Bream’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Bream’s built-up area.
30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BreamGloucestershire
A town of 3,117 in Gloucestershire, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jonathan Billinger · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
3,117
Census 2021 · Forest of Dean council
Median home
£264K
92 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.6
24% are 65+ · Gloucestershire 20%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
C
#43 of 48 in Gloucestershire
Is Bream a good place to live?
Bream grades C overall against UK towns: better than 33% of UK towns, and #43 of 48 in Gloucestershire. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is walkability (D): 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £264,000 in the last three years, 5.3 times what households in the Forest of Dean council area earn in a year.
Gloucestershire Police published 29 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Bream stand out
The 3 things Bream does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
30% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
24% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Bream grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Bream is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 13% of towns in EnglandDOpen →Hazard riskAOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £51,040; 2.3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC−Open →Cost of livingrent £828 a monthB+Open →SafetyC+Open →HealthLife expectancy 80.1 for men, 85.3 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsCOpen →Outdoors82% live within 400 m of a park; 10% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life2.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryAOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bream.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
More commuters in Bream drive than in Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns: 91%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Bream counts 0.2 jobs per working resident. Just over a third of commuters travelled under 5 km, below both Gloucestershire’s towns (45%) and England’s towns (45%). Working from home was the norm for 24% of workers at the census.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot5%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
34%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 6% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsD
On exam results, Bream’s schools trail 91% of towns in England
53% of pupils at the 5 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below.
DSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bream Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 186 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Bream than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 25% of adults
At 48.6, the median resident of Bream sits in the middle of the age range. 24% of residents have reached 65. People aged 15 to 24 make up a tenth of the town, below both Gloucestershire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Children under 15 count for 16% of the people here.
48.6median age
BreamGloucestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Bream | Gloucestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.9% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gloucestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
History
Bream keeps more of its old housing than Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns: 30% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Its heritage register entries (2 listed buildings) are all Grade II. Per 10,000 residents, Bream counts 6 listed buildings, below both Gloucestershire’s towns (105) and England’s towns (39).
2listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
30%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
6
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B+
Private renting is less common in Bream than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 12%
Owners make up 70% of households. Half of the 92 standard sales inside Bream’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £264,000. 16% live in social housing, above Gloucestershire’s towns (13%) but below England’s towns (18%).
£264Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bream£264K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £372,000 | 39 |
| Semi-detached | £247,500 | 38 |
| Terraced | £202,250 | 14 |
70%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£828
average private rent a month, Forest of Dean council area
£2,389
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 more often in Bream than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 29.3 per 1,000 residents a year
There were 20.6 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), higher than both Gloucestershire’s towns (9.1) and England’s towns (7.8). Reported offences in Bream came to 50 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 17. Violence and sexual offences made up 48% of the total.
29.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 39% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual24
Damage & arson5
Vehicle crime5
Public order4
Drugs3
Other crime3
Weapons2
Shoplifting1
Anti-social17
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.
29.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
20.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
50
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
Fewer people in Bream say their health is good than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 79%
20% of residents have a disability, above Gloucestershire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 6.2% of the town. Also worth knowing: there is no GP practice in Bream: the nearest is 2.2 miles off.
79%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Bream | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.2% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
80.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.3
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.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →St Briavels Castle and 8 more in and around Bream
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bream. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageSt Briavels Castle3.8 km outside town, to the west
CastleClearwell Castle3.2 km outside town, to the northwest
Heritage railwayDean Forest Railway1.5 km outside town, to the east
MuseumClearwell Caves2.9 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumColeford Great Western Railway Museum4.7 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttractionPuzzlewood3.4 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- St Briavels Castle: Roy Parkhouse, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clearwell Castle: AHFilms Adam Huckle Films. www.adamhuckle.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dean Forest Railway: Jamielw, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clearwell Caves: Andy Dingley, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Coleford Great Western Railway Museum: Graham Horn, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bream
15pages on Bream
The big questions
SafetyC+29.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £264K · rent £828 a monthHousing30 sold in 12 months · busiest street Parkend RoadSchoolsD1 state schoolHealthB−Life expectancy 80.1 (men), 85.3 (women)Work & commuteC−49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Bream’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Yorkley and WhitecroftLydneyBroadwell and CoalwayColefordBlakeneyBerry HillSharpnessBream
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bream | 3,117 | — | C | B+ | C+ | B− |
| Yorkley and Whitecroft | 2,678 | 1.8 | C+ | B− | B+ | B |
| Lydney | 9,655 | 2.5 | C | B | C | C+ |
| Broadwell and Coalway | 3,304 | 3.6 | C+ | B | B− | C |
| Coleford | 5,023 | 3.7 | C | B+ | D | C |
| Blakeney | 1,303 | 4.1 | — | B | C+ | C+ |
| Berry Hill | 2,211 | 4.7 | — | B− | C | C+ |
| Sharpness | 1,237 | 5 | — | A− | C− | C+ |
Blakeney, Berry Hill and Sharpness have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bream
How many listed buildings are there in Bream?
2 on Historic England’s list.
Are schools in Bream good?
Primary results trail 87% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Gloucestershire council.
Is Bream safe?
About the middle for its size: 61% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, it grades C+. Burglary was rare, with 1 report in the year.
About Bream
Town in Gloucestershire, England
Bream is a built-up area of 3,117 people, in the Forest of Dean 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
- 3,117 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Forest of Dean
- County
- Gloucestershire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004468
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.