Loders’s story
32 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Loders’ built-up area.
42% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
LodersDorset
In Dorset, South West, this village has 288 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Stephen Williams · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
288
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median age
50.9
24% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Loders a good place to live?
Loders has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 5% of commuters. 32 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. Nearly half of households own their home with no mortgage.
What makes Loders stand out
The 3 things Loders does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% 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 Parish Church of St Mary Magdelene; 45.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Own outright
Housing
49% 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 Loders.
Work & commute
Work is close at hand in Loders: 62% of commuters travel under 5 km, more than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £50K a year before tax, close to Dorset’s towns (£52K) and below England’s towns (£55K). At the census, 92% of commuters went by car. Of the commuters living in Loders, 4% work in the town itself. The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.5%.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot3%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
62%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
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
Schools
The schools around Loders
Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 45.9, and 43% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths. The town has one school, shown below. 52% of pupils at the 4 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loders CofE Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 72 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Loders is a town of owners: 70% of households own their home, above Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
Social housing holds just over one in ten households. 17% rent privately, below Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. Private rents average £1,056 a month across the Dorset council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Loders£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £595,000 | 5 |
70%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,687
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
Violence is recorded less often in Loders than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 8.1 per 1,000 residents a year
9 crimes and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Loders’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Homes saw 5.8 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below both Dorset’s towns (7.9) and England’s towns (9.4). Violence and sexual offences accounted for 78% of recorded crime.
8.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Damage & arson2
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
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.
8.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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 4.1% of people in Loders say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
84% of Loders’ residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above Dorset’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 2.4 miles off. The nearest A&E to Loders is Dorset County Hospital, 12 miles away.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Loders | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.1% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 19% | 17% |
84
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
88.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
Much of Loders is a conservation area: 92% of its land, more than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Loders’s listed buildings include the Parish Church of St Mary Magdelene, Grade I. Per 10,000 residents, Loders counts 1,111 listed buildings, above both Dorset’s towns (100) and England’s towns (39). Homes from before 1919 make up just over two fifths of the total. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
32listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II30
Among them · Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
42%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
1,111
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
Few people in Loders are 15 to 24: 7.5%, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
24% of residents have reached 65. Children under 15 make up 18%, above Dorset’s towns (15%) and close to England’s towns (18%). Ages in Loders split evenly at 50.9: half are older, half younger.
50.9median age
LodersDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level35%
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.
| Loders | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 8.2% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Bridport Museum and 3 more in and around Loders
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Loders. Best known first.
MuseumBridport Museum2.8 km outside town, to the southwest
CastlePowerstock Castle2.9 km outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionMangerton Mill1.4 km outside town, to the northwestArt galleryArt gallerySou'-Sou' West Art Gallery4.5 km 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)
- Bridport Museum: Rob Noble, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Powerstock Castle: Ian Capper, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Loders
12pages on Loders
The big questions
Loders’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BradpoleBridportBeaminsterMaiden NewtonCharmouthMistertonLyme RegisLoders
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loders | 288 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bradpole | 1,257 | 1.1 | — | D | A− | C+ |
| Bridport | 12,294 | 2.1 | C− | D | C+ | B− |
| Beaminster | 2,995 | 4.6 | C | D | A− | B |
| Maiden Newton | 1,128 | 6.7 | — | C | A− | B |
| Charmouth | 1,337 | 8.1 | — | D− | A− | B+ |
| Misterton | 1,037 | 9.1 | — | B | B− | B− |
| Lyme Regis | 3,741 | 9.8 | C | D− | B− | B+ |
Bradpole, Maiden Newton, Charmouth and Misterton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Loders
How many listed buildings are there in Loders?
That is 45.6 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Parish Church of St Mary Magdelene.
How much is council tax in Loders?
Band D council tax in Loders is £2,687 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.
About Loders
Village in Dorset, England
Loders is a built-up area of 288 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
- 288 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006690
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.