Windsor Castle wards

Dear Requester

Request for information - FOI12270

Thank you for your e-mail of 5th March 2012, requesting:

'In your 'User guide and technical specification' to the Boundary Line dataset, on page 19, you state under the heading:

The wards of Windsor Castle

The Upper and Middle wards of Windsor Castle do not form part of the district of Windsor and Maidenhead but have been included for the purposes of this dataset.
I was interested in the reason for this and asked the Local Government Boundary Commission for England about it, but they simply replied that the statement was 'misleading'. However, this claim strikes me as far too specific for it to be completely unfounded, and I believe from research of historical documents that Windsor Castle was once an extra-parochial area. As I have been unable to verify the current status elsewhere, I wondered if you would be able to elaborate on this at all, and release any documentation (including 'information and/or copies of maps that you may have pertaining to the administrative status of the wards of Windsor Castle).'

I confirm Ordnance Survey does hold information in relation to your request. We hold this information within a publication titled Public Boundaries and Ordnance Survey 1840 - 1980 by J R S Booth MBE.  Mr Booth was a former Superintendent of the Boundaries Department of Ordnance Survey and a recognised expert on administrative boundaries. The information states:

* Windsor Castle, Upper and Middle Wards are a misnomer.  These 'wards' are nothing to do with local government wards of any kind, consisting of an area of Windsor Castle which is still in essence, not included within a local government place and is probably better described as a 'place'.  Originally Windsor Castle was classed as 'extra parochial' (not in any parish or a place for which an overseer could be appointed.)  The Acts (including the Extra Parochial Places Act 1857) disposed of all the 'Extra Parochial' places of repute but did not apply to the personal apartments of the Sovereign and their staff in the Upper and Middle Wards of the Castle. 

As Ordnance Survey is not responsible for the Wards in Windsor Castle we do not hold any data other than this, nor do we have any mapping.  We suggest you may like to contact The National Archives (TNA) as you may find more information here. TNA may be contacted as follows:

The National Archive (TNA)
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU
Telephone: 0208 876 3444
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/contact

Your enquiry has been processed according to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. As all the requested information has been provided, we have determined that in all the circumstances of this case the Public interest consideration (section 17 FOIA) is not applicable in this instance.

If you are unhappy with our response, you may raise an appeal to our Appeals Officer at:

FOI Appeals Officer
Customer Service Centre
Ordnance Survey
Adanac Drive
SOUTHAMPTON
SO16 0AS

Please include the reference number above. The Appeals Officer will ensure that the process has been followed correctly, questioning any decisions taken regarding the original response and recommending disclosure of additional information if appropriate.

Thank you for your enquiry.