Thornborough’s story
31 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Thornborough’s built-up area.
28% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ThornboroughBuckinghamshire
646 people live in this village in Buckinghamshire, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bikeboy · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
646
Census 2021 · Buckinghamshire council
Median home
£398K
24 sales in 3 years
Median age
51
22% are 65+ · Buckinghamshire 17%
Degree level
44%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
3%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Thornborough a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Thornborough is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. 3% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 31 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. The median sale price is £397,500.
What makes Thornborough stand out
The 3 things Thornborough does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
3% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Mary; 19.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.4 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 Thornborough.
Work & commute
Only 15% of Thornborough’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in both Buckinghamshire’s towns and England’s towns
3%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 49% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 94% of commuters, above both Buckinghamshire’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%). Households take home £74K a year before tax, on average. In 2026, 1.7% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving94%
On foot2%
Train1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
49%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£74K
mean household income, before tax
1.7%
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 Thornborough
Key Stage 2 results at the one primary school within 3 km: 55% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its only school is listed below. 31 pupils attend Thornborough’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornborough Infant SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 31 | – |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
More households own their home in Thornborough than in Buckinghamshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 77%
£398Kmedian sale
10% rent privately, below both Buckinghamshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (21%). Council and housing-body homes hold 8% of households. Private rents average £1,475 a month across the Buckinghamshire council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Thornborough£398K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £530,000 | 11 |
| Semi-detached | £295,575 | 8 |
| Terraced | £295,000 | 5 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,475
average private rent a month, Buckinghamshire council area
£2,539
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 low in Thornborough: 6.7 per 1,000 residents a year, under Buckinghamshire’s towns and England’s towns
6.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Burglary and damage add up to 5.2 per 1,000 residents each year. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 10 crimes inside Thornborough’s built-up area.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft5
Damage & arson2
Vehicle crime1
Bicycle theft1
Other crime1
Violence & sexual0
Shoplifting0
Public order0
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.
6.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
10
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
88% of people in Thornborough say their health is good or very good, more than in both Buckinghamshire’s towns and England’s towns
88%good or very good health
13% of residents have a disability, below Buckinghamshire’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Seeing a GP means leaving Thornborough: the nearest practice is 2.8 miles away. The nearest A&E to Thornborough is Milton Keynes Hospital, 8.1 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Thornborough | Buckinghamshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 86% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.6% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
82.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.5
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
Thornborough is rich in listed buildings: 480 per 10,000 residents, more than in both Buckinghamshire’s towns and England’s towns
31listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 28% of the total. Of Thornborough’s land, 38% lies in conservation areas, above Buckinghamshire’s towns (8%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. Grade II* covers 1 of them.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II30
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
28%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
480
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
Thornborough has fewer young adults than Buckinghamshire’s towns or England’s towns: 7.8% are 15 to 24
51median age
Those 65 and older account for just over a fifth of residents. Children under 15 make up 17%, below Buckinghamshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. At 51, the median resident of Thornborough sits in the middle of the age range. Degrees are held by 44% of adults.
ThornboroughBuckinghamshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level44%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Thornborough | Buckinghamshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 36% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.3% | 4.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 44% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Buckinghamshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thornborough
13pages on Thornborough
The big questions
Safety6.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £398K · rent £1,475 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street ThornhillSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.1 (men), 85.5 (women)Work & commute67% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards2.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Buckingham Old Gaol and 2 more in and around Thornborough
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Thornborough. Best known first.
MuseumBuckingham Old Gaol4.1 km outside town, to the westChurchChurch · National TrustBuckingham Chantry Chapel4.2 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumBuckinghamshire Military Museum Trust4.1 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Buckingham Old Gaol: Chris Nyborg, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Thornborough
Village in Buckinghamshire, England
Thornborough is a built-up area of 646 people, in the Buckinghamshire 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
- 646 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Buckinghamshire
- County
- Buckinghamshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003954
Thornborough’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Great HorwoodBuckinghamWinslowDeanshangerSteeple ClaydonOld StratfordPotterspuryThornborough
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornborough | 646 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Great Horwood | 1,102 | 2.5 | — | C+ | A+ | A |
| Buckingham | 14,296 | 2.6 | A | B | C+ | A |
| Winslow | 5,238 | 3.9 | B− | B− | C+ | B+ |
| Deanshanger | 4,128 | 4.1 | B | C+ | A− | B+ |
| Steeple Claydon | 2,530 | 4.9 | C+ | C+ | B | A− |
| Old Stratford | 2,427 | 5.1 | — | C | A | B+ |
| Potterspury | 1,637 | 6 | — | C+ | B− | B+ |
Great Horwood, Old Stratford and Potterspury have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Thornborough
How many listed buildings are there in Thornborough?
That is 19.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Thornborough expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £295,000, semi-detached houses £295,575 and detached houses £530,000.
How much is council tax in Thornborough?
Band D council tax in Thornborough is £2,539 for 2026–27, more than in 73% 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.
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.