The last major transfer of areas was in 1931, when the boundaries of
Gloucestershire,
Warwickshire, and
Worcestershire were realigned. Following the creation of a new administrative county of
Huntingdon and Peterborough in 1965, and boundary changes at
Dudley in 1966,
Lancashire and
Flintshire were left as the only counties with detached areas; these remained right up to the abolition of the respective county councils in 1974.
Exclave – part of a county completely detached from its main territory, and surrounded by territory of another county or counties.
Satellite exclave – many exclaves were accompanied by smaller ones, ranging from field strips of a fraction of an acre (see Donisthorpe under Derbyshire, below) to farms of a couple of hundred acres (see Caversfield under Buckinghamshire). Small exclaves were usually close to the main exclave or to the main county boundary; it was rare to find them at a substantial distance from other territory belonging to their county (see Borden Wood under Hampshire for an example).
Counter-exclave – an exclave of the surrounding county within an exclave. Also known as a second-order exclave.
Counter-counter exclave – a county had an exclave in another county which had a counter-exclave within it, and within this was an exclave of the same county as the first exclave. Also known as a third-order exclave. There used to be one in Wales (see Caernarvonshire in the list), and ten in the Shropshire exclave of
Halesowen.
Enclave – a "hole" in a county's territory created by an exclave of another county. Note that not all exclaves are enclaves, as the former might be on the border between two other counties.
Counter-enclave – a portion of the surrounding county within the territory of an enclave.
Semi-exclave – part of a county detached by land from its main territory, but on a marine coastline which the latter also abuts.
Riparian semi-exclave – found where a river or river estuary forms the boundary between two counties, and one county has territory on the "wrong" side of the river which is only accessible directly from that county by using a boat. These are usually, but not always, caused by the river changing course (for example, by cutting off a
meander to create an
oxbow lake). However, there were three examples on the other side of a tidal estuary through which a county boundary ran, two in Kent and one in Cornwall (q.v.). These riparian semi-exclaves are not legally true exclaves, because rivers and estuaries are county territory in English law.
Salient – a protrusion of a county's territory into that of another county or counties.
Pene-exclave – a salient which cannot be accessed by public right of way except through another county. These usually have a narrow "neck" joining the salient to the main territory. In England they can be distinguished as "vehicular" (bridlepath and footpath access only), "equestrian" (footpath access only) or "pedestrian" (no direct access).
Divided parish – county boundaries usually coincided with parish ones, but not invariably. The former could run through parishes, and many county exclaves and salients divided parishes in this way.
Parish exclave – exclaves belonging to parishes used to be more common than those of counties. A county exclave might contain one or more parishes if large, but might also include parish exclaves. Small county exclaves were usually parish exclaves as well, but not invariably: see "Monks House" under County Durham below.
County corporate – Twenty towns and cities in England and Wales had the historical status of
County corporate, making them equivalent to counties. The majority became
county boroughs in 1888. Thirteen of them were enclaves within their counties. Several of them which were
county towns, for example
Chester and
Norwich, contained counter-enclaves of their counties which comprised the administrative headquarters of the latter.
Areas transferred
Total number of exclaves
The following list has 204 exclaves in total, including 11 semi-exclaves with a coastline and generating 76 legal issues. The semi-exclaves were in Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, Devon, County Durham and Lancashire. Riparian semi-exclaves are not counted. After 1844, 106 exclaves survived which amounted to 28 surviving legal issues (multi-parish exclaves counted singly).
The 1844 Act resulted in a list of individual legal enactments targeting boundary anomalies. It counted a set of exclaves belonging to a single parish or township as a single legal issue. Conversely, a single exclave containing territory of two parishes was treated as two legal issues. Counter-exclaves were not regarded as separate legal issues, because they vanished when the exclave concerned was abolished. In contrast, after 1844 legal issues concerning exclaves could be bundled together and dealt with by a single legal order, as happened in the 1931 re-ordering of the boundaries of
Gloucestershire,
Worcestershire and
Warwickshire.
The county had one exclave after 1844, and eight abolished then (pre-1844 total 9, legal 3; post-1844 total 1, legal 1):
Aspley Heath (1). This was an exclave separated from the county's main territory by the width of a highway. The exclave was eliminated by the annexation of territory from
Buckinghamshire to create a
civil parish in 1883.[2][3]
Abolished in 1844:
Meppershall (1). The
Hertfordshire exclave of
Meppershall contained a small counter-enclave, on the south side of Fildyke Road near the junction with Chapel Road. This was abolished when the exclave was annexed.[4]
Shillington (6). Exclaves of the parish of
Shillington, Bedfordshire in
Hertfordshire were transferred to the latter. There were five small ones in fields of
Pirton next to
Oughtonhead Common, the largest being of very irregular shape and another containing a counter-exclave of Hertfordshire. A sixth contained Shillington Mill at
Ickleford.[5][6]
Whipsnade (1). Balligdon Bottom, 160 acres (65 hectares), an exclave of
Whipsnade parish in
Beechwood Park.[7] The area remained a parish exclave until it was added to
Markyate parish in 1897.[8] Beechwood had been a wooded common in Anglo-Saxon times shared by several villages, and the exclave was granted to Whipsnade in exchange for its rights when the
Benedictine nunnery of "St Giles in the Wood" was founded on the common in the 12th century.[9]
The county had no exclaves after 1844, and three were abolished then (pre-1844 total 3, legal 3; post-1844 total 0):
Great Barrington (1). Part of the parish of
Great Barrington, otherwise in Gloucestershire and the exclave was transferred to it. This ran the width of the parish along the north bank of the
River Windrush, and the boundary ran through the village.[10] This exclave was not shown on the first
Ordnance Survey, so is not on the online "Historic County Boundaries Project" map.[11][12]
Langford and Little Faringdon (1).
Langford and
Little Faringdontownships (now civil parishes), together forming an exclave transferred to
Oxfordshire.[13] Samuel Lewis 1803 wrote that only part of Langford township belonged to Berkshire, with the county boundary running through the parish church.[14] The "Historic County Boundaries Project" has the whole township in Berkshire, following the first Ordnance Survey.[15][16]
Shilton (1). Most of the parish of
Shilton formed an exclave transferred to Oxfordshire. The parish had its own exclave comprising a 7 acres (2.8 hectares) meadow next to the
River Windrush south-east of
Witney, which was already in Oxfordshire.[17]
Two pene-exclaves were abolished after 1844:
That part of the divided parish of
Inglesham in Berkshire was transferred to
Wiltshire to join the rest in 1844. It contained part the village, while the church was in a small exclave of Wiltshire. The south part of the parish with the hamlet of Upper Inglesham was also in Wiltshire. The pene-enclave was a large field by the River Thames north-west of Upper Inglesham, inaccessible directly from Berkshire. The boundary survived for parliamentary purposes into the latter 19th century.[18]Shalbourne salient of Berkshire, briefly in Wiltshire 1844 (Historic County Borders Project)
The parish of
Shalbourne was divided between Berkshire and Wiltshire, the former having the parish church and the tithing of
Oxenwood. The long, narrow and irregularly shaped salient was transferred to
Wiltshire and the parish united only in 1895.[19] Oxenwood was included in the 1844 Act by mistake, as it was erroneously listed as an exclave. The relevant Order was cancelled after the error was pointed out.[20]
The
River Thames was selected as the northern boundary of the county, but from north of
Wytham past Oxford to beyond the mouth of the
River Cherwell the river subsequently changed its course. At the city centre, this left a strip of territory on the north bank in Berkshire. Included were Folly Bridge Island and an area north of
Folly Bridge, adjacent to two riparian semi-enclaves. The first was Deans Ham, in between the river and
Christ Church Meadown.[21] The second was
Aston's Eyot, the other side of the old channel of the Cherwell and including what is now "Boathouse Island". These areas were annexed to Oxford when it became a
county borough in 1890.[22] However, the boundary between the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham and the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth continues to follow the old county boundary.[23]
The county had four exclaves after 1844, and five abolished then (pre-1844 total 9, legal 6; post-1844 total 4, legal 2):
Drayton Beauchamp (2). Two exclaves of the parish of
Drayton Beauchamp were transferred to
Hertfordshire, and annexed to the parish of
Tring in 1886. The larger was Whittle Farm, 106 acres (43 hectares) and the other a field of 5.4 acres (2.2 hectares) on Cheddington Lane east of
Long Marston which is now most of the village cricket club.[24][25][26]Small exclaves of Buckinghamshire in Hertfordshire, at Long Marston. (Historic County Borders Project)
Marsworth (2). Two exclaves of the parish of
Marsworth were transferred to
Hertfordshire. The larger was a group of fields by the hamlet of
Astrope of 52 acres (21 hectares), and the other was a strip of land in Long Marston village, 2.2 acres (0.89 hectares). The former was annexed to the parish of
Puttenham and the latter to that of
Tring in 1886.[27][28][29]
Abolished in 1844:
Caversfield (3). The parish of
Caversfield was transferred to
Oxfordshire, comprising one major exclave and two satellite exclaves. As well as the main bloc of territory of 1,278 acres (517 hectares), there was an exclave of 216 acres (87 hectares) comprising fields to the east, and one of 3.6 acres (1.5 hectares) comprising the south-east side of the village street of
Stratton Audley. The two parish exclaves were transferred to the parish of Stratton Audley in 1888.[30] Before
enclosure, in 1770 the latter parish had an
open-field system the strips of which were divided between itself and Caversfield in a complicated manner, and the county boundary followed this. The 216-acre exclave was a consolidation of the Caversfield strips.[31] The 1832 schedule listed the two Stratton Audley exclaves as the "Chapelry of Stratton Audley", although there was never a chapel separate from the parish church, and this was treated as s separate legal case by the 1844 Act.[32]
Lillingstone Lovell (1). The parish of
Lillingstone Lovell was transferred from Oxfordshire. This united the parish and county exclave of
Lillingstone Dayrell with Buckinghamshire proper.[33]
Luffield Abbey (1). The exclave of the extra-parochial territory of
Luffield Abbey in Buckinghamshire was transferred to
Northamptonshire and annexed to the parish of
Silverstone. The territory had been in two portions, and the main portion remained in the former county.
