Bescar’s story
4 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Bescar’s built-up area.
28% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BescarLancashire
A village of 551 in Lancashire, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Peter Hodge · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
551
Census 2021 · West Lancashire council
Median home
£275K
32 sales in 3 years
Median age
55.8
35% are 65+ · Lancashire 20%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bescar a good place to live?
Bescar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Bescar stand out
The 3 things Bescar does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 3 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%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
35% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bescar.
Who lives here
Bescar skews older, with 35% of residents 65 or over, more than in both Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
The share aged 15 to 24 is 9%. 9.8% are under 15, below both Lancashire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Bescar has a median age of 55.8.
55.8median age
BescarLancashireEngland
Ages · share of residents
35%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Bescar | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.8% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 35% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Bescar
At the 2 primary schools within 3 km, 43% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one school is below. 56 pupils attend Bescar’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, ScarisbrickLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 56 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Bescar: just 22% travel under 5 km, below Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
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.
86% of commuters drove to work at the census. Households had £46K a year before tax, near Lancashire’s towns (£48K) and lower than England’s towns (£55K). About 1% of its commuters stay in Bescar for work. Jobs per working resident: 0.3.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot5%
Bus4%
Train3%
Bicycle1%
22%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
26%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£46K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
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
Private renting is less common in Bescar than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 5%
Social housing holds just over one in ten households, lower than both Lancashire’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%). Nearly four in five households are owner-occupiers. The £275,000 median rests on 32 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£275Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bescar£275K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £340,000 | 11 |
| Semi-detached | £254,500 | 18 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£805
average private rent a month, West Lancashire council area
£2,455
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
Homes in Bescar see less burglary and damage than in Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns: 4.2 per 1,000 a year
54% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. The violent crime rate is 14.5 per 1,000 residents a year. Bescar logged 13 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 3 complaints of anti-social conduct. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 3.6 reports per 1,000, below both Lancashire’s towns (17.3) and England’s towns (7.8).
14.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Damage & arson4
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Anti-social3
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.
14.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
13
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 4.4% of people in Bescar say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in both Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
Seeing a GP means leaving Bescar: the nearest practice is 2.7 miles away. 79% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, about level with Lancashire’s towns (80%) and below England’s towns (82%). A disability affects a fifth of people locally.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Bescar | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.4% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 20% | 17% |
79.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.5
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
More of the land in Bescar is conservation area than in Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns: 100%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Bescar has 73 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above Lancashire’s towns (15) and England’s towns (39) alike. 28% of homes date from before 1919. Also worth knowing: the town has 4 listed buildings on Historic England’s list, all Grade II.
4listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
28%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
73
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bescar
12pages on Bescar
The big questions
Safety14.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £275K · rent £805 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 months · busiest street Bescar Brow LaneSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 79.7 (men), 83.5 (women)Work & commute43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Bescar’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SouthportBurscoughOrmskirkRuffordBanksLydiateParboldBescar
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bescar | 551 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southport | 94,438 | 3.3 | C− | C− | C | C− |
| Burscough | 8,773 | 3.6 | B− | B− | B− | C |
| Ormskirk | 27,720 | 3.8 | A− | B− | B | C+ |
| Rufford | 1,562 | 4.3 | — | C | A | C+ |
| Banks | 4,439 | 4.3 | C | B | B+ | C |
| Lydiate | 6,516 | 6.1 | B | D | A | B |
| Parbold | 2,409 | 6.5 | — | C | A+ | A |
Rufford and Parbold have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bescar
How many listed buildings are there in Bescar?
That is 3 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Bescar?
Band D council tax in Bescar is £2,455 for 2026–27, more than in 53% 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 Bescar
Village in Lancashire, England
Bescar is a built-up area of 551 people, in the West Lancashire 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
- 551 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Lancashire
- County
- Lancashire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001066
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.