Rhayader was, from 1894 to 1974, a 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Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of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...

 in the administrative county of Radnorshire

Radnorshire

Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

.

The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1894

Local Government Act 1894

The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...

, based on the existing Rhayader Rural Sanitary District

Sanitary district

Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:*Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies...

. The rural sanitary district had included the Brecknockshire

Brecknockshire

Brecknockshire , also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.-Geography:...

 parish of Llanwrthwl

Llanwrthwl

Llanwrthwl is a village in Powys, Mid Wales. Llanwrthwl lies off the A470 road, north by road from Builth Wells and Newbridge-on-Wye and south of Rhayader. It lies on the River Wye and River Elan and the village is accessed by a bridge over the Wye...

, and this was administered by Rhayader Rural District Council until 1934, when it was transferred to Builth Rural District.

The rural district comprised nine 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...

es:

• Abbey Cwmhir
• Cefnllys Rural
• Llanbadarnfawr
• Llanfihangel Helygen
• Llansanffraid Cwmdeuddwr
• Llanyre
  Llanyre
  Llanyre is a village in Powys, Wales. The parish had a population of 1,061 as of 2001. -Location:Llanyre is to the west of Llandrindod Wells, in the upper Wye Valley...
  
  
• Nantmel
• Rhayader
  Rhayader
  Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Mid Wales. It has a population of 2,075, and is the first town on the banks of the River Wye, from its source on the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains....
  
  
• St Harmon
  St Harmon
  St Harmon is a village in Powys, Wales. It is located on the River Marteg on the B4518 road running between Llanidloes and Rhayader.St Harmon FC is the village football team.- External links :*...
  
  

The district was abolished in 1974 under the 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....

, which completely reorganised local administration in England and Wales. Its area became part of the District of Radnor

Radnorshire (district)

Radnorshire was one of three districts of the county of Powys, Wales, from 1974 - 1996. The district had an identical area to the previous administrative county of Radnorshire....

 in the new county of Powys

Powys

Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...

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