Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Population 228: a village in Northumberland, North East.
Gilsland is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. 8% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. 54% of homes were built before 1919. Homes change hands at a median £162,500.
The 3 things Gilsland does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 4 buildings inside Gilsland’s built-up area, and 2 scheduled monuments.
54% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Gilsland.
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 23% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £42K a year before tax, below both Northumberland’s towns (£45K) and England’s towns (£55K). About 5% of its commuters stay in Gilsland for work. This Northumberland town counts 0.5 jobs per working resident.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
6% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up 17% of households, between Northumberland’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (21%). That is the middle of 12 standard sales inside Gilsland’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £147,500 | 6 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Police figures for Gilsland’s built-up area: 3 crimes and 1 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Homes saw 5.9 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below Northumberland’s towns (10.2) and England’s towns (9.4) alike. Violence and sexual offences accounted for two thirds of recorded crime.
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.
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.
The nearest A&E to Gilsland is Cumberland Infirmary, 16.7 miles away. Just over a fifth of residents have a disability, about level with Northumberland’s towns (22%) and above England’s towns (17%). There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 4.4 miles off.
| Census 2021 | Gilsland | Northumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 78% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4% | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 22% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
It is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Hadrian's Wall) World Heritage Site. Every one of Gilsland’s 4 listed buildings sits at Grade II, the most common listing. The national list protects 2 ancient monuments in the town.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Half of Gilsland is older than 49, half younger. 27% of residents are 65 or over, above both Northumberland’s towns (25%) and England’s towns (18%). Degrees are held by 29% of adults.
52% women, 48% men
About 93 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.
| Gilsland | Northumberland | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 9.4% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 22% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 9.8% | 7.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 29% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Northumberland and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Gilsland. Best known first.
CastleThirlwall Castle2.1 km outside town, to the east
CastleBlenkinsopp Castle3.1 km outside town, to the southeast
CastleTriermain Castle3.6 km outside town, to the westHistoric siteHistoric site · English HeritageBirdoswald Roman Fort1.5 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumRoman Army Museum2.9 km outside town, to the eastRuinsRuinsPiper Sike Turret (51a)4.3 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilsland | 228 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Haltwhistle | 3,646 | 4.4 | A− | A | C+ | C+ |
| Brampton | 4,187 | 7.2 | C− | C− | D | C+ |
| Warwick Bridge | 1,232 | 11 | — | D | B+ | A− |
Warwick Bridge has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 7.2 times the typical UK town for its size. It also has 2 scheduled monuments. Part of it is in the Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Hadrian's Wall) World Heritage Site.
Private rents in the Northumberland council area averaged £695 a month in August 2026.
Band D council tax in Gilsland is £2,533 for 2026–27, more than in 72% 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.
Village in Northumberland, England
Gilsland is a built-up area of 228 people, in the Northumberland 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
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.