Product Code Database
A non-metropolitan county, or colloquially, shire county, is a subdivision of England used for local government.
The non-metropolitan counties were originally created in 1974 as part of a reform of local government in England and Wales, and were the top tier of a two-tier system of counties and districts. 21 non-metropolitan counties still use a two-tier system; 56 are unitary authorities, in which the functions of a county and district council have been combined in a single body. Berkshire has a unique structure.
Non-metropolitan counties cover the majority of England with the exception of Greater London, the Isles of Scilly, and the six metropolitan counties: Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
The non-metropolitan counties are all part of ceremonial counties. Some ceremonial counties, such as Norfolk, contain a single non-metropolitan county, but many contain more than one and it is also common for ceremonial counties and non-metropolitan counties to share a name. Lancashire, for example, contains the non-metropolitan counties of Lancashire, Blackpool, and Blackburn with Darwen.
As originally constituted, the non-metropolitan counties were largely based on existing counties, although they did include a number of innovations. Some counties were based on areas surrounding large county boroughs or were formed by the mergers of smaller counties. Examples of the first category are Avon (based on Bath and Bristol) and Cleveland (based on Teesside). An example of the second category is Cumbria, formed by the merger between Cumberland and Westmorland. The counties were adopted for all statutory purposes: a lord-lieutenant and high sheriff was appointed to each county, and they were also used for judicial administration, and definition of police force areas. The Royal Mail adopted the counties for postal purposes in most areas.
An exception was made in the case of Berkshire, which was retained with its existing boundaries in spite of the abolition of its county council and the creation of six unitary authorities. This was done in order to preserve its status as a royal county.Hansard, Written Answers, 31 March 1995, col.830
With the creation of numerous new non-metropolitan counties, the areas used for lieutenancy and shrievalty began to diverge from local government areas. This led to the development of ceremonial counties for these purposes, a fact recognised by the Lieutenancies Act 1997.
| Avon (6 districts) | 1996: North West Somerset (unitary) 2005: Renamed North Somerset | None | None |
| 1996: Bath and North East Somerset (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1996: South Gloucestershire (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1996: City of Bristol (unitary) | None | None | |
| Bedfordshire (4 districts) | 1997: Bedfordshire (3 districts) | Bedford (unitary) | None |
| Central Bedfordshire (unitary) | None | ||
| 1997: Luton (unitary) | None | None | |
| Berkshire (Royal County)Non-metropolitan county of Berkshire was granted royal status by letters patent in 1974 (6 districts) | 1998: The county council was abolished, with each of the six district councils in the county becoming unitary authorities. The Royal County of Berkshire was not abolished. | None | None |
| Buckinghamshire (5 districts) | 1997: BuckinghamshireThe Buckinghamshire (Borough of Milton Keynes) (Structural Changes) Order 1995 (4 districts) | None | 2020: Buckinghamshire (unitary) |
| 1997: Milton Keynes (unitary) | None | None | |
| Cambridgeshire (6 districts) | 1998: Cambridgeshire (5 districts) | None | None |
| 1998: Peterborough (unitary) | None | ||
| Cheshire (8 districts) | 1998: Cheshire (6 districts) | Cheshire East (unitary) | None |
| Cheshire West and Chester (unitary) | None | ||
| 1998: Halton (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1998: Warrington (unitary) | None | None | |
| Cleveland (4 districts) | 1996: Hartlepool (unitary) | None | None |
| 1996: Middlesbrough (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1996: Redcar and Cleveland (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1996: Stockton-on-Tees (unitary) | None | None | |
