The current counties of England are defined by the ceremonial counties, a collective name for the county areas to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant. The office of Lord Lieutenant was created in the reign of Henry VIII. The Lord Lieutenant is the chief officer of the county and representative of the Crown. Whenever the Queen visits an area she will be accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of that area. Legally the ceremonial counties are defined by the Lieutenancies Act 1997 as ‘Counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies in Great Britain’ with reference to the areas used for local government.

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https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/products/boundary-line#technical

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Source:

https://osdatahub.os.uk/downloads/open/BoundaryLine

Licence:

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

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This file contains the digital vector boundaries for Counties and Unitary Authorities in the United Kingdom, as at December 2019. The boundaries available are: (BUC) Ultra Generalised (500m) - clipped to the coastline (Mean High Water mark). Contains both Ordnance Survey and ONS Intellectual Property Rights. Download File SizesUltra Generalised (500m) - clipped to the coastline (200 KB)Units for the following fields:St_length = metresSt_area = metres2REST URL of ArcGIS for INSPIRE View Service https://ons-inspire.esriuk.com/arcgis/rest/services/Administrative_Boundaries/Counties_and_Unitary_Authorities_December_2019_Boundaries_UK_BUC2/MapServer/exts/InspireView REST URL of ArcGIS for INSPIRE Feature Download Service https://ons-inspire.esriuk.com/arcgis/rest/services/Administrative_Boundaries/Counties_and_Unitary_Authorities_December_2019_Boundaries_UK_BUC2/MapServer/exts/InspireFeatureDownload REST URL of Feature Access Service https://ons-inspire.esriuk.com/arcgis/rest/services/Administrative_Boundaries/Counties_and_Unitary_Authorities_December_2019_Boundaries_UK_BUC2/FeatureServer

A PDF map that shows the counties and unitary authorities in the United Kingdom as at 1 April 2023. (File Size - 583 KB)

This file contains the digital vector boundaries for Counties and Unitary Authorities, in the United Kingdom, as at December 2024.The boundaries available are: (BGC) Generalised (20m) - clipped to the coastline (Mean High Water mark).Contains both Ordnance Survey and ONS Intellectual Property Rights.REST URL of Feature Access Service – https://services1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/rest/services/Counties_and_Unitary_Authorities_December_2024_Boundaries_UK_BGC/FeatureServerREST URL of WFS Server –https://dservices1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/services/Counties_and_Unitary_Authorities_December_2024_Boundaries_UK_BGC/WFSServer?service=wfs&request=getcapabilitiesREST URL of Map Server –https://services1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/rest/services/Counties_and_Unitary_Authorities_December_2024_Boundaries_UK_BGC/MapServer

The Vice County system for Great Britain was devised by an English botanist, Hewett Cottrell Watson, for the purposes of illustrating plant distributions These digitised boundaries are available free-of-charge as a download to recorders, mapping scheme organisers, local record centres and others. This download will contain 3 datasets, an outline of GB, a zip containing individual Vice Counties and a zip containing all Vice Counties as 1 shapefile. 3 and 12 mile offshore limits are included in each zip. Data sourced from http://www.nbn.org.uk/SpecialPages/WVCB-Download.aspx and released under an Open Government Licence. GIS vector data. This dataset was first accessioned in the EDINA ShareGeo Open repository on 2013-10-31 and migrated to Edinburgh DataShare on 2017-02-22.

1:1,000,000 raster map series showing the counties of Northern Ireland. This raster is the smallest scale OSNI raster product giving an overview of Northern Ireland.

This file contains the digital vector boundaries for County and Unitary Authorities including Metropolitan Counties, in the United Kingdom, as at December 2022.The boundaries available are: (BGC) Generalised (20m) - clipped to the coastline (Mean High Water mark).Contains both Ordnance Survey and ONS Intellectual Property Rights.

REST URL of Feature Access Service – https://services1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/rest/services/Upper_Tier_Local_Authorities_December_2022_Boundaries_UK_BGC/FeatureServerREST URL of WFS Server –https://dservices1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/services/Upper_Tier_Local_Authorities_inc_Metropolitan_Counties_December_2022_Boundaries_UK_BGC/WFSServer?service=wfs&request=getcapabilitiesREST URL of Map Server –https://services1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/rest/services/Upper_Tier_Local_Authorities_inc_Metropolitan_Counties_December_2022_Boundaries_UK_BGC/MapServer

Polygon dataset showing the 6 counties of Northern Ireland e.g. County Armagh, County Tyrone etc which were the primary local government geography of Northern Ireland before the introduction of unitary authorities in 1972. A PNG map showing the Northern Ireland county boundaries was downloaded from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Northern_Ireland_-_Counties.png The PNG was georeferenced in QGIS using control points with reference to an OGL dataset downloaded from the UK Data Service showing the Northern Ireland coastline. Internal county boundaries were digitised from the georeferenced PNG as a set of polylines. These polylines were then snapped to the coastline features and polygons were generated. A county name was then assigned to each polygon in the attribute table. GIS vector data. This dataset was first accessioned in the EDINA ShareGeo Open repository on 2014-02-24 and migrated to Edinburgh DataShare on 2017-02-22.

