Winchester is a local government district

Non-metropolitan district

Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...

 in Hampshire

Hampshire

Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...

, 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...

, with city status

City status in the United Kingdom

City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...

. It covers an area of central Hampshire including the city of Winchester

Winchester

Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...

 itself, and neighbouring towns and villages including New Alresford

New Alresford

New Alresford or simply Alresford is a small town and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It is situated some 12 km north-east of the city of Winchester and 20 km south-west of the town of Alton...

, Colden Common

Colden Common

Colden Common is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, lying just east of the M3 motorway between Winchester and Southampton. The nearest town is Eastleigh to the south west. Colden Common is in the Winchester District. To the east are the South Downs and to the west is the River Itchen...

 and Bishops Waltham.

The current city boundaries were set on 1 April 1974 when the City of Winchester merged with Droxford Rural District and part of Winchester Rural District.

Other than Gosport

Gosport

Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...

 and Eastleigh

Eastleigh

Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...

, Winchester is the only non Unitary Authority

Unitary authority

A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...

, council District

District

Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...

 in Hampshire

Hampshire

Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...

 not to border another county

County

A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...

 and is the only one that neither borders another county nor the coast. The two Unitary Authorities in Hampshire that don't border another county are Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

 and Southampton

Southampton

Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...

, Portsmouth and Southampton are the only Unitary Authorities in Hampshire.

Elections

Elections to the council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the seats on the council being elected at each election. From 1995 to the 2004 election

Winchester Council election, 2004

The 2004 Winchester Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Winchester District Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to no overall control.After the election, the composition...

 the Liberal Democrats had a majority on the council, but after 2 years when no party held a majority the 2006 election

Winchester Council election, 2006

The 2006 Winchester Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Winchester District Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.After the election, the...

 saw the Conservative party

Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

 gain control.
The elections

Winchester Council election, 2010

The 2010 Winchester Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of Winchester District Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from the Conservative party.After the election, the...

  on 6 May 2010 saw the Liberal Democrats re take control of the council.

The make up of the council as of May 2011 is:

• Liberal Democrats - 27
• Conservatives - 27
• Independent Group - 2
• Labour - 1

Settlements and parishes

Settlements in the district include:

• Avington
  Avington, Hampshire
  Avington is a small village in the English county of Hampshire.It is located on the banks of the River Itchen to the northeast of the city of Winchester...
  
  
• Badger Farm
  Badger Farm
  Badger Farm is a suburb to the south of Winchester, Hampshire, England and a civil parish. The area was developed in the 1970s and 1980s, and became a parish in 1985. The development of Badger Farm was the subject of the revised Badger Farm Development brief, 1978, produced by Winchester City...
  
  , Beauworth
  Beauworth
  Beauworth is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England, about eight miles east of Winchester. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 103....
  
  , Bighton
  Bighton
  Bighton is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 319. The village is about three miles north-east of New Alresford....
  
  , Bishops Sutton
  Bishops Sutton
  Bishops Sutton is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 419....
  
  , Bishops Waltham, Boarhunt
  Boarhunt
  Boarhunt is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England, about two miles north-east of Fareham....
  
  , Bramdean
  Bramdean
  Bramdean is a village in Hampshire, England. The village church is 12th century and is dedicated to St Simon and St Jude. There is also a maintained by the Bishop Charity.-External links:...
  
  , Brockwood Park
• Cheriton
  Cheriton, Hampshire
  Cheriton Is a small village and civil parish located near the city of Winchester, in Hampshire, England. The settlement is perhaps most famous for being the location of the Battle of Cheriton in the English Civil War. Cheriton is also the Source of the River Itchen.Facilities and ServicesCheriton...
  
  , Chilcomb
  Chilcomb
  Chilcomb is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It is located very close to the city of Winchester and is on the South Downs Way long distance footpath.The parish had a population of 91 at the 2001 Census....
  
  , Colden Common
  Colden Common
  Colden Common is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, lying just east of the M3 motorway between Winchester and Southampton. The nearest town is Eastleigh to the south west. Colden Common is in the Winchester District. To the east are the South Downs and to the west is the River Itchen...
  
  , Compton and Shawford
  Compton and Shawford
  Compton and Shawford is a civil parish in the City of Winchester, Hampshire, England. The word compton means village in a combe and aptly describes the settlement as it primarily consists of a long street on the side of a chalk valley....
  
  , Corhampton
  Corhampton
  Corhampton is a village in Hampshire, England. It lies on the western bank of the River Meon. It forms a civil parish with Meonstoke which adjoins on the eastern bank....
  
