2021 Richmondshire Census - Marske in Swaledale

This page summarises elements of the 2021 census for Marske and the wider area of Richmondshire. Technical comments are summarised at the end of this page. Historical population data can be found here.

Population

The combined population of Marske, New Forest and Marrick in 2021 was 211 (“The Marske Parishes”). The total population of what was the district of Richmondshire (covering Swaledale, Wensleydale and the area around Scotch Corner to the River Tees) was 49,776. Hence the Marske parishes make up 0.4% of the Richmondshire population.

The population density of Richmondshire was 38 residents per sq. km. The Marske Parishes are about one tenth of this at 3.3 residents per sq. km. The population density of England was 433 per sq. km – indicating that the Marske area is about one hundredth less dense than the rest of England.

The map below shows population density across Richmondshire. Marske is one of the least densely populated parts of Richmondshire, a characteristic it shares with most of Upper Swaledale, the Pennine watershed, Bishopdale and Coverdale.

Economic Activity

63% of the Marske area population is “economically active”. This is a very similar proportion to the 61% of people who are economically active in both Richmondshire and England. Of those in full time employment 24% of those in Marske work over 49 hours per week, compared to 18% in Richmondshire and 11% in England. In 2021 the amount of unemployment in the Marske parishes was <1% in 2021, compared with 2.1% in Richmondshire and 3.5% in England.

The two maps below show the proportion of the population in Richmondshire that are (1) in employment, and (2) retired. Richmond, Holmdale (including the villages around Scotch Corner), Upper Swaledale and Wensleydale have the highest proportions of retired populations. In direct contrast the areas with the highest proportions of people in employment include Catterick Garrison, Colburn, Brompton and Catterick village. The Marske Parishes have more of a balance of employed and retired residents than many other parts of Richmondshire. However Marske has a high proportion of those in older age groups: 68% are over 50, compared with 46% in Richmondshire and 38% in England.

Employment in Farming

The sector with the highest level of employment in Marske is “Agriculture, forestry and fishing”, which of course is dominated by agriculture. Of the employment in Marske 27% is in agriculture, compared to 5.4% in Richmondshire and 0.8% in England.

The map below shows the proportion of employment in farming across Richmondshire. Marske has a similar proportion of its residents involved in farming as much of Swaledale and Wensleydale.

Housing

57% of the households in the Marske Parishes own their home outright, compared to 41% in Richmondshire and 33% in England. 28% rent their home in the Marske Parishes, compared to 34% in Richmond and 38% in England. 64% of homes in Marske are detached buildings, compared to 36% in Richmondshire and 23% in England. 44% of households heat their home by oil, compared to 23% in Richmondshire and 3% in England.

Technical summary

The maps above are based on the 2021 census taken from the Office of National Statistics open access data. The data in the maps is based on the smallest areas for which disaggregated data is available (“Output Areas”). The Output Area covering Marske and New Forest Parish also includes Marrick Parish. The data has been mapped using QGIS software on the Open Street Map topographical base.