Colne Engaine’s story
7 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Colne Engaine’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Colne EngaineEssex
A village of 998 in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Edwards · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
998
Census 2021 · Braintree council
Median home
£457K
35 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.4
24% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Colne Engaine a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Colne Engaine has none; the figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 11% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 7 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. The median sale price is £457,000.
What makes Colne Engaine stand out
The 3 things Colne Engaine does most differently from other 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 Andrew; 2.9 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
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 Colne Engaine.
Work & commute
More commuters in Colne Engaine drive than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 87%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income came to £59K a year before tax, between Essex’s towns (£63K) and England’s towns (£55K). 26% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Among 16 to 64s, 1.7% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot6%
Train4%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
26%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
1.7%
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
Schools
The schools around Colne Engaine
At the 5 primary schools within 3 km, 55% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The one school in town appears below. Secondary results at the one secondary school within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 46.5, with 52% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colne Engaine Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 88 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
More households own their home in Colne Engaine than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 86%
The social rented sector houses 4% of households. Private renters make up 10% of households, below both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). That is the middle of 35 standard sales inside Colne Engaine’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
£457Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Colne Engaine£457K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £637,500 | 18 |
| Semi-detached | £380,000 | 15 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,213
average private rent a month, Braintree council area
£2,285
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 Colne Engaine than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.7 per 1,000 residents a year
Police recorded 5 crimes inside Colne Engaine’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Property crime (burglary and damage) runs at 1.3 per 1,000 residents a year. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 0.7 reports per 1,000, lower than both Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8). Also worth knowing: of all the crimes, 40% were violence and sexual offences.
2.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Vehicle crime3
Violence & sexual2
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
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.
2.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
5
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 2.7% of people in Colne Engaine say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Colne Engaine is Colchester General Hospital, 9.3 miles away. At the census, 87% of people in Colne Engaine called their health good or very good, above Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. A disability affects 13% of people locally. Seeing a GP means leaving Colne Engaine: the nearest practice is 1.1 miles away.
87%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Colne Engaine | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.7% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
79.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Colne Engaine: 23% were built before 1919, more than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Colne Engaine’s listed buildings include the Parish Church of St Andrew, Grade I. Per 10,000 residents, Colne Engaine counts 70 listed buildings.
7listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II6
Among them · Grade I
- Parish Church of St Andrew Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
70
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
Fewer children live in Colne Engaine than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 14% are under 15
24% of residents are 65 or over, above Essex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The share aged 15 to 24 is 9.3%. Residents of Colne Engaine have a median age of 50.4. Degrees are held by just over a third of adults.
50.4median age
Colne EngaineEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Colne Engaine | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.8% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →East Anglian Railway Museum and 4 more in and around Colne Engaine
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Colne Engaine. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumEast Anglian Railway Museum4.8 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumEarls Colne Heritage Museum1.4 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumRestoration Shed4.8 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumHeritage Centre & Platforms 5 + 64.8 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumInformation Kiosk1.4 km outside town, to the southeast
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Colne Engaine
13pages on Colne Engaine
The big questions
Safety2.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £457K · rent £1,213 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 months · busiest street Countess CrossSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 79.1 (men), 82.8 (women)Work & commute56% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Colne Engaine’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Earls ColneHalsteadGosfieldBuresCoggeshallSible HedinghamCastle HedinghamColne Engaine
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colne Engaine | 998 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Earls Colne | 3,360 | 1 | C+ | B | C+ | B− |
| Halstead | 13,902 | 2.1 | C+ | B | C+ | C+ |
| Gosfield | 1,453 | 4 | — | C− | A+ | B |
| Bures | 1,183 | 4.4 | — | B− | B− | B+ |
| Coggeshall | 3,767 | 4.6 | B | C+ | B− | B+ |
| Sible Hedingham | 4,261 | 4.9 | B− | B | B− | B+ |
| Castle Hedingham | 1,045 | 5.1 | — | B− | A− | B+ |
Gosfield, Bures and Castle Hedingham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Colne Engaine
How many listed buildings are there in Colne Engaine?
That is 2.9 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Parish Church of St Andrew.
Is Colne Engaine expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £380,000 and detached houses £637,500. Private rents in the Braintree council area averaged £1,213 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Colne Engaine?
Band D council tax in Colne Engaine is £2,285 for 2026–27, less than in 77% 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.
About Colne Engaine
Village in Essex, England
Colne Engaine is a built-up area of 998 people, in the Braintree 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
- 998 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Braintree
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004017
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.