Whimple’s story
38 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Whimple’s built-up area.
30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WhimpleDevon
A village of 1,120 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Fordton Farmhouse · Photo: Simon Cobb · CC0
Population
1,120
Census 2021 · East Devon council
Median home
£373K
42 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.7
28% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Whimple a good place to live?
Whimple has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A): 9.7 violent and sexual offences and 7.5 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is hazard risk (D−): 10% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. The median home sold for £372,500 in the last three years, 7 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.
What makes Whimple stand out
The 3 things Whimple does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 Grade II*, including Church of St Mary; 13.9 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%)
Flood risk, against UK towns
Flood risk
High or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea: more than in 95% of UK towns
Environment Agency flood maps, defences counted.
How Whimple grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Whimple is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskD−Open →SafetyAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 82.7 for men, 85.3 for womenAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 41% of towns in England; secondary results beat 11% of towns in EnglandC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £58,787; 1.4% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB+Open →Cost of livingrent £968 a monthCOpen →WalkabilityC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryAOpen →Outdoors70% live within 400 m of a park; 5.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC+Open →Civic life5.4 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 Whimple.
History
More buildings in Whimple are listed than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 339 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
That puts Whimple above both Devon’s towns (104) and England’s towns (39). Whimple has 38 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 2 Grade II*. Homes from before 1919 make up 30% of the total.
38listed buildingsAHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*2
Grade II36
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary Grade II*
- Fordton Farmhouse Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
30%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
339
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsC−
Results at Whimple’s schools trail 79% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
C−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whimple Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 125 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Whimple has less crime per resident than 89% of UK towns
Violence came to 9.7 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Devon’s towns (21.5) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 23 crimes inside Whimple’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 43% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
9.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 79% 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 & sexual10
Damage & arson7
Public order3
Other crime2
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Anti-social1
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.
9.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
23
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
84% of people in Whimple say their health is good or very good, more than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns
On this, Whimple is above both Devon’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%). Whimple has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3 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.
84%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Whimple | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.9% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 21% | 17% |
82.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C
Most households in Whimple own their home: 75%, more than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns
In the comparison, Whimple comes above both Devon’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%).
£373Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Whimple£373K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £450,000 | 19 |
| Semi-detached | £350,000 | 13 |
| Terraced | £248,000 | 10 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£968
average private rent a month, East Devon council area
£2,522
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Commuters in Whimple travel far: only 12% 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 35% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Whimple, that is below both Devon’s towns (51%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 11% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot5%
Train3%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
12%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
35%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 35% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Whimple has fewer young adults than Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 8% are 15 to 24
Whimple sits below both Devon’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) on this measure. Over-65s are 28% of the population. The median resident of Whimple is 50.7 years old.
50.7median age
WhimpleDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 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.
| Whimple | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.5% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Whimple Heritage Centre and 4 more in and around Whimple
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Whimple. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumWhimple Heritage Centrein town
GardenCadhay Gardens3.8 km outside town, to the eastPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustCranbrook Country Park3.4 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionAuthentic Saxon Village2.6 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionTumbling Weir4.6 km outside town, to the east
GardenCadhay Gardens3.8 km outside town, to the eastPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustCranbrook Country Park3.4 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionAuthentic Saxon Village2.6 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionTumbling Weir4.6 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 (1)
- Cadhay Gardens: Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Whimple
14pages on Whimple
The big questions
SafetyA9.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £373K · rent £968 a monthHousing15 sold in 12 months · busiest street Grove RoadSchoolsC−1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 82.7 (men), 85.3 (women)Work & commuteB+52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD−10.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Whimple’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
CranbrookWest HillOttery St MaryFenitonBroadclystClyst HonitonWest ClystWhimple
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whimple | 1,120 | — | — | C | A | A |
| Cranbrook | 4,936 | 2.6 | C | B− | C− | C+ |
| West Hill | 2,109 | 2.7 | — | C− | A | A+ |
| Ottery St Mary | 6,043 | 3.6 | A− | C+ | B | A+ |
| Feniton | 1,725 | 3.6 | — | B | A+ | A |
| Broadclyst | 1,549 | 3.7 | — | B− | B+ | A− |
| Clyst Honiton | 1,030 | 4.7 | — | B− | D− | A− |
| West Clyst | 2,683 | 4.8 | B− | C− | C+ | A− |
West Hill, Feniton, Broadclyst and Clyst Honiton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Whimple
Does Whimple flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
How many listed buildings are there in Whimple?
That is 13.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
Are schools in Whimple good?
GCSE results trail 89% of towns in England, and primary results trail 59% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Devon council.
About Whimple
Village in Devon, England
Whimple is a built-up area of 1,120 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
- 1,120 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006657
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.