Down Field’s story
1 listed building, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Down Field’s built-up area.
6% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Down FieldCambridgeshire
It is a village of 644 residents in Cambridgeshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Keith Edkins · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
644
Census 2021 · East Cambridgeshire council
Median home
£255K
26 sales in 3 years
Median age
41.5
18% are 65+ · Cambridgeshire 17%
Degree level
17%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Down Field a good place to live?
Down Field is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. Nearly one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. A degree-level qualification is held by 17% of adults.
What makes Down Field stand out
The 2 things Down Field does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Down Field.
Who lives here
Down Field has fewer young adults than Cambridgeshire’s towns or England’s towns: 7.3% are 15 to 24
Half the people of Down Field are older than 41.5. Over-65s are 18% of the population. 17% are under 15, close to both Cambridgeshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%).
41.5median age
Down FieldCambridgeshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
18%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications27%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level17%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Down Field | Cambridgeshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 30% | 28% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 27% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 9.1% | 5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 17% | 37% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cambridgeshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Down Field walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or England’s towns: 9%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 15% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working from home was the norm for 15% of workers at the census. 89% of commuters drove, above both Cambridgeshire’s towns (72%) and England’s towns (70%). For 30% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot3%
Train3%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
15%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
3.3%
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
More households in Down Field live in social housing than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or England’s towns: 30%
Private renters make up 14% of households, below both Cambridgeshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). Households that own their home make up 56%. Half of the 26 standard sales inside Down Field’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £254,750.
£255Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Down Field£255K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £320,000 | 5 |
| Semi-detached | £254,500 | 13 |
| Terraced | £233,500 | 8 |
56%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,038
average private rent a month, East Cambridgeshire 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
Burglary and damage hit Down Field harder than Cambridgeshire’s towns or England’s towns: 12.4 per 1,000 residents a year
The violent crime rate is 28 per 1,000 residents a year. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 29 offences in Down Field and 2 cases of nuisance behaviour. There were 4.1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (9) and England’s towns (7.8). Of all the crimes, 62% were violence and sexual offences.
28violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual18
Burglary3
Other theft2
Vehicle crime2
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Drugs1
Other crime1
Anti-social2
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.
28
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
29
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 more common in Down Field than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 7.6% of residents
The nearest A&E to Down Field is Addenbrooke's and the Rosie Hospitals, 13.5 miles away. 77% of people in Down Field rate their own health good or very good. This Cambridgeshire town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.2 miles away.
77%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Down Field | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.6% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 16% | 17% |
79.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Down Field’s listed buildings include Downfield Windmill, Grade II*
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list puts 1 listed building inside Down Field’s built-up area (1 Grade II*). Homes from before 1919 make up 6% of the total.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II0
Among them · Grade II*
- Downfield Windmill Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
6%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
16
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 →Wicken Fen and 2 more in and around Down Field
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Down Field. Best known first.
Park or estatePark or estate · National TrustWicken Fen4.4 km outside town, to the westZooZooSouth Angle Farm Park2.3 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseum1930s fen dwelling4.3 km outside town, to the west
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Down Field
13pages on Down Field
The big questions
Safety28 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £255K · rent £1,038 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street Orchard RowSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 79.4 (men), 83.6 (women)Work & commute33% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Down Field’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SohamFordhamIslehamBurwellExningNewmarketStrethamDown Field
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Down Field | 644 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Soham | 10,609 | 1.4 | B+ | A | B− | C+ |
| Fordham | 2,566 | 1.6 | B+ | B+ | B− | B |
| Isleham | 2,287 | 3 | — | B+ | B+ | B+ |
| Burwell | 5,912 | 3.1 | A+ | B+ | B+ | A |
| Exning | 2,049 | 3.8 | — | D | C | B |
| Newmarket | 18,857 | 5.4 | B− | B− | C− | B− |
| Stretham | 2,070 | 6 | — | B+ | B+ | B+ |
Isleham, Exning and Stretham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Down Field
Who lives in Down Field?
At the 2021 Census, 7.3% of Down Field’s 644 residents were 15 to 24 and 18% were 65 or over, against 12% and 18% across England’s towns.
How much is council tax in Down Field?
Band D council tax in Down Field 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.
Is Down Field expensive to live in?
Close to the typical UK town: the median sale over three years was £254,750, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £233,500, semi-detached houses £254,500 and detached houses £320,000. Private rents in the East Cambridgeshire council area averaged £1,038 a month in August 2026.
About Down Field
Village in Cambridgeshire, England
Down Field is a built-up area of 644 people, in the East Cambridgeshire 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
- 644 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Cambridgeshire
- County
- Cambridgeshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003159
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.