Upper Gravenhurst’s story
9 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Upper Gravenhurst’s built-up area.
24% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Upper GravenhurstBedfordshire
Population 564: a village in Bedfordshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Rodney Burton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
564
Census 2021 · Central Bedfordshire council
Median home
£419K
24 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.6
22% are 65+ · Bedfordshire 15%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Upper Gravenhurst a good place to live?
There are no grades for Upper Gravenhurst: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. 9 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. Walking, cycling and public transport carry just over one in ten commuters.
What makes Upper Gravenhurst stand out
The 3 things Upper Gravenhurst does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Parish Church of Saint Giles; 6.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.5 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Upper Gravenhurst.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Upper Gravenhurst work nearby than in Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 16% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income came to £71K a year before tax, above Bedfordshire’s towns (£67K) and England’s towns (£55K) alike. Walking, cycling and public transport carried 11% of commuters at the census. About 6% of its commuters stay in Upper Gravenhurst for work. The car carried 86% of commuters at the census.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot8%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
16%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£71K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
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
Schools
The schools around Upper Gravenhurst
40% of pupils at the one primary school within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravenhurst AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 72 | – |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Private renting is less common in Upper Gravenhurst than in Bedfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 5%
The middle sale price: £419K, above Bedfordshire’s towns (£378K) and England’s towns (£308K) alike. Households that own their home make up 78%. Private rents average £1,250 a month across the Central Bedfordshire council area.
£419Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Upper Gravenhurst£419K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £625,000 | 11 |
| Semi-detached | £367,500 | 6 |
| Terraced | £243,000 | 7 |
78%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,250
average private rent a month, Central Bedfordshire council area
£2,492
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
Violent crime runs high in Upper Gravenhurst: 27.2 per 1,000 residents a year, above Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 35 offences in Upper Gravenhurst and 9 cases of nuisance behaviour. Nearly two thirds of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Burglary and damage came to 9.5 per 1,000 residents a year, below Bedfordshire’s towns (10.4) and close to England’s towns (9.4).
27.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual23
Other crime4
Burglary3
Damage & arson2
Public order1
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social9
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.
27.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
35
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
84% of people in Upper Gravenhurst rate their health good or very good
There is no GP practice in Upper Gravenhurst: the nearest is 2.9 miles off. The nearest A&E to Upper Gravenhurst is Luton and Dunstable Hospital, 9 miles away. 18% of residents have a disability, higher than Bedfordshire’s towns (15%) and near England’s towns (17%).
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Upper Gravenhurst | Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.4% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 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 · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
Upper Gravenhurst keeps more of its old housing than Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 24% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Scaled to its population, that is 160 listed buildings for every 10,000 people in Upper Gravenhurst.
9listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II8
Among them · Grade II*
- Parish Church of Saint Giles Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
24%
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
Who lives here
Upper Gravenhurst has fewer young adults than Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 8% are 15 to 24
Children under 15 make up 17%, about level with England’s towns (18%) and below Bedfordshire’s towns (20%). Over-65s are 22% of the population. Ages in Upper Gravenhurst split evenly at 50.6: half are older, half younger. Also worth knowing: among adults, 37% have a degree.
50.6median age
Upper GravenhurstBedfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level37%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Upper Gravenhurst | Bedfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.4% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 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 Upper Gravenhurst
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Upper Gravenhurst. Best known first.
Historic house · English HeritageWrest Park1.8 km outside town, to the west
MuseumRAF Henlow4.7 km outside town, to the east
MuseumMilitary Intelligence Museum3.3 km outside town, to the northGardenGarden · English HeritageWrest Park & Gardens1.8 km outside town, to the westCastleCastleMeppershall Castel1.5 km outside town, to the eastHistoric siteHistoric siteHawker Hunter WT6124.9 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 Upper Gravenhurst
13pages on Upper Gravenhurst
The big questions
Safety27.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £419K · rent £1,250 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 months · busiest street High StreetSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.6 (men), 84.7 (women)Work & commute55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Upper Gravenhurst’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ShillingtonMeppershallSilsoeClophillSheffordLower StondonFlittonUpper Gravenhurst
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Gravenhurst | 564 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shillington | 1,629 | 1.3 | — | B+ | B | B+ |
| Meppershall | 2,044 | 1.9 | — | C+ | B+ | B+ |
| Silsoe | 3,419 | 2.1 | A+ | B | A | A |
| Clophill | 2,515 | 2.2 | A− | C+ | B+ | A− |
| Shefford | 7,317 | 2.7 | B | B+ | C | A− |
| Lower Stondon | 3,966 | 3.3 | B+ | B | B | A− |
| Flitton | 1,531 | 3.3 | — | C+ | A+ | A+ |
Shillington, Meppershall and Flitton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Upper Gravenhurst
How many listed buildings are there in Upper Gravenhurst?
That is 6.5 times the typical UK town for its size. 24% of Upper Gravenhurst’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Is Upper Gravenhurst expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £243,000, semi-detached houses £367,500 and detached houses £625,000.
How much is council tax in Upper Gravenhurst?
Band D council tax in Upper Gravenhurst is £2,492 for 2026–27, more than in 62% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Upper Gravenhurst
Village in Bedfordshire, England
Upper Gravenhurst is a built-up area of 564 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
- 564 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Central Bedfordshire
- County
- Bedfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003912
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.