Hamsterley Mill’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Hamsterley Mill’s built-up area.
26% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Hamsterley MillCounty Durham
313 people call this village in County Durham, North East home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
313
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£530K
17 sales in 3 years
Median age
59.3
39% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
48%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
3%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hamsterley Mill a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Hamsterley Mill is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. 3% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Over-65s are 39% of the population. It has 2 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I.
What makes Hamsterley Mill stand out
The 3 things Hamsterley Mill 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%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
39% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 listed buildings
0 Grade II*; 2.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hamsterley Mill.
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Hamsterley Mill than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 48% of adults
Children under 15 make up 9.3% of residents. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 9% of residents, lower than both County Durham’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). At 59.3, the median resident of Hamsterley Mill sits in the middle of the age range.
59.3median age
Hamsterley MillCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
39%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level48%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hamsterley Mill | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.3% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 11% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 39% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 10% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.1% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 48% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Hamsterley Mill is a driving town: 92% of commuters go by car, above County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 43% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
2.3% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. Working mainly from home: 43% of workers, above both County Durham’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (31%). A household here earns £51K a year before tax, on average.
3%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot1%
Bus1%
3%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
43%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
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
Homes in Hamsterley Mill cost more than in both County Durham’s towns and England’s towns, with a median sale of £530K
Renting privately is how 4% of households live. Owners make up 96% of households, above County Durham’s towns (62%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. Private rents average £650 a month across the County Durham council area.
£530Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hamsterley Mill£530K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £530,000 | 17 |
96%
of households own their home · England 61%
4%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,500
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
Hamsterley Mill records less violent crime per resident than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns, at 3.2 per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences were 29% of the crimes. 7 crimes and 5 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Hamsterley Mill’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. There were 7.5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than County Durham’s towns (16.3) and near England’s towns (7.8).
3.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual2
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Bicycle theft1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Anti-social5
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.
3.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
7
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 Hamsterley Mill than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.9% of residents
19% of residents have a disability, below County Durham’s towns (22%) but above England’s towns (17%). Asked at the census, 84% of residents of Hamsterley Mill said they were in good or very good health. This County Durham town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.4 miles away.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Hamsterley Mill | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 22% | 17% |
79.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.6
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
Hamsterley Mill keeps more of its old housing than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 26% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Per 10,000 residents, Hamsterley Mill counts 64 listed buildings, higher than both County Durham’s towns (7) and England’s towns (39). Historic England’s list names 2 listed buildings here, every one Grade II.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
26%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
64
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 →Hamsterley Hall and 2 more in and around Hamsterley Mill
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Hamsterley Mill. Best known first.
CastleHamsterley Hall300 m outside town, to the south
Historic house · National TrustGibside3.4 km outside town, to the northeastHistoric siteHistoric site · English HeritageDerwentcote Steel Furnace500 m 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 (2)
- Hamsterley Hall: P Glenwright, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gibside: John Darch, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hamsterley Mill
13pages on Hamsterley Mill
The big questions
Safety3.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £530K · rent £650 a monthHousing2 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 79.4 (men), 82.6 (women)Work & commute49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Hamsterley Mill’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Blackhall MillDiptonBurnopfieldChopwellMedomsleyRowlands GillHigh SpenHamsterley Mill
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamsterley Mill | 313 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Blackhall Mill | 1,528 | 1.6 | — | B+ | B | C |
| Dipton | 2,653 | 1.7 | B− | A− | C | D |
| Burnopfield | 2,998 | 1.8 | A− | A− | B+ | C− |
| Chopwell | 2,530 | 1.8 | D | B | D− | D |
| Medomsley | 1,216 | 1.8 | — | A− | C | C+ |
| Rowlands Gill | 5,254 | 1.8 | C | C+ | B− | C+ |
| High Spen | 1,933 | 2 | — | C+ | B | D |
Blackhall Mill, Medomsley and High Spen have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hamsterley Mill
How many listed buildings are there in Hamsterley Mill?
2 on Historic England’s list. That is 2.6 times the typical UK town for its size. 26% of Hamsterley Mill’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
About Hamsterley Mill
Village in County Durham, England
Hamsterley Mill is a built-up area of 313 people, in the County Durham 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
- 313 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000129
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.