Beachley’s story
5 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Beachley’s built-up area.
4% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BeachleyGloucestershire
One resident in 5 is 15 to 24. 1,120 residents make their home in this village in Gloucestershire, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roy Parkhouse · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,120
Census 2021 · Forest of Dean council
Median age
29
18% are 65+ · Gloucestershire 20%
Degree level
26%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
30%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Beachley a good place to live?
Beachley is a safe place by the numbers: 5.8 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 1.9 home and vehicle crimes. Walking, cycling and public transport work well here: 30% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Where it falls short is hazard risk — just over one in ten homes face a high or medium risk of river or sea flooding.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · flood risk, Environment Agency. Beachley is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
Gloucestershire Police published 29 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Beachley stand out
The 3 things Beachley does most differently from other towns.
99%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
Residents aged 15 to 24
Who lives here
1 in 5 is 15 to 24
21% of residents, against 12% across England’s towns
Flood risk, against UK towns
Flood risk
11% of homes at risk
High or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea: more than in 96% of UK towns
Environment Agency flood maps, defences counted.
How Beachley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Beachley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Beachley is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA+Open →Hazard riskIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedD−Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesA+Open →Cost of livingHomes are easier to afford than in most townsB+Open →Jobs & income1.6% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB+Open →HealthLife expectancy 80.3 for men, 85.3 for womenB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 69% of towns in England; secondary results beat 24% of towns in EnglandB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleC−Open →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 14% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeC−Open →Civic life2.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Beachley.
Who lives here
Beachley skews young, with 21% of residents aged 15 to 24, more than in both Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
Degrees are held by 26% of adults, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (34%) and England’s towns (34%). Beachley has a median age of 29. 18% of residents are 65 or over.
29median age
BeachleyGloucestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
21%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship10%
A levels or similar22%
Degree level26%
Women and men · all residents
37% women, 63% men
About 59 women for every 100 men. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Beachley is a garrison town: service personnel living in barracks count as residents.
| Beachley | Gloucestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 21% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 34% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 11% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 18% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 10% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 22% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 26% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gloucestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Safety
Beachley records less crime per resident than 99% of UK towns
In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 5 crimes inside Beachley’s built-up area. There were 1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (9.3) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences made up three fifths of the total.
5.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 99% 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 & sexual3
Other theft1
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Drugs0
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.
5.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
5
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Beachley is more walkable than 95% of UK towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 46% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Nearly two thirds of commuters drove, below both Gloucestershire’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%). At the census, 46% of workers worked mainly from home. Work in town: 29% of resident commuters. Household income averages £60K a year before tax.
30%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving66%
On foot21%
Bicycle7%
Train1%
Bus1%
42%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
46%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£60K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A+
Walkability: more walkable than 95% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
All 5 of Beachley’s listed buildings are Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 4% of the total, below both Gloucestershire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (16%). For its size, Beachley has 45 listed buildings per 10,000 residents.
5listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II5
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
4%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
45
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B+
Beachley is a renters’ town: 35% of households rent privately, more than in both Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
Nearly three in five households own their home, below Gloucestershire’s towns (68%) and close to England’s towns (61%). Social renters account for 6% of households. Private rents average £828 a month across the Forest of Dean council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Beachley£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £420,000 | 6 |
59%
of households own their home · England 61%
35%
rent privately · England 21%
£828
average private rent a month, Forest of Dean council area
£2,395
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
88% of people in Beachley say their health is good or very good, more than in both Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
Seeing a GP means leaving Beachley: the nearest practice is 1.8 miles away. 14% of residents have a disability, below both Gloucestershire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). The nearest A&E to Beachley is Southmead Hospital, 9 miles away.
88%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 8%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Beachley | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.9% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
80.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.3
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.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Chepstow Castle and 5 more in and around Beachley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Beachley. Best known first.
Castle · CadwChepstow Castle1.9 km outside town, to the northwest
Fort · CadwChepstow Port Wall1.8 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumChepstow Museum1.7 km outside town, to the northwest
CastleMoynes Court2.5 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionTidenham Tunnel3.5 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionSt. Tewdric's Well2.2 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Chepstow Castle: eszgé, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chepstow Port Wall: Pasicles, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chepstow Museum: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Moynes Court: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Beachley
13pages on Beachley
The big questions
Out and about
Beachley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ChepstowTutshill and SedburyPortskewettPilningSevern BeachOlvestonCaldicotBeachley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beachley | 1,120 | — | — | B+ | A+ | B+ |
| Chepstow | 11,939 | 1.5 | C− | C− | C− | C+ |
| Tutshill and Sedbury | 3,618 | 1.8 | B | B− | B− | B+ |
| Portskewett | 1,627 | 3.7 | — | C− | A− | B+ |
| Pilning | 1,400 | 4 | — | C | A− | B− |
| Severn Beach | 2,208 | 4 | — | B− | B− | B− |
| Olveston | 1,009 | 4.2 | — | D | A+ | A |
| Caldicot | 9,813 | 4.8 | D | C+ | C− | C |
Portskewett, Pilning, Severn Beach and Olveston have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Beachley
Does Beachley flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Beachley
Village in Gloucestershire, England
Beachley is a built-up area of 1,120 people, in the Forest of Dean 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
- 1,120 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Forest of Dean
- County
- Gloucestershire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004761
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.