Doncaster was a rural district

Rural district

Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...

 in the West Riding of Yorkshire

West Riding of Yorkshire

The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 from 1894 to 1974.

The rural district was created by the Local Government Act 1894

Local Government Act 1894

The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...

 as successor to the Doncaster Rural Sanitary District

Sanitary district

Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:*Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies...

. It consisted of an area surrounding, but not including, the town of Doncaster

Doncaster

Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...

. Doncaster itself formed a separate municipal borough

Municipal borough

Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...

 (form 1927 a county borough

County borough

County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...

). The district underwent a number of boundary changes over its existence due to the expansion of Doncaster and the growth of a number of other towns.

Doncaster Rural District Council were granted armorial bearings on 30 October 1947.

Civil parishes

Over its existence the rural district consisted of the following civil parishes:

Parish	Notes
Adwick le Street Adwick le Street Adwick-le-Street is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.-Geography:It is situated a few miles to the north west of the town of Doncaster. It has a population of 10,507....	Constituted an urban district in 1915
Adwick upon Dearne Adwick upon Dearne Adwick upon Dearne is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It is located on the River Dearne. It has a population of 351....
Armthorpe Armthorpe Armthorpe is a village and civil parish which forms the eastern edge of the Doncaster urban sprawl within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 12,630.-Etymology:...
Askern Askern Askern is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is on the A19 road between Doncaster and Selby. It became a spa town in the late 19th century, but this stopped once coal mines opened in the town. The last mine closed in the 1990s...
Auckley Auckley Auckley is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, about five miles east of Doncaster town centre. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 3,266...	Partly in Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...  until 1895
Austerfield Austerfield Austerfield is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with Nottinghamshire. It lies to the north-east of Bawtry on the A614 road to Finningley, and is located at 53° 26' 30" North, 1° 0' West, at an elevation of around 7 metres above sea level...
Balby Balby Balby is a suburb of Doncaster located to the south-west of the borough in the north of England. It is home to the former secondary school, now sports college Balby Carr...  with Hexthorpe Hexthorpe Hexthorpe is a small village located on the edge of the town of Doncaster. Hexthorpe lies in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The area's shape resembles a rhombus, with borders with Balby and Doncaster Town Centre, separated by railway lines and the river separating...	Constituted an urban district in 1895
Barnbrough	Renamed Barnburgh Barnburgh Barnburgh is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. The village is adjacent to the village of Harlington - the parish contains both villages, and according to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,979...  in 1951
Barnby upon Don	Merged with Kirk Sandall parish 1921
Barnby Dun with Kirk Sandall Barnby Dun with Kirk Sandall Barnby Dun with Kirk Sandall is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 8,524. The parish covers Barnby Dun and Kirk Sandall, both parts of the Doncaster urban area.-History:The parish was formed in...	Formed 1921 from union of parishes of Barnby upon Don and Kirk Sandall. The area of Edenthorpe was constituted a separate parish in 1956.
Bawtry Bawtry Bawtry is a small market town and civil parish which lies at the point where the Great North Road crosses the River Idle in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. Nearby towns include Gainsborough to the east, Retford south southeast, Worksop to the southwest and...
Bentley with Arksey Bentley with Arksey Bentley with Arksey was a civil parish and urban district adjacent to the town of Doncaster in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1866 to 1974.-Civil parish:The civil parish was formed in 1866 by the grouping of the two townships of Arksey and Bentley...	Constituted an urban district in 1911
Bilham	Absorbed by Hootton Pagnell parish in 1920
Blaxton Blaxton Blaxton is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with Lincolnshire. It lies to the north of Finningley, on the A614 road, and is located at approximately 53° 29' 30" North, 0° 59' West, at an elevation of around 5 metres above sea level...
Bolton upon Dearne	Constituted an urban district in 1899
Braithwell Braithwell Braithwell is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It is about one mile north of Maltby and three miles south-east of Conisbrough...
Brodsworth Brodsworth Brodsworth is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, situated about five miles north-west of Doncaster...
Burghwallis Burghwallis Burghwallis is a small village and civil parish in rural South Yorkshire.-Geography:The village is situated amongst mixed farmland and woodland on a slight rise roughly six miles north north west of Doncaster, or one mile off the A1....
Cadeby Cadeby, South Yorkshire Cadeby is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It is about five miles west of Doncaster, and four miles east of Mexborough.-History:...
Cantley Cantley, South Yorkshire Cantley is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 2,830.-Early history:...
Carr House and Elm Field	Absorbed by Doncaster MB in 1914
Clayton with Frickley Clayton, South Yorkshire - Clayton with Frickley :Clayton is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with West Yorkshire...
Conisbrough Conisbrough Conisbrough is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is located roughly midway between Doncaster and Rotherham, and is built alongside the River Don at...	Majority of parish constituted an urban district in 1921, remainder became new parish of Conisbrough Parks
