In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish (the lowest level of local government, not to be confused with an ecclesiastical parish). Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city council, and are instead directly managed by a higher local authority such as a district or county council.
Until the mid-nineteenth century there had been many areas that did not belong to any parish, known as extra-parochial areas. Acts of Parliament between 1858 and 1868 sought to abolish such areas, converting them into parishes or absorbing them into neighbouring parishes. After 1868 there were very few extra-parochial areas left; those remaining were mostly islands, such as Lundy, which did not have a neighbouring parish into which they could be absorbed.
Modern unparished areas (also termed "non-civil parish areas"), were created in 1965 in London and in 1974 elsewhere. They generally arose where former urban districts, municipal boroughs or county boroughs were abolished and where no successor parish was established. Parishes were not allowed in Greater London until the passing of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (which allows their formation in the London boroughs) and it remained entirely unparished from 1965 until Queen's Park was created in 2014.
Some cities and towns which are unparished areas in larger districts (i.e. not districts of themselves) have charter trustees to maintain a historic charter, such as city status (an example being in Bath) or simply the mayoralty of a town.
List of unparished areas Local authorities which are entirely parished are not listed. The ceremonial counties of Cornwall (apart from Wolf Rock), Dorset, Herefordshire, Isle of Wight, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Rutland, Shropshire, and Wiltshire are entirely parished. Ceremonial county Local authority Unparished area Charter trustees Notes Bedfordshire Bedford Bedford Part of modern borough which was pre-1974 Bedford Municipal Borough, less parish of Brickhill (created 2004). Bedfordshire Luton Luton Whole borough. Berkshire Reading Reading Whole borough. Berkshire Slough Slough Whole borough except parishes of Britwell, Colnbrook with Poyle, and Wexham Court. Unparished area equivalent to pre-1974 Slough Municipal Borough. Berkshire Windsor and Maidenhead Maidenhead Pre-1974 Maidenhead Municipal Borough. Berkshire Windsor and Maidenhead Windsor Pre-1974 New Windsor Municipal Borough. Bristol Bristol Bristol Whole city. Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire High Wycombe Pre-1974 High Wycombe Municipal Borough. Cambridgeshire Cambridge Cambridge Whole city. Cambridgeshire Peterborough Peterborough, Stanground North, Old Fletton Part of modern city which covers the combined former areas of: Old Fletton Urban District (abolished 1974), less parish of Hampton Hargate and Vale (created 2010). Peterborough Municipal Borough (abolished 1974), less parish of Bretton (created 1994). Stanground North Civil Parish (abolished 2004). Cheshire Cheshire West and Chester Chester Part which was pre-1974 Chester County Borough. Cheshire Cheshire West and Chester Burton, Ellesmere Port and Willaston Combined pre-1974 areas of: Ellesmere Port Municipal Borough, less parish of Ince (created 1987). Neston Urban District, less parish of Neston (created 2009). Remaining unparished area from Neston Urban District covers the Burton and Willaston area. Cheshire Halton Runcorn and Widnes Combined pre-1974 areas of: Runcorn Urban District, less parish of Sandymoor (created 2008). Widnes Municipal Borough, less parish of Halebank (created 2008). Cheshire Warrington Warrington Part of modern borough which was pre-1974 Warrington County Borough. Cumbria Cumberland Carlisle Part of district which was pre-1974 Carlisle County Borough. Derbyshire Amber Valley Riddings Remaining unparished part of pre-1974 Alfreton Urban District following creation of parishes of Alfreton, Somercotes, and Swanwick in 1984. Derbyshire Chesterfield Chesterfield Part of modern borough which was pre-1974 Chesterfield Municipal Borough. Derbyshire Derby Derby Whole city. Derbyshire Erewash Ilkeston Pre-1974 Ilkeston Municipal Borough. Derbyshire Erewash Long Eaton Pre-1974 Long Eaton Urban District, less parish of Sawley (created 1999). Derbyshire High Peak Buxton Pre-1974 Buxton Municipal Borough. Derbyshire High Peak Glossop Pre-1974 Glossop Municipal Borough. Derbyshire South Derbyshire Swadlincote Pre-1974 Swadlincote Urban District. Devon Exeter Exeter Whole city. Devon Plymouth Plymouth Whole city. Devon Torbay Torquay, Paignton, and Churston Ferrers Modern borough less parish of Brixham (created 2007). Unparished area similar in extent to combined areas of the following authorities abolished in 1968 to create County Borough of Torbay: Torquay Municipal Borough. Paignton Urban District. Churston Ferrers Civil Parish (main part). Devon Torridge Lundy Ancient extra-parochial area. The Poor Law Amendment Act 1868 abolished most remaining extra-parochial areas by merging them into the neighbouring parish with the longest common boundary. Lundy avoided being added to a parish by virtue of being an island. Durham Darlington Darlington Part of modern borough which was pre-1974 Darlington County Borough. Durham County Durham Chester-le-Street Pre-1974 Chester-le-Street Urban District. Durham County Durham Consett, Burnopfield and Dipton area Combined pre-1974 areas of: Consett Urban District. Stanley Urban District, less parish of Stanley (created 2008). Durham County Durham Crook, Coundon and St Helen Auckland area Combined pre-1974 areas of: Crook and Willington Urban District, less the parishes of Witton-le-Wear (created 1999) and Greater Willington (created 2007). Bishop Auckland Urban District, less the parishes of Dene Valley (created 1999), West Auckland (created 2003), and Bishop