Rolvenden Layne’s story
32 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Rolvenden Layne’s built-up area.
38% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Rolvenden LayneKent
A village of 378 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Julian P Guffogg · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
378
Census 2021 · Ashford council
Median age
55.3
34% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Rolvenden Layne a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Rolvenden Layne has no grades; its figures are still real. It has 32 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. 11% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. People aged 65 and over make up 34% of residents.
What makes Rolvenden Layne stand out
The 3 things Rolvenden Layne does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 34.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
34% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Rolvenden Layne Sound Museum and 9 more in and around Rolvenden Layne
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Rolvenden Layne. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumRolvenden Layne Sound Museumin town
Historic house · National TrustSmallhythe Place3.6 km outside town, to the east
GardenHole Park Gardens2.8 km outside town, to the northwestHeritage railwayHeritage railwayKent and East Sussex Railway4 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumMorgan Museum1.4 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionBodiam Boating Station3 km outside town, to the southwest
Historic house · National TrustSmallhythe Place3.6 km outside town, to the eastGardenHole Park Gardens2.8 km outside town, to the northwestHeritage railwayHeritage railwayKent and East Sussex Railway4 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumMorgan Museum1.4 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionBodiam Boating Station3 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 (2)
- Smallhythe Place: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hole Park Gardens: Oast House Archive, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rolvenden Layne.
Who lives here
Rolvenden Layne has fewer young adults than Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 8% are 15 to 24
People 65 and over make up 34% of the town, above both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%). The middle age in Rolvenden Layne is 55.3. Degrees are held by 31% of adults.
55.3median age
Rolvenden LayneKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
34%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Rolvenden Layne | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 34% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.6% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Rolvenden Layne: just 25% travel under 5 km, below Kent’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 43% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 84% of commuters, above both Kent’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%). Working from home was the norm for 43% of workers at the census. Of the commuters living in Rolvenden Layne, 2% work in the town itself. Households take home £52K a year before tax, on average.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot7%
Train3%
Bus1%
25%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
43%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£52K
mean household income, before tax
2.6%
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
Rolvenden Layne is a town of owners: 79% of households own their home, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
Social housing holds 4% of households, below Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Renting privately is how 17% of households live. Private rents average £1,248 a month across the Ashford council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Rolvenden Layne£0K
Typical UK town£277K
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,248
average private rent a month, Ashford council area
£2,403
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 Rolvenden Layne than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.7 per 1,000 residents a year
There were 0.9 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Kent’s towns (9.4) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Police recorded 1 crimes inside Rolvenden Layne’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026.
2.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Vehicle crime1
Violence & sexual0
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
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.
2.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
1
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Rolvenden Layne than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.9% of residents
15% of residents have a disability, below both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Self-reported good health: 84% of Rolvenden Layne’s residents. This Kent town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3 miles away.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Rolvenden Layne | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
81.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Rolvenden Layne are listed than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 847 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Rolvenden Layne’s land, 100% lies in conservation areas, above Kent’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. Before 1919: that is when 38% of homes were built.
32listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II32
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
38%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
847
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 Rolvenden Layne
12pages on Rolvenden Layne
The big questions
Rolvenden Layne’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BenendenNorthiamTenterdenBiddendenHawkhurstCranbrookWoodchurchRolvenden Layne
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolvenden Layne | 378 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Benenden | 1,409 | 3.2 | — | C− | A | B+ |
| Northiam | 1,910 | 3.2 | — | D− | A− | B− |
| Tenterden | 7,775 | 3.3 | C | C− | C | B+ |
| Biddenden | 1,345 | 5.2 | — | C | C+ | A− |
| Hawkhurst | 3,683 | 5.6 | B+ | C+ | C | B+ |
| Cranbrook | 3,962 | 5.9 | B | C+ | C− | B |
| Woodchurch | 1,201 | 6.5 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
Benenden, Northiam, Biddenden and Woodchurch have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Rolvenden Layne
How many listed buildings are there in Rolvenden Layne?
That is 34.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Rolvenden Layne?
Band D council tax in Rolvenden Layne is £2,403 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.
About Rolvenden Layne
Village in Kent, England
Rolvenden Layne is a built-up area of 378 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
- 378 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Ashford
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006047
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.