Thornford’s story
21 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Thornford’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ThornfordDorset
A village of 899 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: William · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
899
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£393K
37 sales in 3 years
Median age
56.9
33% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
40%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Thornford a good place to live?
Thornford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 8% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 21 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. People aged 65 and over make up a third of residents.
What makes Thornford stand out
The 3 things Thornford does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene; 9.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
33% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thornford.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Thornford: 33% are 65 or over, above Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 are 8.5% of residents, lower than both Dorset’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Children under 15 make up 14% of residents. Residents of Thornford have a median age of 56.9. Among adults, 40% have a degree.
56.9median age
ThornfordDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level40%
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
About 82 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.
| Thornford | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 11% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.3% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 40% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Thornford
There is one school here; it is shown below. Key Stage 2 results at the 4 primary schools within 3 km: 49% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one primary school teaches 104 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornford CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 104 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
More commuters in Thornford drive than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 89%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
33% of commuters travelled under 5 km, lower than both Dorset’s towns (48%) and England’s towns (45%). In 2026, 0.9% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits. Work in town: 6% of resident commuters. Jobs per working resident: 0.5.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot6%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
33%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
31%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
0.9%
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
More households own their home in Thornford than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 81%
The social rented sector houses 4% of households. Private renters make up 14% of households, below Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. Behind the median of £393,000: 37 standard sales inside Thornford’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£393Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Thornford£393K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £430,000 | 23 |
| Semi-detached | £325,000 | 9 |
| Terraced | £290,500 | 5 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
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
Homes in Thornford see less burglary and damage than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 4.5 per 1,000 a year
Thornford logged 20 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 1 complaints of anti-social conduct. Violent crime ran at 9.6 per 1,000 residents a year, below Dorset’s towns (16.8) and England’s towns (22) alike. Violence and sexual offences were half of the crimes.
9.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual10
Burglary4
Other theft3
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Drugs0
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.
9.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.5
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)
20
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 Thornford say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
Self-reported good health: 85% of Thornford’s residents. This Dorset town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.8 miles away. The nearest A&E to Thornford is Yeovil District Hospital, 3.5 miles away.
85%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Thornford | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.1% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 19% | 17% |
84.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Thornford is rich in listed buildings: 234 per 10,000 residents, 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.
Grade II* covers 1 of them. Homes from before 1919 make up nearly a quarter of the total, above both Dorset’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (16%).
21listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II20
Among them · Grade II*
- Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
234
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 →Sherborne Castle and 3 more in and around Thornford
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Thornford. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageSherborne Castle4.9 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumYeovil Railway Centre3.1 km outside town, to the west
Historic houseNewton Surmaville4 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumSherborne Museum4.2 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 (4)
- Sherborne Castle: JackPeasePhotography, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Yeovil Railway Centre: William, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Newton Surmaville: David Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sherborne Museum: SMCurator, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thornford
13pages on Thornford
The big questions
Safety9.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £393K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street Wingfield PlaceSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 84.6 (men), 87 (women)Work & commute52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Thornford’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Barwick and StofordSherborneYeovilMilborne PortIlchesterHenstridgeTemplecombeThornford
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornford | 899 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Barwick and Stoford | 1,095 | 2.4 | — | A− | C | B− |
| Sherborne | 10,359 | 2.8 | C+ | D | B | B− |
| Yeovil | 50,170 | 3.7 | C+ | B | D | C |
| Milborne Port | 3,207 | 5.5 | B− | C+ | B+ | A− |
| Ilchester | 2,062 | 8 | — | A | C | B |
| Henstridge | 1,579 | 8.3 | — | B | C− | B |
| Templecombe | 1,657 | 8.5 | — | C+ | C+ | B+ |
Barwick and Stoford, Ilchester, Henstridge and Templecombe have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Thornford
How many listed buildings are there in Thornford?
That is 9.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Thornford expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £393,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £290,500, semi-detached houses £325,000 and detached houses £430,000. Private rents in the Dorset council area averaged £1,056 a month in August 2026.
About Thornford
Village in Dorset, England
Thornford is a built-up area of 899 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
- 899 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006396
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.