Place:Ashwell Rural, Hertfordshire, England

Ashwell Rural District was located in the eastern part of Hertfordshire, England from 1894 until 1935.

In 1896 the boundary between Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire was redrawn and South Bassingbourn, South Kneesworth and South Melbourn parishes were created in Hertfordshire. Less than a year later in 1897 these three parishes plus North Royston were absorbed into Royston under Local Government Board Order 36,608. (Source: Wikipedia article List of Hertfordshire boundary changes) The remainder of the parishes listed below carried on in a local administrative body named the Ashwell Rural District.

When the rural district was abolished in 1935 the majority of its remaining parishes were transferred to Hitchin Rural District with parts of the civil parishes of Barkway, Reed, and Therfield going to Royston Rural District. The boundaries of Royston Urban District were redrawn to absorb parts of these three parishes in 1935.

Parishes

Research Tips

• Ordnance Survey map of Hertfordshire 1900 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
• Ordnance Survey map of Hertfordshire 1944 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time