Ash’s story
22 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Ash’s built-up area.
30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
AshSomerset
A village of 619 in Somerset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger Cornfoot · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
619
Census 2021 · South Somerset council
Median home
£365K
14 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.6
24% are 65+ · Somerset 23%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Ash a good place to live?
Ash has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Ash stand out
The 3 things Ash does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% 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 Manor Farmhouse and Front Boundary Railings; 14.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Own outright
Housing
46% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ash.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Ash walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns: 6%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 35% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Ash comes below both Somerset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (27%). 11% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot4%
Bicycle2%
11%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
35%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
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
Schools
The schools around Ash
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 129 | B+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
More households own their home in Ash than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 81%
For Ash, that is above both Somerset’s towns (67%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 11% of households.
£365Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Ash£365K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £516,250 | 6 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,016
average private rent a month, Somerset council area
£2,558
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
Ash records less violent crime per resident than Somerset’s towns or England’s towns, at 9.7 per 1,000 a year
Ash sits below both Somerset’s towns (27.2) and England’s towns (22) on this measure. Burglary and damage come to 4.3 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 10 crimes inside Ash’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 0 reports of anti-social behaviour.
9.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual6
Public order2
Other theft1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
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.
9.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
10
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 Ash than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.4% of residents
That puts Ash below both Somerset’s towns (5.1%) and England’s towns (5.2%). The nearest A&E to Ash is Yeovil District Hospital, 5.5 miles away. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Ash | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.4% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
79.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Ash is rich in listed buildings: 355 per 10,000 residents, more than Somerset’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.
On this, Ash is above both Somerset’s towns (91) and England’s towns (39). Ash has 22 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 1 Grade II*. 30% of homes were built before 1919.
22listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II21
Among them · Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
30%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
355
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Few people in Ash are 15 to 24: 8.2%, fewer than in Somerset’s towns and England’s towns
24% of residents are 65 or over. The median resident of Ash is 50.6 years old. 37% of adults hold a degree, above both Somerset’s towns (32%) and England’s towns (34%).
50.6median age
AshSomersetEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level37%
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.
| Ash | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.2% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 9.9% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.5% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Montacute House and 8 more in and around Ash
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Ash. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustMontacute House3.7 km outside town, to the southeast · 120K visitors a year (2011)
Historic house · National TrustTreasurer's House1.9 km outside town, to the southwest
Historic house · National TrustStoke sub Hamdon Priory2.9 km outside town, to the south
MuseumIlchester Museum4.4 km outside town, to the northeastGardenGardenTintinhull Garden2.5 km outside town, to the southeastGardenGarden · National TrustTintinhull Garden2.2 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Montacute House: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Treasurer's House: Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stoke sub Hamdon Priory: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ilchester Museum: Michael Dibb, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ash
13pages on Ash
The big questions
Safety9.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £365K · rent £1,016 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 months · busiest street Main StreetSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 79.6 (men), 82.6 (women)Work & commute49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Ash’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MartockStoke sub HamdonIlchesterSouth PethertonSomertonLangportYeovilAsh
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ash | 619 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Martock | 4,079 | 1.1 | C | B− | C | C+ |
| Stoke sub Hamdon | 1,360 | 2 | — | C+ | C | B |
| Ilchester | 2,062 | 3.3 | — | A | C | B |
| South Petherton | 3,096 | 3.6 | C | D | C | B |
| Somerton | 5,106 | 4.9 | C− | C− | C+ | B |
| Langport | 3,578 | 5.1 | B | C+ | C | B− |
| Yeovil | 50,170 | 5.3 | C+ | B | D | C |
Stoke sub Hamdon and Ilchester have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Ash
How many listed buildings are there in Ash?
That is 14.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Ash expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £365,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Somerset council area averaged £1,016 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Ash?
Band D council tax in Ash is £2,558 for 2026–27, more than in 78% 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 Ash
Village in Somerset, England
Ash is a built-up area of 619 people, in the South Somerset 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
- 619 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Somerset
- County
- Somerset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006245
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.