Durweston’s story
16 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Durweston’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DurwestonDorset
A village of 378 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Downer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
378
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£378K
13 sales in 3 years
Median age
47.1
22% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
44%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Durweston a good place to live?
Durweston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Durweston stand out
The 3 things Durweston does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Nicholas; 17.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
13% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
45% of commuters travel under 5 km.
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 Durweston.
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Durweston than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 13%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Durweston comes below both Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (27%). 87% of commuters drove to work at the census.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot7%
Bicycle5%
Bus2%
45%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
£55K
mean household income, before tax
2.6%
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 Durweston
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durweston Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 144 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
The median home in Durweston sold for £377,500
That is the middle of 13 standard sales inside Durweston’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
£378Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Durweston£378K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £398,750 | 6 |
66%
of households own their home · England 61%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,684
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
Homes in Durweston see less burglary and damage than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 3.5 per 1,000 a year
For Durweston, that is below both Dorset’s towns (7.9) and England’s towns (9.4). Violent crime runs at 12.4 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 10 crimes inside Durweston’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 2 reports of anti-social behaviour.
12.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual5
Vehicle crime2
Burglary1
Weapons1
Robbery1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
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.
12.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.7
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
Bad health is more common in Durweston than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.6% of residents
Durweston sits above both Dorset’s towns (5.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%) on this measure. Durweston has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2 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.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Durweston | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.6% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 19% | 17% |
80.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
More buildings in Durweston are listed than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 423 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
That puts Durweston above both Dorset’s towns (100) and England’s towns (39). Durweston has 16 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 1 Grade II*. 23% of homes were built before 1919.
16listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II15
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Nicholas Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
423
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
Durweston is a graduates’ town: 44% hold a degree, more than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
On this, Durweston is above both Dorset’s towns (31%) and England’s towns (34%). Over-65s are 22% of the population. The median resident of Durweston is 47.1 years old.
47.1median age
DurwestonDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level44%
Women and men · all residents
56% women, 44% men
About 78 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. A large institution, such as a prison, barracks, boarding school, university or care home, can tilt a town’s split: the census counts the people living there as residents.
| Durweston | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.5% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 44% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Hod Hill and 3 more in and around Durweston
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Durweston. Best known first.
Fort · National TrustHod Hill1.7 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumBlandford Fashion Museum2.9 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumBlandford Town Museum3 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionAttractionHall & Woodhouse Visitor Centre3.3 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Hod Hill: Jim Champion, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Durweston
13pages on Durweston
The big questions
Safety12.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £378K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street HaycombeSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 80.7 (men), 86.6 (women)Work & commute49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards6.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Durweston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Blandford ForumShillingstoneChild OkefordPimperneCharlton MarshallSturminster NewtonMilborne St AndrewDurweston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durweston | 378 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Blandford Forum | 11,805 | 2.2 | C | C− | C+ | B− |
| Shillingstone | 1,165 | 2.3 | — | D− | B− | A− |
| Child Okeford | 1,159 | 3.1 | — | D | A | A |
| Pimperne | 2,770 | 3.7 | A− | D | A+ | A+ |
| Charlton Marshall | 1,084 | 3.8 | — | D | B+ | A |
| Sturminster Newton | 3,565 | 5.7 | C− | C− | C+ | B− |
| Milborne St Andrew | 1,090 | 7.6 | — | D | A− | A |
Shillingstone, Child Okeford, Charlton Marshall and Milborne St Andrew have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Durweston
How many listed buildings are there in Durweston?
That is 17.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Durweston?
Band D council tax in Durweston is £2,684 for 2026–27, more than in 94% 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 Durweston expensive to live in?
Private rents in the Dorset council area averaged £1,056 a month in August 2026.
About Durweston
Village in Dorset, England
Durweston is a built-up area of 378 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
- 378 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006491
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.