  , Crawley
  Crawley, Hampshire
  Crawley is a small village in Hampshire, England, United Kingdom. It is a few miles from the county town of Winchester. It is a civil parish within the City of Winchester local government district. The village is the location of Crawley Court, currently the headquarters of broadcast company Arqiva....
  
  , Curdridge
  Curdridge
  Curdridge is a village and civil parish within the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. Also located within the parish is the similarly named village of Curbridge. The village houses a small school...
  
  
• Denmead
  Denmead
  Denmead is a village in Hampshire, England. It is part of the City of Winchester district. As of 2005, it had a population of 6,457 and an electorate of 4,987....
  
  , Droxford
  Droxford
  Droxford is a village in Hampshire, England, lying in the Meon valley, and lies around 3¾ miles east of Bishop's Waltham within the new South Downs National Park. The A32 passes through the village between Gosport and Alton...
  
  , Durley
  Durley
  Durley is a village in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It is located approximately 7½ miles northeast of Southampton and has a population of around 500.-Governance:...
  
  
• Easton
  Easton, Hampshire
  Easton is a village in Hampshire, England, situated on the River Itchen, 2¾ miles north east of Winchester.In 1870-72, John Goring's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Easton like this:...
  
  , Exton
  Exton, Hampshire
  Exton is a small village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. The village lies in the South Downs National Park, on the west bank of the River Meon, immediately to the north of Corhampton. It is located two miles north east of Droxford and five miles north...
  
  
• Hambledon
  Hambledon, Hampshire
  Hambledon is a small village and civil parish in the county of Hampshire in England, situated about north of Portsmouth.Hambledon is best known as the 'Cradle of Cricket'. It is thought that Hambledon Club, one of the oldest cricket clubs known, was formed about 1750...
  
  , Headbourne Worthy
  Headbourne Worthy
  Headbourne Worthy is a village and former manor within the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England.-External links:***...
  
  , Hinton Ampner
  Hinton Ampner
  Hinton Ampner House is a stately home with gardens within the parish of Hinton Ampner, near Alresford, Hampshire, England.The house and garden are owned by the National Trust and are open to the public....
  
  , Hursley
  Hursley
  Hursley is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England with a population of around 800 in 2005. It is located roughly mid-way between Romsey and Winchester on the A3090...
  
  
• Itchen Abbas
  Itchen Abbas
  Itchen Abbas is a village on the River Itchen about north-east of Winchester in Hampshire, England. The village is part of the Itchen Valley civil parish.A major oil pipeline from Hamble to Aldermaston runs through Itchen Abbas.-Parish church:...
  
  , Itchen Stoke
  Itchen Stoke
  Itchen Stoke is a village in Hampshire, England. The village lies in the valley of the River Itchen, north east of Winchester, and south east of Itchen Abbas....
  
  , Itchen Valley
  Itchen Valley
  Itchen Valley is a civil parish in the English county of Hampshire.Forming part of the City of Winchester district, it comprises the villages of Avington, Easton, Itchen Abbas and Martyr Worthy, with a population of 1,267 at the time of the 2001 Census....
  
  
• Kilmeston
  Kilmeston
  Kilmeston is a small village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England....
  
  , Kings Worthy
  Kings Worthy
  Kings Worthy is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, approximately two miles north-east of Winchester. Kings Worthy was a tithing of Barton Stacey when the Domesday Book was written....
  
  
• Littleton and Harestock
  Littleton and Harestock
  Littleton and Harestock is a civil parish consisting of the villages of Littleton and Harestock in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England.Littleton is situated slightly north-west of Harestock, and is roughly north of Winchester city centre...
  
  
• Martyr Worthy
  Martyr Worthy
  Martyr Worthy is a small village in the English county of Hampshire. It is part of the 'Worthys' - a cluster of small villages.It is located on the banks of the River Itchen to the northeast of the city of Winchester.-Governance:...
  
  , Meonstoke
  Meonstoke
  Meonstoke is a village in Hampshire, England. Meonstoke lies in the Meon Valley where it cuts through the Middle Chalk of the South Downs. Old Winchester Hill is at the edge of the parish to the east....
  
  , Micheldever
  Micheldever
  Micheldever is a village in Hampshire, England, situated 6 miles north of Winchester.It lies upon the River Dever . The river, and village, formerly part of Stratton Park, lie on a Hampshire grass downland, underlain with chalk and flint...
  
  
• New Alresford
  New Alresford
  New Alresford or simply Alresford is a small town and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It is situated some 12 km north-east of the city of Winchester and 20 km south-west of the town of Alton...
  
  , Northington
  Northington
  Northington is a village in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It lies half a mile from the neighbouring village, Swarraton. Its nearest railway station is at New Alresford, on the Mid-Hants railway line.-See also:...
  
