybourne Honeybourne Honeybourne is a village and civil parish about east of Evesham in Worcestershire, England. Much of the parish is farmland. RAF Honeybourne just south of the village was operational from 1940 until 1947.-History:... , Lenchwick, Littleton Littleton Littleton may refer to one of several places:In Ireland:*Littleton, County TipperaryIn the United Kingdom:*Littleton, Cheshire*Littleton, Hampshire*Littleton, Somerset*High Littleton, Somerset*Littleton, Guildford, Surrey... , Offenham Offenham Offenham is a large rural village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England, located about three miles east of Evesham, in the Vale of Evesham. The River Avon flows through Offenham. The civil parish extends beyond the area of the settlement of Offenham and includes... , Oldberrow Oldberrow Oldberrow is a village in the Stratford on Avon District of Warwickshire, England. The parish was part of Worcestershire until 1896, when it was transferred to Warwickshire, into which county it penetrated, between Morton Bagot and Ullenhall, as a narrow strip some long by about ½ mile wide. The... , Ombersley Ombersley The village of Ombersley is in the Wychavon District Council area of Worcestershire.The first known reference to the village was the granting of a Charter to Abbot Egwin, later Saint Egwin, of Evesham Abbey in 706 AD. This was the Charter of King Æthelweard of the Hwicce, which granted twelve... , Wickhamford Wickhamford Wickhamford is a village and a civil parish in Worcestershire, England. It is situated on the A44 road approximately halfway between the towns of Evesham and Broadway... |
| Doddingtree | 2 | Abberley Abberley Abberley is a picturesque village in north west Worcestershire, England. It is situated on the northern slopes of Abberley Hill , between the River Severn and River Teme. The village had a population of 830 in 2001.-Location:... , Astley Astley, Worcestershire Astley is a village, and a civil parish in Worcestershire, England, about seven miles south-west of Kidderminster.A range of English white wines including sparkling wines have been produced in Astley since 1983... , Alfrick Alfrick Alfrick is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills district of Worcestershire, England, about seven miles west of Worcester.- History & Amenities :The 2001 census counted 511 people... , Bewdley Bewdley Bewdley is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster... , Dunley Dunley Dunley is a village, and a civil parish , in the administrative district of Malvern Hills in the county of Worcestershire, England.... , Clifton-upon-Teme Clifton-upon-Teme Clifton-upon-Teme is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England.- Amenities :Named after the River Teme which runs nearby, it has a village shop, parish church, nursery and primary school, village hall, veterinary surgery, garage and two pubs... , Cotheridge Cotheridge Cotheridge is a village and civil parish in the district of Malvern Hills in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is west of the city of Worcester and a mile north-east of the Leigh Court railway station on the Great Western Railway on the opposite side of the River Teme.The River Teme... , Martley Martley Martley is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills district of the English county of Worcestershire. It is approximately nine miles north-west of Worcester. The population of the village is approximately 1200 people... , Suckley Suckley Suckley is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England, close to the border with Herefordshire... , Tenbury |
| Halfshire | 2 | Belbroughton Belbroughton Belbroughton is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,380. It is about six miles north of Bromsgrove, six miles east of Kidderminster and four miles south of Stourbridge, in Worcestershire... , Bromsgrove Bromsgrove Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century... , Chaddesley Corbett Chaddesley Corbett Chaddesley Corbett is a village and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England. The civil parish also includes the settlements of Bluntington, Brockencote, Mustow Green, Cakebole, Outwood, Harvington, and Drayton.... , Church Lench Church Lench Church Lench is a village in Worcestershire, England, approximately 5.5 miles due north of Evesham. It is the largest of the surrounding Lenches, accommodating the Lenches Sports Club, the Lenches Members Club, as well as Church Lench First School and Church Lench village hall.... , Cofton Hackett Cofton Hackett Cofton Hackett is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of north east Worcestershire, England. It is situated 10.3 miles south west of the city centre of Birmingham and 24 miles north east of Worcester... , Cradley, Doverdale, Droitwich, Dudley Dudley Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without... , Feckenham Feckenham Feckenham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Redditch in Worcestershire, England. It lies some three miles south-west of the town of Redditch and is around twelve miles north-east of the ancient city of Worcester... , Frankley Frankley Frankley is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, near the border with Birmingham. The modern Frankley estate is part of the New Frankley civil parish in Birmingham, and has been part of the city since 1995. The parish has a population of 122.-St Leonards... , Hagley Hagley Hagley is a village and civil parish on the northern boundary of Worcestershire, England, near to the towns of Kidderminster and Stourbridge. The parish had a population of 4,283 in 2001, but the whole village had a population of perhaps 5,600, including the part in Clent parish... , Kidderminster Kidderminster Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town... , Kings Norton Kings Norton Kings Norton is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also a Birmingham City Council ward within the formal district of Northfield.-History:... , Northfield Northfield -Places:Australia*Northfield, South AustraliaCanada*Northfield, Nova Scotia England* Northfield, BirminghamScotland* Northfield, EdinburghUnited States* Northfield, Connecticut* Northfield, Illinois* Northfield, Indiana... , Pedmore Pedmore Pedmore is a residential suburb of Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England. It was originally a village in the Worcestershire countryside until extensive housebuilding during the interwar years saw it gradually merged into Stourbridge.- Amenities :... , Salwarpe, Stourbridge Stourbridge Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The... , Warley Wigorn |
