Stratford-on-Avon is a

local government district The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...

in southern

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Av ...

, England. The district is named "Stratford-on-Avon" unlike its main town of Stratford-upon-Avon where the district council is based. The district is mostly rural and covers most of the southern half of Warwickshire. As well as Stratford, other significant places in the district includes the towns of

Alcester Alcester () is a market town and civil parish of Roman origin at the junction of the River Alne and River Arrow in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England, approximately west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 7 miles south of Reddit ...

Southam Southam () is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. Southam is situated on the River Stowe (called 'The Brook' by many locals), which flows from Napton-on-the-Hill and joins Warwickshire's ...

Shipston-on-Stour Shipston-on-Stour is a town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England. It is located on the banks of the River Stour, Warwickshire, River Stour, points of the compass, south-southeast of Stratford-upon-Avon, 10 ...

and

Henley-in-Arden Henley-in-Arden (also known as simply Henley) is a town in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England. The name is a reference to the former Forest of Arden. Henley is known for its variety of historic buildings, some of which date ...

, and the large villages of

Bidford-on-Avon Bidford-on-Avon is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Warwickshire, very close to the border with Worcestershire. In the 2001 census it had a population of 4,830, increasing to 5,350 at the 2011 census. History Rykn ...

, Studley and

Wellesbourne Wellesbourne is a large village in the civil parish of Wellesbourne and Walton, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of the UK. In the 2021 census the parish, which also includes the hamlet of Walton, had a population o ...

, plus numerous other smaller villages and hamlets. It borders the Warwickshire districts of

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

to the north, and

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

to the north-east. It also borders the neighbouring counties of the

West Midlands West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

, Oxfordshire, and

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 by the merger of the

municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

of Stratford-upon-Avon, Alcester Rural District, Shipston-on-Stour Rural District, Southam Rural District and a majority of Stratford-upon-Avon Rural District.

Politics

Elizabeth House in Stratford-upon-Avon, geograph 4055649 by Jaggery

Elections to the district council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the 53 seats on the council being elected at each election. The

Conservative party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

has controlled the council for most of the time since the first election in 1973, and recently has had a majority since the 2003 election. As a result of the last election in 2019 the Conservatives had 20

councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...

s, the Liberal Democrats had 11, independents had 4 and the

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...

has one. The council was due to merge in 2024 with neighbouring Warwick District Council. However in April 2022 the merger was scrapped, with Councillor Day (Warwick Leader) accusing Councillor Jefferson (Stratford Leader) of writing to

Central Government A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or dele ...

behind his back, asking for more time for the merge to take place.

Parishes and settlements

Other than Stratford-upon-Avon the district includes: * Admington,

Alderminster Alderminster is a village and civil parish on the River Stour about south of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. The village is on the A3400 road between Stratford-upon-Avon and Shipston-on-Stour. The 2011 Census recorded the parish ...

, Ardens Grafton, Arlescote,

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

Aston Cantlow Aston Cantlow is a village in Warwickshire, England, on the River Alne north-west of Stratford-upon-Avon and north-west of Wilmcote, close to Little Alnoe, Shelfield, and Newnham.'Aston Cantlow', A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 3: ...

Atherstone-on-Stour Atherstone on Stour is a small village and civil parish about south of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 59. Parish church Atherstone on Stour's medieval parish church was demoli ...

, Avon Dassett, * Barcheston,

Barton-on-the-Heath Barton-on-the-Heath is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 85. From the Census 2011 population details are included in the neighbourin ...

Bearley Bearley is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The village is about five miles (8 km) north of Stratford-upon-Avon, bounded on the north by Wootton Wawen, on the east by Snitterfield, an ...

, Beaudesert,

, Billesley,

Binton Binton is a village and civil parish in the Stratford district of Warwickshire, England. It is about west of Stratford-upon-Avon. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 272, increasing to 311 at the 2011 census. History The na ...

