In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a town traditionally was a settlement which had a charter to hold a market or fair and therefore became a "market town". In Scotland, the equivalent is known as a burgh. There are two types of burgh: royal burghs and burghs of barony.
The Local Government Act 1972 allows Parish Councils in England and Wales to resolve themselves to be Town Councils, under section (245 subsection 6) and thus declare that the settlement is a town. Many former urban districts and municipal boroughs have such a status, along with other settlements with no prior town status. Historically, villages became towns by award of a market charter.
It is sometimes considered that a village becomes a town as soon as it reaches a significant size or population, although this is an informal definition and no particular numbers are agreed upon. Some very large villages, such as Kidlington in Oxfordshire, have resolved not to become a town.
Ranked by population: