Administrative Boundaries

Administrative boundaries are defined as showing the limits of responsibility and representation for electoral and administrative purposes. Boundary alignments are shown within the Administrative Boundaries theme. As well as the boundary’s relationship to real-world objects, its mereing and boundary descriptions, where needed for clarification, are also supplied.

The following types of boundary are shown within the Administrative Boundaries theme:

Parliamentary boundaries

In Great Britain:

• County Constituency

• Borough Constituency (England and Wales)

• Burgh Constituency (Scotland)

• Assembly Electoral Region and Assembly Constituency (Wales)

• Parliamentary Electoral Region and Parliamentary Constituency (Scotland)

Local Government boundaries

In England:

• County

• City and County of London, District, London borough, Unitary Authority, and Metropolitan District

• Civil Parish and the Inner and Middle Temples

• Electoral Division

• Ward

In Wales:

• Unitary Authority

• Community

• Electoral Division

In Scotland:

• Unitary Authority

• Ward

Physical features shown in the Administrative Boundaries theme include:

• Boundary Posts

• Boundary Stones

• Boundary Markers

Non-physical features shown in the Administrative Boundaries theme include:

• Alignments of Boundaries

• Textual Descriptions of Boundaries, Mereings and Posts and Stones

Application of precedence

Where two or more boundaries are coincidental, a single alignment is shown by the most important boundary in the following order:

In England and Wales:

• County, City and County of London, Unitary Authority, District, London Borough and Metropolitan District, Civil Parish, Community, Inner and Middle Temples

• European Electoral Regions, County / Borough Constituencies

• Welsh Assembly Electoral Region

• Electoral Division and / or Ward

In Scotland:

• Unitary Authority

• European Electoral Regions, County / Burgh Constituencies

• Scottish Parliamentary Electoral Region

• Ward

A textual description often accompanies this occurrence and is used for clarification. If the alignment of an administrative boundary coincides with any other feature (other than another boundary), then both will be shown in their respective themes.

More information on administrative boundary alignments can be found here.