Bishop's Tawton’s story
17 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Bishop's Tawton’s built-up area.
33% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Bishop's TawtonDevon
A village of 756 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
756
Census 2021 · North Devon council
Median home
£368K
31 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.7
29% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
32%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bishop's Tawton a good place to live?
Bishop's Tawton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Bishop's Tawton stand out
The 3 things Bishop's Tawton does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St John the Baptist; 9.2 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
29% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bishop's Tawton.
Who lives here
Bishop's Tawton skews older, with 29% of residents 65 or over, more than Devon’s towns or England’s towns
Children under 15 make up 15%, about level with Devon’s towns (15%) and below England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 7.8% of the town. Half of Bishop's Tawton is older than 51.7, half younger.
51.7median age
Bishop's TawtonDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level32%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 87 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Bishop's Tawton | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.8% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.2% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 32% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Bishop's Tawton
GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 53% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 47.5. There is one school here; it is shown below. At the 11 primary schools within 3 km, 59% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishops Tawton Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 161 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Only 11% of commuters in Bishop's Tawton go to work without a car, fewer than in Devon’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
58% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. The car took 88% of commuters, above Devon’s towns (73%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. There are 0.7 jobs in Bishop's Tawton for each resident in work.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot6%
Bicycle3%
Bus2%
58%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Most households in Bishop's Tawton own their home: 74%, more than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns
The middle sale price: £368K, higher than both Devon’s towns (£307K) and England’s towns (£308K). Social renters account for one in ten households. Private rents average £846 a month across the North Devon council area.
£368Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bishop's Tawton£368K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £420,000 | 21 |
| Terraced | £247,500 | 7 |
74%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£846
average private rent a month, North Devon council area
£2,570
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Bishop's Tawton records less burglary and damage per resident than Devon’s towns or England’s towns, at 4.3 per 1,000 a year
Over the year to August 2026, 30 offences were reported in Bishop's Tawton. Violence came to 17.8 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Devon’s towns (21.5) and England’s towns (22). Three fifths of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
17.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual18
Other theft4
Public order3
Damage & arson1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Other crime1
Anti-social0
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.
17.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
30
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.
Health
81% of residents say their health is good or very good
Just over a fifth of residents in Bishop's Tawton live with a disability. There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 1.2 miles off. The nearest A&E to Bishop's Tawton is North Devon District Hospital, 2.7 miles away.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Bishop's Tawton | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.4% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 21% | 17% |
81.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Bishop's Tawton is rich in listed buildings: 225 per 10,000 residents, more than Devon’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 33% of the total, above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (16%). Bishop's Tawton’s listed buildings include the Church of St John the Baptist, Grade I. Historic England’s list names 17 listed buildings in the town: 1 Grade I.
17listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II16
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St John the Baptist Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
33%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
225
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Barnstaple Castle and 3 more in and around Bishop's Tawton
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bishop's Tawton. Best known first.
CastleBarnstaple Castle2.3 km outside town, to the north
MuseumMuseum of Barnstaple & North Devon1.9 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumSt Anne's Chapel2.1 km outside town, to the northHistoric houseHistoric houseTawstock Castle800 m outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Barnstaple Castle: Jack1956, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon: Jack1956, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bishop's Tawton
14pages on Bishop's Tawton
The big questions
Safety17.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £368K · rent £846 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 months · busiest street Mount PleasantSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.4 (men), 87 (women)Work & commute44% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards5.6% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Bishop's Tawton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BarnstapleLandkeyBickingtonFremingtonChivenor and WraftonBrauntonAppledoreBishop's Tawton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop's Tawton | 756 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Barnstaple | 31,271 | 1.7 | D | C | D | C |
| Landkey | 2,001 | 1.9 | — | C− | A | B+ |
| Bickington | 2,105 | 2.6 | — | D | B+ | B |
| Fremington | 5,229 | 4.1 | B− | D | A− | B− |
| Chivenor and Wrafton | 1,953 | 5 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
| Braunton | 6,610 | 6.4 | B | D | B+ | B |
| Appledore | 1,711 | 6.6 | — | D− | B | C+ |
Landkey, Bickington, Chivenor and Wrafton and Appledore have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bishop's Tawton
How many listed buildings are there in Bishop's Tawton?
That is 9.2 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St John the Baptist.
Is Bishop's Tawton expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £247,500 and detached houses £420,000.
About Bishop's Tawton
Village in Devon, England
Bishop's Tawton is a built-up area of 756 people, in the North 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
- 756 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006050
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.