One pene-exclave was abolished after 1844:
A very irregularly shaped pene-exclave was wrapped around the
Hertfordshire parish of
Little Gaddesden. Hudnall to the east, a parish exclave of
Edlesborough, was annexed to Little Gaddesden and Hertfordshire in 1885, and
Nettleden to the south-east, which had been a parish exclave of
Pitstone, was made a parish in Hertfordshire in 1895.[34]
Three riparian semi-exclaves survived on the
River Thames until fairly recently:
The village of
Laleham had a parcel of land on the wrong side of the river, on Penton Hook.[36]
A lost meander at
Windsor left Deadwater Ait as part of Buckinghamshire on the Windsor side of the river. This was abolished when
Eton was annexed to Windsor in 1998.[37]
The historic county had no exclaves, with one dubious exception:
The
Liberty of
Ely Place, adjacent to the
City of London in
Holborn. There are many online and printed references to date, stating that this was an exclave of Cambridgeshire until the formation of the
London Borough of Camden in 1965.[38] The evidence is alleged to be that the licence of its pub, the "Olde Mitre", was obtained from the Cambridgeshire magistrates not the Middlesex ones. The liberty marked the site of the "Inn" (that is, the London town house or palace) of the Bishop of Ely in the Middle Ages, hence the Cambridgeshire connection. The story was debunked in print by
H. V. Morton in 1940, and lacks reliable citations.[39]
The county had two exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 2, legal 1; post-1844 total 2, legal 1):
Llysfaen and Eirias (2). The county had a large (2711.4 acres or 1097 ha)[40] semi-exclave consisting of the parishes of
Llysfaen and Eirias and including the town of
Old Colwyn, which was transferred to the surrounding county of
Denbighshire and the urban district of
Colwyn Bay in 1923.[41] In turn it surrounded a counter-semi-exclave of
Denbighshire including the east part of Old Colwyn, which had very complex borders. This counter-semi-exclave in turn contained a counter-counter-semi-exclave of Caernarvonshire, that of "Coed-coch Cottage" covering 1.6 acres (0.65 hectares).[42]Nested exclaves of Caernarvonshire (pink) and Denbighshire. (Historic County Borders Project)
The county had no exclaves in other counties. However, it did have a counter-enclave:
Chester Castle was an enclave of the county of Cheshire within the city of
Chester, which in turn was historically a
county corporate and so an enclave within Cheshire.[43] It comprised
Chester Castle and some adjoining territory. The situation remained until 1974, the city having become a
county borough in 1888. The territory remains a
civil parish, with no inhabitants (2020).
Riparian semi-exclaves:
River Dee. The border with
Denbighshire between
Aldford and
Shocklach (the Welsh-English border) runs along the
River Dee, but this river
meanders at will. Dropped meanders mean that there are three riparian semi-enclaves of Cheshire near Shocklach. These have been left alone.[44]
River Mersey. The border with
Lancashire ran along the
River Mersey, but the river had many
meanders and was liable to change its course. This left many portions of both counties on the wrong side of it.[45] Most of the border has been superseded, but a portion remains between the boroughs of
Stockport and
Tameside south of
Denton, and this still illustrates the problem.[46]
The county had one riparian semi-exclave after 1844:
Saltash. Historically the county has had only one detached portion, a riparian semi-exclave on the east, Devon side of the estuary of the
River Tamar estuary opposite
Saltash. This meant that the ancient ferry there had both ends in Cornwall. The area belonged to
Saltash, St Stephen parish, but was transferred to
St Budeaux parish and Devon after 1844.[47][48]
The county had two exclaves and three semi-exclaves after 1844, and one abolished then (pre-1844 total 6, legal 2; post-1844 total 5, legal 1):
Llandrillo yn Rhos (5) The major semi-exclave of
Caernarfonshire (see above) contained a semi-exclave of Denbighshire including the east part of
Old Colwyn. This in turn had two satellite semi-exclaves north of Penmaen-Rhôs, separated by a very narrow corridor. In addition, it was accompanied by two small satellite exclaves forming thin strips south-east of Old Colwyn. This total of five detached portions of Denbighshire, 139 acres (56 hectares), belonged to the parish of
Llandrillo yn Rhos. It was annexed to the semi-enclave of Caernarfonshire in 1879.[49][50]
One exclave was abolished in 1844:
Carreghofa (1). The township of
Carreghofa was on the English border, and included the Welsh half of the divided village of
Llanymynech.
Riparian semi-exclaves:
The
River Dee formed the border from near
Chester to near
Chirk, but was liable to change course and drop
meanders. As a result, there were two riparian semi-exclaves on the border with the exclave of Flintshire known as English Maelor:[51]
By Althrey Hall in Flintshire, one of a pair of lost meanders and so accompanying a riparian semi-exclave of Flintshire.
A large meadow west of
Shocklach, by the meeting point with Flintshire and Shropshire.
The county had twenty-nine exclaves after 1844, one very large and the rest small (or tiny) satellites of it, totalling 8,285 acres (3,353 hectares),[52] and one abolished then (pre-1844 total 30, legal 4; post-1844 total 29, legal 3):
Complicated exclaves of Derbyshire (Historic County Borders Project)
Appleby Magna, Chilcote, Measham, Oakthorpe & Donisthorpe, Stretton en le Field and Willesley (9). A block of parishes formed a large exclave of Derbyshire in
Leicestershire:
Appleby Magna North (partly in
Leicestershire),
Chilcote,
Measham,
Oakthorpe and Donisthorpe (partly in
Leicestershire),
Stretton en le Field and
Willesley This was transferred to Leicestershire 1897. At the same time, the parishes of
Netherseal and
Overseal were received from
Leicestershire in compensation. The village of Appleby Magna had been divided between the two counties, with three satellite exclaves of Derbyshire and four small counter-exclaves of Leicestershire. The fields of Donisthorpe had been allotted to the two counties in a very complicated manner, featuring irregular interlocking salients with five satellite exclaves of Derbyshire and twelve counter-exclaves of Leicestershire.[53][54][55]
Edingale (3). The village
Edingale was divided between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, with two townships of the same name belonging to
Croxall and
Alrewas. Derbyshire had three exclaves, and Staffordshire three. All were abolished when Edingale civil parish was created in 1936 and put in Staffordshire.[56]
Packington and Ravenstone (17). The parish of
Packington in
Leicestershire included the
chapelry of
Snibston as a large parish exclave to the east, separated by the parish of Ravenstone. The main body of Packington contained three exclaves of Derbyshire (two meeting at a point), with ten satellite exclaves. Ravenstone had one larger exclave (including much of the village), and Snibston had three. All seventeen exclaves were transferred to
Leicestershire in 1844, the latter four forming part of the new parish of
Ravenstone with Snibston. Packington was adjacent to the large Derbyshire exclave listed below.[57][58]Derbyshire (in blue) and Leicestershire at Donisthorpe. (Historic County Borders Project)
One exclave was abolished in 1844:
Foston and Scropton (1). Part of the township of
Foston and Scropton (in the parish of
Scropton), transferred to
Staffordshire. This was a set of fields, and remained as a township exclave.[59]
Riparian semi-exclaves:
The
River Dove, where it forms the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, has changed course in many places in between
Rocester and its confluence with the
River Trent, leaving several riparian semi-enclaves of both counties along it. These have mostly been left alone. Derbyshire has thirteen with another two connected by bridge; Staffordshire twelve, with a further three connected by bridge.[60]
The county had no exclaves after 1844; one exclave and two semi-exclaves were abolished then (pre-1844 total 3, legal 3; post-1844 total 0):
Maker (2). Two semi-exclaves forming part of the parish of
Maker were transferred to
Cornwall. These comprised the tithing of Vaultershome, the larger one including the hamlets of Dodbrook, Kingsand and Cremyll and the smaller being an estate called Mendenick near
St John.[61]
Thorncombe with Beerhall and Easthay (1). The exclave containing the parish of
Thorncombe was transferred to
Dorset. It also contained the tithing of Beerhall and Easthay, a parish exclave belonging to
Axminster which was treated as a separate legal issue by the 1844 Act. Somehow, the schedule of Orders generated by the Act had this portion of Axminster transferred from Dorset to Devon. Rather, it ended up as a detached portion of the parish in Dorset until added to Thorncombe.[62]
The county had no exclaves after 1844; one exclave and three semi-exclaves were abolished then (pre-1844 total 4, legal 5; post-1844 total 0):
Bedlingtonshire (1). The district of
Bedlingtonshire, basically the parish of
Bedlington, was transferred to Northumberland.
Craikshire (1). The district of
Craikshire, basically the parish of
Crayke, was transferred to the
North Riding of
Yorkshire. This was the only true
exclave (because it had no sea border)
Monks' House (1). The farmstead of Monks' House was a semi-enclave of 0.6 acres (0.24 hectares) at
Bamburgh, forming an extra-parochial district. It functioned as a mainland port for the monks living on Inner Farne, being donated for this purpose in 1257 by
King Henry III.[63] This is the smallest separately administered exclave in this list. Counted as part of Islandshire by the 1844 Act.[64]
Flintshire was unique in maintaining two exclaves until 1974. Historically there were eight (pre-1844 total 8, legal 4; post-1844 total 8, legal 4):
Abenbury Fechan (5). The township of Abenbury Fechan, east of Wrexham, consisted of one larger and four smaller exclaves totalling 160 acres (65 ha). The township was transferred to the Denbighshire township of
Abenbury Fawr in 1885. The small exclaves were Woodbine Farm, Hullah Farm, Llwyn-on and Five Fords.[65]
English Maelor (1). The largest of the exclaves was the area of
English Maelor or Maelor Saesneg, which became the Overton Rural District in 1894, and was renamed
Maelor Rural District in 1953.
Marford-and-Hoseley (2). The second largest exclave was the
township of
Marford-and-Hoseley in the parish of Gresford (otherwise in
Denbighshire), 589 acres (238 hectares).[66] Originally this township had a satellite exclave called Marford Mill that included part of the village of
Rossett, 15 acres (6.1 hectares),[67] but this was transferred to the Denbighshire township of Allington in 1885. At the same date, small exclaves of Gresford township (to be distinguished from the parish) and Allington township were transferred from Denbighshire and added to the main Marford-and-Hoseley exclave. The former was Marford Wood, the latter a small estate called "The Elms". The augmented exclave became a
parish in the
Hawarden Rural District in 1894, although surrounded by
Wrexham Rural District in
Denbighshire. It remained an exclave of Flintshire until local government reorganisation in 1974, when the two
rural districts mentioned were united in
Wrexham Maelor.[68]
Riparian semi-exclaves:
The
River Dee formed the border of Denbighshire with the exclave of English Maelor,[69] but was liable to change course and drop
meanders. As a result, there were riparian semi-exclaves on this border:
Part of Pickhill Meadows north-east of
Bangor-on-Dee.
Across the river from Althrey Hall, one of a pair of lost meanders and so accompanying a riparian semi-exclave of Denbighshire.
The parish of
Erbistock was divided between Denbighshire and Flintshire, with the latter portion forming an irregularly shaped salient on the wrong side of the river from English Maelor. It contained the parish church. The parish was consolidated within Denbighshire in 1897.[70]
After 1844, Gloucestershire had no true exclaves and six were abolished then (pre-1844 total 6, legal 6; post-1844 total 0).
