Avening’s story
31 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Avening’s built-up area.
46% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
AveningGloucestershire
A village of 1,054 in Gloucestershire, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Traveler100 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,054
Census 2021 · Cotswold council
Median home
£428K
30 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.1
23% are 65+ · Gloucestershire 20%
Degree level
46%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Avening a good place to live?
Avening has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is schools (A+): primary results beat 92% of towns in England. Its weakest is hazard risk (D): 6.3% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. The median home sold for £427,500 in the last three years, 7.3 times what households in the Cotswold council area earn in a year.
Gloucestershire Police published 29 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Avening stand out
The 3 things Avening does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
86%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 86%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
How Avening grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Avening is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 92% of towns in EnglandA+Open →SafetyAOpen →Hazard riskDOpen →WalkabilityDOpen →HealthLife expectancy 81.8 for men, 84.7 for womenAOpen →Cost of livingrent £1,252 a monthC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £60,514; 1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryAOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 97% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeBOpen →Civic life5.7 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 Avening.
SchoolsA+
On exam results, Avening’s schools beat 95% of towns in England
The town has one school, shown below. 72% of pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 107 pupils attend Avening’s one primary school.
A+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avening Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 107 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
Old homes shape Avening: 46% were built before 1919, more than in Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list names 31 listed buildings in Avening: 1 Grade I. Its listed buildings include the Church of the Holy Cross, Grade I. For its size, Avening has 294 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Of the town’s land, 52% lies in conservation areas, above both Gloucestershire’s towns (9%) and England’s towns (7%).
31listed buildingsAHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II30
Among them · Grade I
- Church of the Holy Cross Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
46%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
294
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Crime per resident in Avening is lower than in 93% of UK towns
In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 12 crimes and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour inside Avening’s built-up area. Homes saw 3.5 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below both Gloucestershire’s towns (8.1) and England’s towns (9.4). Violence comes to 11.8 per 1,000 residents a year.
11.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 86% 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 & sexual8
Damage & arson1
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Burglary0
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.
11.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.5
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)
12
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Only 8% of commuters in Avening go to work without a car, fewer than in Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 42% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
92% of commuters took the car to work at the census. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 31%, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (45%) and England’s towns (45%). The census counted just over two in five workers working mainly from home.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot6%
Bicycle1%
31%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£61K
mean household income, before tax
1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 11% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Avening live with a disability than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 14%
87% of Avening’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both Gloucestershire’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 3.3% of the town. Seeing a GP means leaving Avening: the nearest practice is 2 miles away. Men in Avening can expect to live to 81.8, women to 84.7 (2019–23).
87%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Avening | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
81.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.7
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.
HousingCost of living grade C−
Few households rent privately in Avening: 8%, fewer than in Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
19% live in social housing, higher than both Gloucestershire’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%). Households that own their home make up 73%. Also worth knowing: the £427,500 median rests on 30 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£428Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Avening£428K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £485,000 | 17 |
| Semi-detached | £400,000 | 7 |
| Terraced | £225,000 | 5 |
73%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,252
average private rent a month, Cotswold council area
£2,376
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Few people in Avening are 15 to 24: 7.3%, fewer than in Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
Ages in Avening split evenly at 49.1: half are older, half younger. Nearly a quarter of residents are 65 or over, higher than both Gloucestershire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). Among adults, 46% have a degree.
49.1median age
AveningGloucestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level46%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Avening | Gloucestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.7% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 46% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gloucestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Gatcombe Park and 7 more in and around Avening
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Avening. Best known first.
Historic houseGatcombe Park1.1 km outside town, to the north
Historic houseChavenage House2.6 km outside town, to the south
Museum · English HeritageDunkirk Mill Museum4 km outside town, to the northwestCastleCastleBeverston Castle4 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric siteHistoric site · English HeritageWindmill Tump4.5 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumArcade Archive4.1 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Gatcombe Park: Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chavenage House: Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dunkirk Mill Museum: OrangeStarling1997, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Avening
14pages on Avening
The big questions
SafetyA11.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £428K · rent £1,252 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Sandford LeazeSchoolsA+1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 81.8 (men), 84.7 (women)Work & commuteB+61% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD6.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Avening’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MinchinhamptonTetburyNailsworthBrimscombe and ThruppAmberleyChalfordStroudAvening
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avening | 1,054 | — | — | C− | A | A |
| Minchinhampton | 3,412 | 1.9 | A− | C | B+ | A |
| Tetbury | 6,454 | 2.7 | B− | C− | B− | A− |
| Nailsworth | 5,657 | 2.7 | B+ | B− | C | B |
| Brimscombe and Thrupp | 2,187 | 2.9 | — | B− | B− | A |
| Amberley | 1,300 | 3.2 | — | C | A+ | A |
| Chalford | 6,665 | 3.4 | A | B− | A | A |
| Stroud | 26,073 | 5.1 | B | B | D | B− |
Brimscombe and Thrupp and Amberley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Avening
Are schools in Avening good?
Primary results beat 92% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Gloucestershire council.
How many listed buildings are there in Avening?
That is 12.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of the Holy Cross.
Does Avening flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Avening
Village in Gloucestershire, England
Avening is a built-up area of 1,054 people, in the Cotswold 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
- 1,054 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cotswold
- County
- Gloucestershire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004645
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.