Dunkeswell’s story
14 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Dunkeswell’s built-up area.
15% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DunkeswellDevon
A village of 1,835 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Eugene Birchall · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,835
Census 2021 · East Devon council
Median home
£220K
84 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.3
29% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
24%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Dunkeswell a good place to live?
Dunkeswell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A): 10.3 violent and sexual offences and 4.8 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is walkability (C−): 9% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £220,000 in the last three years, 4.1 times what households in the East 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. No state school with published KS2 or GCSE results is in or within 3 km of this town, so it has no School Grade.
What makes Dunkeswell stand out
The 3 things Dunkeswell does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Connets Farmhouse Including Outbuilding Adjoining to the South-East and Front Garden Walls; 3.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
87%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 87%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
How Dunkeswell grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Dunkeswell is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 84.6 for men, 87.2 for womenAOpen →WalkabilityC−Open →Cost of livingrent £968 a monthA−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £47,613; 2.3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →
SchoolsNot graded yet–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryB−Open →Outdoors83% live within 400 m of a park; 87% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeCOpen →Civic life3.3 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 Dunkeswell.
Safety
Dunkeswell has less crime per resident than 93% of UK towns
Violent crime ran at 10.3 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Devon’s towns (21.5) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 38 crimes inside Dunkeswell’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 0 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 42% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
10.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 87% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual16
Damage & arson6
Public order5
Burglary4
Other theft2
Drugs2
Other crime2
Vehicle 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.
10.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
38
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
Life expectancy in Dunkeswell is longer than in 97% of UK towns
Women here live to 87.2 on average and men to 84.6 (2019–23). Dunkeswell has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 4 miles away. 79% of Dunkeswell’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, below both Devon’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%).
79%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Dunkeswell | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 21% | 17% |
84.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Commuters in Dunkeswell travel far: only 17% 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 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Dunkeswell, that is below both Devon’s towns (51%) and England’s towns (45%). 88% of commuters drove to work at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot5%
Bus3%
Bicycle1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 16% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade A−
Most households in Dunkeswell own their home: 75%, more than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns
Dunkeswell sits above both Devon’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%) on this measure. Social housing holds 7% of households.
£220Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Dunkeswell£220K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £285,000 | 18 |
| Semi-detached | £222,500 | 34 |
| Terraced | £185,500 | 32 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
16%
rent privately · England 21%
£968
average private rent a month, East Devon council area
£2,554
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
14 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Dunkeswell has 14 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 1 Grade II*. 15% of its homes were built before 1919.
14listed buildingsB−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II13
Among them · Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
15%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
76
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Few people in Dunkeswell are 15 to 24: 6.1%, fewer than in Devon’s towns and England’s towns
That puts Dunkeswell below both Devon’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). Over-65s are 29% of the population. Dunkeswell has a median age of 52.3.
52.3median age
DunkeswellDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level24%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Dunkeswell | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.1% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 24% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Dunkeswell Heritage Centre and 3 more in and around Dunkeswell
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Dunkeswell. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumDunkeswell Heritage Centrein town
FortHembury3.8 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleHemyock Castle4.7 km outside town, to the northTheme parkTheme parkMansell Racewayin town
FortHembury3.8 km outside town, to the southwestCastleHemyock Castle4.7 km outside town, to the northTheme parkTheme parkMansell Racewayin townPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Hembury: Martin Bodman, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hemyock Castle: don cload, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dunkeswell
15pages on Dunkeswell
The big questions
SafetyA10.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £220K · rent £968 a monthHousing31 sold in 12 months · busiest street Tower WaySchoolsHealthALife expectancy 84.6 (men), 87.2 (women)Work & commuteC57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Dunkeswell’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HemyockHonitonFenitonUffculmeWillandCullomptonOttery St MaryDunkeswell
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunkeswell | 1,835 | — | — | A− | A | A |
| Hemyock | 1,674 | 4.1 | — | C+ | A− | A− |
| Honiton | 12,155 | 4.3 | C+ | B− | C+ | B− |
| Feniton | 1,725 | 5.3 | — | B | A+ | A |
| Uffculme | 2,041 | 5.9 | — | C+ | C | B+ |
| Willand | 3,477 | 6.9 | B+ | C+ | B− | A− |
| Cullompton | 8,895 | 7.5 | C− | B− | C− | C+ |
| Ottery St Mary | 6,043 | 7.6 | A− | C+ | B | A+ |
Hemyock, Feniton and Uffculme have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Dunkeswell
How many listed buildings are there in Dunkeswell?
That is 3.1 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Dunkeswell expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £220,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £185,500, semi-detached houses £222,500 and detached houses £285,000.
About Dunkeswell
Village in Devon, England
Dunkeswell is a built-up area of 1,835 people, in the East 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
- 1,835 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi (1.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006501
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.