Five Ashes’s story
12 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Five Ashes’ built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Five AshesEast Sussex
507 people call this village in East Sussex, South East home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mumpenny · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
507
Census 2021 · Wealden council
Median home
£590K
23 sales in 3 years
Median age
47.4
22% are 65+ · East Sussex 22%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Five Ashes a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Five Ashes has no grades; its figures are still real. One in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its listed buildings number 12, with 0 at Grade I. Homes sell for a median £590,000.
What makes Five Ashes stand out
The 3 things Five Ashes does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 9.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.1 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Five Ashes.
Work & commute
The car carries 89% of commuters in Five Ashes, more than in both East Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
15% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Unemployment benefit claims came to 1.4% of 16 to 64s in 2026, lower than both East Sussex’s towns (2.7%) and England’s towns (2.3%). Five Ashes counts 0.7 jobs per working resident. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot7%
Train3%
Bus1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£56K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
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
Schools
The schools around Five Ashes
Below is its only school. Key Stage 2 results at the 3 primary schools within 3 km: 56% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 53 pupils attend Five Ashes’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Ashes CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 53 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Few households rent privately in Five Ashes: 7%, fewer than in both East Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
Three quarters of households are owner-occupiers. Private rents average £1,262 a month across the Wealden council area. Social housing holds 18% of households, about level with England’s towns (18%) and above East Sussex’s towns (13%).
£590Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Five Ashes£590K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £642,500 | 16 |
| Semi-detached | £358,500 | 6 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,262
average private rent a month, Wealden council area
£2,705
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
Homes in Five Ashes see more burglary and damage than in East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 11.2 per 1,000 a year
32 crimes and 14 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Five Ashes’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences made up 38% of the total. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 11.8 reports per 1,000, higher than both East Sussex’s towns (9.5) and England’s towns (7.8).
22.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual12
Public order7
Damage & arson4
Other crime4
Vehicle crime2
Other theft1
Burglary1
Drugs1
Anti-social14
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.
22.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
32
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
Just 3.4% of people in Five Ashes say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in both East Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
At the census, 85% of people in Five Ashes called their health good or very good, above East Sussex’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. 16% of residents in Five Ashes live with a disability. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 1.9 miles off.
85%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Five Ashes | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.4% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 20% | 17% |
81.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Five Ashes: 32% were built before 1919, more than in both East Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, Five Ashes keeps 237 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above East Sussex’s towns (70) and England’s towns (39) alike. Conservation areas cover 8% of Five Ashes’ land, higher than both East Sussex’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%).
12listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II12
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
237
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 Five Ashes are 15 to 24: 9.1%, fewer than in both East Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
Half of Five Ashes is older than 47.4, half younger. 22% of residents are 65 or over, near East Sussex’s towns (22%) and higher than England’s towns (18%). Graduates make up just over a third of adults.
47.4median age
Five AshesEast SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 87 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Five Ashes | East Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.1% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 36% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · East Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Five Ashes
12pages on Five Ashes
The big questions
Safety22.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £590K · rent £1,262 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.6 (men), 81.3 (women)Work & commute61% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Five Ashes’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MayfieldHeathfieldRotherfieldBroad Oak (Wealden)BuxtedCrowboroughHoramFive Ashes
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Five Ashes | 507 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mayfield | 2,253 | 2.2 | — | D | A | A+ |
| Heathfield | 7,663 | 2.9 | A− | C | B+ | A− |
| Rotherfield | 1,219 | 2.9 | — | D | A | A+ |
| Broad Oak (Wealden) | 1,097 | 3.3 | — | C− | A | A− |
| Buxted | 1,616 | 3.7 | — | D | A− | A+ |
| Crowborough | 21,990 | 4.1 | B+ | D | B+ | A |
| Horam | 1,797 | 4.9 | — | C− | C+ | B+ |
Mayfield, Rotherfield, Broad Oak (Wealden), Buxted and Horam have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Five Ashes
Is Five Ashes expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £358,500 and detached houses £642,500.
How many listed buildings are there in Five Ashes?
That is 9.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Five Ashes?
Band D council tax in Five Ashes is £2,705 for 2026–27, more than in 96% 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 Five Ashes
Village in East Sussex, England
Five Ashes is a built-up area of 507 people, in the Wealden 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
- 507 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wealden
- County
- East Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006142
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.