I.

Introduction

Worcestershire, county, central England; bounded on the north by Staffordshire, Dudley, and Birmingham, on the east by Warwickshire, on the south by Gloucestershire, on the west by Herefordshire, and on the north-west by Shropshire. Under the local government reforms of 1974, the bulk of Worcestershire became the new county of Hereford and Worcester; a small section in the north was included in West Midlands. Following recommendations from the Local Government Commission on the reform of local government, the county of Hereford and Worcester was split to form the administrative bodies of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. On April 1, 1998, Worcestershire reverted to its pre-1974 status as a county with its former boundaries, and the new unitary authority of Herefordshire was created, also with its former county boundaries. Worcestershire has an area of 1,746 sq km (674 sq mi).