Bourton’s story
29 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Bourton’s built-up area.
43% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BourtonDorset
A village of 626 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Phil Williams · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
626
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£295K
27 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.9
27% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
33%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bourton a good place to live?
Bourton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Bourton stand out
The 3 things Bourton does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 19 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
27% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bourton.
Who lives here
An older town: 27% of people in Bourton are 65 or over, more than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
On this, Bourton is above both Dorset’s towns (25%) and England’s towns (18%). 9.1% of residents are aged 15 to 24. Half the people of Bourton are older than 51.9.
51.9median age
BourtonDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level33%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 87 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Bourton | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.2% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Bourton
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St George's Church of England School, BourtonLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 142 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Commuters in Bourton travel far: only 20% go under 5 km, fewer than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Bourton comes below both Dorset’s towns (48%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 11% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot9%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
32%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
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
Few households rent privately in Bourton: 10%, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
For Bourton, that is below both Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). Owners make up 75% of households.
£295Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bourton£295K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £455,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £318,750 | 6 |
| Terraced | £270,000 | 11 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,714
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
Bourton records less violent crime per resident than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns, at 10.7 per 1,000 a year
Bourton sits below both Dorset’s towns (16.8) and England’s towns (22) on this measure. Police recorded 17 crimes inside Bourton’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 8 reports of anti-social behaviour. Burglary and damage come to 11.2 per 1,000 residents a year.
10.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft6
Damage & arson4
Burglary3
Public order2
Violence & sexual1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Drugs0
Anti-social8
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.
10.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
17
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
Bad health is less common in Bourton than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.2% of residents
That puts Bourton below both Dorset’s towns (5.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Bourton has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.4 miles away. 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.
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Bourton | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.2% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 19% | 17% |
82.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
More buildings in Bourton are listed than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 463 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Bourton has 29 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. Homes from before 1919 make up 43% of the total, above both Dorset’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (16%).
29listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II29
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
43%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
463
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 →Stourhead Park and 7 more in and around Bourton
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bourton. Best known first.
Garden · National TrustStourhead Park3 km outside town, to the north
Attraction · National TrustKing Alfred's Tower4.8 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic house · National TrustStourhead House3.2 km outside town, to the north
MuseumWincanton Museum4.8 km outside town, to the west
MuseumMere Museum3.2 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumVisit Hillbrush2.2 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 (5)
- Stourhead Park: Jon Wornham, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- King Alfred's Tower: Jürgen Matern, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stourhead House: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wincanton Museum: Rodw, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mere Museum: Smb1001, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bourton
13pages on Bourton
The big questions
Safety10.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £295K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.4 (men), 86.1 (women)Work & commute56% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Bourton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MereGillinghamWincantonMotcombeBrutonTemplecombeMarnhullBourton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourton | 626 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mere | 2,808 | 2.8 | A− | B | B | A− |
| Gillingham | 11,009 | 3.1 | C+ | C− | B | B |
| Wincanton | 6,744 | 4 | C− | C+ | C− | B− |
| Motcombe | 1,366 | 5.6 | — | D− | A+ | A |
| Bruton | 2,816 | 6.2 | B | C | C+ | A− |
| Templecombe | 1,657 | 6.6 | — | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Marnhull | 1,466 | 7.2 | — | D | A− | B |
Motcombe, Templecombe and Marnhull have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bourton
How many listed buildings are there in Bourton?
That is 19 times the typical UK town for its size. 43% of Bourton’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
How much is council tax in Bourton?
Band D council tax in Bourton is £2,714 for 2026–27, more than in 96% 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 Bourton
Village in Dorset, England
Bourton is a built-up area of 626 people, in the Dorset 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
- 626 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006037
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.