However, the north of the county had two pene-enclaves (that is, areas only accessible by public highway through another territory) which were only joined to the rest of the county by narrow necks of land. These became
Marston Sicca Rural District, and portions of
Campden Rural District and
Pebworth Rural District in 1894. In 1931 the county's boundaries with
Warwickshire and
Worcestershire were realigned, removing the
salients from Gloucestershire; in compensation, Gloucestershire gained a number of detached
Worcestershire parishes.
Lea Lower (1). The parish of
Lea, Herefordshire was divided into the townships of Lee Upper and Lea Lower, the last being in Gloucestershire and containing the parish church. It was transferred to
Herefordshire, and the townships made into civil parishes.[71] The parish was united in 1883.[72]
Minety (1). The parish of
Minety, transferred to
Wiltshire. This surrounded a small counter-enclave of Wiltshire containing the parish church.[73]
The county had two small exclaves after 1844, and one was abolished then (pre-1844 total 3 legal 3; post-1844 total 2, legal 2):
Bramshott (1). An exclave of the parish of
Bramshott, known as Crouch House Farm, was transferred to the parish of
Rogate in
Sussex in 1895.[74]
Steep (1). A three-acre exclave of the parish of
Steep, located in Borden Wood in the parish of
Chithurst in
Sussex, was transferred to the latter parish in 1883. The area consisted of woodland only, with no inhabitants or cultivation.[75]Hampshire's tiny exclave in a Sussex wood.
A large exclave was abolished in 1844:
Ambersham (1). This was a tithing of the parish of
Steep, and was a narrow strip of land running south from the Surrey border near
Haslemere to near
Graffham in Sussex. After 1844 it was divided into the civil parishes of
South Ambersham and
North Ambersham.
The county had one exclave after 1844, and three were abolished then (pre-1844 total 5, legal 5; post-1844 total 1, legal 1):
Ffwddog (1). The parish of
Cwmyoy in
Monmouthshire included an exclave of Herefordshire called Ffwddog, 2,008 acres (813 hectares)[76] (spelled "Fwthog" by the first
Ordnance Survey).[77] This was transferred to Monmouthshire in 1891.[78]
Litton and Cascob (1). The township of Litton and Cascob, in the ancient parishes of
Cascob and
Presteigne, transferred to
Radnorshire.
Rochford (1). The chapelry of
Rochford, in the parish of
Tenbury, transferred to
Worcestershire.Herefordshire exclave of Crooked Billet, a field in Monmouthshire. (Historic County Borders Project)
Meppershall (3). The parts of the parish of
Meppershall in Hertfordshire east of the village, transferred to
Bedfordshire. The largest exclave, which divided the village, contained a small counter-exclave of Bedfordshire (q.v.) on the south side of Fildyke Road near the junction with Chapel Road. The other two exclaves comprised meadows on the west border of the parish, one a long strip and another tiny.[81]
The county had two exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 2, legal 2; post-1844 total 2, legal 2):
Swineshead (1). The parish of
Swineshead was an exclave of the county surrounded by
Bedfordshire, 1,278 acres (517 hectares).[83] In 1896, the parish was transferred to
Bedfordshire in exchange for the parish of
Tilbrook.[84]
Tetworth (1). The civil parish of
Tetworth was in two parts, the southern being an exclave of
Huntingdonshire separated from the rest of the county, 730 acres (300 hectares) and the other half of the parish by a salient of
Cambridgeshire. This situation remained until 1965, when the county of
Huntingdon and Peterborough was formed, and parish and county boundaries were adjusted to remove the detached part. The exclave had been enlarged under the 1844 act by including part of Tetworth previously in Bedfordshire, which was a single irregularly-shaped field in the north-west corner of the exclave north of Biggin Wood.[85][86] Oddly, the parish church of
Everton, Bedfordshire was in this enclave (with half the village) and not in its civil parish. This was because Everton and Tetworth had always remained a single ecclesiastical parish.[87]
The county had two riparian semi-exclaves after 1844:
North Woolwich. The town and parish of
Woolwich had two parcels of territory on the north bank of the
Thames Estuary, surrounded by
Essex. Before the 19th century these were just marshland, but in 1847
North Woolwich railway station was opened in the western, smaller one to give the town a railway route to London via a ferry. This created the settlement of
North Woolwich. The two riparian semi-exclaves were transferred to the County of London with the town in 1889. Previously, the boundary between Kent and Essex ran along the middle of the estuary here.
The
hundreds of historic
Lancashire, showing Lonsdale in two parts, separated by
Morecambe Bay. The green outline shows the 1974 administrative Lancashire.
The historic county of Lancashire had no true exclaves, although a large part of it was separated from the rest at high tide and counted as a semi-exclave (total 1):
Furness (1). The
North Lonsdale area of Lancashire, or "Lancashire North of the Sands", was cut off from the main body of Lancashire by
Westmorland and
Morecambe Bay, and so was regarded as a semi-enclave. However, Morecambe Bay dries out at low tide and an ancient right of way for wheeled traffic runs across it (presently in charge of the
King's Guide to the Sands). The area was transferred to
Cumbria by the Local Government Act 1972.
River Mersey. The border with
Cheshire ran along the
River Mersey, but the river had many
meanders and was liable to change its course. This left many portions of both counties on the wrong side of it.[88] Most of the border has been superseded, but a portion remains between the boroughs of
Stockport and
Tameside south of
Denton, and this still illustrates the problem.[89]
The county had no exclaves, except sixteen small counter-exclaves in its large enclave of Derbyshire (q.v.) (pre-1844 total 16, legal 0; post-1844 total 16, legal 0):
The county had three exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 3 legal 1; post-1844 total 3, legal 1):
Misson (3). The parish of
Misson was shared with
Nottinghamshire, which had the village. Lincolnshire had one main exclave, Misson Springs, with two satellite exclaves of Highwood Farm and Lewes Farm. The latter was only separated from the main exclave by the width of Springs Road. The parish was consolidated within Nottinghamshire in 1886, despite being a riparian semi-exclave cut off from the rest of the county by the
River Idle.[90]
The City of London has kept its ancient boundaries, which have no exclaves. However, the entire length of
Old London Bridge was in its territory, until it was demolished in 1831. Technically this left a short stretch of the
River Thames tidal foreshore in Southwark as a riparian semi-exclave of the city, just east of the present London Bridge.[91]
When the
County of London was constituted in 1889, it was made up of parishes from
Kent,
Surrey and
Middlesex. Whereas Middlesex had no county exclaves, it had several parish exclaves and three of these caused anomalies in the new county's boundaries:
One Middlesex parish,
Clerkenwell, had a detached portion that became an exclave of London surrounded by Middlesex. The exclave comprised a 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) area of north-central
Muswell Hill, and occupied the east side of Colney Hatch Lane from Muswell Hill Broadway as far north as the present Goodwyns Vale. Back then, it was parkland and contained the ancient Mus Well. In the Middle Ages,
Clerkenwell Priory had charge of a chapel and shrine here of "Our Lady of Mus Well", hence the exclave. This was absorbed by Middlesex in 1899, having been built over and the well destroyed the previous year (it was at 40 Muswell Road).[97][98]
The ancient Middlesex parish of
Hornsey had two small exclaves in the south-east corner of the parish of
Stoke Newington, which were included in the
South HornseyLocal Board in 1865. The formation of the County of London left these as enclaves within it, which were inherited by the South Hornsey Urban District in 1894. Then the whole of South Hornsey passed to the County of London in 1900. One exclave was a narrow strip of land, 5 acres (2.0 hectares), from Newington Green along the west side of Albion Road to just short of Clissold Crescent. The other was an irregular shape of 60.5 acres (24.5 hectares) made up of two quadrilaterals meeting at the junction of Allen Road and Neville Road, one occupying the area bounded by Matthias Road, Milton Road, Allen Road and Cowper Road, the other between Nevill Road and Stoke Newington Road.[99]
The County of London inherited the two riparian semi-enclaves of
North Woolwich from Kent (q.v.), and these were abolished when the
Borough of Newham was created in 1965.
Monmouthshire
The county had no exclaves after 1844, and one was abolished then (pre-1844 total 1, legal 1; post-1844 total 1, legal 1):
The county had one exclave after 1844 (pre-1844 total 1 legal 1; post-1844 total 1, legal 1):
Exclave of Montgomeryshire in England
Bausley (1). The township of Bausley forms a Welsh salient into
Shropshire, and had a small exclave comprising a farm called Stanford which was transferred to the latter county.[100] There was a serious proposal to transfer Bausley to Shropshire in 1887,[101] but the parish exclave was transferred to
Wollaston instead. Bausley, including the exclave, remain in the
Church of England parish of
Alberbury.
Riparian semi-exclaves:
The border with Shropshire between
Llanymynech and
Melverley (the Welsh-English border) runs along the
River Vyrnwy, but this river
meanders at will. Dropped meanders mean that there are six riparian semi-enclaves of Montgomeryshire, and four of Shropshire. These have been left alone.[102] One of the Montgomeryshire semi-exclaves (the second from Llanymenech Bridge) was created after 1887 when the river changed course.[103]
The county had no exclaves in other counties, and very compact boundaries. However, it did have a counter-enclave:
Norwich Castle was an enclave of the county of Norfolk within the city of
Norwich, which in turn was historically a
county corporate and so an enclave within Norfolk.[104] It comprised
Norwich Castle and some adjoining territory.
The county had eight small exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 8, legal 1; post-1844 total 8, legal 1):
Exclaves of Northamptonshire in Catford, also shows Swineshead exclave of Huntingdonshire. (Historic County Borders Project)
Great Catworth (8). The parish of Great Catworth in
Huntingdonshire had eight small parcels of territory belonging to Northamptonshire.[105] These were thought to have been a property holding by
Peterborough Abbey. The parish was consolidated with Little Catworth to make (just)
Catworth in 1885.[106]
Pene-exclave:
The parish of
Lutton was divided between
Northamptonshire and
Huntingdonshire until 1886, when it was unified in the former county. Previously, two fields of Lutton Lodge Farm formed a pene-exclave with an isthmus only about two yards wide. The old name was Luddington-in-the-Wold.[107][108]
The county had ten exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 10, legal 1; post-1844 total 10, legal 1):
Auckley (10). The township (now parish) of
Auckley is in
Yorkshire, but was divided between that county and Nottinghamshire in a complicated manner. The latter had three exclaves of very irregular shape, and seven satellite exclaves making a total of ten. Yorkshire had two counter-exclaves in the largest exclave. The township was united under Yorkshire in 1886.[110]Nottinghamshire (green), Lincolnshire (orange) and Yorkshire (pink) meeting in confusion (Historic County Borders Project).
