Great Urswick’s story
4 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Great Urswick’s built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Great UrswickCumbria
With 270 residents, it is a village in Cumbria, North West. Mortgage-free owners make up 47% of households.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Peter McDermott · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
270
Census 2021 · South Lakeland council
Median home
£278K
10 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.1
23% are 65+ · Cumbria 23%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Great Urswick a good place to live?
There are no grades for Great Urswick: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 7% of commuters. 4 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I.
What makes Great Urswick stand out
The 3 things Great Urswick does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Mary and St Michael; 6.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Own outright
Housing
47% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Great Urswick.
Work & commute
Only 23% of Great Urswick’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 23% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Among 16 to 64s, 0.8% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. 88% of commuters drove, above both Cumbria’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%). Income per household averages £50K a year, before tax.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot4%
Bicycle4%
23%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
0.8%
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 own their home in Great Urswick than in Cumbria’s towns or across England’s towns: 85%
The private rented sector houses one in ten households. Social housing holds 5% of households, lower than both Cumbria’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Half of the 10 standard sales inside Great Urswick’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £277,500.
£278Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Great Urswick£278K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £280,000 | 5 |
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£816
average private rent a month, Westmorland and Furness council area
£2,483
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
Great Urswick records more burglary and damage per resident than Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns, at 13.6 per 1,000 a year
33% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Police figures for Great Urswick’s built-up area: 15 crimes and 1 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violent crime comes to 24.7 per 1,000 residents a year.
24.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Damage & arson6
Violence & sexual5
Burglary2
Other theft1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Drugs0
Anti-social1
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.
24.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
15
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
Is Great Urswick a healthy place? 87% of its people say their health is good, above Cumbria’s towns and England’s towns
There is no GP practice in Great Urswick: the nearest is 2.4 miles off. Disability touches 13% of the town’s population. In addition, at the census, 4.1% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below Cumbria’s towns (6.1%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike.
87%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Great Urswick | Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.1% | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 20% | 17% |
79.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Great Urswick keeps more of its old housing than Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns: 32% 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, Great Urswick has 148 listed buildings per 10,000 people, above both Cumbria’s towns (46) and England’s towns (39). The town’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary and St Michael, Grade I.
4listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II3
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary and St Michael Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
148
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
Fewer children live in Great Urswick than in Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns: 12% are under 15
Degrees are held by nearly two in five adults, above both Cumbria’s towns (28%) and England’s towns (34%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for nearly one in ten residents. At 52.1, the median resident of Great Urswick sits in the middle of the age range. People 65 and over make up 23% of the town.
52.1median age
Great UrswickCumbriaEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship13%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Great Urswick | Cumbria | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.1% | 9.9% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 39% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 13% | 8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 28% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cumbria and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Gleaston Castle and 4 more in and around Great Urswick
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Great Urswick. Best known first.
CastleGleaston Castle2.6 km outside town, to the south
CastleDalton Castle4 km outside town, to the westZooZooSouth Lakes Safari Zoo2.8 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionGleaston Water Mill3.2 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumLaurel and Hardy Museum3.8 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Gleaston Castle: Chas Hollwey, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dalton Castle: Chris Downer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Great Urswick
13pages on Great Urswick
The big questions
Safety24.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £278K · rent £816 a monthHousingSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 79.8 (men), 82.9 (women)Work & commute39% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Great Urswick’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SwarthmoorDalton-in-FurnessUlverstonAskam in FurnessBarrow-in-FurnessMillomHaveriggGreat Urswick
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Urswick | 270 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Swarthmoor | 1,030 | 1.6 | — | C | A− | B |
| Dalton-in-Furness | 7,551 | 2.4 | C+ | C+ | C+ | C |
| Ulverston | 11,219 | 2.4 | C− | D | C− | C+ |
| Askam in Furness | 3,172 | 3.8 | D | D− | B+ | C |
| Barrow-in-Furness | 55,260 | 5 | D− | C+ | D | D |
| Millom | 5,690 | 6.8 | C | B | C+ | C− |
| Haverigg | 1,551 | 7.4 | — | B− | A | C− |
Swarthmoor and Haverigg have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Great Urswick
How many listed buildings are there in Great Urswick?
That is 6.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary and St Michael.
How much is council tax in Great Urswick?
Band D council tax in Great Urswick is £2,483 for 2026–27, more than in 60% 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 Great Urswick
Village in Cumbria, England
Great Urswick is a built-up area of 270 people, in the South Lakeland 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
- 270 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Lakeland
- County
- Cumbria
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000495
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.