Counties in England

English Counties

Below is a list of Non-Administrative Ceremonial Counties in England and their association with Administrative Counties, Unitary Authorities and Districts. Where available, the Relation bounding them has also been listed. Some ceremonial counties are also administrative counties covering the same area (Suffolk); some administer only part of the county (for example Essex) with other parts of the ceremonial county administered by a unitary authority (such as Southend-on-Sea in Essex). Some have no administrative functions (for example Berkshire) with all administrative functions delegated to constituent unitary authorities. Some counties are administered by a single unitary authority (for example Cornwall, Isle of Wight). The boundaries of the traditional counties, ceremonial counties and administrative counties vary (for example the traditional county of Surrey includes Croydon but for administrative purposes Croydon is part of Greater London.

Validation

User:EdLoach has automated daily running of a script which uses a Visual Basic program for validating boundaries, with the resulting report uploaded here somewhere about 13:30 UK local time. False positives may be included where not all national boundary ways are in the GreatBritain Geofabrik extract which is used for the validation. If a boundary is reported as faulty but looks OK, it is often down to inconsistent use of rules (a mixture of blank (traditional style) roles, and "outer" (alternative style) roles). The "Misc" link shows the on screen warnings that the Visual Basic program also shows. Gary68's boundaries.pl also used to be run (see this page's edit history), but was discontinued from 23/10/2013).

The boundaries and their relations

Ceremonial boundary relations are tagged as per administrative boundary relations, but use boundary=ceremonial to distinguish them. If the ceremonial county is the same as the administrative county then boundary=administrative is used and no separate relation need be created, although this would be advisable due to the fact that occasional boundary changes to the administrative and ceremonial areas are not always simultaneous and "permanent" divergence is possible.

Uses of counties for administrative purposes

In addition to administrative counties being the juridictions of various local government authorities, the General Register Office organises itself (and its data) by registration districts, many of which are contiguous.

