County which bristol is in

The city features a population of around half a million and remains a prevalent destination for tourists worldwide, yet one issue that continues to plague, even locals, is exactly which county Bristol comes under. The common confusion and most alternate theories often arise due to the differences between what classifies a city, county, and the lesser known unitary authority.

For some, it can seem strange for one area to be designated as two of these or all three, when for Bristol this is absolutely the case. A brief history of events — Originally founded and named around AD, what would later become known as Bristol garnered a reputation for being a significant port by the 11 th century.

It was during this time where the area played a vital role in the trade of slaves and goods, mainly with Ireland, before expanding what little-defined boundaries there were to eventually receive county status from King Edward III in Trade continued to be a booster for Bristol going into the Tudor and Stuart periods, finally being classified as a city in Today, Bristol remains both a city and a county in and of itself, falling neatly in between Somerset and Gloucestershire.

Regardless of whether you support Bristol Rovers or Bristol City, now you can rest comfortably knowing that Bristol has, for the most part, and still is its own county. In a way, Bristol brought this confusion upon itself, with many residents based in the city between and quick to assume that Avon is the correct answer. Named after the tidal river which flows through the city, in the county of Avon was founded with the hope of simplifying local government structuring.

The reorganisation stemmed from an idea which was originally floated around by a boundaries commission in Bristol is one of many English and Welsh cities and towns to have the status of county. Wikipedia's page on the Municipal Corporations Act lists all English and Welsh boroughs recognised by that act. The list includes eleven that have the status "County of the City of Eight towns with county status, including Haverfordwest, are also listed.

Bristol's county status was the first of these to be granted, by Edward III in The status of borough, of city, and of county, were, I believe, honorary. They were conferred by the authorities, in principle by the monarch, at the same time as other more meaningful rights were conferred.

Such rights might be the right to have a sheriff, the right to hold quarter sessions, and the right to elect their own burgesses and mayor. Possibly some of these rights were particularly associated with the status of county. Those with the status of county were known as " counties corporate ", not as " counties ".