Morcombelake’s story
5 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Morcombelake’s built-up area.
52% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MorcombelakeDorset
A village of 342 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Nigel Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
342
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£705K
12 sales in 3 years
Median age
61.5
42% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Morcombelake a good place to live?
Morcombelake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Morcombelake stand out
The 3 things Morcombelake does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.5 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 Morcombelake.
Work & commute
Commuters in Morcombelake travel far: only 17% 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 45% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Morcombelake, that is below both Dorset’s towns (48%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 10% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot8%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
45%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
2.8%
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
A home in Morcombelake sells for £705K, more than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
Morcombelake sits above both Dorset’s towns (£355K) and England’s towns (£308K) on this measure. Owners make up 91% of households.
£705Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Morcombelake£705K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £705,000 | 12 |
91%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,625
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
Morcombelake records less violent crime per resident than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns, at 10.7 per 1,000 a year
That puts Morcombelake below both Dorset’s towns (16.8) and England’s towns (22). Burglary and damage come to 11.7 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 9 crimes inside Morcombelake’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 0 reports of anti-social behaviour.
10.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual4
Vehicle crime3
Burglary1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Anti-social0
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
11.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.9
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
Health
More people in Morcombelake live with a disability than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 24%
On this, Morcombelake is above both Dorset’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (17%). Morcombelake has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.7 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.
80%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Morcombelake | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 19% | 17% |
79.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Old homes shape Morcombelake: 52% were built before 1919, more than in 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.
In the comparison, Morcombelake comes above both Dorset’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (16%). For its size, Morcombelake has 146 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Morcombelake has 5 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
5listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II5
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
52%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
146
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
An older town: 42% of people in Morcombelake are 65 or over, more than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
7.4% are under 15, below both Dorset’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 6.2% of residents. Morcombelake has a median age of 61.5.
61.5median age
MorcombelakeDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
42%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 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.
| Morcombelake | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 7.4% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.2% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 6.5% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 38% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 42% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.8% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre and 4 more in and around Morcombelake
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Morcombelake. Best known first.
MuseumCharmouth Heritage Coast Centre3.4 km outside town, to the westCastleCastleMarshwood Castle2.9 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionLangdon Hill800 m outside town, to the southeastArt galleryArt gallerySou'-Sou' West Art Gallery3.6 km outside town, to the eastZooZooFoxdown Childrens Farm5 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre: Sarah Charlesworth, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Morcombelake
13pages on Morcombelake
The big questions
Safety10.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £705K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 79.7 (men), 84.5 (women)Work & commute62% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Morcombelake’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
CharmouthLyme RegisBridportUplymeBradpoleBeaminsterAxminsterMorcombelake
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morcombelake | 342 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Charmouth | 1,337 | 2.3 | — | D− | A− | B+ |
| Lyme Regis | 3,741 | 4 | C | D− | B− | B+ |
| Bridport | 12,294 | 4.1 | C− | D | C+ | B− |
| Uplyme | 1,053 | 4.7 | — | C− | A | A |
| Bradpole | 1,257 | 4.8 | — | D | A− | C+ |
| Beaminster | 2,995 | 6.5 | C | D | A− | B |
| Axminster | 6,094 | 6.8 | D | B | D | C+ |
Charmouth, Uplyme and Bradpole have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Morcombelake
Is Morcombelake expensive to live in?
Private rents in the Dorset council area averaged £1,056 a month in August 2026.
How many listed buildings are there in Morcombelake?
That is 6 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Morcombelake?
Band D council tax in Morcombelake is £2,625 for 2026–27, more than in 90% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Morcombelake
Village in Dorset, England
Morcombelake is a built-up area of 342 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
- 342 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006689
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.