Ashwellthorpe’s story
14 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Ashwellthorpe’s built-up area.
22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
AshwellthorpeNorfolk
The village has 547 residents and lies in Norfolk, East of England. Over-65s are 28% of the population.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ian Robertson · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
547
Census 2021 · South Norfolk council
Median home
£345K
23 sales in 3 years
Median age
53.8
28% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Ashwellthorpe a good place to live?
There are no grades for Ashwellthorpe: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 5% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 14 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I.
What makes Ashwellthorpe stand out
The 3 things Ashwellthorpe does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of All Saints; 10.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
28% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ashwellthorpe.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Ashwellthorpe than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 9.4% are under 15
People aged 15 to 24 are nearly a tenth of the population. 28% of residents are 65 or over, above both Norfolk’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Ashwellthorpe has a median age of 53.8. Degrees are held by 37% of adults.
53.8median age
AshwellthorpeNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level37%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Ashwellthorpe | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.4% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.9% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Commuters in Ashwellthorpe travel far: only 10% go under 5 km, fewer than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 37% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
92% of commuters took the car to work at the census. Unemployment benefit claims came to 1.3% of 16 to 64s in 2026, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%). Income per household averages £56K a year, before tax.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot2%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
10%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
37%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£56K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
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
Most households in Ashwellthorpe own their home: 84%, more than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns
Private renters make up 13% of households, below Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. The social rented sector houses 3% of households. The median sale, £345,000, comes from 23 standard sales inside Ashwellthorpe’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£345Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Ashwellthorpe£345K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £375,000 | 18 |
84%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£981
average private rent a month, South Norfolk council area
£2,454
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
Ashwellthorpe records less burglary and damage per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 1.2 per 1,000 a year
Over the year to August 2026, 5 offences were reported in Ashwellthorpe. Violent crime ran at 6.7 per 1,000 residents a year, below Norfolk’s towns (18.9) and England’s towns (22) alike. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 80% of recorded crime.
6.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual4
Other crime1
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.
6.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
5
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
Just 3.3% of people in Ashwellthorpe say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Ashwellthorpe is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 6.4 miles away. At the census, 16% of people here had a disability, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%). Asked at the census, 83% of residents of Ashwellthorpe said they were in good or very good health. Also worth knowing: this Norfolk town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3 miles away.
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Ashwellthorpe | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 20% | 17% |
82.1
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 · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
More buildings in Ashwellthorpe are listed than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 256 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up just over a fifth of the total, above both Norfolk’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (16%). Ashwellthorpe’s listed buildings include the Church of All Saints, Grade I. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
14listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II13
Among them · Grade I
- Church of All Saints Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
22%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
256
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 →Wymondham Abbey and 5 more in and around Ashwellthorpe
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Ashwellthorpe. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryWymondham Abbey4.6 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumNorfolk Tank Museum4.8 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumWymondham Bridewell4.3 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumForncett Steam Museum3.6 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumWymondham Heritage Museum4.3 km outside town, to the northwestArt galleryArt galleryWymondham Arts Centre4.6 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Wymondham Abbey: Abbeygarth, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ashwellthorpe
13pages on Ashwellthorpe
The big questions
Safety6.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £345K · rent £981 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 months · busiest street The StreetSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.1 (men), 85.8 (women)Work & commute50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Ashwellthorpe’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WymondhamMulbartonNewton FlotmanLong StrattonHethersettBesthorpeLittle MeltonAshwellthorpe
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwellthorpe | 547 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wymondham | 16,334 | 3.3 | A | A− | C | B+ |
| Mulbarton | 3,807 | 3.5 | A | A− | A+ | A− |
| Newton Flotman | 1,418 | 4.2 | — | A− | B+ | A− |
| Long Stratton | 5,218 | 4.4 | A− | A | B | B+ |
| Hethersett | 7,018 | 4.8 | A | B+ | B | B+ |
| Besthorpe | 1,007 | 5.3 | — | C+ | A+ | A− |
| Little Melton | 1,049 | 5.8 | — | C+ | A− | A |
Newton Flotman, Besthorpe and Little Melton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Ashwellthorpe
How many listed buildings are there in Ashwellthorpe?
That is 10.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of All Saints.
Is Ashwellthorpe expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £345,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the South Norfolk council area averaged £981 a month in August 2026.
About Ashwellthorpe
Village in Norfolk, England
Ashwellthorpe is a built-up area of 547 people, in the South Norfolk 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
- 547 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002739
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.