Pene-exclave:
The parish of
Broadholme was mostly surrounded by
Lincolnshire, and was inaccessible directly from Nottinghamshire. It was transferred to the former county in 1989, despite much local opposition.
Riparian semi-exclave:
The parish of
Misson, Nottinghamshire is a riparian semi-exclave completely cut off from the rest of the county by the
River Idle -there is not even footpath access allowing you to swim across.[111]
The
county corporate of
Nottingham contained a counter-exclave which used to be the precincts of
Nottingham Castle. This comprised four contiguous extra-parochial areas, known as Castle Enclosure, The Park, Brewhouse Yard and Standard Hill. The exclave was abolished in 1877.[112]
The county had no exclaves after 1844, and a total of eleven were abolished then (pre-1844 total 11 legal 1; post-1844 total 0).
Halesowen (11). The ancient
parish of Halesowen, excluding the township of Warley Wigorn in Worcestershire, was a large exclave, transferred to Worcestershire, uniting it with Warley Wigorn. It included the townships of
Halesowen proper,
Hunnington,
Illey,
Oldbury,
Ridgacre,
Romsley and
Warley Salop. The area around the last, especially on Barnford Hill south of
Langley Green had extremely complicated boundaries. Barnford Hill saw the counties of Shropshire and Worcestershire share out field strips. Worcestershire had twenty-seven counter-exclaves and the Shropshire exclave had ten counter-counter exclaves, both sets including field strips of a fraction of an acre. Four of the Worcester sub-enclaves bordered on Staffordshire.[117]
Riparian semi-exclaves:
The border with Shropshire between
Llanymynech and
Melverley (the Welsh-English border) runs along the
River Vyrnwy, but this river
meanders at will. Dropped meanders mean that there are six riparian semi-enclaves of Shropshire, and four of Montgomeryshire. These have been left alone.[118]
The county had four exclaves after 1844, a fifth briefly in the 20th century (not counted) and one was abolished in 1844 (pre-1844 total 5, legal 3; post-1844 total 3, legal 2):
Dudley Castle Hill. The
extra-parochial territory of Dudley Castle Hill, including
Dudley Castle, was anciently part of
Seisdon Hundred in Staffordshire. However, it abutted the town of
Dudley, itself an exclave of
Worcestershire (q.v.), and the castle was a pene-exclave of Staffordshire because the gate opened onto Worcestershire. In 1926 Dudley County Borough had its boundaries extended, making Dudley Castle Hill an exclave in Worcestershire. This lasted only until 1929, three years, when it was annexed.[120]
Edingale (3). The village of
Edingale was divided between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, with townships of the same name belonging to
Croxall and
Alrewas. Derbyshire had three exclaves, and Stsffordshire three. All were abolished when Edingale civil parish was created in 1936 and put in Staffordshire.[121]
Rolleston on Dove (1). The parish of
Rolleston on Dove had an exclave comprising a single meadow on the
River Dove south of
Marston on Dove. This was within a riparian pene-exclave of Derbyshire (see below).[122]
The
River Dove, where it forms the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, has changed course in many places in between
Rocester and its confluence with the
River Trent, leaving several riparian semi-enclaves of both counties along it. These have mostly been left alone. Derbyshire has thirteen with another two connected by bridge; Staffordshire twelve, with a further three connected by bridge.[123]
The county had compact boundaries, and no exclaves.
Riparian semi-exclave:
A dropped meander on the
River Thames just north of
Chertsey Bridge left part of the county on the wrong side of the river at Chertsey Lock. This was called Bos Ait and featured an oxbow lake in 1872, but has been mostly lost to a gravel pit.[124]
The county mostly had compact boundaries, no exclaves and one large pene-exclave which survives to the present day:
Newmarket, Suffolk cannot be accessed directly from the rest of the county by any public right of way, although the isthmus was slightly widened in 1992 so that the boundary now abuts the B1506 road.[125] The pene-exclave also contains the parish of
Exning. Before the exclave was enlarged in 1894, the boundary of the town ran along the High Street and the southern part with the railway station was in the
Cambridgeshire parish of
Woodditton.[126] In 1992, as well as the pene-exclaves isthmus being widened, half of
Newmarket Heath and the small village of
Landwade were annexed from Cambridgeshire.[127]
The county had no exclaves after 1844, and one was abolished then (pre-1844 total 1, legal 1; post-1844 total 0):
Bohunt (1). An exclave of the parish of
Rogate known as Bohunt west of
Liphook, transferred to the parish of
Bramshott in Hampshire.
The county had only one pene-exclave, the boundaries being otherwise compact:
The Sussex portion of the parish of Bramshott was transferred to join the rest in 1894. It comprised a thin strip containing
Griggs Green, and a sub-salient containing part of Lowsley Farm[128][129]
The county had one exclave after 1844, and one was abolished then (pre-1844 total 2, legal 2; post-1844 total 1, legal 1):
Ilmington, Stretton-on-Fosse and Whitchurch (1). The parishes of
Ilmington,
Stretton-on-Fosse, and
Whitchurch formed a large exclave of
Warwickshire, separated from the main part of the county by an exclave of four
Worcestershire parishes. In 1931 the intervening area of Worcestershire was transferred to Warwickshire, so that the three parishes became joined to the rest of the county.
The county had no exclaves after 1844, and ten were abolished then (pre-1844 total 10, legal 6; post-1844 total 0):
Inglesham (1). The parish divided between
Berkshire and
Wiltshire, and was united in the latter county in 1844. The Berkshire portion contained a small exclave of Wiltshire around the parish church, which was thus eliminated. The original boundary survived for parliamentary purposes into the latter 19th century -including the exclave.[130]
Minety (1). A small counter-enclave within the parish of
Minety which was an exclave of
Gloucestershire within the county. This contained the parish church, and was abolished when the exclave was transferred to Wiltshire.[131]
Shinfield (2). The parish of
Shinfield in
Berkshire had two portions forming exclaves of Wiltshire. The larger contained the hamlets of
Swallowfield and
Riseley, the smaller that of
Farley Hill.[132]Exclaves of Wiltshire (lilac) near Reading, Berkshire. (Historic County Borders Project)
Wokingham and Hurst (4). A large, irregularly shaped exclave took in part of the parochial chapelry of
Hurst, Berkshire in the parish of
Sonning, and part of the parish of
Wokingham. It had a waist the width of a road at Broad Common. It included the east end of Wokingham town with its parish church, and the east end of the village of
Twyford. A small, very irregularly shaped satellite exclave occupied the west side of the latter village, and two tiny ones were in its centre. This set of four exclaves, treated as two legal issues, were transferred to
Berkshire.[133]
The historic county was well provided with exclaves. After 1844, six survived with three small satellite exclaves making a total of nine. Twenty-nine were abolished in 1844, although several were tiny (pre-1844 total 38, legal 8; post-1844 total 9, legal 6):
Blockley (1).The parish of
Blockley, including Paxford and Aston Magna, was transferred to Gloucestershire in 1931.
Cutsdean (1). The
chapelry of
Cutsdean, in the parish of Bredon, became a civil parish in 1866. It was transferred to
Gloucestershire in 1931.
Dudley (2). The town of
Dudley survived as an exclave of 3,548 acres (1,436 hectares)[134] until 1966 (augmented 1926), because it was the biggest town in the county and had a greater population than
Worcester. It excluded
Dudley Castle (see Staffordshire, above) but had a satellite exclave as a strip of woodland on the west side of Dudley Castle Hill.[135] In 1889 the town became a
county borough remaining, however, an exclave of
Worcestershire for some purposes. In 1926 the exclave was extended by annexing land from the administrative county of
Staffordshire for the Priory and Wrens Nest Hill council estates, and this abolished the satellite exclave. In 1966 the county borough absorbed further surrounding areas of Staffordshire, which then became the overall lieutenancy and
ceremonial county of Dudley. This abolished the exclave.
Daylesford (1).The parish of
Daylesford was transferred to Gloucestershire in 1931.
Edvin Loach (3). The parish of
Edvin Loach of 510 acres (210 hectares)[136] was transferred to
Herefordshire in 1893. It previously had two small satellite exclaves at Cwmwood Farm,[137] transferred to the parish of Collington in 1886.[138]
Evenlode (1).The parish of
Evenlode was transferred to Gloucestershire in 1931. Previously four counties had met at a point marked by the
Four Shire Stone, but afterwards only Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire did.
Two larger exclaves were abolished in 1844, and twenty-seven small ones:
Church Icomb (1). That half of the parish of
Icomb (older spelling Iccomb) called Church Icomb, transferred to
Gloucestershire to join the portion already in the county called Westward Icomb. The village had been divided.[139]
Halesowen (27). The ancient
parish of Halesowen was a large exclave of
Shropshire, transferred to
Worcestershire. This act abolished twenty-seven counter-exclaves within it, including three tiny field strips.
Pene-exclaves:
The 1931 boundary re-ordering abolished two pene-exclaves comprising individual parishes, by annexing neighbouring areas from
Gloucestershire:
The county had two exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 2, legal 0; post-1844 total 2, legal 0):
Auckley (2). The only exclaves that Yorkshire had were two small counter-exclaves at
Auckley, within an exclave of
Nottinghamshire (q.v.). One comprised Insley Plantation, the other was two fields of a farm called Hayfield. These were abolished in 1886, when the township was united in Yorkshire.[140]
^Jones, I.W: Llandudno, Queen of the Welsh Resorts 2008 p. 129
^Ordnance Survey 6 inch Denbighshire III and IV 1875, with notes
^County Boundary. Returns from Clerks of the Peace of Insulated Parcels of Land in the Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Vol 21 1825, own page numbers p. 5
^County Boundary. Returns from Clerks of the Peace of Insulated Parcels of Land in the Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Vol 21 1825, own page numbers p 3
^Gwent Local History: The Journal of Gwent Local History Council issue 56, Spring 1984 p. 27, available The National Library of Wales
^Stanley, A. P: Historical Memorials of Westminster Abbey 1869 p. 398
^County Boundary. Returns from Clerks of the Peace of Insulated Parcels of Land in the Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Vol 21 1825, own page numbers p. 12.
^Kempe, A. J: Historical Notices of the Collegiate Church Or Royal Free Chapel and Sanctuary of St. Martin-le-Grand, London 1825 p. 172
^Ordnance Survey 6 inch sheet Shropshire XXVI 1887
^County Boundary. Returns from Clerks of the Peace of Insulated Parcels of Land in the Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Vol 21 1825, own page numbers p. 13
The last major transfer of areas was in 1931, when the boundaries of
Gloucestershire,
Warwickshire, and
Worcestershire were realigned. Following the creation of a new administrative county of
Huntingdon and Peterborough in 1965, and boundary changes at
Dudley in 1966,
Lancashire and
Flintshire were left as the only counties with detached areas; these remained right up to the abolition of the respective county councils in 1974.
