Wansdyke was a non-metropolitan district

Non-metropolitan district

Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...

 within the County of Avon, in the west of England from 1974 to 1996.

The district was formed by 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....

 on 1 April 1974 as part of a reform of local authorities throughout England and Wales. Under the reorganisation, the area surrounding the cities of Bath and Bristol was formed into a new county of "Avon", named after the river that ran through the area. The county was divided into six districts, one of which was formed from the areas of Keynsham

Keynsham

Keynsham is a town and civil parish between Bristol and Bath in Somerset, south-west England. It has a population of 15,533.It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne....

 and Norton-Radstock 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....

s along with Bathavon Rural District

Bathavon Rural District

Bathavon was a rural district in Somerset, England, from 1933 to 1974.It was created in 1933 with the abolition of Bath Rural District and Keynsham Rural District....

 and part of Clutton Rural District

Clutton Rural District

Clutton was a rural district in Somerset, England, from 1894 to 1974.It was created in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894 as a successor to the rural sanitary district.In 1974 it was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972...

 in Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

. The district was named after the Wansdyke earthwork

Wansdyke (earthwork)

Wansdyke is a series of early medieval defensive linear earthworks in the West Country of England, consisting of a ditch and a running embankment from the ditch spoil, with the ditching facing north. It runs at least from Maes Knoll in historic Somerset, a hillfort at the east end of Dundry Hill...

.

Following a review by the Local Government Commission for England

Local Government Commission for England (1992)

The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002. It was established under the Local Government Act 1992, replacing the Local Government Boundary Commission for England...

, both the County of Avon and District of Wansdyke were abolished on 1 April 1996. Wansdyke was merged with the neighbouring City of Bath to form the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset

Bath and North East Somerset

Bath and North East Somerset is a unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 following the abolition of the County of Avon. It is part of the Ceremonial county of Somerset...

.

The Parliamentary

Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...

 constituency of Wansdyke

Wansdyke (UK Parliament constituency)

Wansdyke was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

 covering a similar but not identical area was replaced at the 2010 general election, when it was split and merged into the North East Somerset

North East Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)

North East Somerset is a county constituency created by the Boundary Commission for England as the successor seat to the Wansdyke Parliamentary Seat. It came into being at the 2010 general election.- Boundaries :...

 and Kingswood

Kingswood (UK Parliament constituency)

Kingswood is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...

constituencies.