Please note, the resources available here are no longer updated on this page. The resources are available for use, but please check the source for the most recent information.

Digital map boundaries of areas within Lincolnshire. Themes include Administrative, Electoral, Statistical, and Health.

These boundary data sets are sourced from Ordnance Survey (OS) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). They come under the terms of the UK Govt. Open Government Licence (OGL). You can use any of the boundary data sets for any purpose, but you must use the following copyright statements when you reproduce or use this material:

• Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0
• Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right [year]

This file contains the digital vector boundaries for County and Unitary Authorities including Metropolitan Counties, in the United Kingdom, as at December 2022.The boundaries available are: (BFE) Full resolution - extent of the realm (usually this is the Mean Low Water mark but in some cases boundaries extend beyond this to include off shore islands).Contains both Ordnance Survey and ONS Intellectual Property Rights.

REST URL of Feature Access Service – https://services1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/rest/services/Upper_Tier_Local_Authorities_December_2022_Boundaries_UK_BFE/FeatureServerREST URL of WFS Server –https://dservices1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/services/Upper_Tier_Local_Authorities_inc_Metropolitan_Counties_December_2022_Boundaries_UK_BFE/WFSServer?service=wfs&request=getcapabilitiesREST URL of Map Server –https://services1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/rest/services/Upper_Tier_Local_Authorities_inc_Metropolitan_Counties_December_2022_Boundaries_UK_BFE/MapServer

Data identifying Cambridgeshire's county boundary. For more information, please see the ONS Geoportal website. If data is used, please acknowledge the copyright and the source of the data by including the following attribution statements:

Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right (2016)

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right (2016)

For more details about licencing go to: https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/licences

Source: ONS Geoportal

All data is correct as of download date: 17/10/2016

Dataset info

The dataset contains Local Authority Boundaries for Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) as of December 2021. A total of 363 Local Authority objects are included. Created for future use in folium choropleth maps when combined with other datasets that contain the matching Local Authority Codes. Additionally, subsets were created for convenience holding the boundaries of local authorities in England and Wales together, and in each individual country, i.e., England, Scotland and Wales on their own.

Methodology

The original dataset was downloaded from ONS. Since the dataset was too large for most use cases (129.4MB) due to the level of detail, it was simplified with https://mapshaper.org/ using the default method (Visvalingam / weighted area) with 'prevent shape removal' enabled. The simplification was set to 1.4%, followed by intersection repair and export back to geojson. The shape coordinates were originally in British National Grid (BNG) format, which had to be converted to WGS84 (latitude and longitude) format. Finally, the coordinates were rounded to 6 decimal places, resulting in a file containing 2.2MB of uncompressed data with a sensible level of detail. The individual country data were extracted, based on the LAD21CD property, to create the additional files.

Licence

https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/licences

Digital boundary products and reference maps are supplied under the Open Government Licence. You must use the following copyright statements when you reproduce or use this material:

• Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0
• Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2023

From Parliamentary constituencies to council wards, Boundary-Line™ maps every administrative boundary in detail for you. And what's more, it's completely free to download and use.

Bring statistics to life For academics or policy-makers, Boundary-Line brings the statistics in your reports to life. It lets you show differences between regions or councils using easy-to-read shaded maps.

A robust framework Monitoring outcomes by area is key for public bodies. Boundary-Line gives you a robust analytical framework to ensure the right communities get the right resources.

Individual properties When you're consulting on updating boundaries to take account of population change, Boundary-Line lets you show on a map where the line's being drawn, right down to the level of individual properties.

A PDF map that shows the local authority districts, counties and unitary authorities in the United Kingdom as at April 2023. The map has been created to show the United Kingdom from country level down to local authority district level. (File Size - 1,909 KB)

In the middle of 2001 Roger Kain and Richard Oliver, from the University of Exeter, published a substantial work entitled Historic Parishes of England and Wales: Electronic Map - Gazetteer- Metadata. This was the final product of a project aimed at locating and mapping the boundaries of parish and sub-parish units of the mid-nineteenth century. The authors published the results in a series of electronic maps supplied on CD-ROM. Each one of these 115 maps contain a scanned 1”:1 mile OS New Popular Series map, overlain by the boundaries. A reference number can be found in each of the polygons that can then be used to look up information about that parish in gazetteer in an accompanying book.

A major limitation of this work is that although the boundaries are in digital form, they are divided into 115 tiles, none of which have any spatial co-ordinate information inherent in them. This means that although the maps are invaluable as a reference tool, they can not be used together within a GIS to select, analyse and present historic information.

We have therefore created a single digital map of the boundaries to provide a single, continuous coverage of polygons, each of which contain the information provided by Kain and Oliver in their accompanying book. This information includes the parish name, Ancient County, and a reference number that coincides with entries for that parish in the 1851 census report.

It is recommended that users also order disc 1 of study 4348; Historic Parishes of England and Wales : an Electronic Map of Boundaries before 1850 with a Gazetteer and Metadata

Please note: this study does not include information on named individuals and would therefore not be useful for personal family history research.