Conisbrough Parks Conisbrough Parks Conisbrough Parks is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster and ceremonial county of South Yorkshire in England. It has a population of 385....	Formed 1921 form the part of Conisbrough parish not created an urban district
Denaby Denaby Denaby is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 326, and contains the village of Old Denaby, it is also full of tramps and screbs....
Edenthorpe Edenthorpe Edenthorpe is a village and civil parish in the east of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in the English county of South Yorkshire. It has a population of 4,752.-Geography:...	Created 1956 from part of Barnby Dun with Kirk Sandall parish
Edlington Edlington Edlington is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, lying to the south west of Doncaster. It has a population of 8,276...
Fenwick Fenwick, South Yorkshire Fenwick is a small village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with North Yorkshire. It is located at an elevation of around 6 metres above sea level and has a population of 113. The northern boundary of the parish is marked by the River Went.-External links:...
Hampole Hampole Hampole is a small village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with West Yorkshire. The eastern boundary of the parish is marked by the Great North Road, and the parish lies in what was once the Barnsdale Forest. It has a population of 187.Hampole itself is a...
Hickleton Hickleton Hickleton is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 290.There are records of Hickleton’s history dating back to Saxon times, although some consider the settlement has Roman roots.More recently, it was the 'estate...
Hooton Pagnell Hooton Pagnell Hooton Pagnell is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with West Yorkshire. It lies on the B6422 road, and is located at approximately , at an elevation of around 80 metres above sea level...	Absorbed Stotfold and Bilham parishes in 1920
Kirk Bramwith Kirk Bramwith Kirk Bramwith is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 200 in 2001. The village centre is located on a narrow strip of land, sandwiched between the River Don Navigation to the south east and the New Junction Canal to...
Kirk Sandall	Merged with Barnby upon Don parish to form Barnby Dun with Kirk Sandall in 1921
Loversall Loversall Loversall is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 128.-References:...
Marr Marr, South Yorkshire Marr is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 138. It was in the historical county of the West Riding and is listed in the Domesday Book complied in 1086 at the command of William the Conqueror at reference 307d...
Melton High Melton High Melton is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 339.-External links:*...
Moss Moss, South Yorkshire Moss is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 290.-References:...
Norton Norton, Doncaster Norton is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with North Yorkshire. The northern boundary of the parish is marked by the River Went, while the Great North Road forms the western boundary...	Absorbed Sutton parish in 1938
Owston Owston, South Yorkshire Owston is a small village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in rural South Yorkshire, England. The village is situated amongst mixed farmland and woodland north north west of Doncaster, just west of the A19. It has a population of 170.The name 'Owston' is of Old...
Skellow Skellow Skellow is a village in rural South Yorkshire part of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The village is roughly six miles north north west of Doncaster...	Formed part of newly constituted Adwick le Street Urban District in 1915
Rossington Rossington Rossington is a civil parish and former mining village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England and is surrounded by countryside and the market towns of Bawtry and Tickhill.-Geography:...
Sprotbrough
Stainton Stainton, South Yorkshire Stainton is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 269....
Stotfold	Absorbed by Hootton Pagnell parish in 1920
Sutton	Absorbed by Norton parish in 1938
Thorpe in Balne Thorpe in Balne Thorpe in Balne is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 176....
Thurnscoe Thurnscoe Thurnscoe is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. The village is approximately half way between Barnsley and Doncaster, but sufficiently far enough from both to be out of their urban sprawl...	Constituted an urban district in 1908
Tickhill Outer	Absorbed by Tickhill Tickhill Tickhill is a small, wealthy town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. It has a population of 5,301.-Geography:...  Urban District in 1895
Wadworth Wadworth Wadworth is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 1,229. Notable buildings in the village include Wadworth Hall.-References:...
Warmsworth Warmsworth Warmsworth is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 3,855. The main route to Warmsworth is the A1 and the A630. The River Don also runs next to Warmsworth, as well as a train line from Doncaster to Sheffield...
Wheatley Wheatley Hills Wheatley Hills is an urban suburb of Doncaster located a mile outside of the town centre in South Yorkshire, England.-Sport:North 1 East Rugby Union team, Wheatley Hills RUFC are named in conjunction with the suburb. They are based at Brunnel Road in the York Road Industrial Estate just outside...	Constituted an urban district in 1900

Abolition

On 1 April 1974 the Local Government Act 1972

Local Government Act 1972

The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....

 came into effect, reorganising administrative areas throughout England and Wales. The rural district was abolished, and its area merged with the County Borough of Doncaster and a number of other districts to from the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster

Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster

The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire in Yorkshire and the Humber Region of England.In addition to the town of Doncaster, the borough covers Mexborough, Conisbrough, Thorne and Finningley....

, part of the metropolitan county

Metropolitan county

The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...

 of South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...

.