Sewardstone’s story
2 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Sewardstone’s built-up area.
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SewardstoneEssex
721 residents make their home in this village in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Luthers · Photo: Hjamesberglen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
721
Census 2021 · Epping Forest council
Median home
£458K
14 sales in 3 years
Median age
43.8
23% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
23%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
21%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sewardstone a good place to live?
Sewardstone is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. Homes sell for a median £457,500. 23% of adults are qualified to degree level. 23% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Sewardstone stand out
The 3 things Sewardstone does most differently from other towns.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills and 9 more in and around Sewardstone
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sewardstone. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryAbbey or prioryWaltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills3.2 km outside town, to the north
MuseumForty Hall Museum4.3 km outside town, to the west
GardenMyddelton House Gardens4 km outside town, to the west
MuseumEpping Forest District Museum1.9 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumRSA Interpretation Centre900 m outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumThe Hirsch Family Adventure Gallery600 m outside town, to the south
MuseumForty Hall Museum4.3 km outside town, to the westGardenMyddelton House Gardens4 km outside town, to the westMuseumEpping Forest District Museum1.9 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumRSA Interpretation Centre900 m outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumThe Hirsch Family Adventure Gallery600 m outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Forty Hall Museum: Stu's Images, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Myddelton House Gardens: Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Epping Forest District Museum: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sewardstone.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Sewardstone than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 16% are under 15
People 65 and over make up 23% of the town, above both Essex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). Half the people of Sewardstone are older than 43.8. Young adults of 15 to 24 are just over a tenth of the population.
43.8median age
SewardstoneEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications31%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level23%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Sewardstone | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 31% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 23% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
More people aged 16 to 64 in Sewardstone claim unemployment benefits than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 3.8%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Nearly two in five workers did their job mainly from home at the census. About 3% of its commuters stay in Sewardstone for work. This Essex town counts 2.5 jobs per working resident. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 26%, below both Essex’s towns (41%) and England’s towns (45%).
21%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving75%
Underground, tram6%
On foot6%
Train6%
Bicycle3%
Bus1%
26%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
3.8%
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 Sewardstone than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 77%
Social renters account for 2% of households. Private rents average £1,844 a month across the Epping Forest council area. 20% rent privately, above Essex’s towns (17%) and close to England’s towns (21%).
£458Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sewardstone£458K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £555,000 | 5 |
| Terraced | £457,500 | 6 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
20%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,844
average private rent a month, Epping Forest council area
£2,341
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 Sewardstone see more burglary and damage than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 68 per 1,000 a year
Police recorded 109 crimes inside Sewardstone’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 5 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime ran at 63.3 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Essex’s towns (23) and England’s towns (22). Of all the crimes, 37% were violence and sexual offences.
63.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual40
Vehicle crime23
Drugs11
Public order10
Damage & arson8
Other theft6
Burglary5
Other crime5
Anti-social5
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.
63.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
68
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
109
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
Fewer people in Sewardstone say their health is good than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 74%
There is no GP practice in Sewardstone: the nearest is 1.4 miles off. Nearly a quarter of residents have a disability, above both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 13% of the town.
74%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 74%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 13%
| Census 2021 | Sewardstone | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 74% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 13% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 17% | 17% |
78.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Among Sewardstone’s 2 listed buildings: Luthers, Grade II*
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
19% of homes date from before 1919. Sewardstone has 2 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade II*. Relative to its size, Sewardstone keeps 28 listed buildings per 10,000 residents.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II1
Among them · Grade II*
- Luthers Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
19%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
28
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 Sewardstone
13pages on Sewardstone
The big questions
Safety63.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £458K · rent £1,844 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 months · busiest street Godwin CloseSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 78.2 (men), 82 (women)Work & commute60% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Sewardstone’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Waltham AbbeyWaltham CrossBuckhurst HillLoughtonCheshuntEnfieldTheydon BoisSewardstone
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sewardstone | 721 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Waltham Abbey | 18,645 | 1.6 | D | C | D | C− |
| Waltham Cross | 11,936 | 2 | D | C− | D | C− |
| Buckhurst Hill | 11,749 | 3.2 | B+ | D | C | A− |
| Loughton | 33,338 | 3.3 | B | C− | C | B |
| Cheshunt | 43,694 | 3.6 | C | D | C | C+ |
| Enfield | 329,822 | 3.7 | C+ | C | C− | C+ |
| Theydon Bois | 3,540 | 4.3 | A− | D | B− | A− |
People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sewardstone
How much is council tax in Sewardstone?
Band D council tax in Sewardstone is £2,341 for 2026–27, less than in 68% 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 Sewardstone
Village in Essex, England
Sewardstone is a built-up area of 721 people, in the Epping Forest 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
- 721 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Epping Forest
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004643
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.