TOWNSHIP BOUNDARIES
Burton's boundary as recorded in 1598 was marked on
the west by the line of the Roman Ryknild Street, on
the north by the west arm of the river Trent, and on the
east by the main channel of the river. The boundary
between Burton and Burton Extra townships ran along
Pinfold Lane (modern Park Street) and corresponded
to the backs of burgage plots in New Street. (fn. 2)
Annual perambulations of the parish took place by
the later 17th century, probably on Ascension day as in
1722. (fn. 3) In the early 19th century the boundary of
Burton township was perambulated, and the 20 sons
of 'responsible tradesmen' who took part in 1836,
when the township was surveyed for a new poor rate
assessment, were rewarded with a dinner of roast beef
and plum pudding in the workhouse. (fn. 4) The limits of the
three wards constituted in 1853 were walked by schoolboys that year. (fn. 5)
MUNICIPAL WARDS
Parts of Burton Extra and Horninglow became wards
in the enlarged town of Burton in 1853, and in the late
1870s the total acreage of the three wards was 1,510 a.:
Burton (563 a.), Burton Extra (671 a.), and Horninglow (276 a.). When the municipal borough was
created in 1878, the rest of Burton Extra (274 a.) was
added, along with a further 840 a. from Horninglow,
25 a. from Branston, and parts of Stapenhill (769 a.)
and Winshill (607 a.). The total acreage of the borough
was thereby increased to 4,025 a. (fn. 6) The parts of Stapenhill and Winshill in the borough were treated for
municipal purposes as being in Staffordshire under
the Local Government Act of 1888 (fn. 7) and were wholly
transferred to the county in 1894, when the nonborough parts were added to adjoining Derbyshire
civil parishes. (fn. 8)
In 1886 detached portions of Horninglow township,
chiefly in Burton meadow, were transferred to Burton,
and a detached portion of Burton Extra in the Victoria
Street area was transferred to Horninglow. (fn. 9) In 1901 the
borough's total area was 4,202 a. (fn. 10)
COUNTY BOROUGH WARDS
In 1934 the area of the county borough was 4,219 a.,
divided into eight wards: Broadway (290 a.), Burton
(429 a.), Horninglow (477 a.), Shobnall (776 a.),
Stapenhill (806 a.), Uxbridge (180 a.), Victoria
(250 a.), and Winshill and Wetmore (1,011 a.). (fn. 11) At
the time of local government re-organization in 1974
the boundaries of several wards were changed and
new wards created. Broadway ward was enlarged to
336 a. (136 ha.), mainly at the expense of Uxbridge,
which was reduced to 156 a. (63 ha.). Burton ward
was enlarged to 796 a. (322 ha.) by the acquisition of
the Wetmore area from Winshill and Wetmore ward,
and a new ward was created for Winshill alone
covering 452 a. (183 ha.). Horninglow ward was
reduced to 252 a. (102 ha.), mostly by the creation
of a new ward called Eton covering 190 a. (77 ha.).
Shobnall ward was reduced slightly to 767 a. (309
ha.) and Victoria enlarged slightly to 279 a. (113 ha.).
Finally, Stapenhill ward was divided into three new
wards: Stapenhill covering 598 a. (242 ha.), Edgehill
225 a. (91 ha.), and Waterside 185 a. (75 ha.). (fn. 12) Later
boundary changes increased the combined area of the
wards to 4,739 a. (1,917 ha.), the additions being
chiefly from Branston and Stretton civil parishes (in
1985) and from adjoining civil parishes in Derbyshire
(in 1991). (fn. 13)