Bere Alston’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Bere Alston’s built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Bere AlstonDevon
A village of 2,259 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,259
Census 2021 · West Devon council
Median home
£255K
104 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.6
31% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
16%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bere Alston a good place to live?
Bere Alston has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is jobs & income (C−): mean household income £53,244; 2.7% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. The median home sold for £255,000 in the last three years, 5.1 times what households in the West Devon council area earn in a year.
Devon And Cornwall Police published 33 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Bere Alston stand out
The 3 things Bere Alston does most differently from other towns.
How Bere Alston grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Bere Alston is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskAOpen →Jobs & incomeC−Open →WalkabilityBOpen →SafetyBOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 45% of towns in EnglandC+Open →HealthLife expectancy 82.5 for men, 83.6 for womenBOpen →Cost of livingrent £846 a monthB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History3 listed buildingsC+Open →Outdoors64% live within 400 m of a park; 93% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeC+Open →Civic life3.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bere Alston.
Who lives here
An older town: 31% of people in Bere Alston are 65 or over, more than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns
For Bere Alston, that is above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 7.7% of the population. Bere Alston has a median age of 52.6.
52.6median age
Bere AlstonDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Bere Alston | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.2% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC+
Results at Bere Alston’s schools trail 56% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
C+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bere Alston Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 106 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Commuters in Bere Alston travel far: only 14% go under 5 km, fewer than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Bere Alston sits below both Devon’s towns (51%) and England’s towns (45%) on this measure. 16% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
16%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving79%
On foot12%
Bus3%
Train1%
14%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£53K
mean household income, before tax
2.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 64% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Bere Alston keeps more of its old housing than Devon or England’s towns: 32% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
That puts Bere Alston above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (16%). Bere Alston has 13 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. Bere Alston has 3 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
3listed buildingsC+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
13
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Burglary and damage hit Bere Alston harder than Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 11.8 per 1,000 residents a year
On this, Bere Alston is above both Devon’s towns (7.5) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 92 crimes inside Bere Alston’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 6 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime runs at 17.4 per 1,000 residents a year.
17.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 37% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual52
Damage & arson14
Burglary7
Public order6
Other theft5
Other crime4
Drugs2
Vehicle crime2
Anti-social6
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.
17.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
92
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Disability is more common in Bere Alston than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 25% of residents
In the comparison, Bere Alston comes above both Devon’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (17%). Bere Alston has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 4.4 miles away. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
76%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 76%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Bere Alston | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.9% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 25% | 21% | 17% |
82.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
Private renting is less common in Bere Alston than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 15%
70% of households own their home, above both Devon’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%).
£255Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bere Alston£255K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £345,000 | 34 |
| Semi-detached | £240,000 | 33 |
| Terraced | £204,275 | 34 |
70%
of households own their home · England 61%
15%
rent privately · England 21%
£846
average private rent a month, West Devon council area
£2,684
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Buckland Abbey and 7 more in and around Bere Alston
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bere Alston. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryAbbey or priory · National TrustBuckland Abbey3.1 km outside town, to the east
Historic house · National TrustCotehele House2.4 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumMorwellham Quay2.4 km outside town, to the north
CastlePentillie3.8 km outside town, to the southwest
Museum · National TrustCotehele House and Mill2.4 km outside town, to the northwest
GardenThe Garden House4.1 km outside town, to the east
Historic house · National TrustCotehele House2.4 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMorwellham Quay2.4 km outside town, to the northCastlePentillie3.8 km outside town, to the southwestMuseum · National TrustCotehele House and Mill2.4 km outside town, to the northwestGardenThe Garden House4.1 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Cotehele House: Chris Gunns, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Morwellham Quay: Penny Mayes, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pentillie: Rod Allday, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cotehele House and Mill: Brian, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Garden House: TenToe, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bere Alston
14pages on Bere Alston
The big questions
SafetyB17.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £255K · rent £846 a monthHousing31 sold in 12 months · busiest street Bedford StreetSchoolsC+1 state schoolHealthBLife expectancy 82.5 (men), 83.6 (women)Work & commuteC−51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Bere Alston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Gunnislake and St Ann's ChapelHorrabridgeYelvertonTavistockSaltashCallingtonLandrakeBere Alston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bere Alston | 2,259 | — | — | B− | B | B |
| Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel | 3,506 | 3.2 | C | D | B | B− |
| Horrabridge | 1,875 | 4.3 | — | B− | B | B+ |
| Yelverton | 1,856 | 4.5 | — | C− | A− | B+ |
| Tavistock | 12,676 | 4.8 | C | C | C+ | B |
| Saltash | 15,433 | 5.2 | C− | D | C+ | C+ |
| Callington | 4,665 | 5.7 | D | D− | C− | C |
| Landrake | 1,104 | 5.9 | — | D | A+ | B+ |
Horrabridge, Yelverton and Landrake have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bere Alston
How many listed buildings are there in Bere Alston?
3 on Historic England’s list.
How much is council tax in Bere Alston?
Band D council tax in Bere Alston is £2,684 for 2026–27, more than in 94% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Bere Alston
Village in Devon, England
Bere Alston is a built-up area of 2,259 people, in the West Devon 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
- 2,259 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006887
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.