Monks Eleigh’s story
53 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Monks Eleigh’s built-up area.
38% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Monks EleighSuffolk
In Suffolk, East of England, this village has 503 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Richard Slessor · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
503
Census 2021 · Babergh council
Median home
£435K
31 sales in 3 years
Median age
58.4
37% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Monks Eleigh a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Monks Eleigh is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. It has 53 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. It skews older: 37% of residents are 65 or over. 15% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
What makes Monks Eleigh stand out
The 3 things Monks Eleigh does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Peter; 43.2 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
37% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Monks Eleigh.
Who lives here
Children make up only 11% of Monks Eleigh, fewer than in both Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
7% of residents are 15 to 24, below both Suffolk’s towns (10%) and England’s towns (12%). Monks Eleigh has a median age of 58.4.
58.4median age
Monks EleighSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
37%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level37%
Women and men · all residents
56% women, 44% men
About 79 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.
| Monks Eleigh | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 12% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 37% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.8% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 13% in Monks Eleigh, fewer than in both Suffolk’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.
At the census, 43% of workers worked mainly from home. 8% of commuters who live in Monks Eleigh also work there. For every resident in work, Monks Eleigh has 0.5 jobs.
15%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot9%
Train3%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
Underground, tram1%
13%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
43%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
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
Private renting is less common in Monks Eleigh than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 8%
Households that own their home make up 80%. 12% live in social housing, below Suffolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £965 a month across the Babergh council area.
£435Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Monks Eleigh£435K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £555,000 | 16 |
| Semi-detached | £400,000 | 7 |
| Terraced | £286,250 | 8 |
80%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£965
average private rent a month, Babergh council area
£2,319
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
Monks Eleigh records less burglary and damage per resident than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 1.3 per 1,000 a year
There were 0.7 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Suffolk’s towns (3.9) and England’s towns (7.8). The violent crime rate is 7.3 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 7 crimes inside Monks Eleigh’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences were 71% of the crimes.
7.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual5
Damage & arson1
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
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.
7.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
7
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 Monks Eleigh than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.6% of residents
There is no GP practice in Monks Eleigh: the nearest is 1.9 miles off. The nearest A&E to Monks Eleigh is West Suffolk Hospital, 11.8 miles away. Nearly a fifth of residents have a disability, about level with Suffolk’s towns (18%) and above England’s towns (17%).
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Monks Eleigh | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.6% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
83.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.5
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 Monks Eleigh is conservation area than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 76%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, Monks Eleigh keeps 1,054 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above both Suffolk’s towns (89) and England’s towns (39). Its listed buildings include the Church of St Peter, Grade I. Homes from before 1919 make up 38% of the total. Also worth knowing: the top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
53listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II51
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Peter Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
38%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
1,054
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 →Lavenham Guildhall and 2 more in and around Monks Eleigh
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Monks Eleigh. Best known first.
MuseumMuseum · National TrustLavenham Guildhall4.9 km outside town, to the west
MuseumLittle Hall4.7 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseum · National TrustGuildhall of Corpus Christi4.8 km outside town, to the west
MuseumLittle Hall4.7 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseum · National TrustGuildhall of Corpus Christi4.8 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Little Hall: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Monks Eleigh
13pages on Monks Eleigh
The big questions
Safety7.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £435K · rent £965 a monthHousing13 sold in 12 months · busiest street The StreetSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 83.6 (men), 86.5 (women)Work & commute61% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards1.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Monks Eleigh’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BildestonLavenhamGreat WaldingfieldGreat BricettActonHadleighElmsettMonks Eleigh
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monks Eleigh | 503 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bildeston | 1,096 | 1.9 | — | A− | A− | A− |
| Lavenham | 1,224 | 3.3 | — | B | B− | A |
| Great Waldingfield | 1,377 | 4.5 | — | B+ | B+ | B+ |
| Great Bricett | 1,518 | 4.7 | — | A | A+ | B |
| Acton | 1,666 | 4.8 | — | A− | A | B+ |
| Hadleigh | 8,638 | 4.9 | A− | B+ | B− | B+ |
| Elmsett | 1,001 | 5.4 | — | B− | A+ | A− |
Bildeston, Lavenham, Great Waldingfield, Great Bricett, Acton and Elmsett have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Monks Eleigh
How many listed buildings are there in Monks Eleigh?
That is 43.2 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Peter.
Is Monks Eleigh expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £435,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £286,250, semi-detached houses £400,000 and detached houses £555,000.
About Monks Eleigh
Village in Suffolk, England
Monks Eleigh is a built-up area of 503 people, in the Babergh 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
- 503 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Babergh
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003659
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.