Narberth Rural District was a

rural district Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Ad ...

in the

administrative county An administrative county was a first-level administrative division in England and Wales from 1888 to 1974, and in Ireland from 1899 until either 1973 (in Northern Ireland) or 2002 (in the Republic of Ireland). They are now abolished, although mos ...

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

from 1894 to 1974, covering an area in the east of the county.

Origins

The district had its origins in the Narberth Poor Law Union, which had been created in 1837, covering Narberth itself and a large surrounding rural area. A workhouse to serve the union was built about a mile south of the town of Narberth in 1838–9, in the parish of Narberth South. The building later became known as Allenbank. In 1872

sanitary districts Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1872 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures: *Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies *Rural sanitary dis ...

were established, giving public health and local government responsibilities to the existing

boards of guardians Boards of guardians were ''ad hoc'' authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930. England and Wales Boards of guardians were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish overseers of the poor ...

for the rural parts of their poor law unions that were not already covered by an urban authority. As there were no urban authorities within the Narberth Poor Law Union, the Narberth Rural Sanitary District covered the same area. Under the

Local Government Act 1894 The Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level un ...

, rural sanitary districts became rural districts from 28 December 1894. The town of Narberth was removed from Narberth Rural District in 1902 to become its own

urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...

Premises

In its early years the council was based at the Allenbank workhouse. In 1953 the council bought Bloomfield House on Northfield Road in Narberth to serve as its headquarters, and was based there until the council's abolition in 1974.

Abolition

Narberth Rural District was abolished under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

, merging with other nearby districts to become

South Pembrokeshire South Pembrokeshire ( cy, De Sir Benfro) was one of six local government districts of Dyfed, Wales from 1974 to 1996. Creation The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, from the following parts of the administra ...

References

{{Reflist Rural districts of Wales History of Pembrokeshire