| Oswaldslow | 3 | Alvechurch Alvechurch Alvechurch is a large village and civil parish of Bromsgrove district, in the northeast of the county of Worcestershire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Arrow, the nearest city is Birmingham, 17 km / 11 miles to the north, with the closest towns being Redditch, 8 km / 5 miles... , Blackwell Blackwell, Worcestershire Blackwell is a village located in the North-East of Worcestershire and comes under the jurisdiction of Lickey Parish Council.Nearby large towns include Barnt Green and Bromsgrove. Worcester and Birmingham are also influential... , Blockley Blockley Blockley is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, about northwest of Moreton-in-Marsh. Until 1931 Blockley was an exclave of Worcestershire.... , Broadwas Broadwas Broadwas or Broadwas-on-Teme, is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills district of Worcestershire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 307... , Claines Claines Claines is a small village just to the north of Worcester, England, on the left bank of the River Severn. Claines is situated in the heart of Worcestershire on the A449 between Worcester and Kidderminster. It has a church which dates from the 10th Century.... , Cropthorne Cropthorne Cropthorne is a village in Worcestershire, England within the Vale of Evesham, approximately southeast of Worcester. Cropthorne has a population of 589, in 237 households . Located on a small ridge overlooking the River Avon, its ancient orchards sweep down to the river and offer clear, unbroken... , Crowle Crowle, Worcestershire Crowle is a village in Worcestershire, England situated east of the City of Worcester.Crowle is known for its Church of England St John the Baptist Church.... , Elmley Castle Elmley Castle Elmley Castle is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire, in England, United Kingdom. It is located on the north side of Bredon Hill 4 kilometres south east of Pershore in the local government district of Wychavon.- Amenities and history :... , Evenlode, Fladbury Fladbury Fladbury is a traditional English village located in rural Worcestershire, England. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book, almost 1,000 years ago. It is sited on the banks of the River Avon, with many interesting and original buildings and features. Cropthorne village is on the opposite... , Hallow Hallow To hallow is "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate, to venerate". The adjective form hallowed, as used in The Lord's Prayer, means holy, consecrated, sacred, or revered.-Etymology:... , Hartlebury Hartlebury Hartlebury is a village in Worcestershire, England. It is a few miles south of Kidderminster and is in Wychavon district. The village registered a population of 2,549 in the Census 2001.The railway station is about half a mile to the east of the village.... , Harvington Harvington Harvington is a village near Evesham in Worcestershire, England.-Past:Harvington is first mentioned in the Anglo Saxon charters of 709CE when it was known as HERVERTON.-Harvey:The famous portrait artist lives in Harvington... , Himbleton Himbleton Himbleton is a village in Worcestershire, England. It lies about south-east of Droitwich and north-east of Worcester. There is an Anglican church, dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene .... , Hindlip, Icomb Icomb Icomb is a quiet Gloucestershire village in the Cotswolds, close to Stow on the Wold, with typical Cotswold stone cottages, and the parish church of St Mary the Virgin which was built in the mid 13th century. The tomb of Sir John Blaket, a knight who fought with Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt,... , Inkberrow Inkberrow Inkberrow is a village in the district of Wychavon, Worcestershire that is often thought to be the model for Ambridge, the setting of the BBC Radio 4 long running radio serialisation or soap opera The Archers. In particular 'The Bull', the fictional Ambridge pub, is supposed to be based on a very... , Little Malvern Little Malvern Little Malvern is a small village and a civil parish on the lower slopes of the Malvern Hills south of Malvern Wells, near Great Malvern, the major centre of the area often referred to as The Malverns. in Worcestershire, England. It contains a Romanesque church called Little Malvern Priory, after... , Overbury Overbury Overbury is a village and civil parish in the English county of Worcestershire.It is located midway between the towns of Evesham and Tewkesbury to the south of Bredon Hill.... , Sedgeberrow Sedgeberrow Sedgeberrow is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England, about south of Evesham. It stands beside the River Isbourne, a tributary of the River Avon.-History:... , Shipston-on-Stour Shipston-on-Stour Shipston-on-Stour is a town and civil parish on the River Stour about south of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. It is in the northern part of the Cotswolds, close to the boundaries with Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.... , Stoke Prior Stoke Prior, Worcestershire Stoke Prior is a village in the civil parish of Stoke in Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire. The parish includes the settlement of Stoke Wharf and hamlet of Woodgate, along with neighbouring Stoke Heath... , Tibberton Tibberton, Worcestershire Tibberton is a village in Worcestershire, England.The unusual dedication of Tibberton's Church of England parish church to St. Peter ad Vincula is derived from the ancient Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome.... , Tredington Tredington Tredington is a small village near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, England.The village has a school and a church, St John the Baptist. The steps, base and shaft of the churchyard cross are 14th century; the cross is modern... , Warndon Warndon Warndon is a suburb and civil parish of the City of Worcester in Worcestershire, England.The parish, which includes the villages of Trotshill and Warndon was part of Droitwich Rural District until 1974 when it was annexed to Worcester under the Local Government Act 1972... , Welland Welland -Places:* River Welland in the east of England* Welland, Worcestershire, a village in England* Welland River in Ontario, Canada, named after its English counterpart* Welland Canal, named after the Canadian river... , Wichenford Wichenford Wichenford is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. It lies 6 miles to the north-west of the city of Worcester.-Church:... |
