Painscastle 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Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of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 Hay 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 Breconshire was reconstituted as Hay Rural District, the area 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...

 became Bredwardine Rural District, while the parishes in Radnorshire became Painscastle Rural District. The new district took its name from the ancient hundred

Hundred (division)

A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...

 of Painscastle. The council continued to be based in Hay on Wye in Breconshire.

The rural district comprised nine 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:

• Boughrood
  Boughrood
  Boughrood is a village in Powys, Wales.Historically in Radnorshire, the village is situated near the River Wye between Hay-on-Wye and Builth Wells....
  
  
• Bryngwyn
  Bryngwyn
  Bryngwyn is a village and rural location in Monmouthshire, south east Wales.- Location :Bryngwyn is located two miles to the west of Raglan in Monmouthshire.- History and amenities :...
  
  
• Cleiro
  Clyro
  Clyro is a village in Powys, Wales with approximately 600 inhabitants . The nearest town is Hay-on-Wye, some 1.5 miles to the southeast. The nearest city is Hereford in England, some 23 miles to the east.-History:...
  
  
• Glasbury
  Glasbury
  Glasbury , also known as Glasbury-on-Wye, is a village in Powys, Wales which lies at an important crossing point on the River Wye, connecting the former counties of Brecknockshire and Radnorshire. The village is just outside the Brecon Beacons National Park, north of the Black Mountains. The...
  
  
• Llanddewi Fach
• Llandeilo Graban
• Llanstephan
  Llansteffan
  Llansteffan is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Llansteffan is one of three settlements positioned on the Tywi river, other settlements include Ferryside and Carmarthen . Llansteffan Castle, built by the Normans in the 12th century, is located in the village...
  
  
• Llowes
  Llowes
  Llowes is a small village in Powys, Wales. The village has approximately 110 inhabitants . The nearest town is Hay-on-Wye, some 3 miles to the south-east.-St. Meilig and St. Meilig's Cross:...
  
  
• Painscastle
  Painscastle
  Painscastle is a castle in Powys in mid Wales and also a village which takes its name from the castle. It lies between Builth and Hay-on-Wye, approximately 3 miles from the Wales-England border today.- Early history:...
  
  

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...

.