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List of towns in England

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Title: List of towns in England  
Author: World Heritage Encyclopedia
Language: English
Subject: List of places in England, Outline of England, Kingdom of England, Eastbourne, List of places in the United Kingdom
Collection: England Geography-Related Lists, Lists of Towns in the United Kingdom, Towns in England
Publisher: World Heritage Encyclopedia

List of towns in England

This is a list of towns in England.

Historically, towns were any settlement with a charter, including market towns and ancient boroughs. The process of incorporation was reformed in 1835 and many more places received borough charters, whilst others were lost. All existing boroughs were abolished on 1 April 1974 and borough status was reformed as a civic honour for local government districts. At the same time a limited number of former boroughs and other settlements became successor parishes, with the right to be known as a town and preserve their charter. Boroughs that did not become successor parishes formed unparished areas, but were able to preserve their charters without a corporate body by appointing charter trustees. Since 1 April 1974 any parish council in England has the right to resolve to call itself a town council and many communities have taken up this right, including areas that preserved continuity with charter trustees. However, no successor parishes have exercised this right (e.g. Ilkley).

This list does not include cities in England.

Chartered towns and town councils

This list includes:

  • civil parishes with town councils;
  • unparished areas that had borough charters before 1 April 1974 (including areas with charter trustees); and
  • towns with ancient/market charters that did not later gain borough charters or town councils.


Town Ceremonial county Status
Abingdon-on-Thames Oxfordshire town council
Accrington Lancashire borough (1878–1974)
Acle Norfolk market charter
Acton Greater London borough (1921–1965)
Adlington Lancashire town council
Alcester Warwickshire town council
Aldeburgh Suffolk town council
Aldershot Hampshire borough (1922–1974)
Alford Lincolnshire town council
Alfreton Derbyshire town council
Alnwick Northumberland town council
Alsager Cheshire town council
Alston Cumbria market charter
Alton Hampshire town council
Altrincham Greater Manchester borough (1937–1974)
Amble Northumberland town council
Ambleside Cumbria market charter
Amersham Buckinghamshire town council
Amesbury Wiltshire town council
Ampthill Bedfordshire town council
Andover Hampshire borough (1835–1974)
Appleby-in-Westmorland Cumbria town council
Arlesey Bedfordshire town council
Arundel West Sussex town council
Ashbourne Derbyshire town council
Ashburton Devon town council
Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire town council
Ashby Woulds Leicestershire town council
Ashford Kent market charter
Ashington Northumberland town council
Ashton-under-Lyne Greater Manchester borough (1847–1974)
Askern South Yorkshire town council
Aspatria Cumbria town council