| Pershore | 2 | Alderminster Alderminster Alderminster is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. It is on the River Stour and the A3400, between Stratford-upon-Avon and Shipston-on-Stour. Nearby places are Wimpstone, Atherstone-on-Stour and Newbold-on-Stour... , Bransford Bransford Bransford is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England.-External links:* *... , Broadway Broadway, Worcestershire Broadway is a village and civil parish in the Worcestershire part of the Cotswolds in England.Often referred to as the "Jewel of the Cotswolds", Broadway village lies beneath Fish Hill on the western Cotswold escarpment... , Castlemorton Castlemorton Castlemorton is a village and civil parish close to Malvern in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England.It consists of a village centre, a large common and many farms and houses within the area... , Eckington Eckington, Worcestershire Eckington is a small village near to the southern border of the English county of Worcestershire, according to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,202.... , Flyford Flavell Flyford Flavell Flyford Flavell is a village in Worcestershire, England. It has a well stocked village shop and post office, an excellent pub in the centre of the village, and an excellent school. A garage and another pub lie on the periphery of the village.... , Hanley Castle Hanley Castle Hanley Castle is a village in Worcestershire, England, between the towns of Malvern and Upton upon Severn and a short distance from the River Severn. It lies in the administrative area of Malvern Hills District, and is part of the informal region known as The Malverns... , Leigh Leigh, Worcestershire Leigh is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England.With just a few hundred inhabitants the parish lies on the A4103, the main Worcester to Hereford road, about 5 miles out of Worcester, whilst Malvern is also about 5 miles away... , Martin Hussingtree Martin Hussingtree Martin Hussingtree is a small village situated between Droitwich Spa and Worcester in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is north of another village called Fernhill Heath. It is situated on a junction of the A38 and A4538... , Newland Newland, Worcestershire Newland is a village and civil parish on the north-eastern edge of Malvern Link, Worcestershire, England, on the A449 road. A church, the St Leonard Chapelry, in Newland is associated with the Beauchamp Community of retired Church of England priests.... , Peopleton Peopleton Peopleton is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. In 2001 the parish had a population of 640, with 245 households.-Location:Peopleton is located about south east of Worcester and north of Pershore... , Pershore Pershore Pershore is a market town in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. Pershore is in the Wychavon district and is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population was 7,304... , Pinvin Pinvin Pinvin is a village in Worcestershire, England, a little to the north of Pershore, about 7½ miles south-east of Worcester, and about 6 miles north-west of Evesham and is in fact the location of Pershore railway station. The name is thought to come from 'Penda's fen' after the Mercian King Penda... , Powick Powick Powick is a Worcestershire village two miles south of the city of Worcester and four miles north of Great Malvern, close to the River Teme. It is a civil parish of the Malvern Hills District, and it includes the village of Callow End and the hamlets of Bastonford, Clevelode, Colletts Green, and... . Severn Stoke Severn Stoke Severn Stoke is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the south of the county of Worcestershire, England, lying beside the A38 road. It was home to "Francis the Counting Duck", made famous on Esther Rantzen's That's Life! TV program... , Strensham Strensham Strensham is a village in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire. In the 2001 census, the civil parish of Strensham had a population of 314 across 127 households... , Upton Snodsbury Upton Snodsbury Upton Snodsbury is a village in Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom, located five miles east of Worcester just off the A422 road.-History:... , Wyre Piddle Wyre Piddle Wyre Piddle is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. It is on the River Avon, near where that river is joined by the Piddle Brook - between Evesham and Pershore... , Yardley Yardley -Sportspeople:* Bruce Yardley, a former Australian cricketer* George Yardley, a former NBA player* George Yardley , Scottish footballer* Jim Yardley , English cricketer* Norman Yardley, an English cricketer... |
The main exception to the above table is Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, which gained autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
from Worcestershire by vertue of it being a county corporate
County corporate
A county corporate or corporate county was a type of subnational division used for local government in England, Ireland and Wales.Counties corporate were created during the Middle Ages, and were effectively small self-governing counties...
since 1622.
The fractured layout of the hundreds was at best confusing. Most of the divisions were split twice, even three ways into differing parts of the county. As the above table shows, some of these parishes were islands that were surrounded by other hundreds. Meanwhile some of Worcestershire's parishes existed in other counties jurisdictions, these were known as enclaves, exclaves or simply 'islands'.
Exclaves and enclaves (1844 & 1931)
One of the most notable aspects about Worcestershire were its many exclaves and enclaves. These were areas of land cut off from the main geographical area of the county and completely surrounded by the nearby counties of WarwickshireWarwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
(Detached) and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. This relationship with neighbouring counties mirrored the confusing and fragmented layout of parishes within Worcestershire's own hundreds. The most notable islands were Dudley, Evenlode, Blockley and the area around Shipston-on-Stour. Warley Wigorn formed a Worcestershire island contained entirely within Halesowen
Halesowen
Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England.The population, as measured by the United Kingdom Census 2001, was 55,273...
parish, which in turn was a detached part of Shropshire.
Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Shropshire had their own exclaves within Worcestershire. These were found at Rochford
Rochford, Worcestershire
Rochford consists of the hamlets of Lower Rochford and Upper Rochford. It is a civil parish in the Malvern Hills District near Tenbury Wells in the county of Worcestershire, England....
, Broome
Broome, Worcestershire
Broome is a village and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 338. The village is situated just south of the border with West Midlands and includes the village of Broome as well as the hamlet of Hackmans gate....
, Clent
Clent
Clent is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, southwest of Birmingham and close to the edge of the West Midlands conurbation. At the 2001 census it had a population of 2,600...
, Tardebigge
Tardebigge
Tardebigge is a village in Worcestershire, England.The village is most famous for the Tardebigge Locks, a flight of 36 canal locks that raise the Worcester and Birmingham Canal over 220 feet over the Lickey Ridge. It lies in the historic county of Worcestershire.-Toponymy:The etymology of the...
(Tutnall and Cobley
Tutnall and Cobley
Tutnall and Cobley is a civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England. It has a population of 1,543. -External links:*...
) and Halesowen respectively and were transferred to or rejoined Worcestershire in October 1844 following enactment of the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844
Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844
The Counties Act 1844 , which came into effect on 20 October 1844, was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which eliminated many outliers or exclaves of counties in England and Wales for civil purposes....
. This Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
was designed to eradicate the issue of 'islands' or 'exclaves', however Shipston-on-Stour Rural District
Shipston-on-Stour Rural District
Shipston on Stour was a rural district in England from 1894 to 1974. The district covered an area around Shipston-on-Stour. Originally it was a detached part of Worcestershire, but in 1931 it was transferred to the jurisdiction of Warwickshire, and was expanded by the abolition of Brailes Rural...
remained in Worcestershire until April 1931 and likewise Dudley until 1966.
Tardebigge's history outside the county is even more colourful, considering it changed hands between Warwickshire, Worcestershire and also Staffordshire at differing times over the centuries. Halesowen's inclusion back into the county saw a unification between Warley Wigorn and neighbouring 'Warley Salop' to form the new parish of Warley
Warley, West Midlands
Warley is a place in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom.A civil parish of Warley was created in 1884 by the merger of the Warley Salop parish with parts of the parishes of Warley Wigorn, Ridgacre and Oldbury.In 1908 the parish was abolished, becoming...
in 1884.
The southern boundary of the county was also confusing, with parish boundaries penetrating deep into Gloucestershire and vice-versa. Several parishes were transferred to Gloucestershire in 1844, including Alstone and Icomb. Followed in 1931 by enactment of the Provisional Order Confirmation (Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire) Act 1931 which transferred Blockley, Daylesford
Daylesford, Gloucestershire
Daylesford is a small village in Gloucestershire, England, on the border with Oxfordshire. It is situated off the A436 near Stow-on-the-Wold and five miles west of Chipping Norton. The village is on the north bank of the small River Evenlode...
and Evenlode, plus Warwickshire gained Alderminster, Tredington and Shipston-on-Stour Rural District
Shipston-on-Stour Rural District
Shipston on Stour was a rural district in England from 1894 to 1974. The district covered an area around Shipston-on-Stour. Originally it was a detached part of Worcestershire, but in 1931 it was transferred to the jurisdiction of Warwickshire, and was expanded by the abolition of Brailes Rural...
.
| Number | Parish/Placename | County and Hundred (before 1844) | County and Hundred (after 1844) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dudley | Worcestershire, Halfshire | Worcestershire, Halfshire | Became a Municipal Borough Municipal borough 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... in 1865 |
| 2 | Halesowen (excluding Warley Wigorn) | Shropshire, Brimstrey | Worcestershire, Halfshire | |
| 3 | Clent | Staffordshire, Seisdon Seisdon Seisdon is a rural village in the county of Staffordshire approximately six miles west of Wolverhampton.-Etymology:The name appears to mean "hill of the Saxons", deriving from the Anglo-Saxon words Seis meaning Saxon and Dun meaning hill.-History:... South |
Worcestershire, Halfshire | Originally part of the Chapelry of Rowley Regis (Seisdon North) Hundred |
| 4 | Broome (or Broom) | Staffordshire, Seisdon South | Worcestershire, Halfshire | |
| 5 | Upper Arley Upper Arley Upper Arley is a village is a village and civil parish near Kidderminster in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 645.- Amenities :... |
Staffordshire, Seisdon South | Staffordshire, Seisdon South | Transferred to Worcestershire in 1895 |
| 6 | Tardebigge (including Tutnall and Cobley Tutnall and Cobley Tutnall and Cobley is a civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England. It has a population of 1,543. -External links:*... ) |
Warwickshire, Barlinchway | Worcestershire, Halfshire | Also formerly part of Staffordshire (Seisdon Hundred) |
| 7 | Feckenham | Worcestershire, Halfshire | Worcestershire, Halfshire | |
| 8 | Kington | Worcestershire, Halfshire | Worcestershire, Halfshire | |
| 9 | Church Lench Church Lench Church Lench is a village in Worcestershire, England, approximately 5.5 miles due north of Evesham. It is the largest of the surrounding Lenches, accommodating the Lenches Sports Club, the Lenches Members Club, as well as Church Lench First School and Church Lench village hall.... |
Worcestershire, Halfshire | Worcestershire, Halfshire | |
| 10 | Yardley | Worcestershire, Pershore | Worcestershire, Halfshire | Formerly part of Pershore Hundred, Policing duties transferred to Warwickshire between 1857–1899 |
Birmingham's rise (1891-1911)
Worcestershire County Council came into existence following the Local Government Act 1888Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
and covered the historic county, except for two newly designated county boroughs at Dudley and Worcester. The Local Government Act 1888 also saw the abolition of the hundreds, although the repealed Local Government (Boundaries) Act 1887
Local Government (Boundaries) Act 1887
The Local Government Act 1887 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act established boundary commissioners to reform the areas of administrative bodies in England and Wales in preparation for the creation of elected councils by the Local Government Act 1888...
