Shillington’s story
26 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Shillington’s built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ShillingtonBedfordshire
A village in Bedfordshire, East of England, home to 1,629 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,629
Census 2021 · Central Bedfordshire council
Median home
£370K
45 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.4
20% are 65+ · Bedfordshire 15%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Shillington a good place to live?
Households here earn well (A−): the mean household earns £71,404 a year. School results trail most towns: primary results beat 2% of towns in England. Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work: nearly one in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. At a median £370,000, a home costs 5.6 times the yearly income of households in the Central Bedfordshire council area. Its other grades sit near the middle: B for safety and C+ for hazard risk.
Figures: income, ONS · claimants, DWP · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · flood risk, Environment Agency. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Shillington has subject grades but no overall one.
What makes Shillington stand out
The 3 things Shillington does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
26 listed buildings
1 Grade I, including Church of All Saints; 6.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 98%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Department for Education.
How Shillington grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Shillington is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Shillington has subject grades but no overall one.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 2% of towns in EnglandD−Open →WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carC−Open →Jobs & incomeAhead of most towns comparedA−Open →HealthLife expectancy 81.6 for men, 84.7 for womenB+Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnB+Open →Safety18.8 violent and sexual offences and 8.4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026BOpen →Hazard risk0.4% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryUnusually rich in historyAOpen →Outdoors83% live within 400 m of a park; 14% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life4.3 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryBOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shillington.
SchoolsD−
Results at Shillington’s schools are among the lowest in England
Key Stage 2 results at the 2 primary schools within 3 km: 45% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one school is below. 94 pupils attend Shillington’s one primary school.
D−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shillington Lower SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 94 | – |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
Old homes shape Shillington: 32% were built before 1919, 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.
The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them. Shillington’s listed buildings include the Church of All Saints, Grade I. Listed buildings per head: 160 for every 10,000 residents of the town. Conservation areas cover nearly a fifth of the town’s land, above both Bedfordshire’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%).
26listed buildingsAHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II25
Among them · Grade I
- Church of All Saints Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
160
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Commuters in Shillington travel far: only 12% go under 5 km, fewer than in both Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 37% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Home was the main workplace for 37% of workers at the census. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters. Unemployment benefit claims reached 1.4% of 16 to 64s in 2026.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot5%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
12%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
37%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£71K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 18% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Is Shillington a healthy place? 85% of its people say their health is good, above Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
Shillington has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.2 miles away. Women here live to 84.7 on average and men to 81.6 (2019–23). The nearest A&E to Shillington is Lister Hospital, 8 miles away.
85%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Shillington | Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.3% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 15% | 17% |
81.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.7
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.
HousingCost of living grade B+
Few households rent privately in Shillington: 12%, fewer than in both Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The social rented sector houses a fifth of households. Private rents average £1,250 a month across the Central Bedfordshire council area. 65% of households own their home, near Bedfordshire’s towns (64%) and higher than England’s towns (61%).
£370Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Shillington£370K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £540,000 | 17 |
| Semi-detached | £322,500 | 10 |
| Terraced | £296,250 | 18 |
65%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,250
average private rent a month, Central Bedfordshire council area
£2,412
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
Shillington records less crime per resident than 63% of UK towns
Violence and sexual offences made up 57% of the total. Police recorded 65 crimes inside Shillington’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 10 reports of anti-social behaviour. There were 4.7 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below both Bedfordshire’s towns (10.3) and England’s towns (7.8).
18.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 42% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual37
Damage & arson7
Public order4
Drugs4
Vehicle crime4
Burglary3
Other theft2
Other crime2
Anti-social10
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.
18.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
65
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.
Who lives here
Few people in Shillington are 15 to 24: 9.8%, fewer than in both Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
Graduates make up 37% of adults. A fifth of residents are 65 or over, above Bedfordshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The under-15s are 17% of the population here. Line up the people of Shillington by age and the one in the middle is 45.4.
45.4median age
ShillingtonBedfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level37%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Shillington | Bedfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.8% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Bedfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Wrest Park and 5 more in and around Shillington
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Shillington. Best known first.
Historic house · English HeritageWrest Park3.1 km outside town, to the west
MuseumRAF Henlow3.9 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumMilitary Intelligence Museum4.4 km outside town, to the northGardenGarden · English HeritageWrest Park & Gardens2.9 km outside town, to the westCastleCastleMeppershall Castel1 km outside town, to the northeastHistoric siteHistoric siteHawker Hunter WT6123.7 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Wrest Park: Nigel Cox, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- RAF Henlow: M J Richardson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Military Intelligence Museum: Gothic20, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shillington
14pages on Shillington
The big questions
SafetyB18.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £370K · rent £1,250 a monthHousing16 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hillfoot RoadSchoolsD−1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 81.6 (men), 84.7 (women)Work & commuteA−54% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC+0.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Shillington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MeppershallPirtonLower StondonSilsoeSheffordBarton-le-ClayClophillShillington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shillington | 1,629 | — | — | B+ | B | B+ |
| Meppershall | 2,044 | 1.7 | — | C+ | B+ | B+ |
| Pirton | 1,452 | 2 | — | C− | A | A− |
| Lower Stondon | 3,966 | 2.4 | B+ | B | B | A− |
| Silsoe | 3,419 | 3 | A+ | B | A | A |
| Shefford | 7,317 | 3.1 | B | B+ | C | A− |
| Barton-le-Clay | 4,941 | 3.4 | A− | B | A | A− |
| Clophill | 2,515 | 3.5 | A− | C+ | B+ | A− |
Meppershall and Pirton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Shillington
Are schools in Shillington good?
One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Central Bedfordshire council.
How many listed buildings are there in Shillington?
That is 6.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of All Saints.
Is Shillington expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £370,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £296,250, semi-detached houses £322,500 and detached houses £540,000. Household incomes are higher than in 91% of UK towns, so cost of living still grades B+.
About Shillington
Village in Bedfordshire, England
Shillington is a built-up area of 1,629 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
- 1,629 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Central Bedfordshire
- County
- Bedfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (0.9 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003942
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.