Knighton was, from 1894 to 1974, 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Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of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 administrative county of Radnorshire

Radnorshire

Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

.

The district was formed 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...

, when the existing Knighton 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...

 was divided into three: the section in Herefordshire

Herefordshire

Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...

 was reconstituted as Wigmore Rural District, that in Shropshire

Shropshire

Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...

 as Teme Rural District, while the remaining section in Radnorshire became Knighton Rural District. The rural district council was based in the town of Knighton which was a separate urban district

Urban district

In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....

.

The rural district comprised seventeen civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

es:

• Beguildy
  Beguildy
  Beguildy is a village in mid Wales. It lies in a remote tract of countryside, on the B4355 8 miles north west of Knighton, Powys and on the road to Newtown. It lies near the headwaters of the River Teme and is 235 metres above sea level...
  
  
• Bleddfa
• Cascob
• Discoed
• Heyope
• Knighton
• Litton and Cascob
• Llananno
• Llanbadarn Fynydd
• Llanbister
• Llanddewi Ystradenny
• Llanfihangel Rhydrithon
• Llangunllo
• Norton
  Norton, Powys
  Norton is a village in Powys, Wales, approximately from the Welsh border town of Presteigne....
  
  
• Pilleth
  Pilleth
  Pilleth is a small village south of Knighton in Powys, Wales. It is the site of the ancient church and holy well of St. Mary’s which stands on Bryn Glas Hill overlooking the River Lugg, as it makes it way to Presteigne.-Name:...
  
  
• Stanage
  Stanage
  Stanage Edge, or simply Stanage is a gritstone escarpment in the English Peak District, famous as a location for climbing. The northern part of the edge forms the border between the High Peak of Derbyshire and Sheffield in South Yorkshire. Its highest point is High Neb at above sea level...
  
  
• Whitton

The district was abolished in 1974 under 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....

, which completely reorganised local administration in England and Wales. Its area became part of the District of Radnor

Radnorshire (district)

Radnorshire was one of three districts of the county of Powys, Wales, from 1974 - 1996. The district had an identical area to the previous administrative county of Radnorshire....

 in the new county of Powys

Powys

Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...

.