This web map is a compiled view made up of individual boundary maps from UK wastewater companies and NAV boundaries from Ofwat (the industry regulator)

This dataset is refreshed on a weekly basis from the datasets the team works on daily.Last update date: 20 November 2025.National Highways Operational Highway Boundary (RedLine) maps out the land belonging to the highway for the whole Strategic Road Network (SRN). It comprises two layers; one being the an outline and another showing the registration status / category of land of land that makes up the boundary. Due to the process involved in creating junctions with local highway authority (LHA) roads, land in this dataset may represent LHA highway (owned by National Highways but the responsibility of the LHA to maintain). Surplus land or land held for future projects does not form part of this dataset.The highway boundary is derived from:Ordnance Survey Mastermap Topography,HM Land Registry National Polygon Service (National Highway titles only), andplots researched and digitised during the course of the RedLine Boundary Project.The boundary is split into categories describing the decisions made for particular plots of land. These categories are as follows:Auto-RedLine category is for plots created from an automated process using Ordnance Survey MasterMap Topography as a base. Land is not registered under National Highways' name. For example, but not limited to, unregistered ‘ancient’ highway vested in Highways England, or bridge carrying highways over a rail line.NH Title within RedLine category is for plots created from Land Registry Cadastral parcels whose proprietor is National Highways or a predecessor. Land in this category is within the highway boundary (audited) or meets a certain threshold by the algorithm.NH Title outside RedLine category is for plots created in the same way as above but these areas are thought to be outside the highway boundary. Where the Confidence is Low, land in this category is yet to be audited. Where the Confidence is High, land in this category has been reviewed and audited as outside our operational boundary.National Highways (Technician) Data category is for plots created by National Highways, digitised land parcels relating to highway land that is not registered, not yet registered or un-registerable.Road in Tunnel category, created using tunnel outlines from Ordnance Survey MasterMap Topography data. These represent tunnels on Highways England’s network. Land is not registered under National Highways' name, but land above the tunnel may be in National Highways’ title. Please refer to the definitive land ownership records held at HM Land Registry.The process attribute details how the decision was made for the particular plot of land. These are as follows:Automated category denotes data produced by an automated process. These areas are yet to be audited by the company.Audited category denotes data that has been audited by the company.Technician Data (Awaiting Audit) category denotes data that was created by National Highways but is yet to be audited and confirmed as final.The confidence attribute details how confident you can be in the decision. This attribute is derived from both the decisions made during the building of the underlying automated dataset as well as whether the section has been researched and/or audited by National Highways staff. These are as follows:High category denotes land that has a high probability of being within the RedLine boundary. These areas typically are audited or are features that are close to or on the highway.Moderate category denotes land that is likely to be within the highway boundary but is subject to change once the area has been audited.Low category denotes land that is less likely to be within the highway boundary. These plots typically represent Highways England registered land that the automated process has marked as outside the highway boundary.Please note that this dataset is indicative only. For queries about this dataset please contact the GIS and Research Team.

Data OriginThe dataset provided by Ofwat is rooted in legal records. The dataset is digitised from the official appointments of companies as water and sewage undertakers, which include legally binding documents and maps. These documents establish the specific geographic areas each water company is responsible for. The dataset was sourced from Constituency information: Water companiesData TriageAnonymisation is not required for this dataset, since the data is publicly available and focuses on geographical boundaries of water companies rather than individual or sensitive information. The shapefile serves a specific purpose related to geospatial analysis and regulatory compliance, offering transparent information about the service areas of different water companies as designated by Ofwat.Further ReadingBelow is a curated selection of links for additional reading, which provide a deeper understanding of the water company boundaries datasetOfwat (The Water Services Regulation Authority): As the regulatory body for water and wastewater services in England and Wales, Ofwat's website is a primary source for detailed information about the water industry, including company boundaries.Data.gov.uk: This site provides access to national datasets, including the Water Resource Zone GIS Data (WRMP19), which covers all water resource zones in England. This dataset is crucial for understanding geographical boundaries related to water management.Water UK: As a trade body representing UK water and wastewater service providers, Water UK's website offers insights into the industry's workings, including aspects related to geographical boundaries.Specifications and CaveatsWhen compiling the dataset, the following specifications and caveats were made:This shapefile is intended solely for geospatial analysis. The authoritative legal delineation of areas is maintained in the maps and additional details specified in the official appointments of companies as water and/or sewerage undertakers, along with any alterations to their areas.The shapefile does not encompass data on any structures or properties that, despite being outside the designated boundary, are included in the area, or those within the boundary yet excluded from the area.In terms of geospatial analysis and visual representation, the Mean High Water Line has been utilized to define any boundary extending into the sea, though it's more probable that the actual boundary aligns with the low water mark. Furthermore, islands that are incorporated into the area might not be included in this representation.Ofwat’s data was last updated on 25th May 2022Contact Details If you have a query about this dataset, please email foi@ofwat.gov.uk

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