City of Gloucester

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Region: South West
Country: England

§ This page provides an overview of an officially designated city in the UK, bringing together various information to help you better understand this city.

Gloucester became a city in 1541 when Henry VIII created the Diocese of Gloucester and the former abbey church became the cathedral. A Roman foundation (Glevum) that flourished as a medieval port and market, Gloucester was a county borough until 1974, when it became a non-metropolitan district (Gloucester City Council) within Gloucestershire County Council. Recent years have seen continued two-tier local government—with district services delivered by the city council and county-level services by the county council—while strategic regeneration is coordinated through county-wide partnerships rather than structural reorganisation.

City Council Status

Gloucester City Council is a non-metropolitan district within Gloucestershire’s two-tier system, with Gloucestershire County Council delivering county-level functions.

In the UK, a city is not defined by size or population but by formal status granted by the monarch, often through historical charters or, more recently, civic honours competitions. There are 76 officially recognised cities, some of which are relatively small compared to other urban areas. In contrast, local authority districts (361 in total) are administrative areas created for local government purposes and may include a mix of urban centres, suburbs, and rural communities. Within districts, there may be one or more towns, which generally refer to sizeable urban settlements but do not hold city status unless it has been formally granted. In practice, a city can exist within a district, and a district can cover multiple towns, showing the clear distinction between legal status, administrative boundaries, and everyday usage.

Cities in South West