| Cornwall (6 districts) | None | Became unitary | None |
| Cumbria (6 districts) | None | None | 2023: Cumberland (unitary) |
| 2023: Westmorland and Furness (unitary) | |||
| Derbyshire (9 districts) | 1997: Derby (unitary) | None | None |
| 1997: Derbyshire (8 districts) | None | None | |
| Devon (10 districts) | 1998: DevonThe Devon (City of Plymouth and Borough of Torbay) (Structural Change) Order 1996 (8 districts) | None | None |
| 1998: Torbay (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1998: Plymouth (unitary) | None | None | |
| Dorset (8 districts) | 1997: Dorset (6 districts) | None | 2019: Dorset (a unitary from 5 districts) |
| 1997: Bournemouth (unitary) | None | 2019: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (unitary from 2 unitaries and Christchurch district) | |
| 1997: Poole (unitary) | None | ||
| County Durham (8 districts) | 1997: Durham (7 districts) | Became unitary | None |
| 1997: Darlington (unitary) | None | None | |
| East Sussex (7 districts) | 1997: East Sussex (5 districts) | None | None |
| 1997: Brighton and Hove (unitary) | None | None | |
| Essex (14 districts) | 1998: Essex (12 districts) | None | None |
| 1998: Southend-on-Sea (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1998: Thurrock (unitary) | None | None | |
| Gloucestershire (6 districts) | None | None | None |
| Hampshire (13 districts) | 1997: Hampshire (11 districts) | None | None |
| 1997: Portsmouth (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1997: Southampton (unitary) | None | None | |
| Hereford and Worcester (9 districts) | 1998: Herefordshire (unitary) | None | None |
| 1998: Worcestershire (6 districts) | None | None | |
| Hertfordshire (10 districts) | None | None | None |
| Humberside (9 districts) | 1996: East Riding of Yorkshire (unitary) | None | None |
| 1996: City of Kingston upon Hull (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1996: North Lincolnshire (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1996: North East Lincolnshire (unitary) | None | None | |
| Isle of Wight (2 districts) | 1995: Became unitary | None | None |
| Kent (14 districts) | 1998: Kent (12 districts) | None | None |
| 1998: The Medway Towns (unitary) 1998: renamed Medway | None | None | |
| Lancashire (14 districts) | 1998: Lancashire (12 districts) | None | None |
| 1998: Blackburn with Darwen (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1998: Blackpool (unitary) | None | None | |
| Leicestershire (9 districts) | 1997: Leicestershire (7 districts) | None | None |
| 1997: Leicester (unitary) | None | None | |
| 1997: Rutland (unitary) | None | None | |
| Lincolnshire (7 districts) | None | None | None |
| Norfolk (7 districts) | None | None | None |
| North Yorkshire (8 districts) | 1996: North Yorkshire (7 districts) | None | 2023: North Yorkshire (unitary) |
| 1996: York (unitary) | None | None | |
| Northamptonshire (7 districts) | None | None | 2021: North Northamptonshire (unitary) |
| 2021: West Northamptonshire (unitary) | |||
| Northumberland (6 districts) | None | Became unitary | None |
| Nottinghamshire (8 districts) | 1998: Nottinghamshire (7 districts) | None | None |
| 1998: Nottingham (unitary) | None | None | |
| Oxfordshire (5 districts) | None | None | None |
| Salop (6 districts) 1980: renamed Shropshire | 1998: Shropshire (5 districts) | Became unitary | None |
| 1998: The Wrekin (unitary) 1998: Renamed Telford and Wrekin | None | None | |
| Somerset (5 districts) | None | None | 2019: Somerset (4 districts through merger) 2023: Somerset Council (unitary) |
| Staffordshire (9 districts) | 1997: Staffordshire (8 districts) | None | None |
| 1997: Stoke-on-Trent (unitary) | None | None | |
| Suffolk (7 districts) | None | None | 2019: Suffolk (5 districts through mergers) |
| Surrey (11 districts) | None | None | None |
| Warwickshire (5 districts) | None | None | None |
| West Sussex (7 districts) | None | None | None |
| Wiltshire (5 districts) | 1997: Wiltshire (4 districts) | Became unitary | None |
| 1997: Thamesdown (unitary) 1997: Renamed Swindon | None | None |
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