Ceremonial County boundary=ceremonial	Administrative County/UA boundary=administrative, admin_level=6	Districts/Boroughs boundary=administrative, admin_level=8
Bedfordshire 88082 88082	Central Bedfordshire (Unitary Authority) 161643 161643 Bedford158396 158396 Luton 158392 158392	N/A
Berkshire 88070 88070	Bracknell Forest 113682 113682 Reading 115074 115074 Slough 117097 117097 West Berkshire 116938 116938 Windsor and Maidenhead 111014 111014 Wokingham 114311 114311	N/A
Bristol 6103050 6103050 Coterminous with administrative county	Bristol 57539 57539	N/A
Buckinghamshire 87460 87460	Buckinghamshire 10947197 10947197 - now a district/'UA' [1] Milton Keynes 172504 172504	Abolished 2020-04-01
Cambridgeshire 87521 87521	Cambridgeshire 180837 180837 Peterborough 161640 161640	Cambridge 295355 295355 East Cambridgeshire 295352 295352 Fenland 295349 295349 Huntingdonshire 295351 295351 South Cambridgeshire 295353 295353
Cheshire 57512 57512	Cheshire East 153487 153487 Cheshire West and Chester 153488 153488 Halton 147284 147284 Warrington 147278 147278	N/A
Cornwall 1987628 1987628	Cornwall 57537 57537 Isles of Scilly 158039 158039	N/A
Cumbria 88065 88065	Cumberland 15684264 15684264 Westmorland and Furness 15684265 15684265	former districts (abolished 2023): Allerdale 182132 182132 Barrow-in-Furness 176965 176965 Carlisle 182118 182118 Copeland 178136 178136 Eden 182052 182052 South Lakeland 176968 176968
Derbyshire 88077 88077	Derbyshire 195384 195384 Derby 142308 142308	Amber Valley 141905 141905 Bolsover 108323 108323 Chesterfield 138738 138738 Derbyshire Dales 108100 108100 Erewash 142306 142306 High Peak 108092 108092 North East Derbyshire 108320 108320 South Derbyshire 142627 142627
Devon 57538 57538	Devon 190380 190380 Plymouth 189924 189924 Torbay 161649 161649	East Devon 2114883 2114883 Exeter 2154556 2154556 Mid Devon 2183131 2183131 North Devon 2189992 2189992 South Hams 2118151 2118151 Teignbridge 2124339 2124339 Torridge 2197541 2197541 West Devon 2198344 2198344
Dorset 2698375 2698375	Dorset 9448449 9448449 Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole 9448448 9448448	N/A (1974 county, its 6 districts and Bournemouth and Poole unitaries all abolished, with two new unitaries created 2019-04-01
County Durham 156050 156050	Durham (Unitary Authority) 88067 88067 Hartlepool 153375 153375 Darlington 153377 153377 (part of) Stockton-on-Tees 150994 150994	N/A
East Riding of Yorkshire 3125734 3125734	East Riding of Yorkshire 88083 88083 Kingston upon Hull 60148 60148	N/A
East Sussex 180902 180902	East Sussex 92650 92650 Brighton and Hove 114085 114085	Eastbourne 131194 131194 Hastings 131199 131199 Lewes 131295 131295 Rother 134053 134053 Wealden 131298 131298
Essex 62162 62162	Essex 180904 180904 Southend-on-Sea(Unitary Authority) 76489 76489 Thurrock(Unitary Authority) 76521 76521	Basildon 76516 76516 Braintree 52187 52187 Brentwood 76515 76515 Castle Point 76488 76488 Chelmsford 52189 52189 Colchester 76493 76493 Epping Forest 76512 76512 Harlow 76615 76615 Maldon 1551151 1551151 Rochford 76490 76490 Tendring 76494 76494 Uttlesford 76508 76508
Gloucestershire 2700308 2700308	Gloucestershire 85103 85103 South Gloucestershire 82631 82631	Cheltenham 184094 184094 Cotswold 2682252 2682252 Forest of Dean 417631 417631 Gloucester 181362 181362 Stroud 2657473 2657473 Tewkesbury 417658 417658
Greater London 65606 65606 The ceremonial county excludes the City of London.	Greater London 175342 175342 The Greater London Authority covers the London Boroughs and the City of London.	See London borough boundaries
City of London 51800 51800
Greater Manchester 88084 88084 (Greater Manchester Combined Authority indirectly elected)	No administrative county council	Bolton 146937 146937 Bury 146927 146927 Manchester 146656 146656 Oldham 146925 146925 Rochdale 146926 146926 Salford 146657 146657 Stockport 146658 146658 Tameside 146655 146655 Trafford 146675 146675 Wigan 146938 146938
Hampshire 2698314 2698314	Hampshire 172799 172799 Portsmouth 127167 127167 Southampton 127864 127864	Basingstoke and Deane 127249 127249 Eastleigh 127815 127815 East Hampshire 127161 127161 Fareham 127232 127232 Gosport 127211 127211 Hart 127197 127197 Havant 127165 127165 New Forest 21285 21285 Rushmoor 127187 127187 Test Valley 127642 127642 Winchester 21077 21077
Herefordshire 3548318 3548318	County of Herefordshire 10187 10187 - is formally a District not a County	N/A
As per administrative county	Hertfordshire 57032 57032	Broxbourne 2677978 2677978 Dacorum 2683586 2683586 East Hertfordshire 2678149 2678149 Hertsmere 2682847 2682847 North Hertfordshire 2684089 2684089 St Albans 2683265 2683265 Stevenage 2684172 2684172 Three Rivers 2683120 2683120 Watford 1742768 1742768 Welwyn Hatfield 2679796 2679796
As per administrative county	Isle of Wight 154350 154350	N/A
Kent 88071 88071	Kent 172385 172385 Medway 158019 158019	Ashford 2068847 2068847 Canterbury 448590 448590 Dartford 2210488 2210488 Dover 1481934 1481934 Gravesham 1475656 1475656 Maidstone 2208739 2208739 Sevenoaks 2204490 2204490 Shepway 2208689 2208689 Swale 2068848 2068848 Thanet 1605596 1605596 Tonbridge and Malling 2209932 2209932 Tunbridge Wells 2212730 2212730