, Bishops Itchington, Brailes,

Broom A broom (also known in some forms as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. I ...

, Burmington,

Burton Dassett Burton Dassett is a parish and shrunken medieval village in the Stratford-upon-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The population (including the village of Knightcote) of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,322. Much of the area is ...

Butlers Marston Butlers Marston is a village and civil parish on the River Dene in south-eastern Warwickshire, England. The village is part of Stratford-on-Avon district. In the 2001 census it had a population of 226, increasing to 232 in the 2011 Census. Butle ...

Chadshunt Chadshunt is a small village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, England. Chadshunt is located in between the villages of Gaydon (where population can be found), and Kineton Kineton is a villag ...

, Chapel Ascote,

Charlecote Charlecote is a village and civil parish south of Warwick, on the River Avon, in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, England. In 2011 the parish had a population of 194. The parish touches Wasperton, Newbold Pacey ...

, Cherington, Chesterton and Kingston,

Claverdon Claverdon is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England, about west of the county town of Warwick. Claverdon's toponym comes from the Old English for "clover hill". The hill is near the centre of th ...

Clifford Chambers and Milcote Clifford Chambers and Milcote is a civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District, in the county of Warwickshire, England, formed on 1 April 2004. It is made up of the two villages of Clifford Chambers and Milcote. The Honeybourne Line, Honeybourne ...

Combrook Combrook (also spelt Combroke and - more rarely - Combrooke) is a small village of about 65 houses in rural Warwickshire, located near the junction of the Fosse Way (B4455 road), and the B4086 road between the villages of Wellesbourne and Kineto ...

Compton Verney Compton Verney is a parish and historic manor in the county of Warwickshire, England. The population taken at the 2011 census was 119. The surviving manor house is the Georgian mansion Compton Verney House. Descent of the manor The first ...

Compton Wynyates Compton Wynyates is a Tudor country house in Warwickshire, England, a Grade I listed building. The Tudor period house is constructed of red brick and built around a central courtyard. It is castellated and turreted in parts. Following actio ...

, Coughton * Dorsington *

Ettington Ettington is a village and civil parish about south-east of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 1,171. The present village is on the A422 main road linking Stratford and Banbury. ...

Exhall Exhall is a suburban settlement and former civil parish, now in the unparished area of Bedworth, in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire, England.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : History Historically, the ...

* Farnborough,

Fenny Compton Fenny Compton is a village and parish in Warwickshire, England, about eight miles north of Banbury. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 797, increasing to 808 at the 2011 census. Its name comes from the Anglo-Saxon ''Fennig Cumbt� ...

, Fulbrook *

Gaydon Gaydon is a civil parish and village in Warwickshire, England, situated between Leamington Spa and Banbury. In the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 376, increasing to 446 at the 2011 Census. The village is at the junction of the ...

Great Alne Great Alne is a small village in Warwickshire, England, north-west of Stratford-upon-Avon, north-east of Alcester and from Warwick, on the road to Wootton Wawen. It takes its name from the River Alne and was first chronicled in the charter ...

Great Wolford Great Wolford is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District, Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. With the neighbouring parish of Little Wolford it is part of 'The Wolfords'. History According to ''A Dictionary ...

* Halford,

Hampton Lucy Hampton Lucy is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, northeast of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire England. The population of the civil parish as taken at the 2011 census was 566. History The grammar school at Hampton Lucy was ...

Harbury Harbury is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. It is about west-southwest of Southam and about southeast of Royal Leamington Spa. The parish includes the hamlet of Deppers Bridge. The 2011 C ...

, Haselor,

, Hodnell and Wills Pastures, Honington *

Idlicote Idlicote is a small settlement and civil parish in the English county of Warwickshire, about north-east of Shipston-on-Stour and south-east of Stratford-upon-Avon. Population details can be found under Honington. The best known feature is Idli ...