Exclave – part of a county completely detached from its main territory, and surrounded by territory of another county or counties.
Satellite exclave – many exclaves were accompanied by smaller ones, ranging from field strips of a fraction of an acre (see Donisthorpe under Derbyshire, below) to farms of a couple of hundred acres (see Caversfield under Buckinghamshire). Small exclaves were usually close to the main exclave or to the main county boundary; it was rare to find them at a substantial distance from other territory belonging to their county (see Borden Wood under Hampshire for an example).
Counter-exclave – an exclave of the surrounding county within an exclave. Also known as a second-order exclave.
Counter-counter exclave – a county had an exclave in another county which had a counter-exclave within it, and within this was an exclave of the same county as the first exclave. Also known as a third-order exclave. There used to be one in Wales (see Caernarvonshire in the list), and ten in the Shropshire exclave of
Halesowen.
Enclave – a "hole" in a county's territory created by an exclave of another county. Note that not all exclaves are enclaves, as the former might be on the border between two other counties.
Counter-enclave – a portion of the surrounding county within the territory of an enclave.
Semi-exclave – part of a county detached by land from its main territory, but on a marine coastline which the latter also abuts.
Riparian semi-exclave – found where a river or river estuary forms the boundary between two counties, and one county has territory on the "wrong" side of the river which is only accessible directly from that county by using a boat. These are usually, but not always, caused by the river changing course (for example, by cutting off a
meander to create an
oxbow lake). However, there were three examples on the other side of a tidal estuary through which a county boundary ran, two in Kent and one in Cornwall (q.v.). These riparian semi-exclaves are not legally true exclaves, because rivers and estuaries are county territory in English law.
Salient – a protrusion of a county's territory into that of another county or counties.
Pene-exclave – a salient which cannot be accessed by public right of way except through another county. These usually have a narrow "neck" joining the salient to the main territory. In England they can be distinguished as "vehicular" (bridlepath and footpath access only), "equestrian" (footpath access only) or "pedestrian" (no direct access).
Divided parish – county boundaries usually coincided with parish ones, but not invariably. The former could run through parishes, and many county exclaves and salients divided parishes in this way.
Parish exclave – exclaves belonging to parishes used to be more common than those of counties. A county exclave might contain one or more parishes if large, but might also include parish exclaves. Small county exclaves were usually parish exclaves as well, but not invariably: see "Monks House" under County Durham below.
County corporate – Twenty towns and cities in England and Wales had the historical status of
County corporate, making them equivalent to counties. The majority became
county boroughs in 1888. Thirteen of them were enclaves within their counties. Several of them which were
county towns, for example
Chester and
Norwich, contained counter-enclaves of their counties which comprised the administrative headquarters of the latter.
Areas transferred
Total number of exclaves
The following list has 204 exclaves in total, including 11 semi-exclaves with a coastline and generating 76 legal issues. The semi-exclaves were in Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, Devon, County Durham and Lancashire. Riparian semi-exclaves are not counted. After 1844, 106 exclaves survived which amounted to 28 surviving legal issues (multi-parish exclaves counted singly).
The 1844 Act resulted in a list of individual legal enactments targeting boundary anomalies. It counted a set of exclaves belonging to a single parish or township as a single legal issue. Conversely, a single exclave containing territory of two parishes was treated as two legal issues. Counter-exclaves were not regarded as separate legal issues, because they vanished when the exclave concerned was abolished. In contrast, after 1844 legal issues concerning exclaves could be bundled together and dealt with by a single legal order, as happened in the 1931 re-ordering of the boundaries of
Gloucestershire,
Worcestershire and
Warwickshire.
The county had one exclave after 1844, and eight abolished then (pre-1844 total 9, legal 3; post-1844 total 1, legal 1):
Aspley Heath (1). This was an exclave separated from the county's main territory by the width of a highway. The exclave was eliminated by the annexation of territory from
Buckinghamshire to create a
civil parish in 1883.[2][3]
Abolished in 1844:
Meppershall (1). The
Hertfordshire exclave of
Meppershall contained a small counter-enclave, on the south side of Fildyke Road near the junction with Chapel Road. This was abolished when the exclave was annexed.[4]
Shillington (6). Exclaves of the parish of
Shillington, Bedfordshire in
Hertfordshire were transferred to the latter. There were five small ones in fields of
Pirton next to
Oughtonhead Common, the largest being of very irregular shape and another containing a counter-exclave of Hertfordshire. A sixth contained Shillington Mill at
Ickleford.[5][6]
Whipsnade (1). Balligdon Bottom, 160 acres (65 hectares), an exclave of
Whipsnade parish in
Beechwood Park.[7] The area remained a parish exclave until it was added to
Markyate parish in 1897.[8] Beechwood had been a wooded common in Anglo-Saxon times shared by several villages, and the exclave was granted to Whipsnade in exchange for its rights when the
Benedictine nunnery of "St Giles in the Wood" was founded on the common in the 12th century.[9]
The county had no exclaves after 1844, and three were abolished then (pre-1844 total 3, legal 3; post-1844 total 0):
Great Barrington (1). Part of the parish of
Great Barrington, otherwise in Gloucestershire and the exclave was transferred to it. This ran the width of the parish along the north bank of the
River Windrush, and the boundary ran through the village.[10] This exclave was not shown on the first
Ordnance Survey, so is not on the online "Historic County Boundaries Project" map.[11][12]
Langford and Little Faringdon (1).
Langford and
Little Faringdontownships (now civil parishes), together forming an exclave transferred to
Oxfordshire.[13] Samuel Lewis 1803 wrote that only part of Langford township belonged to Berkshire, with the county boundary running through the parish church.[14] The "Historic County Boundaries Project" has the whole township in Berkshire, following the first Ordnance Survey.[15][16]
Shilton (1). Most of the parish of
Shilton formed an exclave transferred to Oxfordshire. The parish had its own exclave comprising a 7 acres (2.8 hectares) meadow next to the
River Windrush south-east of
Witney, which was already in Oxfordshire.[17]
Two pene-exclaves were abolished after 1844:
That part of the divided parish of
Inglesham in Berkshire was transferred to
Wiltshire to join the rest in 1844. It contained part the village, while the church was in a small exclave of Wiltshire. The south part of the parish with the hamlet of Upper Inglesham was also in Wiltshire. The pene-enclave was a large field by the River Thames north-west of Upper Inglesham, inaccessible directly from Berkshire. The boundary survived for parliamentary purposes into the latter 19th century.[18]Shalbourne salient of Berkshire, briefly in Wiltshire 1844 (Historic County Borders Project)
The parish of
Shalbourne was divided between Berkshire and Wiltshire, the former having the parish church and the tithing of
Oxenwood. The long, narrow and irregularly shaped salient was transferred to
Wiltshire and the parish united only in 1895.[19] Oxenwood was included in the 1844 Act by mistake, as it was erroneously listed as an exclave. The relevant Order was cancelled after the error was pointed out.[20]
The
River Thames was selected as the northern boundary of the county, but from north of
Wytham past Oxford to beyond the mouth of the
River Cherwell the river subsequently changed its course. At the city centre, this left a strip of territory on the north bank in Berkshire. Included were Folly Bridge Island and an area north of
Folly Bridge, adjacent to two riparian semi-enclaves. The first was Deans Ham, in between the river and
Christ Church Meadown.[21] The second was
Aston's Eyot, the other side of the old channel of the Cherwell and including what is now "Boathouse Island". These areas were annexed to Oxford when it became a
county borough in 1890.[22] However, the boundary between the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham and the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth continues to follow the old county boundary.[23]
The county had four exclaves after 1844, and five abolished then (pre-1844 total 9, legal 6; post-1844 total 4, legal 2):
Drayton Beauchamp (2). Two exclaves of the parish of
Drayton Beauchamp were transferred to
Hertfordshire, and annexed to the parish of
Tring in 1886. The larger was Whittle Farm, 106 acres (43 hectares) and the other a field of 5.4 acres (2.2 hectares) on Cheddington Lane east of
Long Marston which is now most of the village cricket club.[24][25][26]Small exclaves of Buckinghamshire in Hertfordshire, at Long Marston. (Historic County Borders Project)
Marsworth (2). Two exclaves of the parish of
Marsworth were transferred to
Hertfordshire. The larger was a group of fields by the hamlet of
Astrope of 52 acres (21 hectares), and the other was a strip of land in Long Marston village, 2.2 acres (0.89 hectares). The former was annexed to the parish of
Puttenham and the latter to that of
Tring in 1886.[27][28][29]
Abolished in 1844:
Caversfield (3). The parish of
Caversfield was transferred to
Oxfordshire, comprising one major exclave and two satellite exclaves. As well as the main bloc of territory of 1,278 acres (517 hectares), there was an exclave of 216 acres (87 hectares) comprising fields to the east, and one of 3.6 acres (1.5 hectares) comprising the south-east side of the village street of
Stratton Audley. The two parish exclaves were transferred to the parish of Stratton Audley in 1888.[30] Before
enclosure, in 1770 the latter parish had an
open-field system the strips of which were divided between itself and Caversfield in a complicated manner, and the county boundary followed this. The 216-acre exclave was a consolidation of the Caversfield strips.[31] The 1832 schedule listed the two Stratton Audley exclaves as the "Chapelry of Stratton Audley", although there was never a chapel separate from the parish church, and this was treated as s separate legal case by the 1844 Act.[32]
Lillingstone Lovell (1). The parish of
Lillingstone Lovell was transferred from Oxfordshire. This united the parish and county exclave of
Lillingstone Dayrell with Buckinghamshire proper.[33]
Luffield Abbey (1). The exclave of the extra-parochial territory of
Luffield Abbey in Buckinghamshire was transferred to
Northamptonshire and annexed to the parish of
Silverstone. The territory had been in two portions, and the main portion remained in the former county.
