Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The village, home to 399 people, lies in Gloucestershire, South West.
There are no grades for Clearwell: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 9% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 19 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I.
The 3 things Clearwell does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Clearwell’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
28% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Clearwell.
Retirement age and beyond: 23% of residents are 65 or older. People aged 15 to 24 make up 8.5% of the town, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Typical age in Clearwell: 48.5, the median. Just over two in five adults hold a degree.
52% women, 48% men
About 91 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Clearwell | Gloucestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.1% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gloucestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
61% of pupils at the 4 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The one school in town appears below. The town’s primary school has 41 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwell Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 41 | D |
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.
85% of commuters drove, higher than both Gloucestershire’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%). The census counted 39% of workers working mainly from home. About 4% of its commuters stay in Clearwell for work. A household here earns £51K a year before tax, on average.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
16% rent privately, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). Private rents average £828 a month across the Forest of Dean council area. The owner-occupied share of households is 69%.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £335,000 | 5 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Violence came to 11.4 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (22.9) and England’s towns (22). A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 1 offences in Clearwell and 2 cases of nuisance behaviour.
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.
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
The nearest A&E to Clearwell is Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, 18 miles away. This Gloucestershire town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.3 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Clearwell | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
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.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for 28% of the housing. Clearwell’s listed buildings include the Church of St Peter, And 2 Pairs of Gate Piers with Gate, Grade I. Of the town’s land, 50% lies in conservation areas, higher than both Gloucestershire’s towns (9%) and England’s towns (7%). Also worth knowing: the top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Clearwell. Best known first.
MuseumClearwell Cavesin town
Castle · English HeritageSt Briavels Castle3.3 km outside town, to the south
CastleClearwell Castle100 m outside town, to the south
MuseumColeford Great Western Railway Museum2.2 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionPuzzlewood700 m outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionPerrygrove Railway1.3 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwell | 399 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coleford | 5,023 | 1.7 | C | B+ | D | C |
| Broadwell and Coalway | 3,304 | 2.2 | C+ | B | B− | C |
| Bream | 3,117 | 2.6 | C | B+ | C+ | B− |
| Berry Hill | 2,211 | 2.8 | — | B− | C | C+ |
| Yorkley and Whitecroft | 2,678 | 3.8 | C+ | B− | B+ | B |
| Monmouth | 10,330 | 4.9 | C− | C | C | B− |
| Lydney | 9,655 | 5 | C | B | C | C+ |
Berry Hill has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 19.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Peter, And 2 Pairs of Gate Piers with Gate. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Band D council tax in Clearwell is £2,404 for 2026–27, less than in 58% 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.
Village in Gloucestershire, England
Clearwell is a built-up area of 399 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
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.