Milkwall’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Milkwall’s built-up area.
33% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MilkwallGloucestershire
948 people live in this village in Gloucestershire, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Pauline Eccles · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
948
Census 2021 · Forest of Dean council
Median home
£276K
44 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.1
27% are 65+ · Gloucestershire 20%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Milkwall a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Milkwall has no grades; its figures are still real. Nearly one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. 33% of homes were built before 1919. 52% of households own their home outright.
What makes Milkwall stand out
The 3 things Milkwall does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Own outright
Housing
52% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
Nearby attractions
All attractions →St Briavels Castle and 9 more in and around Milkwall
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Milkwall. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageSt Briavels Castle4.9 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleClearwell Castle1.7 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumClearwell Caves800 m outside town, to the southwest
MuseumColeford Great Western Railway Museum1.1 km outside town, to the northwest
Heritage railwayDean Forest Railway5 km outside town, to the southeastArt galleryArt galleryForest of Dean Sculpture Trail4.4 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © 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
- 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
- Dean Forest Railway: Jamielw, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Milkwall.
Work & commute
More commuters in Milkwall drive than in Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns: 89%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 26% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 9% of commuters got to work without a car. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 31%, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (45%) and England’s towns (45%). Household income averages £43K a year before tax. Of the commuters living in Milkwall, 1% work in the town itself.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot8%
Bicycle1%
31%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
26%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£43K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
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
Milkwall is a town of owners: 89% of households own their home, above Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
The middle sale price: £276K, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (£347K) and England’s towns (£308K). Social housing holds 1% of households. Renting privately is how one in ten households live.
£276Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Milkwall£276K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £420,000 | 19 |
| Semi-detached | £250,000 | 17 |
| Terraced | £225,000 | 7 |
89%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£828
average private rent a month, Forest of Dean council area
£2,516
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
Violent crime runs low in Milkwall: 7 per 1,000 residents a year, under Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
Violence and sexual offences accounted for 44% of recorded crime. Homes saw 3.5 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below Gloucestershire’s towns (8.1) and England’s towns (9.4) alike. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 9 crimes and 4 reports of anti-social behaviour inside Milkwall’s built-up area.
7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual4
Damage & arson2
Public order1
Other theft1
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social4
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
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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
In Milkwall, 83% say their health is good or very good
Milkwall has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.4 miles away. At the census, 16% of people here had a disability, below both Gloucestershire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%).
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Milkwall | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.4% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
79
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.2
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.
History
Milkwall keeps more of its old housing than Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns: 33% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, Milkwall keeps 11 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Every one of the town’s 1 listed building sits at Grade II, the most common listing.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
33%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
11
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: 27% of people in Milkwall are 65 or over, more than in both Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
The middle age in Milkwall is 50.1. 16% are under 15, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 10% of the town.
50.1median age
MilkwallGloucestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Milkwall | Gloucestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.5% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gloucestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Milkwall
13pages on Milkwall
The big questions
Safety7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £276K · rent £828 a monthHousing15 sold in 12 months · busiest street Forest RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 79 (men), 83.2 (women)Work & commute43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Milkwall’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ColefordBroadwell and CoalwayBerry HillBreamYorkley and WhitecroftWelsh BicknorRuspidgeMilkwall
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milkwall | 948 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coleford | 5,023 | 1.1 | C | B+ | D | C |
| Broadwell and Coalway | 3,304 | 1.2 | C+ | B | B− | C |
| Berry Hill | 2,211 | 2.1 | — | B− | C | C+ |
| Bream | 3,117 | 2.6 | C | B+ | C+ | B− |
| Yorkley and Whitecroft | 2,678 | 3.4 | C+ | B− | B+ | B |
| Welsh Bicknor | 1,988 | 4.2 | — | B | B+ | B− |
| Ruspidge | 2,431 | 4.6 | — | A− | B− | C− |
Berry Hill, Welsh Bicknor and Ruspidge have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Milkwall
How many listed buildings are there in Milkwall?
1 on Historic England’s list.
How much is council tax in Milkwall?
Band D council tax in Milkwall is £2,516 for 2026–27, more than in 68% 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 Milkwall
Village in Gloucestershire, England
Milkwall is a built-up area of 948 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
- 948 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Forest of Dean
- County
- Gloucestershire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004416
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.