  
• Old Alresford
  Old Alresford
  Old Alresford is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated some 1 km north of the town of New Alresford, 12 km north-east of the city of Winchester, and 20 km south-west of the town of Alton....
  
  , Olivers Battery
  Olivers Battery
  Olivers Battery is a civil parish in Hampshire, England, of some 700 households located just to the south of the City of Winchester. The parish was founded in 1956 on land that was formerly part of Compton parish...
  
  , Otterbourne
  Otterbourne
  Otterbourne is a village in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately four miles south of Winchester and eight miles north of Southampton. In October 2002, its population was approximately 1,520, and there were 602 dwellings....
  
  , Ovington
  Ovington, Hampshire
  Ovington, Hampshire is a village in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It lies three miles from its nearest town, New Alresford.-External links:*...
  
  , Owslebury
  Owslebury
  Owslebury is a village and civil parish in the county of Hampshire, in the South of England approximately outside of Winchester. It lies within the administrative district of the City of Winchester.-Geography:...
  
  
• Shedfield
  Shedfield
  Shedfield is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. In the 2001 UK Census, Shedfield had a population of 3,914.-History:...
  
  , Soberton
  Soberton
  Soberton is a village in the Meon Valley, Hampshire, England and is bordered by villages such as Newtown and Droxford. It is listed in the Domesday Book under its original name, 'Sudbertone'/'Sudbertune', and comes under Winchester City Council....
  
  , Southwick
  Southwick, Hampshire
  Southwick is a village in the English county of Hampshire, situated north of Portsmouth, and is occupied entirely by tenants in the style of the Middle Ages, where the entirety is wholly owned by the Southwick Estate. Oddly, there is one exception to this and that is Church Lodge which is in...
  
  , South Wonston
  South Wonston
  South Wonston is a village on the outskirts of the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. The population of the village is estimated to be 3,718 people living in an estimated 1,506 households.-Education:...
  
  , Sparsholt
  Sparsholt, Hampshire
  Sparsholt is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. The village lies to the west of Winchester, and has a population of 967.Sparsholt College, a leading land-based college and home to the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time 'potting shed', is located on the outskirts of the village. The...
  
  , Sutton Scotney
  Sutton Scotney
  Sutton Scotney is a village in Hampshire, England. It is part of the City of Winchester district, and lies north of Winchester proper.It lies alongside the River Dever and is now bypassed by the A34 trunk road. It is notable for having been the site of numerous Spitfire crashes in the Second World...
  
  , Swanmore
  Swanmore
  Swanmore is a small rural village and civil parish situated in the Meon Valley, Hampshire, England. It is very near to Bishop's Waltham.Swanmore houses the schools Swanmore Primary School and Swanmore College of Technology which is the secondary school for neighbouring towns and villages. The...
  
  
• Tichborne
  Tichborne
  Tichborne is a village and civil parish near Winchester in Hampshire, England.The manor of Tichborne is mentioned in a grant of land by Edward the Elder in 909 but it is not mentioned in the Domesday Book...
  
  , Twyford
  Twyford, Hampshire
  For other places of the same name, see Twyford.Twyford is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, approximately three miles south of Winchester and near the M3 motorway and Twyford Down. In 2001, the population of the parish was 1,456...
  
  
• Upham
  Upham, Hampshire
  Upham is a small village and civil parish in the south of England located in Hampshire approximately 7 miles south-east of Winchester .-The village:...
  
  
• Warnford
  Warnford
  Warnford is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England.The village lies on the A32 in the valley of the River Meon between West Meon and Exton. It has a church and a pub, . There is an infrequent bus service from Bishop's Waltham to Petersfield...
  
  , West Meon
  West Meon
  West Meon is a small village in Hampshire, England, with a population of 690.It is situated near to Petersfield and East Meon, on the headwaters of the River Meon....
  
  , Whiteley
  Whiteley
  Whiteley is a community in the county of Hampshire, England, near Fareham. The development straddles the boundary between two council districts: the Borough of Fareham to the south and east, and the city of Winchester to the north and west.-Location:...
  
   (part), Wickham
  Wickham
  Wickham, formerly spelled Wykeham, is a small historic village and civil parish in Hampshire, southern England, located about three miles north of Fareham. It is within the City of Winchester local government district, although it is considerably closer to Fareham than to Winchester...
  
  , Widley
  Widley
  Widley is an area of the Greater Portsmouth conurbation in the south of England near Waterlooville and Purbrook. It is on the dip slope of the South Downs just north of the ridge called Portsdown Hill....
  
  , Winchester
  Winchester
  Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
  
  , Winnall, Wonston
  Wonston
  Wonston is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. The village has an estimated population of 1,283 in the census of 2001...