Auckland (created 2007). A separate unparished area from the former Bishop Auckland Urban District at South Church does not adjoin this area. Durham County Durham Durham: Old Durham / Sherburn Road area One of four separate parts of pre-1974 Durham Municipal Borough which remain unparished following creation of City of Durham parish in 2018. The parish is defined by reference to electoral divisions rather than the unparished area; this residual unparished area being the part of the former unparished area of the city of Durham which lies in the Belmont electoral division. Durham County Durham Durham: Dryburn Park area One of four separate parts of pre-1974 Durham Municipal Borough which remain unparished following creation of City of Durham parish in 2018. The parish is defined by reference to electoral divisions rather than the unparished area; this residual unparished area being one of three separate parts of the former unparished area of the city of Durham which lies in the Framwellgate and Newton Hall electoral division. Durham County Durham Durham: Dunholme Close area One of four separate parts of pre-1974 Durham Municipal Borough which remain unparished following creation of City of Durham parish in 2018. The parish is defined by reference to electoral divisions rather than the unparished area; this residual unparished area being one of three separate parts of the former unparished area of the city of Durham which lies in the Framwellgate and Newton Hall electoral division. Durham County Durham Durham: Newton Hall area One of four separate parts of pre-1974 Durham Municipal Borough which remain unparished following creation of City of Durham parish in 2018. The parish is defined by reference to electoral divisions rather than the unparished area; this residual unparished area being one of three separate parts of the former unparished area of the city of Durham which lies in the Framwellgate and Newton Hall electoral division. Durham County Durham South Church area Part of the pre-1974 Bishop Auckland Urban District which remains unparished following the creation of parishes of Dene Valley, West Auckland (created 2003) and Bishop Auckland (created 2007). A larger separate unparished area from the former Bishop Auckland Urban District around Coundon and St Helen Auckland does not adjoin this area. Durham Hartlepool Hartlepool Part of modern borough which was pre-1974 Hartlepool County Borough, less parish of Headland (created 1999). Durham Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees Part of modern borough which was pre-1968 Stockton-on-Tees Municipal Borough, which was included in Teesside County Borough 19681974. Essex Basildon Basildon Part of modern borough which was pre-1974 Basildon Urban District, less parishes of Billericay, Great Burstead and South Green, Little Burstead, Ramsden Bellhouse, and Ramsden Crays (all created 1996), Noak Bridge (created 2002), Shotgate (created 2007), Bowers Gifford and North Benfleet (created 2010), and Wickford (created 2022). Essex Braintree Braintree and Bocking Part of modern district which was pre-1974 Braintree and Bocking Urban District. Essex Brentwood Brentwood Pre-1974 borough except parishes of Herongate and Ingrave (created 2002), and West Horndon (created 2002). Essex Castle Point Benfleet Whole borough less parish of Canvey Island (created 2007). Unparished area equivalent to pre-1974 Benfleet Urban District. Essex Chelmsford Chelmsford Part of modern city which was pre-1974 Chelmsford Municipal Borough less parishes of Chelmer and Chelmsford Garden (created in 2023). Essex Colchester Colchester Part of modern borough which was pre-1974 Colchester Municipal Borough, less parish of Myland (created 1999) but including part of East Donyland added in 2004. Essex Harlow Harlow Whole district. Essex Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea Whole city except parish of Leigh-on-Sea (created 1995). Essex Tendring Clacton Pre-1974 Clacton Urban District. Essex Thurrock Thurrock Whole borough, being pre-1974 Thurrock Urban District less small part in Basildon New Town. Thurrock Urban District had been created in 1936 as merger of Grays Thurrock Urban District, Purfleet Urban District, Tilbury Urban District, and most of the Orsett Rural District. Gloucestershire Cheltenham Cheltenham Part of modern borough which was pre-1974 Cheltenham Municipal Borough. Gloucestershire Gloucester Gloucester Whole city except parish of Quedgeley, transferred into Gloucester in 1991. Unparished area equivalent to pre-1974 Gloucester County Borough. Hampshire Basingstoke and Deane Basingstoke Part of modern borough which was pre-1974 Basingstoke Municipal Borough. Hampshire Fareham Fareham Whole borough. Hampshire Gosport Gosport Whole borough. Hampshire Havant Havant and Waterloo Whole borough (former Havant and Waterloo Urban District). Hampshire Portsmouth Portsmouth Whole city. (A Southsea parish was created from part of the area in 1999 but abolished in 2010.) Hampshire Rushmoor Aldershot and Farnborough Whole borough, being combined pre-1974 areas of: Aldershot Municipal Borough. Farnborough Urban District. Hampshire Southampton Southampton Whole city. Hampshire Winchester Winchester Part of modern city which was pre-1974 Winchester Municipal Borough, less parish of Badger Farm (created 1985). Hertfordshire Broxbourne Cheshunt and Hoddesdon Whole borough, being combined pre-1974 areas of: Cheshunt Urban District. Hoddesdon Urban District. Hertfordshire Dacorum Hemel Hempstead Pre-1974 Hemel Hempstead Municipal Borough. Hertfordshire Hertsmere Bushey Pre-1974 Bushey Urban District. Hertfordshire Hertsmere Potters Bar Pre-1974 Potters Bar Urban District, less parish of South Mimms (created 2008). Hertfordshire North Hertfordshire Baldock, Hitchin, and Letchworth Combined pre-1974 areas of: Baldock Urban District. Hitchin Urban District.