It is a small parish surrounded by sparsely populated countryside and contains mainly detached and semi-detached houses.

[4] In the 1800s Burrill with Cowling's main employment was agriculture, with 25 inhabitants working in farming in 1881.

[10] It was in 1985 that the land the Hall now stands on was purchased with the aim of building 'The Cowling Liberal Club and Institute'.

It contained a reading room and library and was used for political and social gatherings.

[11] In 2011 there were 50 households in Burrill with Cowling (the highest since records began in 1901), 64% in detached and in 30% semi-detached homes.