Litton Cheney’s story
32 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Litton Cheney’s built-up area.
46% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Litton CheneyDorset
A village of 357 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ian Capper · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
357
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£398K
20 sales in 3 years
Median age
57.8
39% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
54%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Litton Cheney a good place to live?
Litton Cheney has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Litton Cheney stand out
The 3 things Litton Cheney does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
39% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Litton Cheney.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Litton Cheney: 39% are 65 or over, above Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
Graduates make up 54% of adults. People aged 15 to 24 make up 5.6% of the town, below Dorset’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Children under 15 make up 13% of residents. Ages in Litton Cheney split evenly at 57.8: half are older, half younger.
57.8median age
Litton CheneyDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
39%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level54%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 85 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.
| Litton Cheney | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 39% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 7.7% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.5% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 54% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Litton Cheney
Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney’s results beat 75% of schools in England like it. Its only school is listed below. At the one primary school within 3 km, 71% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thorner's Church of England School, Litton CheneyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 115 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Only 10% of commuters in Litton Cheney go to work without a car, fewer than in both Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 42% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
42% of workers worked mainly from home at the census. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 4%, below both Dorset’s towns (48%) and England’s towns (45%). Jobs per working resident: 0.8. Work in town: 1% of resident commuters.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot9%
Bicycle1%
4%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
2%
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
Most households in Litton Cheney own their home: 82%, more than in both Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
Homes sold for a median £398K, above both Dorset’s towns (£355K) and England’s towns (£308K). Renting privately is how 17% of households live. Private rents average £1,056 a month across the Dorset council area.
£398Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Litton Cheney£398K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £355,500 | 6 |
| Terraced | £385,000 | 10 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,698
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
Violent crime runs low in Litton Cheney: 2.8 per 1,000 residents a year, under Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
Homes saw 4.7 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below both Dorset’s towns (7.9) and England’s towns (9.4). In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 5 crimes and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour inside Litton Cheney’s built-up area. A fifth of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
2.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft2
Burglary2
Violence & sexual1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
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.
2.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.7
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)
5
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
Just 3.1% of people in Litton Cheney say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in both Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
87% of Litton Cheney’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above Dorset’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. Disability touches 16% of the town’s population. The nearest A&E to Litton Cheney is Dorset County Hospital, 8.2 miles away.
87%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Litton Cheney | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.1% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 19% | 17% |
81.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.6
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
Old homes shape Litton Cheney: 46% were built before 1919, more than in both Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Litton Cheney’s 32 listed buildings on Historic England’s list, Grade I counts 1 and Grade II* 1. The town’s listed buildings include the Parish Church of St Mary, Grade I. Per 10,000 residents, Litton Cheney counts 896 listed buildings. Conservation areas cover 60% of the town’s land, higher than both Dorset’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (7%).
32listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II30
Among them · Grade I
- Parish Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
46%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
896
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Litton Cheney
12pages on Litton Cheney
The big questions
Safety2.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £398K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.5 (men), 85.6 (women)Work & commute58% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Litton Cheney’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BradpoleMaiden NewtonBridportCharminsterBeaminsterCharlton DownDorchesterLitton Cheney
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Litton Cheney | 357 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bradpole | 1,257 | 5.1 | — | D | A− | C+ |
| Maiden Newton | 1,128 | 5.3 | — | C | A− | B |
| Bridport | 12,294 | 5.5 | C− | D | C+ | B− |
| Charminster | 1,732 | 7.8 | — | D | A− | B+ |
| Beaminster | 2,995 | 8 | C | D | A− | B |
| Charlton Down | 1,487 | 8.2 | — | C | A+ | B+ |
| Dorchester | 21,358 | 8.4 | C | D | C+ | C+ |
Bradpole, Maiden Newton, Charminster and Charlton Down have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Litton Cheney
How many listed buildings are there in Litton Cheney?
That is 36.8 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Parish Church of St Mary.
How much is council tax in Litton Cheney?
Band D council tax in Litton Cheney is £2,698 for 2026–27, more than in 95% 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 Litton Cheney expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £385,000 and semi-detached houses £355,500.
About Litton Cheney
Village in Dorset, England
Litton Cheney is a built-up area of 357 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
- 357 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006733
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.