West Bretton’s story
15 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside West Bretton’s built-up area.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
West BrettonWest Yorkshire
464 residents make their home in this village in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Nigel Homer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
464
Census 2021 · Wakefield council
Median age
54.9
35% are 65+ · West Yorkshire 17%
Degree level
47%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is West Bretton a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, West Bretton is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. 5% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 15 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. Over-65s are 35% of the population.
What makes West Bretton stand out
The 3 things West Bretton 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%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 13.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
35% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in West Bretton.
Who lives here
Older residents shape West Bretton: 35% are 65 or over, above West Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
54.9median age
Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 6.3% of the town. Children under 15 make up 13%, below West Yorkshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Ages in West Bretton split evenly at 54.9: half are older, half younger. Among adults, 47% have a degree.
West BrettonWest YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
35%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar11%
Degree level47%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| West Bretton | West Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.3% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 35% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.4% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 11% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 47% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around West Bretton
Key Stage 2 results at the 4 primary schools within 3 km: nearly two thirds of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bretton Junior and Infant SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 118 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Commuters in West Bretton travel far: only 19% go under 5 km, fewer than in West Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
5%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 46% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income came to £60K a year before tax, above both West Yorkshire’s towns (£52K) and England’s towns (£55K). At the census, nine in ten commuters went by car. 1% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot5%
19%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
46%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£60K
mean household income, before tax
1%
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 West Bretton own their home: 80%, more than in West Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
£0Kmedian sale
13% of households are private tenants. Social housing holds 6% of households, below both West Yorkshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £806 a month across the Wakefield council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
West Bretton£0K
Typical UK town£277K
80%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£806
average private rent a month, Wakefield council area
£2,295
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
Homes in West Bretton see more burglary and damage than in West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 18 per 1,000 a year
15.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Violence accounts for 15.1 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 20 offences in West Bretton and 2 cases of nuisance behaviour. 30% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual6
Vehicle crime5
Damage & arson2
Public order2
Burglary2
Drugs2
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
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.
15.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
18
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
20
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
Most people in West Bretton (82%) report good or very good health
82%good or very good health
The nearest A&E to West Bretton is Barnsley Hospital, 5 miles away. There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 2.6 miles off. At the census, 17% of people here had a disability, about level with both West Yorkshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%).
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | West Bretton | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.6% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
82.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.6
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 of the land in West Bretton is conservation area than in West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 100%
15listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, West Bretton keeps 323 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Homes from before 1919 make up 17% of the total, below West Yorkshire’s towns (21%) and close to England’s towns (16%). Also worth knowing: this West Yorkshire town has one registered historic park or garden.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II15
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
323
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 West Bretton
13pages on West Bretton
The big questions
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Yorkshire Sculpture Park and 2 more in and around West Bretton
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near West Bretton. Best known first.
MuseumYorkshire Sculpture Park200 m outside town, to the south · 300K visitors a year
MuseumNational Coal Mining Museum3.9 km outside town, to the northwestHeritage railwayHeritage railwayWhistlestop Valley3.3 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Yorkshire Sculpture Park: Nigel Homer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Coal Mining Museum: Ian M, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About West Bretton
Village in West Yorkshire, England
West Bretton is a built-up area of 464 people, in the Wakefield 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
- 464 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wakefield
- County
- West Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001058
West Bretton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Netherton (Wakefield)Hall GreenCrigglestone and DurkarMiddlestown and OvertonEmleyClayton West and ScissettFlocktonWest Bretton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Bretton | 464 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Netherton (Wakefield) | 2,331 | 1.8 | — | B− | B+ | B− |
| Hall Green | 2,307 | 2.1 | — | B | C− | C− |
| Crigglestone and Durkar | 6,672 | 2.4 | B | B | C | B− |
| Middlestown and Overton | 2,409 | 2.5 | — | B− | C+ | C+ |
| Emley | 1,433 | 2.6 | — | C+ | B+ | C+ |
| Clayton West and Scissett | 4,382 | 2.6 | B | B | C | B− |
| Flockton | 1,732 | 2.9 | — | B | B− | B− |
Netherton (Wakefield), Hall Green, Middlestown and Overton, Emley and Flockton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about West Bretton
How many listed buildings are there in West Bretton?
That is 13.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in West Bretton?
Band D council tax in West Bretton is £2,295 for 2026–27, less than in 75% 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.
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.