In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a town is traditionally any settlement which has received a charter of incorporation, more commonly known as a town charter, approved by the monarch. In Scotland, the equivalent is known as a burgh (pronounced /ˈbʌʀə/). There are two types of burgh: royal burghs and burghs of barony.
The Local Government Act 1972 allows civil parishes in England and Wales to resolve themselves to be Town Councils, under section (245 subsection 6), which also gives the chairman of such parishes the title 'town mayor'. Many former urban districts and municipal boroughs have such a status, along with other settlements with no prior town status.
In more modern times it is often considered that a town becomes a city (or a village becomes a town) as soon as it reaches a certain population, although this is an informal definition and no particular numbers are agreed upon.
The cultural importance placed on charters remains, and it is not an unusual event for towns across the UK to celebrate their charter in an annual Charter Day (normally a fair or mediaeval market).
The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not part of the United Kingdom, but are included here for convenience.
Lists of towns in the UK[]
- List of towns in England
- List of burghs in Scotland
- List of towns in Wales
- List of towns in Northern Ireland
Towns of the Isle of Man[]
Towns of the Channel Islands[]
See also[]
- List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
- City status in the United Kingdom
- List of places in the United Kingdom
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