Bessells, Shroton, Blandford Forum, DT11 8QW

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding DT11 8QW, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 53% of residents being female. Several factors can contribute to this. Women generally live longer than men, resulting in a higher proportion of women in neighborhoods with significant elderly populations. Typically, as people grow older, they tend to relocate from city center addresses to suburban areas, smaller towns, and rural locations. Consequently, these areas often have a higher number of females. A higher female population can also be found in areas with industries that employ more women, such as healthcare, education, and retail.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	50.9%	53%	2.1%	51.0%	2.0%
Male	49.1%	47%	-2.1%	49.0%	-2.0%

Partnership Status

Across the UK, the average relationship status breakdown is roughly 44% married, 38% single, 9% divorced, 6% widowed, and 2% separated.

In the immediate vicinity of DT11 8QW there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 61.9% of the resident population. In contrast, the average marriage rate across the census is about 44%.

Areas with a high percentage of married residents are typically suburban neighborhoods, towns with good schools and family-friendly amenities, and regions with affordable, spacious housing options. Additionally, such areas can be popular among retirees.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	20.4%	16.4%	-4.0%	37.9%	-21.5%
Married: Opposite sex	60.7%	61.9%	1.2%	44.2%	17.7%
Married: Same sex	0.5%	2.1%	1.6%	0.3%	1.8%
Civil partnership: Same sex	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.1%	0.4%
Separated	3.1%	3.7%	0.6%	2.2%	1.5%
Divorced	5.8%	7.4%	1.6%	9.1%	-1.7%
Widowed	9.4%	7.9%	-1.5%	6.1%	1.8%

Health

Across the UK, the average 48.4% rated their health as Very Good, 33.6% as Good, 12.7% as Fair, 4% as Bad, and 1.2% as Very Bad.

Population age significantly impacts residents' health. Additionally, socioeconomic status plays a crucial role: higher income levels and lower poverty rates are linked to better health outcomes. Affluent areas benefit from higher living standards, access to private healthcare, and healthier lifestyle choices.

This area has a high percentage of residents reporting their health as Good or Very Good (85.5%) compared to the average (82%). This typically indicates either a younger population or more affluent area.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Very good health	51.3%	48.8%	-2.5%	48.4%	0.4%
Good health	37.5%	36.7%	-0.8%	33.6%	3.1%
Fair health	6.9%	11.2%	4.3%	12.7%	-1.5%
Bad health	3.4%	2.8%	-0.6%	4.0%	-1.2%
Very bad health	0.9%	0.5%	-0.4%	1.2%	-0.7%

Education and Qualifications

During the 2021 census, the educational qualifications of residents across the UK were as follows: 18.2% had no qualifications, 9.6% had 1-4 GCSEs, 13.4% had 5 or more GCSEs and 1-2 A/AS Levels, 16.9% had 2 or more A Levels, 33.8% held a degree (or equivalent), and 5.4% had completed an apprenticeship.

In the area around DT11 8QW this area, 5.8% of residents have no qualifications. This is significantly lower than the UK average of 18.2%. This area stands out for its high percentage of residents with higher education degree or similar. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 49.5%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	12%	5.8%	-6.2%	18.2%	-12.4%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	11%	7.9%	-3.1%	9.6%	-1.7%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	16.2%	17.9%	1.7%	13.4%	4.5%
Apprenticeship	3.1%	2.1%	-1.0%	5.3%	-3.2%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	13.1%	15.3%	2.2%	16.9%	-1.6%
Degree or Similar	43.5%	49.5%	6.0%	33.8%	15.7%
Other	1%	1.6%	0.6%	2.8%	-1.2%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 99.1% identifying as such, significantly higher than the UK average of 81.4%. This indicates a lower level of ethnic diversity compared to the broader UK population.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Chinese	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.7%	-0.2%
White	100%	99.1%	-0.9%	81.4%	17.7%
Other	0%	0.5%	0.5%	1.6%	-1.1%

Country of Birth

In this area, 90.7% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is higher than the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	91.8%	90.7%	-1.1%	83.2%	7.5%
European Union	2.6%	2.3%	-0.3%	6.1%	-3.8%
Rest of Europe	0.9%	0%	-0.9%	0.8%	-0.8%
Africa	0.4%	1.9%	1.5%	2.7%	-0.8%
Middle East and Asia	2.6%	1.4%	-1.2%	5.6%	-4.2%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.3%	2.3%	1.0%	1.3%	1.0%
Oceania	0.4%	1.4%	1.0%	0.3%	1.1%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	91.4%	90.7%	-0.7%	83.2%	7.5%
10+ Years	0.4%	7.9%	7.5%	9.8%	-1.9%
5-10 Years	1.3%	1.4%	0.1%	2.9%	-1.5%
Less than 2 years	6.9%	0%	-6.9%	1.9%	-1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	92.1%	76.7%	15.4%
Other EU countries	0.9%	1.5%	-0.6%
Oceania	0.5%	0.1%	0.4%
No passport held	6.5%	13.5%	-7.0%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	31.6%	37.2%	-5.6%
Christian	58.6%	46.2%	12.4%
Buddhist	0.9%	0.5%	0.4%
Not answered	8.8%	6.0%	2.8%

Safety

Is Bessells Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Bessells was 15.3 per 1,000 residents, which is 65.7% lower than the Beacon average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Bessells has the 25th lowest crime rate of 112 local areas in Beacon and the 216th lowest crime rate of 1,293 local areas in Dorset .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 10.2 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -30.4%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a slightly higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 62% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£48,300

