Arkesden’s story
24 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Arkesden’s built-up area.
37% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ArkesdenEssex
Walking, cycling and public transport carry 14% of commuters. With 375 residents, it is a village in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bikeboy · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
375
Census 2021 · Uttlesford council
Median home
£718K
14 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.6
23% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
49%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Arkesden a good place to live?
There are no grades for Arkesden: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. Homes sell for a median £718,000. 24 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I.
What makes Arkesden stand out
The 3 things Arkesden does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.6 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Mary the Virgin; 26.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
14% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Arkesden.
Work & commute
Work tends to be further away for Arkesden: 5% commute under 5 km, below Essex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 56% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £80K a year before tax, higher than both Essex’s towns (£63K) and England’s towns (£55K). By car: that was how 85% of commuters travelled at the census. 1.3% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
14%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving85%
Train6%
On foot4%
Bicycle3%
Underground, tram1%
5%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
56%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£80K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
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
Arkesden is a town of owners: 78% of households own their home, above Essex’s towns and England’s towns
5% live in social housing, lower than both Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Renting privately is how 16% of households live. Private rents average £1,289 a month across the Uttlesford council area.
£718Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Arkesden£718K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £777,500 | 8 |
78%
of households own their home · England 61%
16%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,289
average private rent a month, Uttlesford council area
£2,270
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
Violent crime runs low in Arkesden: 0.9 per 1,000 residents a year, under Essex’s towns and England’s towns
In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 8 crimes inside Arkesden’s built-up area. Each year, 7.1 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded per 1,000 residents.
0.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Burglary5
Public order1
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Violence & sexual0
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
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.
0.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
8
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
Disability is less common in Arkesden, 11% of residents, than in Essex’s towns and England’s towns
91% of Arkesden’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 1.9% of the town. Seeing a GP means leaving Arkesden: the nearest practice is 2.2 miles away.
91%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 91%Fair 7%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Arkesden | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 91% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 11% | 17% | 17% |
83.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
89.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · 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.
History
More buildings in Arkesden are listed than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 640 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover just over a third of Arkesden’s land, above both Essex’s towns (3%) and England’s towns (7%). Homes from before 1919 make up 37% of the total. Grade II* covers 1 of them.
24listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II23
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary the Virgin Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
37%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
640
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
Arkesden is a graduates’ town: 49% hold a degree, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
Children under 15 make up 17%, about level with England’s towns (18%) and below Essex’s towns (18%). 8% of residents are aged 15 to 24. Half the people of Arkesden are older than 50.6. People 65 and over make up 23% of the town.
50.6median age
ArkesdenEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications7%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level49%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Arkesden | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 36% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 7% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 49% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Clavering Castle and 2 more in and around Arkesden
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Arkesden. Best known first.
CastleClavering Castle2.6 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric siteHistoric site · English HeritageCambridge Lodge4.9 km outside town, to the northeastHistoric siteHistoric site · English HeritageThe New Coach House5 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Clavering Castle: Libby norman, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Arkesden
13pages on Arkesden
The big questions
Safety0.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £718K · rent £1,289 a monthHousing2 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 83.4 (men), 89.3 (women)Work & commute70% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards3.8% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Arkesden’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
NewportSaffron WaldenGreat ChesterfordHenhamElsenhamStansted MountfitchetDuxfordArkesden
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkesden | 375 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Newport | 2,945 | 2.3 | A+ | B | B | A+ |
| Saffron Walden | 16,609 | 4.3 | A+ | A− | B | A |
| Great Chesterford | 1,775 | 5.5 | — | B | A− | A+ |
| Henham | 1,046 | 5.6 | — | B− | A | A+ |
| Elsenham | 3,414 | 5.7 | A | B+ | B | A |
| Stansted Mountfitchet | 8,629 | 6.3 | A+ | B+ | B+ | A |
| Duxford | 2,216 | 7.3 | — | B− | A | A+ |
Great Chesterford, Henham and Duxford have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Arkesden
How many listed buildings are there in Arkesden?
That is 26.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Arkesden?
Band D council tax in Arkesden is £2,270 for 2026–27, less than in 79% 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 Arkesden
Village in Essex, England
Arkesden is a built-up area of 375 people, in the Uttlesford 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
- 375 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Uttlesford
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003940
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.