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Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of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

Cheshire

Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...

, 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. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10137159 It was named after but did not include Runcorn

Runcorn

Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...

, a town on the River Mersey

River Mersey

The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....

 to the north-west of the district, which formed its own 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 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....

. It was split between the new districts of Vale Royal

Vale Royal

Vale Royal was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It contained the towns of Northwich, Winsford and Frodsham.-Creation:...

, Warrington

Warrington

Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...

 and Halton

Halton (borough)

Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a unitary authority. It was created in 1974 as a district of Cheshire, and became a unitary authority area on 1 April 1998. It consists of the towns of Widnes and Runcorn and the civil parishes of...

, with the parishes of Appleton, Grappenhall

Grappenhall

Grappenhall is a suburban village in Warrington, Cheshire, England. It is situated along the Bridgewater Canal, and forms one of the principal settlements of Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish...

, Hatton

Hatton, Warrington

Hatton is a small village some 6 km south of Warrington, Cheshire .It lies on the B5356 road between the villages of Daresbury and Stretton. It has one public house, The Hatton Arms. This is a Grade II listed building which formerly incorporated a post office and a village store.-External...

, Stockton Heath

Stockton Heath

Stockton Heath is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north of the Bridgewater Canal and to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal, which divides Stockton Heath from Latchford and north Warrington...

, Stretton

Stretton, Cheshire

Stretton is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England not far from Warrington. The parish includes the village of Lower Stretton. It is at the very southern tip of Warrington, about seven miles south of the town centre. It has a large hotel and is the site of Warrington's private hospital,...

 and Walton

Walton, Cheshire

Walton is a civil parish within the borough of Warrington in Cheshire, northern England.Walton is at the southwest edge of the borough, next to the parish of Stockton Heath. It is also close to Daresbury and Moore, although these are in the neighbouring borough of Halton.Walton is divided into...

 going to Warrington; the parishes of Daresbury

Daresbury

Daresbury is a small rural village, civil parish and ward in the unitary authority of Halton and part of the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is covered by the Weaver Vale constituency...

, Moore

Moore, Cheshire

Moore is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England. It has a population of 807.The name 'Moore' comes from the Old English word mor, meaning 'moor, or fen'...

 and Preston Brook

Preston Brook

Preston Brook is a civil parish in the borough of Halton, a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located to the south-east of Runcorn and is adjacent to the M56 motorway. It contains the villages of Preston Brook and Preston on the Hill.In the 2001 Census, the...

going to Halton (with Runcorn town), and the rest going to Vale Royal.