Burton-upon-Trent: Administrative areas

TOWNSHIP BOUNDARIES

Burton's boundary as recorded in 1598 was marked on the west by the line of the Roman Ryknild Street, on the north by the west arm of the river Trent, and on the east by the main channel of the river. The boundary between Burton and Burton Extra townships ran along Pinfold Lane (modern Park Street) and corresponded to the backs of burgage plots in New Street. (fn. 2)

Annual perambulations of the parish took place by the later 17th century, probably on Ascension day as in 1722. (fn. 3) In the early 19th century the boundary of Burton township was perambulated, and the 20 sons of 'responsible tradesmen' who took part in 1836, when the township was surveyed for a new poor rate assessment, were rewarded with a dinner of roast beef and plum pudding in the workhouse. (fn. 4) The limits of the three wards constituted in 1853 were walked by schoolboys that year. (fn. 5)

MUNICIPAL WARDS

Parts of Burton Extra and Horninglow became wards in the enlarged town of Burton in 1853, and in the late 1870s the total acreage of the three wards was 1,510 a.: Burton (563 a.), Burton Extra (671 a.), and Horninglow (276 a.). When the municipal borough was created in 1878, the rest of Burton Extra (274 a.) was added, along with a further 840 a. from Horninglow, 25 a. from Branston, and parts of Stapenhill (769 a.) and Winshill (607 a.). The total acreage of the borough was thereby increased to 4,025 a. (fn. 6) The parts of Stapenhill and Winshill in the borough were treated for municipal purposes as being in Staffordshire under the Local Government Act of 1888 (fn. 7) and were wholly transferred to the county in 1894, when the nonborough parts were added to adjoining Derbyshire civil parishes. (fn. 8)

In 1886 detached portions of Horninglow township, chiefly in Burton meadow, were transferred to Burton, and a detached portion of Burton Extra in the Victoria Street area was transferred to Horninglow. (fn. 9) In 1901 the borough's total area was 4,202 a. (fn. 10)

COUNTY BOROUGH WARDS

In 1934 the area of the county borough was 4,219 a., divided into eight wards: Broadway (290 a.), Burton (429 a.), Horninglow (477 a.), Shobnall (776 a.), Stapenhill (806 a.), Uxbridge (180 a.), Victoria (250 a.), and Winshill and Wetmore (1,011 a.). (fn. 11) At the time of local government re-organization in 1974 the boundaries of several wards were changed and new wards created. Broadway ward was enlarged to 336 a. (136 ha.), mainly at the expense of Uxbridge, which was reduced to 156 a. (63 ha.). Burton ward was enlarged to 796 a. (322 ha.) by the acquisition of the Wetmore area from Winshill and Wetmore ward, and a new ward was created for Winshill alone covering 452 a. (183 ha.). Horninglow ward was reduced to 252 a. (102 ha.), mostly by the creation of a new ward called Eton covering 190 a. (77 ha.). Shobnall ward was reduced slightly to 767 a. (309 ha.) and Victoria enlarged slightly to 279 a. (113 ha.). Finally, Stapenhill ward was divided into three new wards: Stapenhill covering 598 a. (242 ha.), Edgehill 225 a. (91 ha.), and Waterside 185 a. (75 ha.). (fn. 12) Later boundary changes increased the combined area of the wards to 4,739 a. (1,917 ha.), the additions being chiefly from Branston and Stretton civil parishes (in 1985) and from adjoining civil parishes in Derbyshire (in 1991). (fn. 13)