Petrockstowe’s story
13 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Petrockstowe’s built-up area.
48% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
PetrockstoweDevon
A village of 390 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mr Ignavy · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
390
Census 2021 · Torridge council
Median home
£450K
17 sales in 3 years
Median age
58.4
37% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
21%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
2%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Petrockstowe a good place to live?
Petrockstowe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Petrockstowe stand out
The 3 things Petrockstowe does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
2% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
22% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
37% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Petrockstowe.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Petrockstowe than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 8.3% are under 15
Ages in Petrockstowe split evenly at 58.4: half are older, half younger. 37% of residents are 65 or over, above Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 8.5% of the town.
58.4median age
PetrockstoweDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
37%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications24%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level21%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 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.
| Petrockstowe | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 8.3% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 12% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 37% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 24% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.9% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 21% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Petrockstowe than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 2%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 37% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims reached 1.6% of 16 to 64s in 2026. The car took 95% of commuters, above Devon’s towns (73%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Working from home was the norm for 37% of workers at the census. About 3% of its commuters stay in Petrockstowe for work.
2%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving95%
On foot2%
22%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
37%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£42K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
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
More households own their home in Petrockstowe than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 89%
One in ten households are private tenants. Social housing holds 1% of households, lower than both Devon’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). 17 standard sales inside Petrockstowe’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £450,000.
£450Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Petrockstowe£450K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £495,000 | 13 |
89%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£789
average private rent a month, Torridge council area
£2,542
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
Petrockstowe records less violent crime per resident than Devon’s towns or England’s towns, at 9.3 per 1,000 a year
Police recorded 10 crimes inside Petrockstowe’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Burglary and damage come to 5.6 per 1,000 residents a year. There were 1.9 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below both Devon’s towns (5.7) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences accounted for 70% of recorded crime.
9.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Other crime2
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Drugs0
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.
9.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
10
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
Bad health is less common in Petrockstowe than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.1% of residents
The nearest A&E to Petrockstowe is North Devon District Hospital, 15.9 miles away. Seeing a GP means leaving Petrockstowe: the nearest practice is 3.8 miles away. 18% of residents in Petrockstowe live with a disability.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Petrockstowe | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.1% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 21% | 17% |
80.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Petrockstowe are listed than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 333 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
48% of homes were built before 1919. Historic England’s list names 13 listed buildings in Petrockstowe: 1 Grade II*.
13listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II12
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Petroc Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
48%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
333
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Petrockstowe
13pages on Petrockstowe
The big questions
Safety9.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £450K · rent £789 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.3 (men), 85.2 (women)Work & commute58% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Petrockstowe’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Great TorringtonWinkleighOkehamptonNorth TawtonHolsworthyBidefordChulmleighPetrockstowe
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrockstowe | 390 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Great Torrington | 5,958 | 6.1 | D | C− | B− | C |
| Winkleigh | 1,342 | 7.5 | — | D | A− | B |
| Okehampton | 9,108 | 10 | C− | B− | C | C+ |
| North Tawton | 1,785 | 11 | — | C+ | B− | C+ |
| Holsworthy | 3,472 | 11 | D | D | C+ | C+ |
| Bideford | 19,493 | 11 | D− | C− | C− | C |
| Chulmleigh | 1,232 | 11 | — | C | B | B |
Winkleigh, North Tawton and Chulmleigh have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Petrockstowe
How many listed buildings are there in Petrockstowe?
That is 13.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Petrockstowe expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £450,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Torridge council area averaged £789 a month in August 2026.
About Petrockstowe
Village in Devon, England
Petrockstowe is a built-up area of 390 people, in the Torridge 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
- 390 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Torridge
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006469
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.