Ickwell’s story
24 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Ickwell’s built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
IckwellBedfordshire
The village has 319 residents and lies in Bedfordshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robin Hall · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
319
Census 2021 · Central Bedfordshire council
Median home
£413K
12 sales in 3 years
Median age
55.2
35% are 65+ · Bedfordshire 15%
Degree level
42%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Ickwell a good place to live?
Ickwell is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. 8% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 24 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. People aged 65 and over make up 35% of residents.
What makes Ickwell stand out
The 3 things Ickwell does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 30.9 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
35% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ickwell.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Ickwell than in Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 12% are under 15
7.5% of residents are 15 to 24, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Half the people of Ickwell are older than 55.2. Graduates make up just over two in five adults.
55.2median age
IckwellBedfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
35%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level42%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 89 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Ickwell | Bedfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 35% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 42% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Bedfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 18% in Ickwell, fewer than in both Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 51% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income came to £68K a year before tax, about level with Bedfordshire’s towns (£67K) and above England’s towns (£55K). The car carried 91% of commuters at the census. Add to that, at the census, just over half of workers worked mainly from home.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot4%
Train4%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
51%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£68K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Most households in Ickwell own their home: 77%, more than in both Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
Social housing holds 8% of households, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). The private rented sector houses 13% of households. Private rents average £1,250 a month across the Central Bedfordshire council area.
£413Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Ickwell£413K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £712,500 | 6 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,250
average private rent a month, Central Bedfordshire council area
£2,416
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Violence is recorded less often in Ickwell than in Bedfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.3 per 1,000 residents a year
There were 2.1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (10.2) and England’s towns (7.8). Police recorded 13 crimes inside Ickwell’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Burglary and damage add up to 7.3 per 1,000 residents each year. 31% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
6.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual4
Burglary3
Other crime2
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social0
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
6.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
13
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
Bad health is less common in Ickwell than in Bedfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.8% of residents
Ickwell has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.6 miles away. A disability affects 12% of people here. At the census, 85% of people in Ickwell called their health good or very good, higher than both Bedfordshire’s towns (84%) and England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Ickwell is Bedford Hospital, 6.8 miles away.
85%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Ickwell | Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.8% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
82.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Ickwell is rich in listed buildings: 752 per 10,000 residents, more than in both Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover 56% of Ickwell’s land, above both Bedfordshire’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%). One registered park or garden lies here. 11% of homes were built before 1919.
24listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II24
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
752
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →The Shuttleworth Collection and 4 more in and around Ickwell
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Ickwell. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumThe Shuttleworth Collection400 m outside town, to the south
Historic houseThe Mansion House900 m outside town, to the south
Historic houseMoggerhanger House3 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic houseShortmead House3.6 km outside town, to the eastGardenGardenThe Swiss Garden400 m outside town, to the south
Historic houseThe Mansion House900 m outside town, to the southHistoric houseMoggerhanger House3 km outside town, to the northwestHistoric houseShortmead House3.6 km outside town, to the eastGardenGardenThe Swiss Garden400 m outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- The Mansion House: Giles Keen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Moggerhanger House: John Brightley, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Shortmead House: Richard a slade, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ickwell
13pages on Ickwell
The big questions
Safety6.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £413K · rent £1,250 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 months · busiest street Caldecote RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.2 (men), 84.6 (women)Work & commute65% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Ickwell’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Upper CaldecoteSandyBiggleswadeBlunhamLangfordSheffordCliftonIckwell
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ickwell | 319 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Upper Caldecote | 1,333 | 1.1 | — | B− | B | B |
| Sandy | 11,375 | 2.8 | C+ | A− | C | C |
| Biggleswade | 21,945 | 2.9 | B− | B+ | B− | C+ |
| Blunham | 1,391 | 3.4 | — | B− | D− | B |
| Langford | 3,712 | 3.6 | B | B− | B | B |
| Shefford | 7,317 | 4.1 | B | B+ | C | A− |
| Clifton | 2,769 | 4.3 | B | B | C+ | B+ |
Upper Caldecote and Blunham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Ickwell
How many listed buildings are there in Ickwell?
That is 30.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Ickwell expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £412,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
About Ickwell
Village in Bedfordshire, England
Ickwell is a built-up area of 319 people, in the Central Bedfordshire council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 319 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Central Bedfordshire
- County
- Bedfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003707
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.