Wookey Hole’s story
8 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Wookey Hole’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Wookey HoleSomerset
A village in Somerset, South West, home to 307 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Anthony Parkes · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
307
Census 2021 · Mendip council
Median home
£360K
19 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.2
25% are 65+ · Somerset 23%
Degree level
50%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Wookey Hole a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Wookey Hole has no grades; its figures are still real. 8% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its listed buildings number 8, with 0 at Grade I. 50% of adults have a degree-level qualification.
What makes Wookey Hole stand out
The 3 things Wookey Hole does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 10.7 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%)
Somerset 32%.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Cave Diving Museum and 8 more in and around Wookey Hole
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Wookey Hole. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumCave Diving Museumin town
CathedralWells Cathedral2.1 km outside town, to the southeast
AttractionWookey Hole Caves And Mill100 m outside town, to the north
PalaceThe Bishop's Palace2.3 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumWells Museum2 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic houseMilton Lodge1.1 km outside town, to the southeast
CathedralWells Cathedral2.1 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionWookey Hole Caves And Mill100 m outside town, to the northPalaceThe Bishop's Palace2.3 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumWells Museum2 km outside town, to the southeastHistoric houseMilton Lodge1.1 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 (5)
- Wells Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wookey Hole Caves And Mill: Pierre Terre, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Bishop's Palace: Original uploader was Rodw at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wells Museum: Rodw, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Milton Lodge: Stewart Gould, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wookey Hole.
Who lives here
Children make up only 10% of Wookey Hole, fewer than in Somerset’s towns and England’s towns
A quarter of residents are 65 or over, above Somerset’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. People aged 15 to 24 make up 7.6% of the town. At 52.2, the median resident of Wookey Hole sits in the middle of the age range.
52.2median age
Wookey HoleSomersetEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level50%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Wookey Hole | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 38% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.7% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 50% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
The car carries 88% of commuters in Wookey Hole, more than in Somerset’s towns or across 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.
Wookey Hole counts 0.5 jobs per working resident. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 33%, below Somerset’s towns (46%) and England’s towns (45%) alike. 43% of workers did their job mainly from home at the census.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot6%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
33%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
43%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£58K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
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
More households own their home in Wookey Hole than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 82%
1% live in social housing, below Somerset’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private renters make up 17% of households. Half of the 19 standard sales inside Wookey Hole’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £360,000.
£360Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Wookey Hole£360K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £375,000 | 10 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,016
average private rent a month, Somerset council area
£2,456
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 Wookey Hole than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 15.2 per 1,000 residents a year
In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 9 crimes inside Wookey Hole’s built-up area. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 78% of recorded crime. Also worth knowing: there were 3.3 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Somerset’s towns (7.2) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
15.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Damage & arson2
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
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.
15.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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
Bad health is less common in Wookey Hole than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.6% of residents
86% of Wookey Hole’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both Somerset’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%). Disability touches 15% of the town’s population. This Somerset town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.7 miles away.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Wookey Hole | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.6% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
82.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
More buildings in Wookey Hole are listed than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns: 261 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 from before 1919 make up 20% of the total, above both Somerset’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (16%).
8listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II8
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
261
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 Wookey Hole
13pages on Wookey Hole
The big questions
Safety15.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £360K · rent £1,016 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street Milton LaneSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.7 (men), 86.9 (women)Work & commute59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards9.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Wookey Hole’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WellsDraycottPiltonGlastonburyShepton MalletCheddarWedmoreWookey Hole
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wookey Hole | 307 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wells | 12,097 | 1.4 | D | C− | C− | B− |
| Draycott | 1,069 | 4.1 | — | D | B− | A |
| Pilton | 1,104 | 5.5 | — | D | C+ | A+ |
| Glastonbury | 8,304 | 5.6 | D | B− | D | C |
| Shepton Mallet | 9,645 | 5.9 | C− | B | C− | C+ |
| Cheddar | 5,841 | 5.9 | C | D | C | B+ |
| Wedmore | 1,424 | 6.2 | — | D− | A | A+ |
Draycott, Pilton and Wedmore have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Wookey Hole
How many listed buildings are there in Wookey Hole?
That is 10.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Wookey Hole expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £360,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Somerset council area averaged £1,016 a month in August 2026.
About Wookey Hole
Village in Somerset, England
Wookey Hole is a built-up area of 307 people, in the Mendip 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
- 307 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Mendip
- County
- Somerset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005646
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.