would have witnessed the formation of a county administration and a loss of territory to Birmingham. The Act also legislated for Dudley to unite with the rest of Worcestershire, through a transfer of territory from Staffordshire. This Act was repealed in favour of the new Local Government Act in 1888. Within a short space of time of the county's incorporation, the boundaries started altering. In 1893 the small Worcestershire island of Edvin Loach
Edvin Loach
Edvin Loach, also Edwin Loach, is a village in eastern Herefordshire, England, about four miles north of the town of Bromyard, and near the village of Edwin Ralph...
, situated around three miles north of Bromyard
Bromyard
Bromyard is a town in northeast Herefordshire, England with a population of approximately 4,000. It lies near to the county border with Worcestershire on the A44 between Leominster and Worcester. Bromyard has a number of traditional half-timbered pubs and some buildings dating back to Norman times...
was transferred to Herefordshire. Then in two years; Worcestershire gained the parish of Upper Arley
Upper Arley
Upper Arley is a village is a village and civil parish near Kidderminster in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 645.- Amenities :...
, which was a small Staffordshire enclave surrounded by Worcestershire and Shropshire.
Birmingham's continuous expansion has been a large contributory factor to Worcestershire's fluid boundary changes and associated housing issues. The district of Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath is a working class, inner-city area of Birmingham, England. It is home to a diverse cultural mix of people and the location of the Balti Triangle.-History:...
, which had originally constituted the most northerly part of the Parish of King's Norton, was the first area of the county to be added to the County Borough of Birmingham on 1 October 1891. This was followed by Quinton
Quinton, Birmingham
Quinton is a suburb on the western edge of Birmingham, England. It is a Birmingham City Council ward within the Edgbaston formal district, and forms a part of the Birmingham Edgbaston parliamentary constituency.The area is served by .-Geography:...
Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
, which was ceded to Birmingham in November 1909, and then by both the Rural District
Rural district
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.-England and Wales:In England...
of Yardley
Yardley
-Sportspeople:* Bruce Yardley, a former Australian cricketer* George Yardley, a former NBA player* George Yardley , Scottish footballer* Jim Yardley , English cricketer* Norman Yardley, an English cricketer...
and the greater part of the Urban District of King's Norton and Northfield, which were absorbed into the City as part of the Greater Birmingham Scheme on 9 November 1911.
As a consequence of the transfer to Birmingham, these areas were no longer part of Worcestershire and became associated with Warwickshire.
The Local Government Boundary Commission proposed radical changes to the local government structures during 1948. The plans included merging Worcestershire with Herefordshire to form a new administrative unit, except Dudley and Oldbury which would become part of a new 'South Staffordshire' county. Worcester and Dudley would remain as county boroughs, however some services would be carried out by the respective county council. The commission's proposals were abandoned at this point, although revised proposals for a Herefordshire & South Worcestershire combined county surfaced twenty years later.
The Black Country county boroughs (1966)
Despite numerous local government legislations; Dudley's detached position surrounded by Staffordshire was not altered until 1966. In fact, the county borough expanded partially in 1926, when the council purchased several square miles of rural land to the north of Dudley town centre with a view to building council houses to rehouse families from slum clearances. Most of this land existed within the county of Staffordshire and urban district of SedgleySedgley
Sedgley is an urban village within the West Midlands county of England. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Sedgley was formerly an ancient manor composed of several smaller villages, including Gornal, Gospel End, Woodsetton, Ettingshall, Coseley and Brierley...
, so the boundaries were altered to include the whole area in Dudley County Borough.
Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries; the Birmingham and Black Country urban areas were converging into a single, but extensive conurbation spanning over the borders of three counties; namely Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire. This was similar to other areas in England which grew since the Industrial Revolution, such as Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
or within Yorkshire West Riding. The convergence of these conurbations saw economic and physical integration with neighbouring towns and communities. This process became more prominent because of growing housing issues, due to extensive bombing during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
clearance and continuing migration into urban areas. The Black Country contained a combination of county boroughs, urban districts, municipal boroughs and county councils taking responsibility for services, thus resulting in a fragmented local government infrastructure. The Local Government Act 1958
Local Government Act 1958
The Local Government Act 1958 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom affecting local government in England and Wales outside London...
appointed a Local Government Commission to review administrative structures and boundaries in England outside London. The Act designated a West Midlands Special Review Area. The commission made its report in July 1961, recommending that the Black Country area should be administered by five large county boroughs centred on Dudley, Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, Warley, West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
and Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
. The remaining urban districts or municipal boroughs within the Special Review Area were merged into the new county boroughs. As a consequence, the county council's responsibility for services within the majority of the conurbation were curtailed and association with the historic shire
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
was for ceremonial purposes only. The West Midlands SRA included Dudley, Oldbury, Stourbridge and Halesowen, although the latter two councils were not incorporated into the county borough plan and remained part of the administrative county. However, Worcestershire County Council ceded Oldbury to one of the enlarged county borough councils.
Subsequent associated legislation established the West Midlands Constabulary
West Midlands Constabulary
The West Midlands Constabulary was a police force in the West Midlands of England.It was created on April 1, 1966 under the Police Act 1964, with the re-organisation of the Black Country area as the five contiguous county boroughs of Dudley, Walsall, Warley, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton...
, which policed the area and the establishment of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....
.
In April 1966; Dudley expanded beyond its historical boundaries and took in the Staffordshire towns of Sedgley
Sedgley
Sedgley is an urban village within the West Midlands county of England. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Sedgley was formerly an ancient manor composed of several smaller villages, including Gornal, Gospel End, Woodsetton, Ettingshall, Coseley and Brierley...
, Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is one of the larger Black Country towns with a population of 9,631 and is heavily industrialised, best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined...
, Coseley
Coseley
Coseley is a town located mostly within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the English West Midlands. Part of the Black Country, it lies south east of Wolverhampton and north of Dudley....
and part of Amblecote
Amblecote
Amblecote is an urban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England. It lies immediately north of the historic town of Stourbridge, extending about one and a half miles from it. As such, it is on the southwestern edge of the West Midlands urban area...
. The West Midlands Order 1965 redefined its status and the County Borough of Dudley
County Borough of Dudley
Dudley was a local government district in the English Midlands from 1865 to 1974. It was a municipal borough covering the town of Dudley and became a county borough in 1889. Although completely surrounded by Staffordshire, the borough was associated with Worcestershire for non-administrative...
became part of Staffordshire, the county which all of these areas (except Dudley itself) had been part of. At the same time, the geographical county of Worcestershire gained a new county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
known as Warley
County Borough of Warley
Warley was a county borough and civil parish forming part of the West Midlands conurbation, England, and geographical county of Worcestershire. It was formed in 1966 by the combination of the existing county borough of Smethwick with the municipal boroughs of Oldbury and Rowley Regis Warley was a...
, which was an amalgamation of Oldbury Urban District, Rowley Regis Urban District, the County Borough of Smethwick and parts of Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
. The Oakham
Oakham, West Midlands
Oakham is an area of Dudley, England, situated on the peak of Turners Hill, the highest point in the West Midlands . All of the area was historically in Dudley but in 1966 approximately half of it was incorporated into the county borough of Warley, which in turn merged with West Bromwich in 1974 to...
area of Dudley, which was already in Worcestershire was transferred to the new county borough.
During these reorganisations; the area of the county council grew only where Stourbridge took in the majority of Amblecote Urban District from Staffordshire and the designation of Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
in 1964 as a 'New Town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
'. This in turn saw expansion into the area in and around the villages of Ipsley and Matchborough in Warwickshire. The Redditch New Town designation coincided with a considerable programme of social and private house building in Droitwich, Worcester, Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
, Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
and along the Birmingham boundary at Frankley
Frankley
Frankley is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, near the border with Birmingham. The modern Frankley estate is part of the New Frankley civil parish in Birmingham, and has been part of the city since 1995. The parish has a population of 122.-St Leonards...
, Rubery
Rubery
Rubery is a village in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire. Part of the village forms a southern suburb of Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. The village is from Birmingham city centre....
and Rednal
Rednal
Rednal is a residential suburb on the south western edge of metropolitan Birmingham, West Midlands, England, 9 miles south west of Birmingham city centre and forming part of Longbridge parish and electoral ward....
.
Redcliffe–Maud Report (1966-1969)
The report recommended the abolition of all the existing county, county borough, borough, urban district and rural district councils and replacing them with new unitary authorities. These new unitary authorities were largely based on major towns, which acted as regional employment, commercial, social and recreational centres and took into account local transport infrastructure and travel patterns.The proposals for Worcestershire included a considerable loss of territory to a proposed West Midlands Metropolitan Area. The Metropolitan District of Dudley included Stourbridge in the plans, whilst West Bromwich-Warley included Halesowen and a district known as North Worcestershire incorporated Bewdley
Bewdley
Bewdley is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster...
, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Redditch and Stourport-on-Severn
Stourport-on-Severn
Stourport-on-Severn, often shortened to Stourport, is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of North Worcestershire, England, a few miles to the south of Kidderminster and down stream on the River Severn from Bewdley...
