Old Ordnance Survey Maps of Brecknockshire
This page summarises the local government organisation of Breconshire since 1889.
Brecknockshire County Council was formed in 1889, and in 1894 a network of boroughs, urban district and rural district councils was formed across the county.
Brecknockshire had just one Municipal Borough dating from 1836: Brecknock (or Brecon) itself.
From 1894 there were also 4 Urban Districts: Brynmawr, Builth Wells, Hay, and Llanwrytd Wells UDCs. Urban Districts had similar powers to boroughs but lacked the
powers to appoint mayors or aldermen.
Builth Wells was renamed Builth UDC in 1898.
There were also 6 Rural District Councils covering the areas outside the major towns. These were: Brecknock, Builth, Crickhowell, Hay, Vaynor & Penderyn, and Ystradgynlais RDCs. Most Rural Districts were initially based on the Poor Law Unions, with meetings held at the workhouse.
There was inconsistency over the spelling between Breconshire and Brecknockshire but in 1910 the county council formally agreed on Breconshire as the offical name.
In 1974 major reorganisation saw the boroughs, urban and rural districts abolished and Breconshire, along with Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, become part of a new county, Powys.
This was a 2-tier administration with the three former counties becoming districts.
In 1996 there was further reorganisation as Powys became a unitary authority and the three districts were abolished. There were some boundary alterations,
and Brynmawr was transferred to Blaenau Gwent.
For a list of our Breconshire maps go to the Breconshire page, or for the whole of
Wales go to the Wales 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 / 28 July 2018