South Shropshire

South Shropshire was a local government district in Shropshire, England, from 1974 to 2009. Its council was based in the town of Ludlow; the other towns in the district were Church Stretton, Cleobury Mortimer, Clun, Bishop's Castle and Craven Arms. South Shropshire was the most rural district of one of the UK's most rural counties, the population of the district was 40,410 in 2001 spread out over 1,027 km2 of forest, mountains, moorlands, hills and mixed quality farmland. It bordered the unitary authority of Powys in Wales, which it closely resembled, economically, socially, culturally and historically. 65% of the district's area is part of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The district was created on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of the rural districts of Clun and Bishop's Castle and Ludlow. The district and its council were abolished on 1 April 2009 when the new Shropshire unitary authority was established, as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England.