One pene-exclave was abolished after 1844:
A very irregularly shaped pene-exclave was wrapped around the
Hertfordshire parish of
Little Gaddesden. Hudnall to the east, a parish exclave of
Edlesborough, was annexed to Little Gaddesden and Hertfordshire in 1885, and
Nettleden to the south-east, which had been a parish exclave of
Pitstone, was made a parish in Hertfordshire in 1895.[34]
Three riparian semi-exclaves survived on the
River Thames until fairly recently:
The village of
Laleham had a parcel of land on the wrong side of the river, on Penton Hook.[36]
A lost meander at
Windsor left Deadwater Ait as part of Buckinghamshire on the Windsor side of the river. This was abolished when
Eton was annexed to Windsor in 1998.[37]
The historic county had no exclaves, with one dubious exception:
The
Liberty of
Ely Place, adjacent to the
City of London in
Holborn. There are many online and printed references to date, stating that this was an exclave of Cambridgeshire until the formation of the
London Borough of Camden in 1965.[38] The evidence is alleged to be that the licence of its pub, the "Olde Mitre", was obtained from the Cambridgeshire magistrates not the Middlesex ones. The liberty marked the site of the "Inn" (that is, the London town house or palace) of the Bishop of Ely in the Middle Ages, hence the Cambridgeshire connection. The story was debunked in print by
H. V. Morton in 1940, and lacks reliable citations.[39]
The county had two exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 2, legal 1; post-1844 total 2, legal 1):
Llysfaen and Eirias (2). The county had a large (2711.4 acres or 1097 ha)[40] semi-exclave consisting of the parishes of
Llysfaen and Eirias and including the town of
Old Colwyn, which was transferred to the surrounding county of
Denbighshire and the urban district of
Colwyn Bay in 1923.[41] In turn it surrounded a counter-semi-exclave of
Denbighshire including the east part of Old Colwyn, which had very complex borders. This counter-semi-exclave in turn contained a counter-counter-semi-exclave of Caernarvonshire, that of "Coed-coch Cottage" covering 1.6 acres (0.65 hectares).[42]Nested exclaves of Caernarvonshire (pink) and Denbighshire. (Historic County Borders Project)
The county had no exclaves in other counties. However, it did have a counter-enclave:
Chester Castle was an enclave of the county of Cheshire within the city of
Chester, which in turn was historically a
county corporate and so an enclave within Cheshire.[43] It comprised
Chester Castle and some adjoining territory. The situation remained until 1974, the city having become a
county borough in 1888. The territory remains a
civil parish, with no inhabitants (2020).
Riparian semi-exclaves:
River Dee. The border with
Denbighshire between
Aldford and
Shocklach (the Welsh-English border) runs along the
River Dee, but this river
meanders at will. Dropped meanders mean that there are three riparian semi-enclaves of Cheshire near Shocklach. These have been left alone.[44]
River Mersey. The border with
Lancashire ran along the
River Mersey, but the river had many
meanders and was liable to change its course. This left many portions of both counties on the wrong side of it.[45] Most of the border has been superseded, but a portion remains between the boroughs of
Stockport and
Tameside south of
Denton, and this still illustrates the problem.[46]
The county had one riparian semi-exclave after 1844:
Saltash. Historically the county has had only one detached portion, a riparian semi-exclave on the east, Devon side of the estuary of the
River Tamar estuary opposite
Saltash. This meant that the ancient ferry there had both ends in Cornwall. The area belonged to
Saltash, St Stephen parish, but was transferred to
St Budeaux parish and Devon after 1844.[47][48]
The county had two exclaves and three semi-exclaves after 1844, and one abolished then (pre-1844 total 6, legal 2; post-1844 total 5, legal 1):
Llandrillo yn Rhos (5) The major semi-exclave of
Caernarfonshire (see above) contained a semi-exclave of Denbighshire including the east part of
Old Colwyn. This in turn had two satellite semi-exclaves north of Penmaen-Rhôs, separated by a very narrow corridor. In addition, it was accompanied by two small satellite exclaves forming thin strips south-east of Old Colwyn. This total of five detached portions of Denbighshire, 139 acres (56 hectares), belonged to the parish of
Llandrillo yn Rhos. It was annexed to the semi-enclave of Caernarfonshire in 1879.[49][50]
One exclave was abolished in 1844:
Carreghofa (1). The township of
Carreghofa was on the English border, and included the Welsh half of the divided village of
Llanymynech.
Riparian semi-exclaves:
The
River Dee formed the border from near
Chester to near
Chirk, but was liable to change course and drop
meanders. As a result, there were two riparian semi-exclaves on the border with the exclave of Flintshire known as English Maelor:[51]
By Althrey Hall in Flintshire, one of a pair of lost meanders and so accompanying a riparian semi-exclave of Flintshire.
A large meadow west of
Shocklach, by the meeting point with Flintshire and Shropshire.
The county had twenty-nine exclaves after 1844, one very large and the rest small (or tiny) satellites of it, totalling 8,285 acres (3,353 hectares),[52] and one abolished then (pre-1844 total 30, legal 4; post-1844 total 29, legal 3):
Complicated exclaves of Derbyshire (Historic County Borders Project)
Appleby Magna, Chilcote, Measham, Oakthorpe & Donisthorpe, Stretton en le Field and Willesley (9). A block of parishes formed a large exclave of Derbyshire in
Leicestershire:
Appleby Magna North (partly in
Leicestershire),
Chilcote,
Measham,
Oakthorpe and Donisthorpe (partly in
Leicestershire),
Stretton en le Field and
Willesley This was transferred to Leicestershire 1897. At the same time, the parishes of
Netherseal and
Overseal were received from
Leicestershire in compensation. The village of Appleby Magna had been divided between the two counties, with three satellite exclaves of Derbyshire and four small counter-exclaves of Leicestershire. The fields of Donisthorpe had been allotted to the two counties in a very complicated manner, featuring irregular interlocking salients with five satellite exclaves of Derbyshire and twelve counter-exclaves of Leicestershire.[53][54][55]
Edingale (3). The village
Edingale was divided between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, with two townships of the same name belonging to
Croxall and
Alrewas. Derbyshire had three exclaves, and Staffordshire three. All were abolished when Edingale civil parish was created in 1936 and put in Staffordshire.[56]
Packington and Ravenstone (17). The parish of
Packington in
Leicestershire included the
chapelry of
Snibston as a large parish exclave to the east, separated by the parish of Ravenstone. The main body of Packington contained three exclaves of Derbyshire (two meeting at a point), with ten satellite exclaves. Ravenstone had one larger exclave (including much of the village), and Snibston had three. All seventeen exclaves were transferred to
Leicestershire in 1844, the latter four forming part of the new parish of
Ravenstone with Snibston. Packington was adjacent to the large Derbyshire exclave listed below.[57][58]Derbyshire (in blue) and Leicestershire at Donisthorpe. (Historic County Borders Project)
One exclave was abolished in 1844:
Foston and Scropton (1). Part of the township of
Foston and Scropton (in the parish of
Scropton), transferred to
Staffordshire. This was a set of fields, and remained as a township exclave.[59]
Riparian semi-exclaves:
The
River Dove, where it forms the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, has changed course in many places in between
Rocester and its confluence with the
River Trent, leaving several riparian semi-enclaves of both counties along it. These have mostly been left alone. Derbyshire has thirteen with another two connected by bridge; Staffordshire twelve, with a further three connected by bridge.[60]
The county had no exclaves after 1844; one exclave and two semi-exclaves were abolished then (pre-1844 total 3, legal 3; post-1844 total 0):
Maker (2). Two semi-exclaves forming part of the parish of
Maker were transferred to
Cornwall. These comprised the tithing of Vaultershome, the larger one including the hamlets of Dodbrook, Kingsand and Cremyll and the smaller being an estate called Mendenick near
St John.[61]
Thorncombe with Beerhall and Easthay (1). The exclave containing the parish of
Thorncombe was transferred to
Dorset. It also contained the tithing of Beerhall and Easthay, a parish exclave belonging to
Axminster which was treated as a separate legal issue by the 1844 Act. Somehow, the schedule of Orders generated by the Act had this portion of Axminster transferred from Dorset to Devon. Rather, it ended up as a detached portion of the parish in Dorset until added to Thorncombe.[62]
The county had no exclaves after 1844; one exclave and three semi-exclaves were abolished then (pre-1844 total 4, legal 5; post-1844 total 0):
Bedlingtonshire (1). The district of
Bedlingtonshire, basically the parish of
Bedlington, was transferred to Northumberland.
Craikshire (1). The district of
Craikshire, basically the parish of
Crayke, was transferred to the
North Riding of
Yorkshire. This was the only true
exclave (because it had no sea border)
Monks' House (1). The farmstead of Monks' House was a semi-enclave of 0.6 acres (0.24 hectares) at
Bamburgh, forming an extra-parochial district. It functioned as a mainland port for the monks living on Inner Farne, being donated for this purpose in 1257 by
King Henry III.[63] This is the smallest separately administered exclave in this list. Counted as part of Islandshire by the 1844 Act.[64]
Flintshire was unique in maintaining two exclaves until 1974. Historically there were eight (pre-1844 total 8, legal 4; post-1844 total 8, legal 4):
Abenbury Fechan (5). The township of Abenbury Fechan, east of Wrexham, consisted of one larger and four smaller exclaves totalling 160 acres (65 ha). The township was transferred to the Denbighshire township of
Abenbury Fawr in 1885. The small exclaves were Woodbine Farm, Hullah Farm, Llwyn-on and Five Fords.[65]
English Maelor (1). The largest of the exclaves was the area of
English Maelor or Maelor Saesneg, which became the Overton Rural District in 1894, and was renamed
Maelor Rural District in 1953.
Marford-and-Hoseley (2). The second largest exclave was the
township of
Marford-and-Hoseley in the parish of Gresford (otherwise in
Denbighshire), 589 acres (238 hectares).[66] Originally this township had a satellite exclave called Marford Mill that included part of the village of
Rossett, 15 acres (6.1 hectares),[67] but this was transferred to the Denbighshire township of Allington in 1885. At the same date, small exclaves of Gresford township (to be distinguished from the parish) and Allington township were transferred from Denbighshire and added to the main Marford-and-Hoseley exclave. The former was Marford Wood, the latter a small estate called "The Elms". The augmented exclave became a
parish in the
Hawarden Rural District in 1894, although surrounded by
Wrexham Rural District in
Denbighshire. It remained an exclave of Flintshire until local government reorganisation in 1974, when the two
rural districts mentioned were united in
Wrexham Maelor.[68]
Riparian semi-exclaves:
The
River Dee formed the border of Denbighshire with the exclave of English Maelor,[69] but was liable to change course and drop
meanders. As a result, there were riparian semi-exclaves on this border:
Part of Pickhill Meadows north-east of
Bangor-on-Dee.
Across the river from Althrey Hall, one of a pair of lost meanders and so accompanying a riparian semi-exclave of Denbighshire.
The parish of
Erbistock was divided between Denbighshire and Flintshire, with the latter portion forming an irregularly shaped salient on the wrong side of the river from English Maelor. It contained the parish church. The parish was consolidated within Denbighshire in 1897.[70]
After 1844, Gloucestershire had no true exclaves and six were abolished then (pre-1844 total 6, legal 6; post-1844 total 0).
