Old Ordnance Survey Maps of Berkshire

This page summarises the local government organisation of Berkshire since 1889.

Berkshire County Council was formed in 1889, and in 1894 a network of boroughs, urban district and rural district councils was formed across the county.

Berkshire had 7 Boroughs: Abingdon, Maidenhead, New Windsor, Newbury, Reading, Wallingford, and Wokingham. Reading became a County Borough in 1889, the others were Municipal Boroughs.

From 1894 there was just one urban district: Wantage Urban District. Boroughs had greater prestige than Urban Districts, and had the right to elect Mayors and Aldermen.

There were also 11 Rural District Councils covering the areas outside the major towns, but these had less powers. Initially most were based on the Unions, met at the Workhouse, and had the Guardians serving as councillors. These were: Abingdon, Bradfield, Cookham, Easthampstead, Faringdon, Hungerford, Newbury, Wallingford, Wantage, Windsor, and Wokingham Rural Districts.

In 1974 there was major reorganisation. Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage were transferred to Oxfordshire. Slough and Eton were transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire. A 2-tier structure was established with a County Council and 6 District Councils.

In 1998 Berkshire County Council was abolished and local government was transferred to 6 unitary authorities: Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor & Maidenhead, and Wokingham.

For a list of Berkshire maps go to the Berkshire page or for neighbouring counties to the Chilterns page. For a full list of English maps, return to the England page

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Minor changes are not listed here, but please advise us of any significant errors or omissions.

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The Godfrey Edition / sales@alangodfreymaps.co.uk / 7 October 2016