. The remaining part of central and southern Worcestershire (including Worcester), would be amalgamated with Herefordshire to form a new county.
The subsequent Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
legislation didn't go as far as the "Redcliffe–Maud Report", although revised plans for a metropolitan
Metropolitan
Metropolitan may refer to:* A metropolis* A metropolitan area* A metropole, "mother country", or central part of a colonizing state* Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see"...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
within the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
remained, plus the amalgamation of Herefordshire and the majority of the Worcestershire County Council area.
1974 until 1998
From 1974, the central and southern part of the county was amalgamated with Herefordshire and Worcester County Borough to form a single non-metropolitan county of Hereford and WorcesterHereford and Worcester
Hereford and Worcester was an English county created on 1 April 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 from the area of the former administrative county of Herefordshire, most of Worcestershire and the county borough of Worcester.It bordered Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands to the...
. The county boroughs of Dudley and Warley along with Stourbridge and Halesowen were incorporated into the new Metropolitan County of West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
. This new county included Birmingham, Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Dudley, Solihull, Warley, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton. Dudley County Borough, Stourbridge Municipal Borough. and Halesowen Municipal Borough formed Dudley Metropolitan Borough, whilst Warley County Borough merged with West Bromwich to form Sandwell
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
. The West Midlands County Council
West Midlands County Council
The West Midlands County Council was, from 1974 to 1986, the upper-tier administrative body for the West Midlands county, a metropolitan county in England....
existed for only a short period before abolition in April 1986 via enactment of the Local Government Act 1985
Local Government Act 1985
The Local Government Act 1985 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. Its main effect was to abolish the county councils of the metropolitan counties that had been set up in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, along with the Greater London Council that had been established in 1965.The...
.
Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
District Council
Local government in the United Kingdom
The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved...
proposed a boundary change at Burford
Burford
Burford is a small town on the River Windrush in the Cotswold hills in west Oxfordshire, England, about west of Oxford, southeast of Cheltenham and only from the Gloucestershire boundary...
, near Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells is a market town and civil parish in the north-western extremity of the Malvern Hills District administrative area of Worcestershire, England. The 2001 census reported a population of 3,316.-Geography:...
to incorporate the area into Hereford & Worcester from Shropshire during 1987/1988. This proposal was rejected by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England
Local Government Boundary Commission for England
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England a body established to review boundaries of local government areas in England and their electoral arrangements.-History and establishment:...
as well as a minor adjustment at Upper Arley
Upper Arley
Upper Arley is a village is a village and civil parish near Kidderminster in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 645.- Amenities :...
. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England also investigated splitting Hereford & Worcester in 1990, following submissions by Hereford City Council and the 'Herefordshire Action Committee', although the proposals were rejected at this time. Boundary changes between Hereford & Worcester and Warwickshire at Mappleborough Green, Pebworth
Pebworth
Pebworth is a village and civil parish in the county of Worcestershire, lying about 8 km north-north-west of the town of Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire. Until 1931, the parish – which includes the hamlet of Broad Marston – was itself in Gloucestershire, as part of Pebworth Rural District...
, Long Marston
Long Marston
Long Marston may refer to:*Long Marston, Hertfordshire*Long Marston, North Yorkshire*Long Marston, Warwickshire...
and Studley
Studley
Studley is a large village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. Situated on the western edge of Warwickshire near the border with Worcestershire it is southeast of Redditch and northwest of Stratford. The Roman road of Ryknild Street, now the A435, passes...
were also proposed and some of which was accepted resulting in minor changes to both counties. In 1993 there were more minor adjustments of the county boundary, this time between Bromsgrove and Dudley Metropolitan Borough near to Lye
Lye
Lye is a corrosive alkaline substance, commonly sodium hydroxide or historically potassium hydroxide . Previously, lye was among the many different alkalis leached from hardwood ashes...
& Wollescote
Wollescote
Wollescote is a residential area of Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It is administered by the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley.It is situated two miles east of the town centre, near the border with Halesowen....
and Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
Metropolitan Borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
near Hockley Heath
Hockley Heath
Hockley Heath is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands, England. The parish is to the south of the West Midlands conurbation, from Birmingham from Solihull and from Stratford on Avon...
.
The most recent transfer of areas between the West Midlands County and Hereford & Worcester (including 'post-1998' Worcestershire) occurred in Frankley
Frankley
Frankley is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, near the border with Birmingham. The modern Frankley estate is part of the New Frankley civil parish in Birmingham, and has been part of the city since 1995. The parish has a population of 122.-St Leonards...
Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
and Hopwood
Hopwood, Worcestershire
Hopwood is a small settlement in Worcestershire, located south of Birmingham, England on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. The settlement is developed around an inn, where users of the canal would have broken their journey....