Income Rank
7/10

Household Income in DT11 8QW, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 5/10 (average )
Indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) is used to classify the relative deprivation (a measure of poverty) of the area. It considers the following domains:
Income Deprivation Domain - 1/10 (very low )
The Income Deprivation Domain measures the percentage of people in the population who are experiencing poverty due to having a low income. It includes both those who are unemployed and those who are employed but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Employment Deprivation Domain - 2/10 (very low )
The Employment Deprivation Domain measures the proportion of the working-age population in an area involuntarily excluded from the labour market. This includes people who would like to work but are unable to do so due to unemployment, sickness or disability, or caring responsibilities.
Education, Skills and Training Domain - 7/10 (above average )
The Education, Skills, and Training Deprivation Domain measures the lack of education and skills in a local area. It has two parts: one for children and young people, and one for adults. The part for children and young people looks at their school achievements ('flow'), while the part for adults looks at the number of adults without qualifications ('stock').
Health Deprivation and Disability Domain - 2/10 (very low )
The Health Deprivation and Disability Domain measures the risk of early death and poor quality of life due to bad physical or mental health. It looks at illness, disability, and early death, but not at behaviors or environments that might affect future health.
Crime Domain - 1/10 (very low )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 10/10 (very high )
The Barriers to Housing and Services Domain measures how easy or hard it is to access housing and local services. It has two parts: one looks at how close local services are, and the other looks at issues like how affordable housing is.
Living Environment Deprivation Domain - 9/10 (very high )
The Living Environment Deprivation Domain measures the quality of the local environment. It has two parts: the "indoors" part looks at housing quality, and the "outdoors" part looks at air quality and road traffic accidents.
Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) - 1/10 (very low )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) measures how many children aged 0 to 15 live in low-income families. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low incomes. This includes both those who are unemployed and those who work but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) - 1/10 (very low )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) measures the percentage of people aged 60 or older who have low income. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low income, including both unemployed people and those with low-paying jobs (and who satisfy the respective means tests).

Property Prices

Average property prices on Bessells are based on 7 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for North Dorset.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Bessells, Shroton, Blandford Forum, DT11 8QW

Estimated Average Property Prices for DT11 8QW

Average Price
£488,785

Semi-Detached
£385,302

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£592,267

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Bessells

Average Price
£516,314

Semi-Detached
£372,169

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£708,506

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on BessellsStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
Bessels Bessells, Blandford Forum, Dorset Detached, an established residential building	£470,000	2015-10-15	£648,954
Greenground Bessells, Blandford Forum, Dorset Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£249,995	2014-04-15	£394,566
Burretts Bessells, Blandford Forum, Dorset Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£260,000	2007-10-19	£403,476
Hambledon Cottage Bessells, Blandford Forum, Dorset Detached, an established residential building	£350,000	2007-05-08	£562,500
Burretts Bessells, Blandford Forum, Dorset Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£62,000	1998-03-20	£315,580

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for DT11 8QW

Employment

DT11 8QW area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 0% residents of this area were unemployed, while the average in the UK was 4.83%. A low level of unemployment in an area indicates a strong job market, where most people who are seeking work can find employment. This generally reflects a healthy economy in the area.

The percentage of retired residents living in DT11 8QW area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 38% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Retired	71
Full-Time Employee	48
Part-Time Employee	23
Self-Employed	21
Looking after home or family	9
Student (economically inactive)	7
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	4
Long-Term Sick or disabled	4
Other	0
Unemployed	0

Employment Industry

Education	19
Construction	12
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	10
Professional, scientific and technical activities	8
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	8
Other	8
Manufacturing	8
Human health and social work activities	7
Accommodation and food service activities	7
Administrative and support service activities	5
Transport and storage	4
Information and communication	3
Financial and insurance activities	1
Real estate activities	1

Schools

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St Nicholas Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Child Okeford Station Road , Child Okeford DT11 8EL	3out of 4	2,654 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School West Street , Fontmell Magna SP7 0PF	1out of 4	4,059 yd	Academy sponsor led	No	Mixed	More About School
Shillingstone Church of England Primary School Augustan Avenue , Shillingstone DT11 0TX	3out of 4	4,062 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Durweston CofE VA Primary School Durweston , DT11 0QA	2out of 4	5,180 yd	Voluntary aided school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Clayesmore School Iwerne Minster , DT11 8LL	- not rated	1,767 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Clayesmore Preparatory School , Iwerne Minster DT11 8PH	- not rated	1,767 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Hanford School Childe Okeford , DT11 8HN	- not rated	2,615 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
The Forum School Shillingstone , DT11 0QS	- not rated	4,075 yd	Other independent special school	No	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
The Cricketers	The Cricketers Main Street		760 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Shroton Cricket Club Fairfield Road	grass pitches	818 yd

Broadband

Technology Aviability

Percentage of premises that have Superfast Broadband (30Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (100Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	100.0%

Speed Aviability

Percentage of premises unable to receive 2Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 5Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 10Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 30Mbit/s	0.0%

Download Speed

Median download speed	36.7 Mbit/s
Average download speed	42.9 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	62.75 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	62.75 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	7.6 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	7.1 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	8.6 Mbit/s

Broadband statistics are based on Ofcom's Communications Market Report (CMR) 2022.