Waddington’s story
17 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Waddington’s built-up area.
30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WaddingtonLancashire
With 1,005 residents, it is a village in Lancashire, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mike and Kirsty Grundy · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,005
Census 2021 · Ribble Valley council
Median home
£393K
48 sales in 3 years
Median age
58.6
38% are 65+ · Lancashire 20%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Waddington a good place to live?
Waddington is a safe place by the numbers: police record 4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 4 home and vehicle crimes. Natural hazards weigh more here: 6.6% of homes face a high or medium risk of river or sea flooding. A median £392,500 buys a home here, 7.6 times what households in the Ribble Valley council area earn in a year. Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work: just over one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · commuting, Census 2021. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Waddington has its subject grades alone.
What makes Waddington stand out
The 3 things Waddington does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
43% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Helen; 6.9 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
99%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
How Waddington grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Waddington is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyAmong the best of the towns comparedA+Open →HealthLife expectancy 83.2 for men, 85.2 for womenAOpen →Hazard riskGraded on exposure to natural hazardsDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 66% of towns in England; secondary results beat 87% of towns in EnglandA−Open →Walkability11% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transportCOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £51,058B+Open →Cost of livingClose to the middle of the towns comparedB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryNear the top of the towns comparedA−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 60% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeAOpen →Civic life1 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Waddington.
Safety
Waddington has less crime per resident than 99% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Over the year to August 2026, 8 offences were reported in Waddington, along with 4 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 4.3 reports per 1,000, below Lancashire’s towns (17.3) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Violence and sexual offences were 38% of the crimes.
4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 99% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Other theft2
Shoplifting1
Public order1
Burglary1
Damage & arson0
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.
4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.3
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.
SchoolsA−
School results in Waddington are better than in 81% of towns in England
64% of pupils at the 6 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Waddington and West Bradford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School’s results beat 75% of schools in England like it. The one school in town appears below. GCSE results at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km: three in five pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 51.9.
A−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waddington and West Bradford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 200 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Health
Just 4.5% of people in Waddington say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Lancashire’s towns and across England’s towns
At the census, 16% of people here had a disability, below Lancashire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. The nearest A&E to Waddington is Royal Blackburn Hospital, 10.7 miles away. Women here live to 85.2 on average and men to 83.2 (2019–23). The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.3 miles away.
83%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Waddington | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.5% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 20% | 17% |
83.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.2
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.
History
More of the land in Waddington is conservation area than in Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns: 42%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II* covers 1 of them. Waddington has 169 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. 30% of its homes were built before 1919, above both Lancashire’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (16%). It has 17 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade II*.
17listed buildingsA−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II16
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Helen Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
30%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
169
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Only 0.6% of 16 to 64s in Waddington claim unemployment benefits, fewer than in Lancashire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 87% of commuters, above Lancashire’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Work in town: 3% of resident commuters. Waddington counts 0.5 jobs per working resident.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot9%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
43%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
32%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
0.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 31% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
More households own their home in Waddington than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 80%
11% rent privately, below both Lancashire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). Social renters account for 8% of households. Private rents average £818 a month across the Ribble Valley council area.
£393Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Waddington£393K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £642,500 | 16 |
| Semi-detached | £429,500 | 10 |
| Terraced | £311,600 | 21 |
80%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£818
average private rent a month, Ribble Valley council area
£2,424
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Few people in Waddington are 15 to 24: 5%, fewer than in Lancashire’s towns and across England’s towns
People 65 and over make up 38% of the town. Children under 15 make up 11%, lower than both Lancashire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Waddington has a median age of 58.6 years. Graduates make up 37% of adults.
58.6median age
WaddingtonLancashireEngland
Ages · share of residents
38%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship11%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level37%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 90 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.
| Waddington | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 38% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 11% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Sawley Abbey and 2 more in and around Waddington
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Waddington. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · English HeritageSawley Abbey5 km outside town, to the northeast
Historic houseBrowsholme Hall4.3 km outside town, to the west
MuseumClitheroe Castle Museum2.1 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Sawley Abbey: Alexander P Kapp, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Browsholme Hall: Hugh Chevallier, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clitheroe Castle Museum: Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Waddington
14pages on Waddington
The big questions
SafetyA+4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £393K · rent £818 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street West Bradford RoadSchoolsA−1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 83.2 (men), 85.2 (women)Work & commuteB+47% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD6.6% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Waddington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ClitheroeChatburnBarrowWhalleyOld LanghoSabdenBillingtonWaddington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waddington | 1,005 | — | — | B− | A+ | A |
| Clitheroe | 16,626 | 1.4 | A− | A | B− | C+ |
| Chatburn | 1,125 | 2.5 | — | A | B+ | A− |
| Barrow | 1,388 | 3.4 | — | B | C | A |
| Whalley | 3,411 | 4.4 | B | B− | C− | A− |
| Old Langho | 1,072 | 4.7 | — | B− | A+ | A− |
| Sabden | 1,582 | 4.9 | — | A | B− | A− |
| Billington | 1,743 | 5 | — | A | A | A− |
Chatburn, Barrow, Old Langho, Sabden and Billington have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Waddington
How many listed buildings are there in Waddington?
That is 6.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
Does Waddington flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Are schools in Waddington good?
Secondary schools stand out: GCSE results beat 87% of towns in England. Primary results are closer to the middle, beating 66%. One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Lancashire council.
About Waddington
Village in Lancashire, England
Waddington is a built-up area of 1,005 people, in the Ribble Valley 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
- 1,005 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Ribble Valley
- County
- Lancashire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000683
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.