Brabourne Lees’s story
15 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Brabourne Lees’ built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Brabourne LeesKent
The village has 1,479 residents and lies in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: D-G-Seamon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,479
Census 2021 · Ashford council
Median home
£440K
63 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.2
29% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
33%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Brabourne Lees a good place to live?
Brabourne Lees does especially well on safety — police record 12 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 8.3 home and vehicle crimes. Health is another plus — life expectancy is 80.9 for men and 85.8 for women. Prices are high against local incomes: the median home sold for £440,000, 7.4 years of area income. Most journeys need a car (C−): on the way to work, 9% walk, cycle or take a bus or train.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Brabourne Lees has its subject grades alone.
What makes Brabourne Lees stand out
The 3 things Brabourne Lees does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Lodge House; 4.2 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
29% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Brabourne Lees grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Brabourne Lees is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Brabourne Lees has its subject grades alone.
Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyGraded on crime per residentA−Open →WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carC−Open →Cost of livingRent £1,248 a monthC−Open →HealthBetter than most of the towns comparedB+Open →Jobs & income1.9% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 37% of towns in EnglandCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleB+Open →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 34% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeCOpen →Civic life2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Brabourne Lees.
Who lives here
Brabourne Lees skews older, with 29% of residents 65 or over, more than Kent’s towns or England’s towns
Children are 15% of the town. Nearly a tenth of the population is aged 15 to 24, lower than both Kent’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Ages in Brabourne Lees split evenly at 51.2: half are older, half younger.
51.2median age
Brabourne LeesKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level33%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Brabourne Lees | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Safety
Brabourne Lees records less crime per resident than 82% of UK towns
Reported offences in Brabourne Lees came to 37 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 12. 57% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. There were 6.8 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Kent’s towns (9.4) and England’s towns (7.8).
12violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 67% 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 & sexual21
Damage & arson5
Burglary4
Public order3
Drugs2
Other theft1
Robbery1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social12
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
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
37
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+
Work tends to be further away for Brabourne Lees: 19% commute under 5 km, below Kent’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Driving is how 88% of commuters got to work at the census. Working mainly from home: 38% of workers, above both Kent’s towns (30%) and England’s towns (31%). Also worth knowing: households take home £71K a year before tax, on average. About 3% of its commuters stay in Brabourne Lees for work.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot4%
Bus3%
Train2%
19%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£71K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 20% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C−
Private renting is less common in Brabourne Lees than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 8%
Owners make up 83% of households, above Kent’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. Social renters account for 9% of households. The £440,000 median rests on 63 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£440Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Brabourne Lees£440K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £475,000 | 31 |
| Semi-detached | £408,750 | 22 |
| Terraced | £307,500 | 10 |
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,248
average private rent a month, Ashford council area
£2,423
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
Bad health is less common in Brabourne Lees than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.3% of residents
Men in Brabourne Lees can expect to live to 80.9, women to 85.8 (2019–23). Seeing a GP means leaving Brabourne Lees: the nearest practice is 1.9 miles away. The nearest A&E to Brabourne Lees is William Harvey Hospital, 2.8 miles away.
82%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Brabourne Lees | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
80.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More of the land in Brabourne Lees is conservation area than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 100%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Brabourne Lees has 101 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, higher than both Kent’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39). Historic England’s list names 15 listed buildings here: 1 Grade II*. 23% of homes were built before 1919.
15listed buildingsB+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II14
Among them · Grade II*
- Lodge House Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
101
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Westenhanger Castle and 3 more in and around Brabourne Lees
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Brabourne Lees. Best known first.
CastleWestenhanger Castle4 km outside town, to the southeast
ZooPort Lympne Reserve4.9 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumThe Agricultural Museum3.7 km outside town, to the northCastleCastleWestenhanger4.1 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Westenhanger Castle: Ian Knox, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Port Lympne Reserve: William Warby, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brabourne Lees
14pages on Brabourne Lees
The big questions
SafetyA−12 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £440K · rent £1,248 a monthHousing17 sold in 12 months · busiest street Mountbatten WaySchoolsCHealthB+Life expectancy 80.9 (men), 85.8 (women)Work & commuteB+56% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Brabourne Lees’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
AldingtonFinberryLympneWyeLymingeAshfordHytheBrabourne Lees
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brabourne Lees | 1,479 | — | — | C− | A− | B+ |
| Aldington | 1,280 | 2.6 | — | C− | A− | B+ |
| Finberry | 1,571 | 3.6 | — | C | C+ | B+ |
| Lympne | 1,074 | 3.9 | — | D | A+ | B− |
| Wye | 2,064 | 4.4 | — | C− | B− | B |
| Lyminge | 1,918 | 4.7 | — | D | A | A− |
| Ashford | 82,143 | 4.8 | C+ | B | C− | C− |
| Hythe | 14,613 | 6 | C | D | B− | C+ |
Aldington, Finberry, Lympne, Wye and Lyminge have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Brabourne Lees
How many listed buildings are there in Brabourne Lees?
That is 4.2 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Brabourne Lees expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £440,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £307,500, semi-detached houses £408,750 and detached houses £475,000.
About Brabourne Lees
Village in Kent, England
Brabourne Lees is a built-up area of 1,479 people, in the Ashford 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
- 1,479 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Ashford
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005829
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.