However, the north of the county had two pene-enclaves (that is, areas only accessible by public highway through another territory) which were only joined to the rest of the county by narrow necks of land. These became
Marston Sicca Rural District, and portions of
Campden Rural District and
Pebworth Rural District in 1894. In 1931 the county's boundaries with
Warwickshire and
Worcestershire were realigned, removing the
salients from Gloucestershire; in compensation, Gloucestershire gained a number of detached
Worcestershire parishes.
Lea Lower (1). The parish of
Lea, Herefordshire was divided into the townships of Lee Upper and Lea Lower, the last being in Gloucestershire and containing the parish church. It was transferred to
Herefordshire, and the townships made into civil parishes.[71] The parish was united in 1883.[72]
Minety (1). The parish of
Minety, transferred to
Wiltshire. This surrounded a small counter-enclave of Wiltshire containing the parish church.[73]
The county had two small exclaves after 1844, and one was abolished then (pre-1844 total 3 legal 3; post-1844 total 2, legal 2):
Bramshott (1). An exclave of the parish of
Bramshott, known as Crouch House Farm, was transferred to the parish of
Rogate in
Sussex in 1895.[74]
Steep (1). A three-acre exclave of the parish of
Steep, located in Borden Wood in the parish of
Chithurst in
Sussex, was transferred to the latter parish in 1883. The area consisted of woodland only, with no inhabitants or cultivation.[75]Hampshire's tiny exclave in a Sussex wood.
A large exclave was abolished in 1844:
Ambersham (1). This was a tithing of the parish of
Steep, and was a narrow strip of land running south from the Surrey border near
Haslemere to near
Graffham in Sussex. After 1844 it was divided into the civil parishes of
South Ambersham and
North Ambersham.
The county had one exclave after 1844, and three were abolished then (pre-1844 total 5, legal 5; post-1844 total 1, legal 1):
Ffwddog (1). The parish of
Cwmyoy in
Monmouthshire included an exclave of Herefordshire called Ffwddog, 2,008 acres (813 hectares)[76] (spelled "Fwthog" by the first
Ordnance Survey).[77] This was transferred to Monmouthshire in 1891.[78]
Litton and Cascob (1). The township of Litton and Cascob, in the ancient parishes of
Cascob and
Presteigne, transferred to
Radnorshire.
Rochford (1). The chapelry of
Rochford, in the parish of
Tenbury, transferred to
Worcestershire.Herefordshire exclave of Crooked Billet, a field in Monmouthshire. (Historic County Borders Project)
Meppershall (3). The parts of the parish of
Meppershall in Hertfordshire east of the village, transferred to
Bedfordshire. The largest exclave, which divided the village, contained a small counter-exclave of Bedfordshire (q.v.) on the south side of Fildyke Road near the junction with Chapel Road. The other two exclaves comprised meadows on the west border of the parish, one a long strip and another tiny.[81]
The county had two exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 2, legal 2; post-1844 total 2, legal 2):
Swineshead (1). The parish of
Swineshead was an exclave of the county surrounded by
Bedfordshire, 1,278 acres (517 hectares).[83] In 1896, the parish was transferred to
Bedfordshire in exchange for the parish of
Tilbrook.[84]
Tetworth (1). The civil parish of
Tetworth was in two parts, the southern being an exclave of
Huntingdonshire separated from the rest of the county, 730 acres (300 hectares) and the other half of the parish by a salient of
Cambridgeshire. This situation remained until 1965, when the county of
Huntingdon and Peterborough was formed, and parish and county boundaries were adjusted to remove the detached part. The exclave had been enlarged under the 1844 act by including part of Tetworth previously in Bedfordshire, which was a single irregularly-shaped field in the north-west corner of the exclave north of Biggin Wood.[85][86] Oddly, the parish church of
Everton, Bedfordshire was in this enclave (with half the village) and not in its civil parish. This was because Everton and Tetworth had always remained a single ecclesiastical parish.[87]
The county had two riparian semi-exclaves after 1844:
North Woolwich. The town and parish of
Woolwich had two parcels of territory on the north bank of the
Thames Estuary, surrounded by
Essex. Before the 19th century these were just marshland, but in 1847
North Woolwich railway station was opened in the western, smaller one to give the town a railway route to London via a ferry. This created the settlement of
North Woolwich. The two riparian semi-exclaves were transferred to the County of London with the town in 1889. Previously, the boundary between Kent and Essex ran along the middle of the estuary here.
The
hundreds of historic
Lancashire, showing Lonsdale in two parts, separated by
Morecambe Bay. The green outline shows the 1974 administrative Lancashire.
The historic county of Lancashire had no true exclaves, although a large part of it was separated from the rest at high tide and counted as a semi-exclave (total 1):
Furness (1). The
North Lonsdale area of Lancashire, or "Lancashire North of the Sands", was cut off from the main body of Lancashire by
Westmorland and
Morecambe Bay, and so was regarded as a semi-enclave. However, Morecambe Bay dries out at low tide and an ancient right of way for wheeled traffic runs across it (presently in charge of the
King's Guide to the Sands). The area was transferred to
Cumbria by the Local Government Act 1972.
River Mersey. The border with
Cheshire ran along the
River Mersey, but the river had many
meanders and was liable to change its course. This left many portions of both counties on the wrong side of it.[88] Most of the border has been superseded, but a portion remains between the boroughs of
Stockport and
Tameside south of
Denton, and this still illustrates the problem.[89]
The county had no exclaves, except sixteen small counter-exclaves in its large enclave of Derbyshire (q.v.) (pre-1844 total 16, legal 0; post-1844 total 16, legal 0):
The county had three exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 3 legal 1; post-1844 total 3, legal 1):
Misson (3). The parish of
Misson was shared with
Nottinghamshire, which had the village. Lincolnshire had one main exclave, Misson Springs, with two satellite exclaves of Highwood Farm and Lewes Farm. The latter was only separated from the main exclave by the width of Springs Road. The parish was consolidated within Nottinghamshire in 1886, despite being a riparian semi-exclave cut off from the rest of the county by the
River Idle.[90]
The City of London has kept its ancient boundaries, which have no exclaves. However, the entire length of
Old London Bridge was in its territory, until it was demolished in 1831. Technically this left a short stretch of the
River Thames tidal foreshore in Southwark as a riparian semi-exclave of the city, just east of the present London Bridge.[91]
When the
County of London was constituted in 1889, it was made up of parishes from
Kent,
Surrey and
Middlesex. Whereas Middlesex had no county exclaves, it had several parish exclaves and three of these caused anomalies in the new county's boundaries:
One Middlesex parish,
Clerkenwell, had a detached portion that became an exclave of London surrounded by Middlesex. The exclave comprised a 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) area of north-central
Muswell Hill, and occupied the east side of Colney Hatch Lane from Muswell Hill Broadway as far north as the present Goodwyns Vale. Back then, it was parkland and contained the ancient Mus Well. In the Middle Ages,
Clerkenwell Priory had charge of a chapel and shrine here of "Our Lady of Mus Well", hence the exclave. This was absorbed by Middlesex in 1899, having been built over and the well destroyed the previous year (it was at 40 Muswell Road).[97][98]
The ancient Middlesex parish of
Hornsey had two small exclaves in the south-east corner of the parish of
Stoke Newington, which were included in the
South HornseyLocal Board in 1865. The formation of the County of London left these as enclaves within it, which were inherited by the South Hornsey Urban District in 1894. Then the whole of South Hornsey passed to the County of London in 1900. One exclave was a narrow strip of land, 5 acres (2.0 hectares), from Newington Green along the west side of Albion Road to just short of Clissold Crescent. The other was an irregular shape of 60.5 acres (24.5 hectares) made up of two quadrilaterals meeting at the junction of Allen Road and Neville Road, one occupying the area bounded by Matthias Road, Milton Road, Allen Road and Cowper Road, the other between Nevill Road and Stoke Newington Road.[99]
The County of London inherited the two riparian semi-enclaves of
North Woolwich from Kent (q.v.), and these were abolished when the
Borough of Newham was created in 1965.
Monmouthshire
The county had no exclaves after 1844, and one was abolished then (pre-1844 total 1, legal 1; post-1844 total 1, legal 1):
The county had one exclave after 1844 (pre-1844 total 1 legal 1; post-1844 total 1, legal 1):
Exclave of Montgomeryshire in England
Bausley (1). The township of Bausley forms a Welsh salient into
Shropshire, and had a small exclave comprising a farm called Stanford which was transferred to the latter county.[100] There was a serious proposal to transfer Bausley to Shropshire in 1887,[101] but the parish exclave was transferred to
Wollaston instead. Bausley, including the exclave, remain in the
Church of England parish of
Alberbury.
Riparian semi-exclaves:
The border with Shropshire between
Llanymynech and
Melverley (the Welsh-English border) runs along the
River Vyrnwy, but this river
meanders at will. Dropped meanders mean that there are six riparian semi-enclaves of Montgomeryshire, and four of Shropshire. These have been left alone.[102] One of the Montgomeryshire semi-exclaves (the second from Llanymenech Bridge) was created after 1887 when the river changed course.[103]
The county had no exclaves in other counties, and very compact boundaries. However, it did have a counter-enclave:
Norwich Castle was an enclave of the county of Norfolk within the city of
Norwich, which in turn was historically a
county corporate and so an enclave within Norfolk.[104] It comprised
Norwich Castle and some adjoining territory.
The county had eight small exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 8, legal 1; post-1844 total 8, legal 1):
Exclaves of Northamptonshire in Catford, also shows Swineshead exclave of Huntingdonshire. (Historic County Borders Project)
Great Catworth (8). The parish of Great Catworth in
Huntingdonshire had eight small parcels of territory belonging to Northamptonshire.[105] These were thought to have been a property holding by
Peterborough Abbey. The parish was consolidated with Little Catworth to make (just)
Catworth in 1885.[106]
Pene-exclave:
The parish of
Lutton was divided between
Northamptonshire and
Huntingdonshire until 1886, when it was unified in the former county. Previously, two fields of Lutton Lodge Farm formed a pene-exclave with an isthmus only about two yards wide. The old name was Luddington-in-the-Wold.[107][108]
The county had ten exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 10, legal 1; post-1844 total 10, legal 1):
Auckley (10). The township (now parish) of
Auckley is in
Yorkshire, but was divided between that county and Nottinghamshire in a complicated manner. The latter had three exclaves of very irregular shape, and seven satellite exclaves making a total of ten. Yorkshire had two counter-exclaves in the largest exclave. The township was united under Yorkshire in 1886.[110]Nottinghamshire (green), Lincolnshire (orange) and Yorkshire (pink) meeting in confusion (Historic County Borders Project).
