Ashill’s story
2 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Ashill’s built-up area.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
AshillNorfolk
A village of 1,252 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Evelyn Simak · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,252
Census 2021 · Breckland council
Median home
£275K
57 sales in 3 years
Median age
57.6
39% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
19%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Ashill a good place to live?
Ashill has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is schools (D−): primary results beat 5% of towns in England. The median home sold for £275,000 in the last three years, 5.6 times what households in the Breckland council area earn in a year.
What makes Ashill stand out
The 3 things Ashill does most differently from other towns.
How Ashill grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Ashill is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 5% of towns in EnglandD−Open →WalkabilityDOpen →Hazard riskAOpen →Jobs & income2.3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC−Open →SafetyBOpen →Cost of livingrent £928 a monthC+Open →HealthLife expectancy 81.3 for men, 83.3 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildings, 1 Grade ICOpen →Outdoors82% live within 400 m of a park; 3.7 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC+Open →Civic life6.4 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ashill.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Ashill: 39% are 65 or over, above Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The share of residents under 15 is 12%. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 7.3% of residents, below both Norfolk’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Half the people of Ashill are older than 57.6. Among adults, 19% have a degree.
57.6median age
AshillNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
39%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications26%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level19%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 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.
| Ashill | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 39% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 26% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.5% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 19% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsD−
On exam results, Ashill’s schools trail 97% of towns in England
There is one school here; it is shown below. 47% of pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one primary school teaches 109 pupils.
D−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 109 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Under 5 km to work: 11% in Ashill, fewer than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
A household here earns £48K a year before tax, on average. 7% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, below Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (27%) alike. Driving is how 93% of commuters got to work at the census. Also worth knowing: about 2% of its commuters stay in Ashill for work.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot3%
Bicycle3%
Bus1%
11%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 7% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Ashill’s listed buildings include the Church of St Nicholas, Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, Ashill keeps 16 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, below both Norfolk’s towns (45) and England’s towns (39). Homes built before 1919 account for 14% of the housing.
2listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II1
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Nicholas Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
14%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
16
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Ashill records less burglary and damage per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 4 per 1,000 a year
Reported offences in Ashill came to 39 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 1. Violent crime comes to 24.5 per 1,000 residents a year. 82% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
24.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 38% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual32
Damage & arson3
Public order2
Other theft1
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social1
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.
24.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
39
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.
HousingCost of living grade C+
Few households rent privately in Ashill: 10%, fewer than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The social rented sector houses 12% of households. 77% of households own their home, above Norfolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. 57 standard sales inside Ashill’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £275,000.
£275Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Ashill£275K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £297,500 | 42 |
| Semi-detached | £210,000 | 7 |
| Terraced | £248,000 | 5 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£928
average private rent a month, Breckland council area
£2,371
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
Only 74% of people in Ashill say their health is good or very good, fewer than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
Disability touches 25% of Ashill’s population. At the census, 6.8% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, above both Norfolk’s towns (5.6%) and England’s towns (5.2%). The nearest A&E to Ashill is The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 17.6 miles away.
74%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 74%Fair 19%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Ashill | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 74% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.8% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 25% | 20% | 17% |
81.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.3
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.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ashill
13pages on Ashill
The big questions
SafetyB24.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £275K · rent £928 a monthHousing19 sold in 12 months · busiest street MillfieldSchoolsD−1 state schoolHealthB−Life expectancy 81.3 (men), 83.3 (women)Work & commuteC−42% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Ashill’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Saham ToneyNectonWattonSwaffhamGristonShipdhamDerehamAshill
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashill | 1,252 | — | — | C+ | B | B− |
| Saham Toney | 1,287 | 1.7 | — | C | A | B− |
| Necton | 1,742 | 2.8 | — | C+ | A | B− |
| Watton | 11,549 | 3.3 | C+ | B− | C+ | C |
| Swaffham | 8,434 | 4.7 | D | C+ | C | C− |
| Griston | 1,361 | 4.9 | — | C− | C− | C |
| Shipdham | 2,459 | 4.9 | — | C+ | A− | B− |
| Dereham | 20,788 | 8 | C− | B− | C− | C+ |
Saham Toney, Necton, Griston and Shipdham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Ashill
Are schools in Ashill good?
Primary results trail 95% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Norfolk council.
Does Ashill flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Ashill
Village in Norfolk, England
Ashill is a built-up area of 1,252 people, in the Breckland 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
- 1,252 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Breckland
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002611
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.