Worcestershire is a historic, ceremonial, and (except in the period 1972–1998) administrative county of England. Since 1998 it is classified as a non-metropolitan county.
Date Legislation Effect20 October 1844 Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 Transferred Icomb and the hamlets of Alstone and Little Washbourne (both in the parish of Overbury) to Gloucestershire Transferred Broom and Clent from Staffordshire, the townships of Halesowen, Cakemore, Hasbury, Hawne, Hill, Illey, Lapal, Ridgacre, Hunnington, Oldbury and Romsley (all in the parish of Halesowen) from Shropshire and the chapelry of Rochford (in the parish of Tenbury) from Gloucestershire1 October 1891 The Balsall Heath district, which had constituted the most northerly part of the Parish of King's Norton, was added to the County Borough of Birmingham, and for the purposes of the Local Government Act 1888 was thereafter deemed to be in the Administrative County of Warwick. 1893 Transferred Edvin Loach (a detached part) to Herefordshire 9 November 1909 Quinton Urban District was formally removed from Worcestershire and incorporated into the County Borough of Birmingham, and therefore into Warwickshire.Vision of Britain - Quinton CP9 November 1911 LGB Provisional Order 1910 Confirmation (No. 13) Act, 1911 The Rural District of Yardley and the greater part of the Urban District of King's Norton and Northfield (which included most of Bartley Reservoir) were absorbed into the County Borough of Birmingham, and thereby became part of Warwickshire.Vision of Britain - Birmingham MB/CB1 April 1931 Provisional Orders Confirmation (Gloucestershire Warwickshire and Worcestershire) Act, 1931 The town of Shipston-on-Stour and the parishes of Alderminster, Tidmington and Tredington ceded to Warwickshire.Vision of Britain - Shipston on Stour RD Redmarley D'Abitot, Staunton, Blockley, Daylesford and Evenlode parishes ceded to Gloucestershire 1 April 1966 The West Midlands Order, 1965 The Staffordshire towns of Smethwick and Rowley Regis were added, as components of the newly formed borough of Warley.Vision of Britain - Warley CB Dudley was ceded to Staffordshire.Vision of Britain - Dudley MB/CB1 April 1974 Local Government Act 1972 Halesowen and Stourbridge were ceded to Dudley, which became part of the newly formed West Midlands county, as did Birmingham. The rest of Worcestershire became part of Hereford and Worcester. Interregnum1 April 1998 The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996 Herefordshire and Worcestershire re-established as two separate counties.OPSI - The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996
On 1 April 1995 the Hereford and Worcester and West Midlands (County Boundaries) Order 1993 transferred part of the parish of Frankley (including the remaining south-west part of Bartley Reservoir) from Hereford and Worcester to Birmingham to become part of the West Midlands county.OPSI - The Hereford and Worcester and West Midlands (County Boundaries) Order 1993 The area in question becoming the civil parish of New Frankley in 2000.
See also Evolution of Worcestershire county boundaries List of boundary changes in the West Midlands (region)
References