Beckley’s story
26 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Beckley’s built-up area.
31% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BeckleyOxfordshire
421 people call this village in Oxfordshire, South East home. It skews older: 30% of residents are 65 or over.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Motacilla · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
421
Census 2021 · South Oxfordshire council
Median age
53.3
30% are 65+ · Oxfordshire 18%
Degree level
61%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
18%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Beckley a good place to live?
There are no grades for Beckley: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. 26 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. Just over three in five adults have a degree-level qualification.
What makes Beckley stand out
The 3 things Beckley does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; 25.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Oxfordshire 42%.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
30% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Beckley.
Who lives here
Beckley is a graduates’ town: 61% hold a degree, more than in both Oxfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
12% are under 15, below Oxfordshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. People 65 and over make up 30% of the town. Ages in Beckley split evenly at 53.3: half are older, half younger. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 10% of the town.
53.3median age
BeckleyOxfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level61%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Beckley | Oxfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 18% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 9.9% | 14% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 4.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 61% | 42% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Oxfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Beckley
Key Stage 2 results at the one primary school within 3 km: 65% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The one school in town appears below. 66 pupils attend Beckley’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beckley Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 66 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 27% in Beckley, fewer than in both Oxfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 58% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: 58% of workers, higher than both Oxfordshire’s towns (37%) and England’s towns (31%). At the census, 78% of commuters went by car. Work in town: 3% of resident commuters. Household income averages £63K a year before tax.
18%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving78%
Bicycle9%
On foot6%
Bus2%
Train1%
27%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
58%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£63K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
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 Beckley own their home: 87%, more than in both Oxfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The private rented sector houses 9% of households. Social housing holds 4% of households, lower than both Oxfordshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,402 a month across the South Oxfordshire council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Beckley£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,000,000 | 7 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,402
average private rent a month, South Oxfordshire council area
£2,630
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
Violence is recorded less often in Beckley than in Oxfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 8.7 per 1,000 residents a year
10 crimes and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Beckley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences made up 70% of the total. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.4 reports per 1,000, below Oxfordshire’s towns (4.8) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
8.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Bicycle theft1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Burglary0
Anti-social1
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.
8.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
10
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
86% of residents say their health is good or very good
At the census, 3.3% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. Beckley has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.5 miles away. 17% of residents have a disability, above Oxfordshire’s towns (15%) and close to England’s towns (17%).
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Beckley | Oxfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 86% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 15% | 17% |
84.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Beckley is rich in listed buildings: 618 per 10,000 residents, more than in both Oxfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 31% of the total, above Oxfordshire’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. Beckley’s listed buildings include the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Grade I. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
26listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II25
Among them · Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
31%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
618
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 →Shotover House and 2 more in and around Beckley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Beckley. Best known first.
Historic houseShotover House4.1 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumThe Kilns - CS Lewis's Home3.9 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumScience Oxford Centre4.3 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Shotover House: Dave Price, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Beckley
12pages on Beckley
The big questions
Beckley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WheatleyOxfordHorspathOakleyUpper ArncottKidlingtonWolvercoteBeckley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beckley | 421 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wheatley | 4,305 | 3.8 | A | B− | B | A− |
| Oxford | 170,799 | 3.9 | C+ | D | C− | C+ |
| Horspath | 1,467 | 3.9 | — | C+ | A− | A |
| Oakley | 1,129 | 4.5 | — | C+ | A+ | A |
| Upper Arncott | 1,659 | 4.7 | — | B | A | B |
| Kidlington | 14,640 | 4.8 | A− | C | B− | B |
| Wolvercote | 1,328 | 4.9 | — | D− | C− | A |
Horspath, Oakley, Upper Arncott and Wolvercote have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Beckley
How many listed buildings are there in Beckley?
That is 25.3 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
How much is council tax in Beckley?
Band D council tax in Beckley is £2,630 for 2026–27, more than in 91% 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 Beckley
Village in Oxfordshire, England
Beckley is a built-up area of 421 people, in the South Oxfordshire 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
- 421 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Oxfordshire
- County
- Oxfordshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004380
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.