Bradfield’s story
15 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Bradfield’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BradfieldEssex
A village in Essex, East of England, home to 1,254 people. 12% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Rog Frost · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,254
Census 2021 · Tendring council
Median home
£495K
35 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.2
31% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bradfield a good place to live?
Recorded crime is low: 7.7 violent and sexual offences and 3.7 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Buying in is costly: the median home sold for £495,000, 11.1 years of area income. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for health, B− for jobs & income, C+ for walkability and B− for hazard risk. It has 15 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · commuting, Census 2021 · flood risk, Environment Agency. Bradfield has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Bradfield stand out
The 3 things Bradfield does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 4.9 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
95%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
How Bradfield grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Bradfield is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingRent £1,053 a monthD−Open →SafetyNear the top of the towns comparedA+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 91% of towns in EnglandAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 80.9 for men, 84.1 for womenBOpen →WalkabilityClose to the middle of the towns comparedC+Open →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryAbove the middle of the towns comparedB+Open →Outdoors27% live within 400 m of a park; 35% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeCOpen →Civic life5.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bradfield.
HousingCost of living grade D−
Bradfield is a town of owners: 86% of households own their home, above Essex’s towns and England’s towns
6% live in social housing, below both Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Private tenants account for 9% of households. The £495,000 median rests on 35 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£495Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bradfield£495K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £538,000 | 29 |
| Semi-detached | £375,000 | 5 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,053
average private rent a month, Tendring council area
£2,359
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
SchoolsA
On exam results, Bradfield’s schools beat 94% of towns in England
71% of pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one school is below. 111 pupils attend Bradfield’s one primary school.
ASchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradfield Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 111 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Per resident, Bradfield sees less crime than 98% of UK towns
58% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 19 crimes inside Bradfield’s built-up area. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Bradfield has less crime per resident than 95% of them.
7.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 95% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Vehicle crime3
Damage & arson2
Other theft2
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Drugs0
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.
7.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
19
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.
History
Old homes shape Bradfield: 23% were built before 1919, more than in Essex’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.
Listed buildings per head: 120 for every 10,000 residents of Bradfield. Of the town’s land, 4% lies in conservation areas, between Essex’s towns (3%) and England’s towns (7%).
15listed buildingsB+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II15
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
120
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Just 3.9% of people in Bradfield say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Bradfield is Colchester General Hospital, 8.9 miles away. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.4 miles away. At the census, 18% of people here had a disability, higher than both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%).
83%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Bradfield | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
80.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Under 5 km to work: 18% in Bradfield, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 35% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 2% of 16 to 64s in 2026, below Essex’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. At the census, 87% of commuters went by car. About 3% of its commuters stay in Bradfield for work. The average household earns £55K a year before tax.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot5%
Train5%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
35%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 42% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Bradfield skews older, with 31% of residents 65 or over, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
Children under 15 make up 15%, lower than both Essex’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). The share aged 15 to 24 is 9.6%. Half of Bradfield is older than 52.2, half younger. Degrees are held by 30% of adults.
52.2median age
BradfieldEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 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.
| Bradfield | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.5% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Mistley Towers and 2 more in and around Bradfield
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bradfield. Best known first.
RuinsRuins · English HeritageMistley Towers2.1 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumManningtree Museum2.9 km outside town, to the northwestWater parkWater parkAqua Park Alton4.5 km outside town, to the northeast
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bradfield
14pages on Bradfield
The big questions
SafetyA+7.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingD−Median home £495K · rent £1,053 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street Windmill RoadSchoolsA1 state schoolHealthBLife expectancy 80.9 (men), 84.1 (women)Work & commuteB−53% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Bradfield’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MistleyManningtreeLawfordBranthamHolbrookWeeleyEast BergholtBradfield
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradfield | 1,254 | — | — | D− | A+ | B |
| Mistley | 1,827 | 1.3 | — | D− | C | B |
| Manningtree | 1,676 | 2.2 | — | D− | C | B− |
| Lawford | 4,488 | 2.5 | B+ | D− | B | B |
| Brantham | 2,081 | 3.1 | — | B+ | A− | A |
| Holbrook | 2,146 | 4.5 | — | B+ | A | A |
| Weeley | 1,285 | 4.8 | — | D− | C+ | C |
| East Bergholt | 2,211 | 5.1 | — | B− | B+ | A |
Mistley, Manningtree, Brantham, Holbrook, Weeley and East Bergholt have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bradfield
How many listed buildings are there in Bradfield?
That is 4.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
Are schools in Bradfield good?
Primary results beat 91% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Essex council.
Is Bradfield expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £495,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £375,000 and detached houses £538,000.
About Bradfield
Village in Essex, England
Bradfield is a built-up area of 1,254 people, in the Tendring 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
- 1,254 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Tendring
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004026
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.