List of Hertfordshire boundary changes

Boundary changes affecting the English county of Hertfordshire. The county borders Buckinghamshire to the west, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east and Greater London to the south. Until 1965 it had a southern boundary with Middlesex it continues to have a boundary with Middlesex. It was the administrative Middlesex County Council that was abolished not the historic County of Middlesex. This was confirmed in 2011 by the United Kingdom Government.

Summary

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Apart from a number of minor exchanges of land with surrounding counties, the alterations in Hertfordshire's boundaries involved the following:

  • The county had four exclaves that were integrated into their surrounding counties in 1844, and a set of six small enclaves of Bedfordshire was annexed.
  • In the south, the boundary with Middlesex was somewhat complex, with Hertfordshire forming a long protrusion into it. In 1889 Hertfordshire gained some territory in this area and when Greater London was formed in 1965 the whole area, including Barnet and East Barnet, became part of the new county. Potters Bar in Middlesex was surrounded by Hertfordshire on three sides, and it was transferred to it in 1965, along with South Mimms.
  • In the north, the town of Royston was partly in Cambridgeshire until 1896
  • In the north west there were various irregularities in the boundaries with Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire which were adjusted in the years from 1883 to 1897.
  • In the south west the growth of the towns of Chorleywood and Rickmansworth necessitated an adjustment of the boundary with Buckinghamshire in 1906.
  • More recently, the boundary with Greater London has been partially aligned to the M25 motorway.

List of changes

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Date Legislation Effect
20 October 1844 Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844
25 March 1883 Divided Parishes and Poor Law Amendment Act 1882, Local Government Board Order 19622
25 March 1885 Local Government Board Order 16585
24 March 1888 Local Government Board Order 21701
  • Part of Edlesborough transferred from Buckinghamshire
1 April 1889 Local Government Act 1888
30 September 1895 Local Government Board Order P 1170
30 September 1896 Local Government Board Order P 1173
  • The part of the parish of Royston in Cambridgeshire transferred from Cambridgeshire to become North Royston parish1
  • Part of Bassingbourn parish transferred from Cambridgeshire to become South Bassingbourn parish1
  • Part of Kneesworth parish transferred from Cambridgeshire to become South Kneesworth parish1
  • Part of Melbourn parish transferred from Cambridgeshire to become South Melbourn parish1
31 September 1896 Local Government Board Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 13) Act 1896
30 September 1897 Local Government Board Order P 1312
Local Government Board Order P 1313
  • Part of Shillington parish transferred from Bedfordshire to Hertfordshire
1 October 1900 Local Government Board Order 41337
1 April 1907 Counties of Bedford and Hertford (Alteration of County Boundaries) Order 1906
  • Parts of parishes of Caddington, Hyde and Studham transferred from Bedfordshire
  • Parts of parishes of Flamstead, Harpenden Rural and Markyate transferred to Bedfordshire
Counties of Buckingham and Hertford (Alteration of County Boundaries) Order 1906
1 October 1926 Ministry of Health Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 10) Act 1926
18 September 1934 Ministry of Health Declaration under section 145 of the Local Government Act 1933 (Alteration of Watercourses)
  • Realignment of boundary with Essex due to alteration of watercourses.
1 April 1935 The County of Hertford Review Order (Ministry of Health Order No. 80168)
The County of Essex Review Order (Ministry of Health Order No. 83994)
28 September 1947 Ministry of Health Declaration
  • Part of Arlesey transferred from Bedfordshire
13 August 1956 Ministry of Health Declaration
  • Part of Arlesey transferred from Bedfordshire
1 April 1965 London Government Act 1963[3]
1 April 1989 The Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire (County Boundaries) Order 1989[4]
1 April 1993 The Greater London and Hertfordshire (County Boundaries) Order 1992[5]
  • Southern part of Elstree village from Barnet/Harrow to the Elstree and Borehamwood parish in Hertfordshire
  • Some streets on the edge of Barnet town gained by Barnet from unparished area of Hertsmere, Hertfordshire
1 April 1993 The Essex and Hertfordshire (County Boundaries) Order 1992[6]
  • Changes to Essex/Hertfordshire boundary
1 April 1994 The Essex, Greater London and Hertfordshire (County and London Borough Boundaries) Order 1993[7]
  • Changes to the Greater London/Hertfordshire boundary: some alignment to the M25 motorway

See also

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Notes

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  • ^1 These areas were merged with other areas to form the urban district and civil parish of Royston 1 October 1897 (Local Government Board Order 36,608)
  • ^2 The area included the following places: Arkley, Barnet, East Barnet, Monken Hadley, New Barnet, Totteridge

References

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  1. ^ Ordnance Survey First Series sheet 46 1834
  2. ^ Ordnance Survey 6 inch sheets Hertfordshire VI, VII 1884
  3. ^ Elcock, H, Local Government (1994).
  4. ^ Statutory Instrument 1989 No. 133 The Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire (County Boundaries) Order 1989 (Coming into force 1 April 1989)
  5. ^ Statutory Instrument 1992 No. 1696 The Greater London and Hertfordshire (County Boundaries) Order 1992 (Coming into force 1 April 1993)
  6. ^ Statutory Instrument 1992 No. 2119 The Greater London and Hertfordshire (County Boundaries) Order 1992 (Coming into force 1 April 1993)
  7. ^ Statutory Instrument 1993 No. 441 The Essex, Greater London and Hertfordshire (County and London Borough Boundaries) Order 1993 (Coming into force 1 April 1994)