[1] It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 based on the Downham rural sanitary district.

It completely encircled Downham Market Urban District.

In particular, it took in four large (in area terms) parishes from the disbanded Thetford Rural District.

In 1974, the district was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972, and became part of the West Norfolk district, renamed King's Lynn and West Norfolk in 1981.

Welney Rural District[3] was (at least nominally) a short-lived entity created in 1894 containing the only parish, West Welney, which had been in Downham RSD but lay in the Isle of Ely rather than Norfolk.