Four Elms’s story
4 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Four Elms’ built-up area.
52% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Four ElmsKent
A village of 251 in Kent, South East. 8% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: G Laird · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
251
Census 2021 · Sevenoaks council
Median age
50.2
19% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
21%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Four Elms a good place to live?
Four Elms has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Four Elms stand out
The 3 things Four Elms 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.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Kent 29%.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Hever Castle and 6 more in and around Four Elms
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Four Elms. Best known first.
Historic houseHever Castle2.5 km outside town, to the south
Historic house · National TrustChartwell3.1 km outside town, to the north
CastleChiddingstone Castle3.6 km outside town, to the southeast
Garden · National TrustEmmetts Garden3.9 km outside town, to the north
GardenGreat Comp Garden3.9 km outside town, to the north
MuseumEden Valley Museum2.9 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Hever Castle: Nigel Lamb, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chartwell: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chiddingstone Castle: Hjamesberglen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Emmetts Garden: Oast House Archive, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Great Comp Garden: David Anstiss, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Eden Valley Museum: Nigel Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Four Elms.
Who lives here
Children make up only 9.2% of Four Elms, fewer than in Kent’s towns and England’s towns
Degrees are held by just over a fifth of adults, lower than both Kent’s towns (29%) and England’s towns (34%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 17% of the population. Ages in Four Elms split evenly at 50.2: half are older, half younger.
50.2median age
Four ElmsKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
17%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level21%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
About 109 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Four Elms | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.2% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 17% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 39% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.8% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 21% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Four Elms
Four Elms Primary School’s results beat 98% of schools in England like it. The one school in town appears below. Key Stage 2 results at the 4 primary schools within 3 km: nearly two thirds of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four Elms Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 83 | A+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 21% in Four Elms, fewer than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 21% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
86% of commuters drove, above both Kent’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%). A household here earns £72K a year before tax, on average. Among 16 to 64s, 1.6% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot4%
Train2%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
21%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£72K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
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
Housing
More households in Four Elms live in social housing than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 40%
Owners make up 48% of households. Private renters make up 11% of households, below both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). That is the middle of 6 standard sales inside Four Elms’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Four Elms£0K
Typical UK town£277K
48%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,809
average private rent a month, Sevenoaks council area
£2,482
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
Burglary and damage are rarer in Four Elms than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.6 per 1,000 residents a year
Of all the crimes, 36% were violence and sexual offences. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 11 crimes and 3 reports of anti-social behaviour inside Four Elms’s built-up area. There were 19.9 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), higher than both Kent’s towns (9.4) and England’s towns (7.8).
21.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual4
Public order2
Burglary2
Other theft1
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Anti-social3
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.
21.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
19.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
11
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.
Health
More people in Four Elms say their health is bad than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 8.8%
The nearest A&E to Four Elms is The Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury, 10.1 miles away. Nearly four fifths of Four Elms’ residents described their health as good or very good at the census, below both Kent’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%). Disability touches 21% of Four Elms’ population. Also worth knowing: this Kent town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.6 miles away.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 9%
| Census 2021 | Four Elms | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.8% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
83.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Four Elms: 52% were built before 1919, more than in Kent’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.
For its size, Four Elms has 159 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Conservation areas cover 100% of Four Elms’ land, higher than both Kent’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (7%). The town has 4 listed buildings on Historic England’s list, all Grade II.
4listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
52%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
159
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Four Elms
13pages on Four Elms
The big questions
Four Elms’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Marlpit HillEdenbridgeWesterhamSundridgeOxtedLimpsfieldLeighFour Elms
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four Elms | 251 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marlpit Hill | 1,271 | 1.6 | — | D | C− | B |
| Edenbridge | 7,903 | 1.7 | C+ | C | C− | B− |
| Westerham | 3,390 | 4 | B | C− | C− | A |
| Sundridge | 1,190 | 4.5 | — | C− | C | A |
| Oxted | 11,491 | 4.7 | B+ | C− | B− | A |
| Limpsfield | 2,247 | 4.9 | — | D | B | A+ |
| Leigh | 1,104 | 5.3 | — | D | A | A+ |
Marlpit Hill, Sundridge, Limpsfield and Leigh have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Four Elms
How many listed buildings are there in Four Elms?
That is 6.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
Who lives in Four Elms?
At the 2021 Census, 17% of Four Elms’ 251 residents were 15 to 24 and 19% were 65 or over, against 12% and 18% across England’s towns.
How much is council tax in Four Elms?
Band D council tax in Four Elms is £2,482 for 2026–27, more than in 60% 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 Four Elms
Village in Kent, England
Four Elms is a built-up area of 251 people, in the Sevenoaks 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
- 251 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Sevenoaks
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005628
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.