Sicklesmere’s story
8 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Sicklesmere’s built-up area.
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SicklesmereSuffolk
A village of 848 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Sandy Gerrard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
848
Census 2021 · West Suffolk council
Median home
£270K
31 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.7
23% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sicklesmere a good place to live?
Sicklesmere has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Sicklesmere stand out
The 3 things Sicklesmere does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
38% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 3.9 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Own outright
Housing
43% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sicklesmere.
Work & commute
Only 5% of commuters in Sicklesmere go to work without a car, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 25% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
On this, Sicklesmere is below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (27%). 93% of commuters drove to work at the census.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot2%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
38%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£63K
mean household income, before tax
1.7%
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
Schools
The schools around Sicklesmere
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Whelnetham Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 74 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Few households rent privately in Sicklesmere: 8%, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Sicklesmere comes below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). 77% of households own their home.
£270Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sicklesmere£270K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £385,000 | 13 |
| Semi-detached | £240,000 | 7 |
| Terraced | £262,500 | 10 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,183
average private rent a month, West Suffolk council area
£2,351
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
Sicklesmere records less violent crime per resident than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 11.4 per 1,000 a year
For Sicklesmere, that is below both Suffolk’s towns (19) and England’s towns (22). Homes see 5.1 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 15 crimes inside Sicklesmere’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 2 reports of anti-social behaviour.
11.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual8
Damage & arson3
Vehicle crime2
Shoplifting1
Public order1
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Anti-social2
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.
11.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
15
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Just 3.5% of people in Sicklesmere say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
Sicklesmere sits below both Suffolk’s towns (5%) and England’s towns (5.2%) on this measure. Sicklesmere has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.7 miles away. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Sicklesmere | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.5% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
81.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Much of Sicklesmere is a conservation area: 45% of its land, more than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
That puts Sicklesmere above both Suffolk’s towns (6%) and England’s towns (7%). Sicklesmere has 8 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. Homes from before 1919 make up 19% of the total.
8listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II8
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
19%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
94
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
An older village: 23% of residents are 65 or over
10% of residents are 15 to 24 and 23% are 65 or over, against 10% and 23% across Suffolk’s towns. 27% of residents 16 and over have a degree-level qualification (Suffolk 27%, England 34%).
45.7median age
SicklesmereSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 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.
| Sicklesmere | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →St Edmundsbury Cathedral and 7 more in and around Sicklesmere
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sicklesmere. Best known first.
CathedralSt Edmundsbury Cathedral3.8 km outside town, to the northwest
Abbey or priory · English HeritageBury St Edmunds Abbey3.7 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumMoyse's Hall Museum4.2 km outside town, to the northwest
Abbey or prioryAbbey Ruins3.7 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumGreene King Brewery Visitor Centre3.5 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumSuffolk Regiment Museum4.9 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- St Edmundsbury Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bury St Edmunds Abbey: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Moyse's Hall Museum: Keith Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Abbey Ruins: Bob Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sicklesmere
13pages on Sicklesmere
The big questions
Safety11.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £270K · rent £1,183 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street Raynsford RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.4 (men), 82.9 (women)Work & commute41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Sicklesmere’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Bury St EdmundsThurstonGreat BartonWoolpitLavenhamElmswellIxworthSicklesmere
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicklesmere | 848 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bury St Edmunds | 41,279 | 3.3 | C+ | B− | C− | B− |
| Thurston | 3,009 | 3.9 | B+ | B+ | C | A |
| Great Barton | 1,848 | 4.4 | — | D | A+ | A |
| Woolpit | 1,838 | 6.1 | — | B+ | C+ | B+ |
| Lavenham | 1,224 | 7.1 | — | B | B− | A |
| Elmswell | 4,446 | 7.2 | A− | A− | B | A− |
| Ixworth | 2,296 | 7.3 | — | C | B | A− |
Great Barton, Woolpit, Lavenham and Ixworth have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sicklesmere
How many listed buildings are there in Sicklesmere?
That is 3.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Sicklesmere?
Band D council tax in Sicklesmere is £2,351 for 2026–27, less than in 66% 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 Sicklesmere
Village in Suffolk, England
Sicklesmere is a built-up area of 848 people, in the West Suffolk 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
- 848 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003398
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.