Mawdesley’s story
4 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Mawdesley’s built-up area.
22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MawdesleyLancashire
Some 914 people live in this village, in Lancashire, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Gary Rogers · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
914
Census 2021 · Chorley council
Median home
£420K
49 sales in 3 years
Median age
53
32% are 65+ · Lancashire 20%
Degree level
44%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Mawdesley a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Mawdesley has no grades; its figures are still real. 10% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. People aged 65 and over make up nearly a third of residents. The median home sold for £420,000.
What makes Mawdesley stand out
The 3 things Mawdesley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
32% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.5 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Mawdesley.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Mawdesley than in Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns: 13% are under 15
Degrees are held by 44% of adults. People 65 and over make up 32% of the town, above both Lancashire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). Aged 15 to 24: nearly one in ten residents. Typical age in Mawdesley: 53, the median.
53median age
MawdesleyLancashireEngland
Ages · share of residents
32%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level44%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Mawdesley | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 32% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.8% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 44% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Mawdesley
At the 6 primary schools within 3 km, nearly three quarters of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Mawdesley St Peter's Church of England Primary School’s results beat 95% of schools in England like it. The town has one school, shown below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mawdesley St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 70 | A+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Mawdesley work nearby than in Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns: 17% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Nearly nine in ten commuters took the car to work at the census. Unemployment benefit claims came to 0.7% of 16 to 64s in 2026, below both Lancashire’s towns (2.2%) and England’s towns (2.3%). The census counted 34% of workers working mainly from home. About 6% of its commuters stay in Mawdesley for work.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot7%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
0.7%
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 Mawdesley than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 11%
Just over four in five households own their home, higher than both Lancashire’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%). Council and housing-body homes hold 8% of households. Private rents average £798 a month across the Chorley council area.
£420Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Mawdesley£420K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £464,000 | 28 |
| Semi-detached | £270,000 | 13 |
| Terraced | £285,000 | 7 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£798
average private rent a month, Chorley council area
£2,452
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
Burglary and damage are rarer in Mawdesley than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.6 per 1,000 residents a year
The violent crime rate is 13.9 per 1,000 residents a year. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 20 recorded crimes inside Mawdesley’s built-up area, and 4 reports of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 7.7 reports per 1,000, below Lancashire’s towns (17.3) and close to England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences made up 70% of the total.
13.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual14
Damage & arson2
Other theft2
Shoplifting1
Weapons1
Public order0
Burglary0
Drugs0
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.
13.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
20
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 Mawdesley live with a disability than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 16%
4.9% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, lower than both Lancashire’s towns (6.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Self-reported good health: 83% of Mawdesley’s residents. There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 2.4 miles off.
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Mawdesley | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.9% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 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 · 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
Among Mawdesley’s 4 listed buildings: Lane Ends House, Grade II*
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
22% of homes were built before 1919. For its size, Mawdesley has 44 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above both Lancashire’s towns (15) and England’s towns (39).
4listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II3
Among them · Grade II*
- Lane Ends House Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
22%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
44
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 Mawdesley
13pages on Mawdesley
The big questions
Safety13.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £420K · rent £798 a monthHousing19 sold in 12 months · busiest street Gorsey LaneSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 78.1 (men), 80.4 (women)Work & commute51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Mawdesley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
RuffordEcclestonParboldCrostonBurscoughWymottAppley BridgeMawdesley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mawdesley | 914 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rufford | 1,562 | 2.2 | — | C | A | C+ |
| Eccleston | 4,543 | 2.3 | A | B+ | B+ | B+ |
| Parbold | 2,409 | 2.5 | — | C | A+ | A |
| Croston | 2,793 | 2.6 | A− | B+ | B | C+ |
| Burscough | 8,773 | 3.5 | B− | B− | B− | C |
| Wymott | 2,092 | 3.6 | — | A− | B | C− |
| Appley Bridge | 5,131 | 4.1 | — | C+ | — | B |
Rufford, Parbold and Wymott have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Appley Bridge has no Safety Grade: Greater Manchester Police doesn’t publish to police.uk. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Mawdesley
Who lives in Mawdesley?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 32% of residents were 65 or over and 30% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 13% were under 15.
Is Mawdesley expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £285,000, semi-detached houses £270,000 and detached houses £464,000.
How many listed buildings are there in Mawdesley?
That is 1.8 times the typical UK town for its size.
About Mawdesley
Village in Lancashire, England
Mawdesley is a built-up area of 914 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
- 914 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chorley
- County
- Lancashire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001051
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.