Woodham Ferrers’s story
9 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Woodham Ferrers’ built-up area.
18% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Woodham FerrersEssex
Some 323 people live in this village, in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Angela Tuff · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
323
Census 2021 · Chelmsford council
Median home
£470K
11 sales in 3 years
Median age
53.2
29% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Woodham Ferrers a good place to live?
Woodham Ferrers has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. 9 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 14% of commuters. The median home sold for £470,000.
What makes Woodham Ferrers stand out
The 3 things Woodham Ferrers does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Mary; 11.4 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%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.7 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 Woodham Ferrers.
Work & commute
Households in Woodham Ferrers earn more than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns: £75K a year
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.
There are 0.8 jobs in Woodham Ferrers for each resident in work. 18% of commuters travelled under 5 km, below both Essex’s towns (41%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 82% of commuters went by car.
14%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving82%
On foot9%
Train3%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£75K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
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 Woodham Ferrers
Key Stage 2 results at the 8 primary schools within 3 km: 62% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Below is its only school. GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 42% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 43.8.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 58 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Woodham Ferrers is a town of owners: 81% of households own their home, above Essex’s towns and England’s towns
Council and housing-body homes hold 6% of households. 12% rent privately, lower than both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). Private rents average £1,439 a month across the Chelmsford council area.
£470Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Woodham Ferrers£470K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £550,000 | 7 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,439
average private rent a month, Chelmsford council area
£2,325
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 Woodham Ferrers: 12.4 per 1,000 residents a year, under Essex’s towns and England’s towns
Police recorded 4 crimes inside Woodham Ferrers’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Homes see 9.3 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.
12.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft2
Damage & arson1
Drugs1
Violence & sexual0
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Burglary0
Vehicle crime0
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.
12.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.3
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)
4
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
More people in Woodham Ferrers say their health is bad than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 7.4%
There is no GP practice in Woodham Ferrers: the nearest is 1.1 miles off. Self-reported good health: 79% of Woodham Ferrers’ residents. At the census, just over a fifth of people here had a disability, above both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). The nearest A&E to Woodham Ferrers is Southend University Hospital, 8.8 miles away.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Woodham Ferrers | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 17% | 17% |
82.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Woodham Ferrers is rich in listed buildings: 279 per 10,000 residents, more than in both Essex’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.
Woodham Ferrers’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I. 18% of homes were built before 1919.
9listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II8
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
18%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
279
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
Fewer children live in Woodham Ferrers than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 10% are under 15
People 65 and over make up 29% of the town. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 9.5% of residents, lower than both Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). The median resident of Woodham Ferrers is 53.2 years old. Among adults, 27% have a degree.
53.2median age
Woodham FerrersEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
58% women, 42% men
About 74 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.
| Woodham Ferrers | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.7% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →RHS Garden, Hyde Hall and 2 more in and around Woodham Ferrers
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Woodham Ferrers. Best known first.
Garden · RHSRHS Garden, Hyde Hall1.3 km outside town, to the westZooZooCall of the Wild Zoo1.5 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumStow Maries Great War Aerodrome Museum2 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)
- RHS Garden, Hyde Hall: Mrmatiko, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Woodham Ferrers
13pages on Woodham Ferrers
The big questions
Safety12.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £470K · rent £1,439 a monthHousing2 sold in 12 months · busiest street Main RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.1 (men), 84.4 (women)Work & commute65% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Woodham Ferrers’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
South Woodham FerrersBicknacreCold NortonHullbridgeDanburyRunwellWickfordWoodham Ferrers
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodham Ferrers | 323 | — | — | — | — | — |
| South Woodham Ferrers | 16,029 | 1.8 | A | B | B+ | A− |
| Bicknacre | 2,277 | 1.9 | — | B− | B+ | A |
| Cold Norton | 1,161 | 3.1 | — | C | A | B+ |
| Hullbridge | 5,709 | 3.3 | B | C | B− | B |
| Danbury | 6,196 | 3.4 | A | C | B+ | A |
| Runwell | 8,086 | 4.5 | C+ | B− | C− | C+ |
| Wickford | 27,533 | 5.1 | B | C− | B− | B |
Bicknacre and Cold Norton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Woodham Ferrers
How many listed buildings are there in Woodham Ferrers?
That is 11.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary.
How much is council tax in Woodham Ferrers?
Band D council tax in Woodham Ferrers is £2,325 for 2026–27, less than in 71% 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 Woodham Ferrers
Village in Essex, England
Woodham Ferrers is a built-up area of 323 people, in the Chelmsford 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
- 323 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chelmsford
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004594
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.