Winterborne St Martin’s story
17 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Winterborne St Martin’s built-up area.
24% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Winterborne St MartinDorset
In Dorset, South West, this village has 484 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mike Searle · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
484
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£395K
25 sales in 3 years
Median age
63.6
47% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
44%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Winterborne St Martin a good place to live?
Winterborne St Martin is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. 47% of residents are 65 or over. 11% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 17 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I.
What makes Winterborne St Martin stand out
The 3 things Winterborne St Martin does most differently from other towns.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
47% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% 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 Martin; 14.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Maiden Castle and 8 more in and around Winterborne St Martin
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Winterborne St Martin. Best known first.
Fort · English HeritageMaiden Castle1.5 km outside town, to the east
MuseumDinosaur Museum4.5 km outside town, to the east
MuseumDorset Museum4.3 km outside town, to the east
Historic houseWolfeton House4 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumThe Teddy Bear Museum4.6 km outside town, to the east
MuseumThe Keep Military Museum3.9 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Maiden Castle: Major George Allen (1891–1940), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Dinosaur Museum: Chris Talbot, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dorset Museum: Cmyk at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Wolfeton House: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Teddy Bear Museum: Chris Talbot, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Keep Military Museum: Jim Linwood, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Winterborne St Martin.
Who lives here
Children make up only 10% of Winterborne St Martin, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and across England’s towns
Over-65s are 47% of the population. 4.6% of the population is aged 15 to 24, below both Dorset’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Line up the people of Winterborne St Martin by age and the one in the middle is 63.6. Graduates make up 44% of adults.
63.6median age
Winterborne St MartinDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
47%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level44%
Women and men · all residents
56% women, 44% men
About 80 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.
| Winterborne St Martin | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 4.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 11% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 47% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 44% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
More commuters in Winterborne St Martin drive than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 85%
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.
The census counted 45% of workers working mainly from home. 39% of commuters travelled under 5 km, below both Dorset’s towns (48%) and England’s towns (45%). Among 16 to 64s, 3.1% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving85%
On foot7%
Bicycle4%
39%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
45%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£57K
mean household income, before tax
3.1%
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
Winterborne St Martin is a town of owners: 74% of households own their home, above Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
Private renters make up 10% of households. Half the homes sold went for more than £395K, above Dorset’s towns (£355K) and England’s towns (£308K) alike. The social rented sector houses 16% of households.
£395Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Winterborne St Martin£395K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £419,000 | 11 |
| Semi-detached | £409,500 | 6 |
| Terraced | £329,000 | 8 |
74%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,663
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 Winterborne St Martin than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 10.3 per 1,000 residents a year
Violence and sexual offences were half of the crimes. Police figures for Winterborne St Martin’s built-up area: 10 crimes and 2 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 6.2 reports per 1,000, lower than both Dorset’s towns (9.3) and England’s towns (7.8).
10.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual5
Other theft2
Vehicle crime2
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Burglary0
Anti-social2
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.
10.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
10
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
Disability is more common in Winterborne St Martin than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 25% of residents
76% of Winterborne St Martin’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, below both Dorset’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%). The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2 miles away. The nearest A&E to Winterborne St Martin is Dorset County Hospital, 2.6 miles away.
76%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 76%Fair 19%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Winterborne St Martin | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 25% | 19% | 17% |
82.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · 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.
History
Winterborne St Martin is rich in listed buildings: 351 per 10,000 residents, more than in Dorset’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Winterborne St Martin’s listed buildings include the Parish Church of St Martin, Grade I. Nearly a quarter of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both Dorset’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (16%). The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
17listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II16
Among them · Grade I
- Parish Church of St Martin Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
24%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
351
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 Winterborne St Martin
13pages on Winterborne St Martin
The big questions
Safety10.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £395K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.1 (men), 84.8 (women)Work & commute64% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards8.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Winterborne St Martin’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
DorchesterCharminsterCharlton DownChickerellWeymouthMaiden NewtonCrosswaysWinterborne St Martin
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winterborne St Martin | 484 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dorchester | 21,358 | 2.7 | C | D | C+ | C+ |
| Charminster | 1,732 | 3 | — | D | A− | B+ |
| Charlton Down | 1,487 | 4.2 | — | C | A+ | B+ |
| Chickerell | 3,973 | 5.4 | C | D | B+ | B− |
| Weymouth | 55,540 | 5.9 | D | C− | C− | C |
| Maiden Newton | 1,128 | 6.2 | — | C | A− | B |
| Crossways | 2,494 | 7.6 | — | C− | A− | B+ |
Charminster, Charlton Down, Maiden Newton and Crossways have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Winterborne St Martin
How many listed buildings are there in Winterborne St Martin?
That is 14.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Parish Church of St Martin.
How much is council tax in Winterborne St Martin?
Band D council tax in Winterborne St Martin is £2,663 for 2026–27, more than in 93% 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 Winterborne St Martin expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £329,000, semi-detached houses £409,500 and detached houses £419,000. Private rents in the Dorset council area averaged £1,056 a month in August 2026.
About Winterborne St Martin
Village in Dorset, England
Winterborne St Martin is a built-up area of 484 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
- 484 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006749
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.