. Frankley was split into two parts with New Frankley
New Frankley
New Frankley in Birmingham is the only civil parish in Birmingham, England. As such, it has its own parish council.It was established in 2000 in an area in the south-west of the city, around Bartley Reservoir, transferred from Bromsgrove in 1995, which had previously been part of the Frankley parish...
and the area around Bartley Reservoir
Bartley Reservoir
Bartley Reservoir is a reservoir for drinking water in Birmingham, England. It covers 460,000 square metres.It is known as the place where Bill Oddie did much of his early birdwatching, and features in his books and television programmes...
transferring from Bromsgrove District to Birmingham in April 1995. The small village of Frankley remained in Hereford & Worcester and formed a new Civil Parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
under the same name. Areas around Hopwood were transferred from Birmingham to Bromsgrove.
These boundary changes were relatively minor in comparison to previous transfers.
Local Government Act 1992
Following the Local Government Act 1992 legislation; the Local Government Boundary Commission for EnglandLocal Government Boundary Commission for England
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England a body established to review boundaries of local government areas in England and their electoral arrangements.-History and establishment:...
was charged with examining all English non-metropolitan counties. Hereford & Worcester was to be reviewed again, despite a recent earlier review which recommended no change to the county.
Various options were put to consultation, including...
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Status Quo | The existing 'two tier' Hereford & Worcester County, with no change |
| Two Counties | Two unitary authorities for Herefordshire and Worcestershire |
| Three Ridings | Three unitary authorities in Herefordshire, North Worcestershire (Bromsgrove, Redditch & Wyre Forest) and South Worcestershire (Malvern, Worcester, Wychavon). This idea was supported by Wychavon D.C. |
| Hybrid | A unitary Herefordshire and two tier Worcestershire, based on pre-1974 boundaries (excluding Stourbridge & Halesowen) |
Other ideas put forward and discounted before the consultation stage included a 'City of Worcester unitary authority' (supported by Worcester City Council), an enlarged county of Herefordshire complete with Malvern Hills and Leominster districts in their entirety and also a restoration of the Pre-1974 Worcestershire county boundary. This final option included Stourbridge and Halesowen, as they were under the jurisdiction of Worcestershire County Council until 1 April 1974. The LGBCFE deemed that this Local Government review did not include metropolitan counties (except a one-off review of Sefton on Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
), so there would be no change to the boundaries of Dudley Metropolitan Borough.
The Local Government Boundary Commission recommended the hybrid unitary and two-tier option which saw the abolition of Hereford & Worcester.
1998 to present
Hereford and Worcester County Council ceased to exist on 1 April 1998 and was replaced by the new non-metropolitan and ceremonial county of Worcestershire. The new county regained its historic border with Herefordshire, which was now a Unitary AuthorityUnitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
.
The former 'Hereford & Worcester' districts of Redditch, Worcester, Bromsgrove, Wychavon
Wychavon
Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in Pershore. Other towns in the district include Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Broadway. The district extends from the south-east corner of Worcestershire north and west...
and Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest is a large, semi-natural woodland and forest which straddles the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire, England.The Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire takes its name from the forest, despite the fact that much of the woodland does not lie within the district's boundaries, but...
were retained with little or no change. The Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
and Malvern Hills districts crossed over the historic border, so a new Malvern Hills
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern...
district was constituted which straddled the pre-April 1974 county boundary to the west, south-west and north-west.
Legacy
The boundaries of the county with its neighbouring entities have not altered since 1998, which saw the establishment of the new Worcestershire administrative unit and the unitary Herefordshire. The subsequent local government restructuring2009 structural changes to local government in England
Structural changes to local government in England were effected on 1 April 2009, whereby a number of new unitary authorities were created in parts of the country which previously operated a 'two-tier' system of counties and districts...
in April 2009, which abolished some two-tier administrative counties (including Shropshire) did not affect Worcestershire.
Despite the abolition of Hereford & Worcester as an administrative county, some cross-boundary organisations and resources are shared with the Herefordshire unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
. These include waste management, the youth offending service, Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service
The Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering Herefordshire and Worcestershire in the West Midlands region of England....
and the radio station BBC Hereford & Worcester
BBC Hereford and Worcester
BBC Hereford and Worcester is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. It broadcasts from its studios in both Worcester and Hereford on 104 , 104.4 104.6 and 94.7 FM; as well as 738 and 1584 MW on AM...
. West Mercia Police is still shared with Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. The 'Hereford & Worcester Ambulance Service' was merged into the West Midlands Ambulance Service
West Midlands Ambulance Service
The West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the second-largest ambulance service in the UK. It is the authority responsible for providing NHS ambulance services in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire.It is one of 12 Ambulance Trusts...
in 2006.
The West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
legally exists to this day as an administrative county
Administrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
and ceremonial county, with countywide functions such as West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England.Covering an area with nearly 2.6 million inhabitants, which includes the cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and also the Black Country; the force is made up...
, West Midlands Fire Service
West Midlands Fire Service
West Midlands Fire Service is the statutory fire and rescue service responsible for fire protection, prevention, intervention and emergency rescue in the county of the West Midlands in England....
and the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive. The new Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership has been given the go ahead by the United Kingdom Government.
External links
- Worcestershire County Council
- Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
- Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
- Birmingham City Council
- Herefordshire Council
- Local Government Boundary Commission for England documentation about Hereford & Worcester and Worcestershire
- Local Government Act 1972
- Local Government Act 1985
- Local Government Act 1992
- Vision of Britain - Worcestershire
- The Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry