High Kelling’s story
8 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside High Kelling’s built-up area.
25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
High KellingNorfolk
This village in Norfolk, East of England has a population of 491.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Stavros1 at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Population
491
Census 2021 · North Norfolk council
Median home
£620K
32 sales in 3 years
Median age
69.6
61% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
33%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
21%
of commuters · England 27%
Is High Kelling a good place to live?
High Kelling has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. 61% of residents are 65 or over. 8 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. Homes sell for a median £620,000.
What makes High Kelling stand out
The 3 things High Kelling does most differently from other towns.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
61% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Voewood; 6.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.2 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 High Kelling.
Who lives here
Children make up only 4.5% of High Kelling, fewer than in Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
Over-65s are just over three fifths of the population. People aged 15 to 24 make up 2.9% of the town, below Norfolk’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Line up the people of High Kelling by age and the one in the middle is 69.6. Among adults, 33% have a degree.
69.6median age
High KellingNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
61%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar11%
Degree level33%
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
About 82 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.
| High Kelling | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 4.5% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 2.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 4.7% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 61% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.1% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 11% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Household income in High Kelling, £45K a year, runs below Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 43% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Work in town: 6% of resident commuters. 43% of workers worked mainly from home at the census. Unemployment benefit claims came to 3.1% of 16 to 64s in 2026, above both Norfolk’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%). For 38% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
21%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving79%
On foot11%
Bicycle5%
Bus3%
Train2%
38%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
43%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£45K
mean household income, before tax
3.1%
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
Most households in High Kelling own their home: 83%, more than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns
3% rent privately, below Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. Social housing holds 13% of households. From September 2023 to August 2026, 32 homes sold inside High Kelling’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £620,000.
£620Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
High Kelling£620K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £615,000 | 29 |
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
3%
rent privately · England 21%
£865
average private rent a month, North Norfolk council area
£2,406
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
High Kelling records less burglary and damage per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 2 per 1,000 a year
Over the year to August 2026, 8 offences were reported in High Kelling. Violence came to 12.2 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Norfolk’s towns (18.9) and England’s towns (22). 38% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
12.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Weapons2
Damage & arson1
Burglary1
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
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.
12.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
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
Fewer people in High Kelling say their health is good than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 71%
7.1% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, above Norfolk’s towns (5.6%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike. Disability touches 27% of High Kelling’s population. The nearest A&E to High Kelling is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 21.1 miles away. One GP practice serves the town; nine in ten patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
71%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 71%Fair 21%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | High Kelling | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 71% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.1% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 27% | 20% | 17% |
82.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in High Kelling are listed than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 163 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for 25% of the housing. One registered park or garden lies in High Kelling.
8listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II7
Among them · Grade II*
- Voewood Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
25%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
163
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →William Marriott Museum and 7 more in and around High Kelling
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near High Kelling. Best known first.
MuseumWilliam Marriott Museumin town
Castle · English HeritageBaconsthorpe Castle2.1 km outside town, to the southeast
Heritage railwayNorth Norfolk Railway2.3 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumThe Muckleburgh Military Collection2.9 km outside town, to the north
Historic houseBayfield Hall4.6 km outside town, to the westPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustSheringham Park3 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)
- William Marriott Museum: Northmetpit, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Baconsthorpe Castle: Aaron Boardley, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- North Norfolk Railway: Robin Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Muckleburgh Military Collection: Stavros1 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bayfield Hall: stavros1, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about High Kelling
13pages on High Kelling
The big questions
Safety12.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £620K · rent £865 a monthHousing11 sold in 12 months · busiest street Pineheath RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.2 (men), 85.3 (women)Work & commute56% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
High Kelling’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HoltSheringhamWest Runton and Beeston RegisBristonMelton ConstableCromerAylshamHigh Kelling
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Kelling | 491 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Holt | 4,014 | 1.3 | D | D− | C | B |
| Sheringham | 7,087 | 3.9 | C | D | B | B |
| West Runton and Beeston Regis | 1,463 | 4.5 | — | D | A+ | B |
| Briston | 1,983 | 5.3 | — | D | A− | B |
| Melton Constable | 1,176 | 5.5 | — | C+ | A− | B |
| Cromer | 7,522 | 7.4 | C− | C− | C+ | C |
| Aylsham | 7,183 | 10 | B+ | B | B | B+ |
West Runton and Beeston Regis, Briston and Melton Constable have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about High Kelling
Is High Kelling expensive to live in?
Private rents in the North Norfolk council area averaged £865 a month in August 2026.
How many listed buildings are there in High Kelling?
That is 6.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
About High Kelling
Village in Norfolk, England
High Kelling is a built-up area of 491 people, in the North Norfolk 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
- 491 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002011
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.