Ilmington Ilmington is a village and civil parish about north-west of Shipston-on-Stour and south of Stratford-upon-Avon in the Cotswolds in Warwickshire, England. The population of the civil parish taken at the 2011 census was 712. Ilmington is the h ...

Kineton Kineton is a village and civil parish on the River Dene in south-east Warwickshire, England. The village is part of Stratford-on-Avon district, and in the 2001 census it had a population of 2,278, increasing to 2,337 at the 2011 Census. Kin ...

Kinwarton Kinwarton is a village in the valley of the River Alne, Warwickshire, to the north-east of the market town of Alcester. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 Census was 1,082. The ground is mostly low-lying, with a maximum altitude of ...

* Ladbroke,

Langley Langley may refer to: People * Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name * Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer * Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perfor ...

Lighthorne Lighthorne is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. It is about south of Leamington Spa. The population taken at the 2011 census was 361. Lighthorne is a small village in a valley and is near Moreton Morrell, Kineton and Welles ...

Lighthorne Heath Lighthorne Heath is a village in the civil parish of Upper Lighthorne, in the Stratford-on-Avon District, in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is located some six miles to the south east of Leamington Spa and is very close to the M40 m ...

, Little Compton,

Little Wolford Little Wolford is a hamlet and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. With the neighbouring parish of Great Wolford it is part of 'The Wolfords'. Little Wolford is significant for its Grade II* listed 15th- to ...

, Long Compton, Long Itchington, Long Marston,

Lower Shuckburgh Lower Shuckburgh is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Upper and Lower Shuckburgh, (which in the 2001 census had a population of 82) in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in eastern Warwickshire, England. In 1961 the parish ...

, Loxley, Luddington * Milcote, Moreton Morrell,

Morton Bagot Morton Bagot is a small village in the Stratford-on-Avon District of Warwickshire, England. It lies about east of the Birmingham-Alcester road, the modern A435 and Roman road Ryknild Street, north of Alcester, from Stratford-upon-Avon and ...

Napton-on-the-Hill Napton on the Hill, often referred to locally as just Napton, is a village and civil parish east of Southam in Warwickshire, England. The population of the civil parish taken at the 2011 census was 1,144. Manor The toponym Napton is derived ...

, Newbold Pacey, Northend *

Oldberrow Oldberrow is a village in the Stratford-on-Avon District of Warwickshire, England. The parish was part of Worcestershire until 1896, when it was transferred to Warwickshire, into which county it penetrated, between Morton Bagot and Ullenhall, as a ...

, Oversley Green, Oxhill * Pillerton Hersey, Pillerton Priors,

Preston Bagot Preston Bagot is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford district of Warwickshire, England, about west of the county town of Warwick. According to the United Kingdom 2001 census, 2001 census the population was ...

Preston-on-Stour Preston on Stour is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. History It is situated some four kilometres south of the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. The population of the civil parish as at the 2011 census was 244. As its name sugges ...

Priors Hardwick Priors Hardwick is a village and civil parish in the Stratford district of Warwickshire, England. The population of the civil parish as taken at the 2011 census was 172. The name derives from the fact that it was originally a manor belonging to ...

Priors Marston Priors Marston is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District of Warwickshire, England, southwest of Daventry. The Oxford Canal and Jurassic Way both run nearby. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census the popula ...

* Quinton * Radbourne,

Radway Radway is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England, about north-west of Banbury in neighbouring Oxfordshire. The population taken at the 2011 census had reduced to 238. The village is at the foot of Edge Hill and is notable for the ...

Ratley and Upton Ratley is a village in the civil parish of Ratley and Upton, Stratford-on-Avon District, Warwickshire, England. The population of the civil parish in 2011 was 327. It is on the northwest side of the Edge Hill escarpment about above sea level. ...

Salford Priors Salford Priors is a rural, agricultural village and civil parish about four miles south-west of Alcester, Warwickshire, England. The population of the civil parish as taken at the 2011 census was 1,546. It is on the Warwickshire border with Wo ...

