Dove Holes’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Dove Holes’ built-up area.
36% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Dove HolesDerbyshire
A village in Derbyshire, East Midlands, home to 1,156 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Dave.Dunford · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,156
Census 2021 · High Peak council
Median home
£247K
68 sales in 3 years
Median age
43.6
20% are 65+ · Derbyshire 20%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Dove Holes a good place to live?
Dove Holes’s strongest is hazard risk (A). Buying the median home, at £246,500, takes 4.8 years of household income in the High Peak council area. Safety lags: 38.6 violent and sexual offences and 12.4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Set beside UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, its crime per resident is higher than in 91%. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for health and B− for walkability.
Figures: flood risk, Environment Agency · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes and life expectancy, ONS · commuting, Census 2021. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Dove Holes is graded subject by subject only.
What makes Dove Holes stand out
The 3 things Dove Holes does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
14% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
40% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 99%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 65%. Department for Education.
How Dove Holes grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Dove Holes is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyCrime runs among the highest comparedC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 1% of towns in England; secondary results beat 65% of towns in EnglandCOpen →Jobs & income2.4% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →Cost of livingBetter than most of the towns comparedBOpen →HealthLife expectancy 80 for men, 84.7 for womenB−Open →WalkabilityClose to the middle of the towns comparedB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 52% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeAOpen →Civic life1.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Dove Holes.
Safety
Dove Holes has more crime per resident than four in five UK towns
Police figures for Dove Holes’s built-up area: 78 crimes and 20 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences were 69% of the crimes. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 9.8 reports per 1,000, above Derbyshire’s towns (8.5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
38.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 9% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual54
Burglary7
Public order6
Other theft4
Damage & arson3
Vehicle crime2
Weapons1
Other crime1
Anti-social20
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.
38.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
78
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.
SchoolsC
Exam results at Dove Holes’s schools trail 70% of towns in England
The one school in town appears below. Key Stage 2 results at the 3 primary schools within 3 km: just over two in five pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Secondary results at the one secondary school within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 48.9, with 48% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dove Holes CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 41 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
Old homes shape Dove Holes: 36% were built before 1919, more than in Derbyshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II covers all 1 listed building that Historic England records here. Listed buildings per head: 9 for every 10,000 residents of Dove Holes.
1listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
36%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
9
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B
Few households rent privately in Dove Holes: 11%, fewer than in Derbyshire’s towns and across England’s towns
77% of households are owner-occupiers. Social housing holds one in ten households, below Derbyshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £937 a month across the High Peak council area.
£247Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Dove Holes£247K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £365,000 | 13 |
| Semi-detached | £250,000 | 34 |
| Terraced | £180,000 | 21 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£937
average private rent a month, High Peak council area
£2,467
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Just 4.8% of people in Dove Holes say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Derbyshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Dove Holes is Macclesfield District General Hospital, 10.8 miles away. Seeing a GP means leaving Dove Holes: the nearest practice is 1.9 miles away. At the census, 18% of people here had a disability, about level with England’s towns (17%) and below Derbyshire’s towns (20%).
80%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Dove Holes | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.8% | 6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 20% | 17% |
80
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.7
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Only 14% of commuters in Dove Holes go to work without a car, fewer than in Derbyshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 17% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: 17% of workers, below both Derbyshire’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (31%). 83% of commuters drove to work at the census. Also worth knowing: about 7% of its commuters stay in Dove Holes for work. The average household earns £48K a year before tax.
14%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
On foot8%
Bus3%
Bicycle2%
Train2%
40%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
17%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
2.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 49% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Dove Holes than in Derbyshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 22% of adults
Children under 15 make up 16%, about level with Derbyshire’s towns (17%) and below England’s towns (18%). Half of Dove Holes is older than 43.6, half younger. The 15-to-24 age group makes up one in ten residents.
43.6median age
Dove HolesDerbyshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level22%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Dove Holes | Derbyshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.1% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 22% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Derbyshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dove Holes
15pages on Dove Holes
The big questions
SafetyC−38.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingBMedian home £247K · rent £937 a monthHousing24 sold in 12 months · busiest street HallsteadsSchoolsC1 state schoolHealthB−Life expectancy 80 (men), 84.7 (women)Work & commuteC41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Dove Holes’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Chapel-en-le-FrithBuxtonChinleyHarpur HillWhaley BridgeTideswellFurness ValeDove Holes
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dove Holes | 1,156 | — | — | B | C− | B− |
| Chapel-en-le-Frith | 7,235 | 1.9 | B | B | B− | B− |
| Buxton | 20,048 | 3.3 | C | B+ | D | C |
| Chinley | 1,913 | 3.4 | — | C+ | A− | B |
| Harpur Hill | 1,121 | 4.5 | — | B | D | A |
| Whaley Bridge | 4,618 | 4.6 | A− | C+ | B− | A− |
| Tideswell | 1,554 | 4.9 | — | A− | B+ | A |
| Furness Vale | 1,069 | 5.4 | — | B+ | A− | B+ |
Chinley, Harpur Hill, Tideswell and Furness Vale have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Dove Holes
How many listed buildings are there in Dove Holes?
1 on Historic England’s list.
Are schools in Dove Holes good?
One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Derbyshire council.
About Dove Holes
Village in Derbyshire, England
Dove Holes is a built-up area of 1,156 people, in the High Peak 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
- 1,156 (Census 2021)
- Council
- High Peak
- County
- Derbyshire
- Region
- East Midlands
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001526
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.