Lancashire 118082 118082	Lancashire 88081 88081 Blackpool 148603 148603 Blackburn with Darwen 148780 148780	Burnley 149101 149101 Chorley 148744 148744 Fylde 148600 148600 Hyndburn 149074 149074 Lancaster 148608 148608 Pendle 149122 149122 Preston 148606 148606 Ribble Valley 148609 148609 Rossendale 149077 149077 South Ribble 148745 148745 West Lancashire 148586 148586 Wyre 148604 148604
Leicestershire 78309 78309	Leicestershire 189890 189890 Leicester 162353 162353	Blaby 162357 162357 Charnwood 172008 172008 Harborough 162361 162361 Hinckley and Bosworth 171999 171999 Melton 172470 172470 North West Leicestershire 172000 172000 Oadby and Wigston 162358 162358
Lincolnshire 1916530 1916530	Lincolnshire 78312 78312 North Lincolnshire 107240 107240 North East Lincolnshire 69361 69361	Boston 58553 58553 East Lindsey 59828 59828 Lincoln 69144 69144 North Kesteven 59829 59829 South Holland 59831 59831 South Kesteven 59830 59830 West Lindsey 69331 69331
Merseyside 147564 147564	No administrative county council	Knowsley 173025 173025 Liverpool 172987 172987 Sefton 173023 173023 St Helens 173478 173478 Wirral 162456 162456
As per administrative county	Norfolk 57397 57397	Breckland 1168814 1168814 Broadland 1168615 1168615 Great Yarmouth 1168547 1168547 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 1170907 1170907 North Norfolk 1174635 1174635 Norwich 172506 172506 South Norfolk 1164570 1164570
North Yorkshire 3123501 3123501	North Yorkshire 88068 88068 Middlesbrough 150988 150988 Redcar and Cleveland 150989 150989 (part of) Stockton-on-Tees 150994 150994 York 134353 134353	former districts (abolished 2023): Craven 150870 150870 Hambleton 150966 150966 Harrogate 150872 150872 Richmondshire 150871 150871 Ryedale 150968 150968 Scarborough 149163 149163 Selby 135523 135523
Northamptonshire 63375 63375	North Northamptonshire 10792352 10792352 West Northamptonshire 10792351 10792351	N/A
As per administrative county	Northumberland 88066 88066	N/A
Nottinghamshire 77268 77268	Nottinghamshire 181040 181040 Nottingham 123292 123292	Ashfield 154043 154043 Bassetlaw 77270 77270 Broxtowe 154058 154058 Gedling 155494 155494 Mansfield 154006 154006 Newark and Sherwood 77271 77271 Rushcliffe 77311 77311
Oxfordshire 6103258 6103258 Coterminous with administrative county	Oxfordshire 76155 76155	Cherwell 394565 394565 Oxford 394037 394037 South Oxfordshire 299097 299097 Vale of White Horse 299092 299092 West Oxfordshire 394036 394036
Rutland 2703126 2703126	Rutland 57398 57398 - is formally a District not a County!	N/A
Shropshire 57511 57511	Shropshire (Unitary Authority) 167060 167060 Telford and Wrekin 167058 167058	N/A
Somerset 3125930 3125930	Somerset 72894 72894 Bath and North East Somerset 81941 81941 North Somerset 80277 80277	former districts (abolished 2023): Mendip 1943067 1943067 Sedgemoor 1940298 1940298 South Somerset 1943068 1943068 West Somerset and Taunton 9451077 9451077
South Yorkshire 88078 88078	No administrative county council	Sheffield 106956 106956 Rotherham 106960 106960 Doncaster 106961 106961 Barnsley 106964 106964
Staffordshire 57515 57515	Staffordshire 195444 195444 Stoke-on-Trent 163183 163183	Cannock Chase 168500 168500 East Staffordshire 168505 168505 Lichfield 168501 168501 Newcastle-under-Lyme 163551 163551 South Staffordshire 165853 165853 Stafford 165225 165225 Staffordshire Moorlands 165218 165218 Tamworth 165856 165856
As per administrative county	Suffolk 28595 28595	Babergh 53322 53322 East Suffolk 9456323 9456323 Ipswich 53324 53324 Mid Suffolk 53332 53332 West Suffolk 9448531 9448531
Surrey 5700081 5700081	Surrey 57582 57582	Elmbridge 109611 109611 Epsom and Ewell 109944 109944 Guildford 108787 108787 Mole Valley 108792 108792 Reigate and Banstead 109949 109949 Runnymede 109219 109219 Spelthorne 114741 114741 Surrey Heath 109211 109211 Tandridge 113753 113753 Waverley 108786 108786 Woking 109202 109202
Tyne and Wear 154376 154376	No administrative county council	Gateshead 140462 140462 Newcastle 142282 142282 North Tyneside 142245 142245 South Tyneside 140390 140390 Sunderland 116279 116279
As per administrative county	Warwickshire 57516 57516	North Warwickshire 162374 162374 Nuneaton and Bedworth 173750 173750 Rugby 173773 173773 Stratford-on-Avon 176449 176449 Warwick 176448 176448
West Midlands (county) 57517 57517	No administrative county council	(following tagged as admin level 6 as they are effectively unitary authorities)City of Birmingham 162378 162378 City of Coventry 162370 162370 City of Wolverhampton 173722 173722 Dudley 162488 162488 Sandwell 162485 162485 Solihull 162373 162373 Walsall 162486 162486
As per administrative county	West Sussex 113757 113757	Adur 114656 114656 Arun 114663 114663 Chichester 114677 114677 Crawley 114858 114858 Horsham 114662 114662 Mid Sussex 114845 114845 Worthing 117548 117548
West Yorkshire 88079 88079	No administrative county council	Bradford 118323 118323 Calderdale 118327 118327 Kirklees 109954 109954 Leeds 118362 118362 Wakefield 109960 109960
Wiltshire 2694420 2694420	Wiltshire (Unitary Authority) 57533 57533 Swindon 110212 110212	N/A
As per administrative county	Worcestershire 57581 57581	Bromsgrove 1875338 1875338 Malvern Hills1875339 1875339 Redditch 1875340 1875340 Worcester1875341 1875341 Wychavon1875342 1875342 Wyre Forest1875343 1875343

