Bretherton’s story
12 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Bretherton’s built-up area.
48% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BrethertonLancashire
250 people call this village in Lancashire, North West home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: ProfDEH · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
250
Census 2021 · Chorley council
Median age
49.4
20% are 65+ · Lancashire 20%
Degree level
42%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bretherton a good place to live?
There are no grades for Bretherton: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 6% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Pre-1919 homes make up 48% of the housing.
What makes Bretherton stand out
The 3 things Bretherton does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% 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
42% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bretherton.
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Bretherton: just 15% travel under 5 km, below Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 42% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car carried just over nine in ten commuters at the census. Working mainly from home: just over two in five workers, above both Lancashire’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (31%). 0.9% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. About 2% of its commuters stay in Bretherton for work.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot4%
Bicycle3%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
0.9%
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 Bretherton
GCSE results at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km: 53% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 50.4. Below is its only school. At the 5 primary schools within 3 km, 75% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bretherton Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 105 | B+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Private renting is less common in Bretherton than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 10%
Households that own their home make up 77%. Private rents average £798 a month across the Chorley council area. Social housing holds 14% of households, close to Lancashire’s towns (13%) and below England’s towns (18%).
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bretherton£0K
Typical UK town£277K
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£798
average private rent a month, Chorley council area
£2,466
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
Crime recorded by police in Bretherton
In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 8 crimes inside Bretherton’s built-up area. Of all the crimes, 50% were violence and sexual offences. There were 9.3 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), between Lancashire’s towns (17.3) and England’s towns (7.8).
20violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual4
Other theft1
Burglary1
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
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.
20
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
8
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
Bad health is less common in Bretherton than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 1.2% of residents
There is no GP practice in Bretherton: the nearest is 1.5 miles off. 15% of residents in Bretherton live with a disability. At the census, 84% of people in Bretherton called their health good or very good, higher than both Lancashire’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Bretherton is Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, 6.6 miles away.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2021 | Bretherton | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.2% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 20% | 17% |
78.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
80.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Bretherton are listed than in Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns: 480 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II covers all 12 listed buildings that Historic England records here. Conservation areas cover 32% of Bretherton’s land, higher than both Lancashire’s towns (2%) and England’s towns (7%).
12listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II12
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
48%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
480
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
Degrees are more common in Bretherton than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 42% of adults
The 15-to-24 age group: 11%, below both Lancashire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). The age that splits Bretherton in two is 49.4. Over-65s are 20% of the population.
49.4median age
BrethertonLancashireEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level42%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Bretherton | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.9% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 42% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bretherton
11pages on Bretherton
The big questions
Bretherton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
CrostonWymottTarleton and Hesketh BankLongtonRuffordEcclestonHuttonBretherton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bretherton | 250 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Croston | 2,793 | 1.2 | A− | B+ | B | C+ |
| Wymott | 2,092 | 1.9 | — | A− | B | C− |
| Tarleton and Hesketh Bank | 8,756 | 2 | B+ | C+ | A− | B+ |
| Longton | 10,912 | 3.3 | A+ | B+ | A− | B+ |
| Rufford | 1,562 | 3.4 | — | C | A | C+ |
| Eccleston | 4,543 | 3.8 | A | B+ | B+ | B+ |
| Hutton | 2,140 | 4 | — | B+ | B− | A− |
Wymott, Rufford and Hutton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bretherton
How many listed buildings are there in Bretherton?
That is 19.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Bretherton?
Band D council tax in Bretherton is £2,466 for 2026–27, more than in 55% 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 Bretherton
Village in Lancashire, England
Bretherton is a built-up area of 250 people, in the Chorley 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
- 250 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chorley
- County
- Lancashire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000976
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.