BL1 postcode: what it's like to live there
The BL1 district covers Central Bolton, Halliwell & Brownlow Fold, Astley Bridge & Waters Meeting. House prices, schools, crime and commuting, from the 13 neighbourhoods it covers.
House prices in BL1
Typical sale prices over the latest 12 months by type of home (HM Land Registry), across the district's neighbourhoods.
Commuting
Typical door-to-door times from BL1 at the morning rush: getting to the station, the train leaving between 07:00 and 08:45 with the wait included, and the walk at the end. Follow a link for the best places to live for that commute.
- Manchester: 44 min by train, door to door
Primary schools in BL1
- Brownlow Fold Primary School · BL1 3DX · Report card 2026: Expected standard or better in every area · Bottom 29% in England
- Church Road Primary School · BL1 5RU · Standards maintained (2025) · Top 46% in England
- Devonshire Road Primary School · BL1 4ND · Good (2022) · Top 26% in England
- Gaskell Community Primary School · BL1 2QG · Good or better in every area (2025) · Top 26% in England
- Gilnow Primary School · BL1 4LG · Remains Good (2022) · Bottom 4% in England
- High Lawn Primary School · BL1 7EX · Good or better in every area (2024) · Top 49% in England
- Holy Infant and St Anthony RC Primary School · BL1 6QJ · Report card 2026: Needs attention in some areas · Bottom 18% in England
- Johnson Fold Community Primary School · BL1 5UG · Good or better in every area (2024)
- Markland Hill Primary School · BL1 5EJ · Outstanding in every area (2024) · Top 9% in England
- Oxford Grove Primary School · BL1 3EJ · Outstanding (2023) · Top 5% in England
- Sharples Primary School · BL1 8RU · Standards maintained (2025) · Top 35% in England
- St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton · BL1 3EJ · Standards maintained (2024) · Top 38% in England
Secondary schools in BL1
- Eden Boys' School, Bolton · BL1 3QE · Remains Outstanding (2023) · Top 23% in England
- Sharples School · BL1 8SN · Improved significantly (2025) · Top 13% in England
- Smithills School · BL1 6JS · Report card 2026: Needs attention in some areas · Bottom 12% in England
- Thornleigh Salesian College · BL1 6PQ · Requires improvement in some areas (2024) · Bottom 49% in England
Fee-paying schools in BL1
- Al-Huda Primary School · BL1 3EH · Inspected by Ofsted (independent)
- Bolton School Boys' Division · BL1 4PA · Inspected by ISI
- Bolton School Girls' Division · BL1 4PB · Inspected by ISI
- Bolton School Infant & Nursery School · BL1 4PA · Inspected by ISI
- Clevelands Prep School · BL1 5DH · Inspected by ISI
- Madrasatul Imam Muhammad Zakariya · BL1 8LX · Inspected by Ofsted (independent)
- Raise Education and Wellbeing School · BL1 3UB · Inspected by Ofsted (independent)
Nurseries and pre-schools in BL1
- Bright Horizons Bolton Day Nursery And Preschool · BL1 4AL · Good (Ofsted)
- Brighter Beginnings Day Nursery · BL1 3SQ · Good (Ofsted)
- Stagecoach Bolton · BL1 4TG
- The Nest · BL1 2NP
- Tic Tots Day Nursery & Creche · BL1 8TT · Good (Ofsted)
- THE KIDZ ZONE LTD · BL1 8AN
- Kids Planet Astley Bridge · BL1 6NS · Good (Ofsted)
- Seymour Road Nursery Ltd · BL1 8PG · Good (Ofsted)
- Shining Stars Nursery · BL1 8EZ
- Bolton Children's Opportunity Group Playgroup · BL1 4QB · Outstanding (Ofsted)
GP surgeries in BL1
- Bolton Community Practice · BL1 8TT
- Bolton General Practice · BL1 4TH
- Burnside Surgery · BL1 8TT
- Dr Rizwan And Dr Awan · BL1 3RG
- Dr Sidda'S Surgery, Waters Meeting Hc · BL1 8TT
- Halliwell Surgery 2 · BL1 3RG
- Halliwell Surgery 3 · BL1 3RG
- Octagon Medical Centre · BL1 1SQ
Neighbourhoods in BL1
Each neighbourhood's share of the district's postcodes. Open one for its prices, recent sales, crime, people and more.
| Neighbourhood | Share of BL1 | Typical home | Crime | Walk to a Good+ primary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Bolton | 21% | £100k | — | 8 min |
| Halliwell & Brownlow Fold | 13% | £145k | — | 5 min |
| Astley Bridge & Waters Meeting | 12% | £156k | — | 8 min |
| Gilnow & Victory | 11% | £140k | — | 8 min |
| Doffcocker & Moss Bank | 10% | £237k | — | 8 min |
| Smithills | 10% | £182k | — | 7 min |
| Eagley & Sharples | 7% | £205k | — | 6 min |
| Heaton & Deane | 6% | £220k | — | 6 min |
| Lostock & Ladybridge | 3% | £360k | — | 8 min |
| Burnden & Great Lever | 3% | £150k | — | 8 min |
| Hall I' th' Wood | 2% | £185k | — | 7 min |
| Dunscar & Egerton | 2% | £284k | — | 16 min |
Questions
Where is the BL1 postcode?
BL1 covers 13 neighbourhoods in Central Bolton, Halliwell & Brownlow Fold, Astley Bridge & Waters Meeting, with 1,852 homes' and businesses' postcodes in use.
How much are houses in BL1?
The typical home price across BL1's neighbourhoods is £156k, against £300k for England.
What are the schools in BL1?
20 primary and 4 secondary state schools have a BL1 postcode, plus 7 fee-paying.
How long is the commute from BL1?
Door to door by train at the morning rush: Manchester 44 minutes.