Traditional counties

This table shows which traditional counties are currenty present. These all seem to use Historic Counties Standard Definition A (which is the more generally applicable definition that drops detached parts).

Traditional County	Relation boundary=traditional
Bedfordshire	8484491 8484491
Berkshire	8491347 8491347
Buckinghamshire	8487473 8487473
Cambridgeshire	8483494 8483494
Cheshire	8765828 8765828
Cornwall	8508381 8508381
Cumberland	missing
Derbyshire	8751909 8751909
Devon	8505673 8505673
Dorset	8504789 8504789
County Durham	8796242 8796242
Essex	8483370 8483370
Gloucestershire	8493514 8493514
Hampshire	8495822 8495822 (this excludes the Isle of Wight)
Herefordshire	8510618 8510618
Hertfordshire	8484049 8484049
Huntingdonshire	8484523 8484523
Kent	8484008 8484008
Lancashire	missing
Leicestershire	8485220 8485220
Lincolnshire	8483972 8483972
– Parts of Holland	11977556 11977556
– Parts of Kesteven	11977556 11977556
– Parts of Lindsey	11977557 11977557
Middlesex	8484045 8484045
Norfolk	8483422 8483422
Northamptonshire	8484647 8484647
Northumberland	8796241 8796241
Nottinghamshire	8485051 8485051
Oxfordshire	8488224 8488224
Rutland	8485257 8485257
Shropshire	8743600 8743600
Somerset	8506033 8506033
Staffordshire	8760560 8760560
Suffolk	8483371 8483371
Surrey	8491039 8491039
Sussex	8489977 8489977
Warwickshire	8488133 8488133
Westmorland	8789375 8789375
Wiltshire	8495487 8495487
Worcestershire	8493515 8493515
Yorkshire	8484939 8484939

Towns and villages

The following table lists the numbers of towns/villages in selected areas and the number that have been completed.

	Number complete
Ceremonial Counties	Cities	Towns	Villages
Bedfordshire	0 / 0	1.5 / 4	9.5 / 40
Berkshire	0 / 0	0 / 3	0 / 0
East Riding of Yorkshire	1 / 1	9 / 13	236 / 276
Hertfordshire	0 / 0	0 / 26	0 / ?
Isle of Wight	0 / 0	9 / 9	20 / 20
Lincolnshire	0 / 1	0 / ?	0 / ?
Northamptonshire	0 / 0	1 / 16	? / ?
Northumberland	0 / 0	1 / ?	3 / ?
Nottinghamshire	0 / 1	0 / 14	4 / 200+
Rutland	0 / 0	2 / 2	28 / 58
Surrey	0 / 0	4 / 23	5 / ?
West Yorkshire	0 / 3	? / ?	? / ?
Worcestershire	1 / 1	12 / 12	187 / 187