, Sambourne,

Shotteswell Shotteswell is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 221. The parish is bounded on three sides by Oxfordshire and is about north-west of Banbur ...

Snitterfield Snitterfield is a village and civil parish in the Stratford on Avon district of Warwickshire, England, less than to the north of the A46 road, from Stratford upon Avon, from Warwick and from Coventry. The population of the civil parish at t ...

Spernall Spernall is a remote village north of Alcester in the parish of Oldberrow, Morton Bagot, and Spernall, in the Stratford-on-Avon District of Warwickshire, England. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 153. It is situated on the banks of ...

, Stockton, Stoneton, Stourton, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stretton-on-Fosse, Studley,

Sutton-under-Brailes Sutton-under-Brailes is a village and civil parish south of Warwick, in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. Adjacent parishes are Barcheston, Brailes, Cherington, Stourton and Whichford. In 2001 the parish had a populati ...

Tanworth-in-Arden Tanworth-in-Arden (; often abbreviated to Tanworth) is a small village and civil parish in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is southeast of Birmingham and northeast of Redditch, and is administered by Stratford-on-Avon District Council ...

Temple Grafton Temple Grafton is a village and civil parish in the Stratford district of Warwickshire, England, situated about east of Alcester and west of the county town of Warwick. The place name is misleading, the Knights Templar never having any associ ...

, Tidmington, Tredington,

Tysoe Tysoe is a civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District of Warwickshire, England. The parish is on the boundary with Oxfordshire, about northwest of Banbury. The parish includes the contiguous villages of Middle and Upper Tysoe and the sepa ...

* Ufton, Ullenhall, Upper Shuckburgh, Warmington, Watergall,

Weethley Weethley is a village and former civil parish on the B4088 road, now in the parish of Arrow with Weethley, in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlan ...

Welford-on-Avon Welford-on-Avon is a village situated some west-south-west of Stratford-upon-Avon in the county of Warwickshire, England. The population was measured at 1,420 in the 2011 census. Until 1931, Welford-on-Avon was in Gloucestershire (as part of ...

Weston-on-Avon Weston-on-Avon is a village in Warwickshire, England. The population of the Civil Parish taken at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 170. It is about south-west of the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. History Originally in Gloucester ...

Whatcote Whatcote is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England, about northeast of Shipston on Stour in the Vale of the Red Horse.Edwards, 1950, p.51 The population at the 2011 census was 143. Manor The Domesday Book records that in 1086 Hug ...

Whichford Whichford is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England, about southeast of Shipston-on-Stour. The parish adjoins the county boundary with Oxfordshire and the village is about north of the Oxfordshire town of Chipping Norton. The p ...

, Whitchurch, Willington,

Wilmcote Wilmcote is a village, and since 2004 a separate civil parish, in the English county of Warwickshire, about north of Stratford-upon-Avon. Prior to 2004, it was part of the same parish as Aston Cantlow, and the 2001 population for the whole are ...

Wixford Wixford is a hamlet and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District of Warwickshire, England, situated south of Alcester. The population at the 2011 census was 155. The area is largely agricultural with no large employers in the area, most ...

Wolverton Wolverton is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, England. It is located at the northern edge of Milton Keynes, beside the West Coast Main Line, the Grand Union Canal and the river Great Ouse. It is the administrative seat of Wolverton and G ...

Wootton Wawen Wootton Wawen is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The village is on the A3400 in mid-western Warwickshire, about from Birmingham, about south of Henley-in-Arden and about north of Strat ...

Wormleighton Wormleighton is a village in Warwickshire on top of Wormleighton Hill overlooking the River Cherwell, England. The population taken at the 2011 census was 183. The original village was by the banks of the Cherwell and can still be seen as a ...

References

External links

Stratford-on-Avon District Council YouTube channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stratford-On-Avon (District) Non-metropolitan districts of Warwickshire

History

Politics

Parishes and settlements

See also

References

External links