West Lulworth’s story
29 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside West Lulworth’s built-up area.
33% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
West LulworthDorset
313 people call this village in Dorset, South West home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Martin · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
313
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£455K
18 sales in 3 years
Median age
55
34% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
38%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
18%
of commuters · England 27%
Is West Lulworth a good place to live?
There are no grades for West Lulworth: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. 29 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. Just over a third of residents are 65 or over.
What makes West Lulworth stand out
The 3 things West Lulworth does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 38 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
34% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.6 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 West Lulworth.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in West Lulworth than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 9.1% are under 15
38% of adults hold a degree, above both Dorset’s towns (31%) and England’s towns (34%). People 65 and over make up 34% of the town. Residents of West Lulworth have a median age of 55.
55median age
West LulworthDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
34%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level38%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| West Lulworth | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.1% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 34% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.2% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 38% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Only 29% of West Lulworth’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer 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.
At the census, 18% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, lower than both Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (27%). Of the commuters living in West Lulworth, 7% work in the town itself. Jobs per working resident: 1.1.
18%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving76%
On foot16%
Bicycle2%
29%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
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
Buying in West Lulworth costs more than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: the median sale is £455K
Private tenants account for just over a quarter of households. Social housing holds 6% of households, lower than both Dorset’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (18%). 67% of households are owner-occupiers.
£455Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
West Lulworth£455K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £475,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £430,000 | 6 |
67%
of households own their home · England 61%
26%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,691
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
West Lulworth records more violent crime per resident than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns, at 27.7 per 1,000 a year
Homes see 6.4 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 21 crimes and 3 reports of anti-social behaviour inside West Lulworth’s built-up area. A third of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
27.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Other theft6
Public order3
Damage & arson2
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social3
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.
27.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
21
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
Bad health is more common in West Lulworth than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 7% of residents
The nearest A&E to West Lulworth is Dorset County Hospital, 10.6 miles away. Seeing a GP means leaving West Lulworth: the nearest practice is 3.8 miles away. 19% of residents in West Lulworth live with a disability.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | West Lulworth | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 19% | 17% |
80.8
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 · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
West Lulworth is rich in listed buildings: 927 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.
Conservation areas cover 52% of West Lulworth’s land, above both Dorset’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (7%). 33% of homes date from before 1919.
29listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II29
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
33%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
927
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 →Lulworth Castle and 6 more in and around West Lulworth
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near West Lulworth. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageLulworth Castle2.6 km outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionDurdle Door1.6 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionFossil Forest900 m outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionLulworth Castle and Park2.8 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumSt Mary's Church4.9 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionStair Hole500 m outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Lulworth Castle: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about West Lulworth
13pages on West Lulworth
The big questions
Safety27.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £455K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.8 (men), 84.5 (women)Work & commute49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
West Lulworth’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WoolCrosswaysWarehamSandfordBere RegisGrovePuddletownWest Lulworth
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Lulworth | 313 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wool | 5,044 | 4.9 | C | C− | B+ | C+ |
| Crossways | 2,494 | 6.1 | — | C− | A− | B+ |
| Wareham | 5,876 | 7.4 | C | D− | B− | B |
| Sandford | 2,004 | 8.6 | — | D | A | B+ |
| Bere Regis | 1,320 | 8.8 | — | D | B | A− |
| Grove | 1,032 | 9.3 | — | C | D | C− |
| Puddletown | 1,193 | 9.5 | — | D | A+ | B+ |
Crossways, Sandford, Bere Regis, Grove and Puddletown have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about West Lulworth
Who lives in West Lulworth?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 34% of residents were 65 or over and 32% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 9.1% were under 15.
How many listed buildings are there in West Lulworth?
That is 38 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in West Lulworth?
Band D council tax in West Lulworth is £2,691 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 West Lulworth expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £430,000 and detached houses £475,000. Private rents in the Dorset council area averaged £1,056 a month in August 2026.
About West Lulworth
Village in Dorset, England
West Lulworth is a built-up area of 313 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
- 313 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006809
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.