Pene-exclave:
The parish of
Broadholme was mostly surrounded by
Lincolnshire, and was inaccessible directly from Nottinghamshire. It was transferred to the former county in 1989, despite much local opposition.
Riparian semi-exclave:
The parish of
Misson, Nottinghamshire is a riparian semi-exclave completely cut off from the rest of the county by the
River Idle -there is not even footpath access allowing you to swim across.[111]
The
county corporate of
Nottingham contained a counter-exclave which used to be the precincts of
Nottingham Castle. This comprised four contiguous extra-parochial areas, known as Castle Enclosure, The Park, Brewhouse Yard and Standard Hill. The exclave was abolished in 1877.[112]
The county had no exclaves after 1844, and a total of eleven were abolished then (pre-1844 total 11 legal 1; post-1844 total 0).
Halesowen (11). The ancient
parish of Halesowen, excluding the township of Warley Wigorn in Worcestershire, was a large exclave, transferred to Worcestershire, uniting it with Warley Wigorn. It included the townships of
Halesowen proper,
Hunnington,
Illey,
Oldbury,
Ridgacre,
Romsley and
Warley Salop. The area around the last, especially on Barnford Hill south of
Langley Green had extremely complicated boundaries. Barnford Hill saw the counties of Shropshire and Worcestershire share out field strips. Worcestershire had twenty-seven counter-exclaves and the Shropshire exclave had ten counter-counter exclaves, both sets including field strips of a fraction of an acre. Four of the Worcester sub-enclaves bordered on Staffordshire.[117]
Riparian semi-exclaves:
The border with Shropshire between
Llanymynech and
Melverley (the Welsh-English border) runs along the
River Vyrnwy, but this river
meanders at will. Dropped meanders mean that there are six riparian semi-enclaves of Shropshire, and four of Montgomeryshire. These have been left alone.[118]
The county had four exclaves after 1844, a fifth briefly in the 20th century (not counted) and one was abolished in 1844 (pre-1844 total 5, legal 3; post-1844 total 3, legal 2):
Dudley Castle Hill. The
extra-parochial territory of Dudley Castle Hill, including
Dudley Castle, was anciently part of
Seisdon Hundred in Staffordshire. However, it abutted the town of
Dudley, itself an exclave of
Worcestershire (q.v.), and the castle was a pene-exclave of Staffordshire because the gate opened onto Worcestershire. In 1926 Dudley County Borough had its boundaries extended, making Dudley Castle Hill an exclave in Worcestershire. This lasted only until 1929, three years, when it was annexed.[120]
Edingale (3). The village of
Edingale was divided between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, with townships of the same name belonging to
Croxall and
Alrewas. Derbyshire had three exclaves, and Stsffordshire three. All were abolished when Edingale civil parish was created in 1936 and put in Staffordshire.[121]
Rolleston on Dove (1). The parish of
Rolleston on Dove had an exclave comprising a single meadow on the
River Dove south of
Marston on Dove. This was within a riparian pene-exclave of Derbyshire (see below).[122]
The
River Dove, where it forms the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, has changed course in many places in between
Rocester and its confluence with the
River Trent, leaving several riparian semi-enclaves of both counties along it. These have mostly been left alone. Derbyshire has thirteen with another two connected by bridge; Staffordshire twelve, with a further three connected by bridge.[123]
The county had compact boundaries, and no exclaves.
Riparian semi-exclave:
A dropped meander on the
River Thames just north of
Chertsey Bridge left part of the county on the wrong side of the river at Chertsey Lock. This was called Bos Ait and featured an oxbow lake in 1872, but has been mostly lost to a gravel pit.[124]
The county mostly had compact boundaries, no exclaves and one large pene-exclave which survives to the present day:
Newmarket, Suffolk cannot be accessed directly from the rest of the county by any public right of way, although the isthmus was slightly widened in 1992 so that the boundary now abuts the B1506 road.[125] The pene-exclave also contains the parish of
Exning. Before the exclave was enlarged in 1894, the boundary of the town ran along the High Street and the southern part with the railway station was in the
Cambridgeshire parish of
Woodditton.[126] In 1992, as well as the pene-exclaves isthmus being widened, half of
Newmarket Heath and the small village of
Landwade were annexed from Cambridgeshire.[127]
The county had no exclaves after 1844, and one was abolished then (pre-1844 total 1, legal 1; post-1844 total 0):
Bohunt (1). An exclave of the parish of
Rogate known as Bohunt west of
Liphook, transferred to the parish of
Bramshott in Hampshire.
The county had only one pene-exclave, the boundaries being otherwise compact:
The Sussex portion of the parish of Bramshott was transferred to join the rest in 1894. It comprised a thin strip containing
Griggs Green, and a sub-salient containing part of Lowsley Farm[128][129]
The county had one exclave after 1844, and one was abolished then (pre-1844 total 2, legal 2; post-1844 total 1, legal 1):
Ilmington, Stretton-on-Fosse and Whitchurch (1). The parishes of
Ilmington,
Stretton-on-Fosse, and
Whitchurch formed a large exclave of
Warwickshire, separated from the main part of the county by an exclave of four
Worcestershire parishes. In 1931 the intervening area of Worcestershire was transferred to Warwickshire, so that the three parishes became joined to the rest of the county.
The county had no exclaves after 1844, and ten were abolished then (pre-1844 total 10, legal 6; post-1844 total 0):
Inglesham (1). The parish divided between
Berkshire and
Wiltshire, and was united in the latter county in 1844. The Berkshire portion contained a small exclave of Wiltshire around the parish church, which was thus eliminated. The original boundary survived for parliamentary purposes into the latter 19th century -including the exclave.[130]
Minety (1). A small counter-enclave within the parish of
Minety which was an exclave of
Gloucestershire within the county. This contained the parish church, and was abolished when the exclave was transferred to Wiltshire.[131]
Shinfield (2). The parish of
Shinfield in
Berkshire had two portions forming exclaves of Wiltshire. The larger contained the hamlets of
Swallowfield and
Riseley, the smaller that of
Farley Hill.[132]Exclaves of Wiltshire (lilac) near Reading, Berkshire. (Historic County Borders Project)
Wokingham and Hurst (4). A large, irregularly shaped exclave took in part of the parochial chapelry of
Hurst, Berkshire in the parish of
Sonning, and part of the parish of
Wokingham. It had a waist the width of a road at Broad Common. It included the east end of Wokingham town with its parish church, and the east end of the village of
Twyford. A small, very irregularly shaped satellite exclave occupied the west side of the latter village, and two tiny ones were in its centre. This set of four exclaves, treated as two legal issues, were transferred to
Berkshire.[133]
The historic county was well provided with exclaves. After 1844, six survived with three small satellite exclaves making a total of nine. Twenty-nine were abolished in 1844, although several were tiny (pre-1844 total 38, legal 8; post-1844 total 9, legal 6):
Blockley (1).The parish of
Blockley, including Paxford and Aston Magna, was transferred to Gloucestershire in 1931.
Cutsdean (1). The
chapelry of
Cutsdean, in the parish of Bredon, became a civil parish in 1866. It was transferred to
Gloucestershire in 1931.
Dudley (2). The town of
Dudley survived as an exclave of 3,548 acres (1,436 hectares)[134] until 1966 (augmented 1926), because it was the biggest town in the county and had a greater population than
Worcester. It excluded
Dudley Castle (see Staffordshire, above) but had a satellite exclave as a strip of woodland on the west side of Dudley Castle Hill.[135] In 1889 the town became a
county borough remaining, however, an exclave of
Worcestershire for some purposes. In 1926 the exclave was extended by annexing land from the administrative county of
Staffordshire for the Priory and Wrens Nest Hill council estates, and this abolished the satellite exclave. In 1966 the county borough absorbed further surrounding areas of Staffordshire, which then became the overall lieutenancy and
ceremonial county of Dudley. This abolished the exclave.
Daylesford (1).The parish of
Daylesford was transferred to Gloucestershire in 1931.
Edvin Loach (3). The parish of
Edvin Loach of 510 acres (210 hectares)[136] was transferred to
Herefordshire in 1893. It previously had two small satellite exclaves at Cwmwood Farm,[137] transferred to the parish of Collington in 1886.[138]
Evenlode (1).The parish of
Evenlode was transferred to Gloucestershire in 1931. Previously four counties had met at a point marked by the
Four Shire Stone, but afterwards only Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire did.
Two larger exclaves were abolished in 1844, and twenty-seven small ones:
Church Icomb (1). That half of the parish of
Icomb (older spelling Iccomb) called Church Icomb, transferred to
Gloucestershire to join the portion already in the county called Westward Icomb. The village had been divided.[139]
Halesowen (27). The ancient
parish of Halesowen was a large exclave of
Shropshire, transferred to
Worcestershire. This act abolished twenty-seven counter-exclaves within it, including three tiny field strips.
Pene-exclaves:
The 1931 boundary re-ordering abolished two pene-exclaves comprising individual parishes, by annexing neighbouring areas from
Gloucestershire:
The county had two exclaves after 1844 (pre-1844 total 2, legal 0; post-1844 total 2, legal 0):
Auckley (2). The only exclaves that Yorkshire had were two small counter-exclaves at
Auckley, within an exclave of
Nottinghamshire (q.v.). One comprised Insley Plantation, the other was two fields of a farm called Hayfield. These were abolished in 1886, when the township was united in Yorkshire.[140]
^Jones, I.W: Llandudno, Queen of the Welsh Resorts 2008 p. 129
^Ordnance Survey 6 inch Denbighshire III and IV 1875, with notes
^County Boundary. Returns from Clerks of the Peace of Insulated Parcels of Land in the Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Vol 21 1825, own page numbers p. 5
^County Boundary. Returns from Clerks of the Peace of Insulated Parcels of Land in the Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Vol 21 1825, own page numbers p 3
^Gwent Local History: The Journal of Gwent Local History Council issue 56, Spring 1984 p. 27, available The National Library of Wales
^Stanley, A. P: Historical Memorials of Westminster Abbey 1869 p. 398
^County Boundary. Returns from Clerks of the Peace of Insulated Parcels of Land in the Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Vol 21 1825, own page numbers p. 12.
^Kempe, A. J: Historical Notices of the Collegiate Church Or Royal Free Chapel and Sanctuary of St. Martin-le-Grand, London 1825 p. 172
^Ordnance Survey 6 inch sheet Shropshire XXVI 1887
^County Boundary. Returns from Clerks of the Peace of Insulated Parcels of Land in the Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons Vol 21 1825, own page numbers p. 13