Wickham Bishops’s story
31 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Wickham Bishops’ built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Wickham BishopsEssex
Home to 1,923 people, this village lies in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Wickhambishops · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,923
Census 2021 · Maldon council
Median home
£600K
73 sales in 3 years
Median age
53.4
33% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Wickham Bishops a good place to live?
Wickham Bishops’s strongest is health: life expectancy is 83.5 for men and 85.1 for women. It is strong on safety as well: 10.6 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 6.8 home and vehicle crimes. Housing is expensive: the median home sold for £600,000, 10.1 years of area income. The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for schools and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: life expectancy, ONS · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · flood risk, Environment Agency. Wickham Bishops is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
What makes Wickham Bishops stand out
The 3 things Wickham Bishops does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Great Ruffins; 6.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Wickham Bishops grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Wickham Bishops is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Wickham Bishops is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedAOpen →SafetyIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →Jobs & income1.9% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsAOpen →Cost of livingRent £1,139 a monthCOpen →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carCOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 66% of towns in England; secondary results beat 18% of towns in EnglandC+Open →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryMore history than most townsBOpen →Outdoors91% live within 400 m of a park; 3.4 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC+Open →Civic life4.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 91% live within 1 km of a libraryA+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wickham Bishops.
Health
Is Wickham Bishops a healthy place? 86% of its people say their health is good, above Essex’s towns and England’s towns
A disability affects 15% of people in Wickham Bishops. 3.9% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below both Essex’s towns (4.8%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Seeing a GP means leaving Wickham Bishops: the nearest practice is 1.9 miles away.
86%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Wickham Bishops | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
83.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.1
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.
Safety
Per resident, Wickham Bishops sees less crime than 89% of UK towns
Violence and sexual offences were 52% of the crimes. Wickham Bishops logged 46 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 2 complaints of anti-social conduct. For its size, Wickham Bishops records less crime per resident than 78% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 1.2 reports per 1,000, lower than both Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8).
10.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 78% 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 & sexual24
Other theft4
Burglary4
Damage & arson3
Drugs3
Vehicle crime3
Public order2
Shoplifting1
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.
10.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
46
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.
HousingCost of living grade C
Few households rent privately in Wickham Bishops: 6%, fewer than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
Social housing holds 7% of households, below Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. 87% of households own their home. Half of the 73 standard sales inside Wickham Bishops’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £600,000.
£600Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Wickham Bishops£600K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £695,000 | 51 |
| Semi-detached | £565,000 | 14 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,139
average private rent a month, Maldon council area
£2,278
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Only 11% of commuters in Wickham Bishops go to work without a car, fewer than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 46% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
23% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. The car took 86% of commuters, above both Essex’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%). A household here earns £69K a year before tax, on average. Work in town: 3% of resident commuters.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
Train5%
On foot5%
Bicycle1%
23%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
46%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£69K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 34% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
More buildings in Wickham Bishops are listed than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 161 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Wickham Bishops counts 31 listed buildings on the national list (Historic England): 1 Grade II*. One registered park or garden lies here. 11% of its homes were built before 1919, about level with Essex’s towns (11%) and below England’s towns (16%).
31listed buildingsBHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II30
Among them · Grade II*
- Great Ruffins Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
161
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
An older town: 33% of people in Wickham Bishops are 65 or over, more than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
Degrees are held by 34% of adults, above Essex’s towns (27%) and close to England’s towns (34%). Under 15: 14% of residents. Ages in Wickham Bishops split evenly at 53.4: half are older, half younger. The 15-to-24 age group makes up nearly one in ten residents.
53.4median age
Wickham BishopsEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 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.
| Wickham Bishops | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.8% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 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 →The Museum of Power and 7 more in and around Wickham Bishops
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Wickham Bishops. Best known first.
MuseumThe Museum of Power2.6 km outside town, to the south
CastleThe Moot Hall4.7 km outside town, to the south
MuseumMaeldune Heritage Centre4.7 km outside town, to the south
MuseumTiptree Jam Museum4.9 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumCombined Military Services Museum4.4 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionAstaria2.7 km 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 (4)
- The Museum of Power: Chris Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Moot Hall: Basher Eyre, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Maeldune Heritage Centre: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tiptree Jam Museum: Angela Tuff, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wickham Bishops
15pages on Wickham Bishops
The big questions
SafetyA10.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £600K · rent £1,139 a monthHousing25 sold in 12 months · busiest street Kelvedon RoadSchoolsC+HealthALife expectancy 83.5 (men), 85.1 (women)Work & commuteA59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Wickham Bishops’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Great TothamWithamHatfield PeverelMaldonTiptreeKelvedon and FeeringTolleshunt KnightsWickham Bishops
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wickham Bishops | 1,923 | — | — | C | A | A |
| Great Totham | 2,773 | 0.8 | A+ | C+ | A+ | A |
| Witham | 27,395 | 2.3 | C | B | C− | C |
| Hatfield Peverel | 3,622 | 3.2 | C+ | C− | C | B− |
| Maldon | 23,389 | 3.4 | C+ | B | C | B− |
| Tiptree | 9,302 | 4 | B+ | B | B− | B+ |
| Kelvedon and Feering | 4,771 | 4.3 | A− | C | C+ | B |
| Tolleshunt Knights | 1,059 | 4.3 | — | C+ | A+ | A− |
Tolleshunt Knights has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Wickham Bishops
Is Wickham Bishops expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £600,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £565,000 and detached houses £695,000.
How many listed buildings are there in Wickham Bishops?
That is 6.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
About Wickham Bishops
Village in Essex, England
Wickham Bishops is a built-up area of 1,923 people, in the Maldon 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
- 1,923 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Maldon
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004359
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.