West Pennard’s story
15 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside West Pennard’s built-up area.
36% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
West PennardSomerset
In Somerset, South West, this village has 360 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Michael Garlick · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
360
Census 2021 · Mendip council
Median age
54.6
31% are 65+ · Somerset 23%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is West Pennard a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so West Pennard has no grades; its figures are still real. 9% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 15 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I. Over-65s are 31% of the population.
What makes West Pennard stand out
The 3 things West Pennard does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 Grade I, including Church of St Nicholas; 17.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in West Pennard.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in West Pennard than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns: 12% are under 15
54.6median age
People aged 15 to 24 make up 9.3% of the town, lower than both Somerset’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Those 65 and older account for 31% of residents. Ages in West Pennard split evenly at 54.6: half are older, half younger.
West PennardSomersetEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship2%
A levels or similar22%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| West Pennard | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 2.2% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 22% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in West Pennard: just 20% travel under 5 km, below Somerset’s towns and England’s towns
9%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 44% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
1.8% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below Somerset’s towns (2.1%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. The car carried 88% of commuters at the census. At the census, 44% of workers worked mainly from home.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot7%
Bus1%
Train1%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
44%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£60K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
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
West Pennard is a town of owners: 75% of households own their home, above Somerset’s towns and England’s towns
£0Kmedian sale
Social renters account for 5% of households. Private rents average £1,016 a month across the Somerset council area. A fifth of households are private tenants.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
West Pennard£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £575,000 | 5 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
20%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,016
average private rent a month, Somerset council area
£2,422
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
Violence is recorded less often in West Pennard than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 18.5 per 1,000 residents a year
18.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
There were 1.9 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below both Somerset’s towns (7.2) and England’s towns (7.8). Police recorded 7 crimes inside West Pennard’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 43% of recorded crime.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Other theft2
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
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.
18.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
7
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
Bad health is less common in West Pennard than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.6% of residents
79%good or very good health
There is no GP practice in West Pennard: the nearest is 3.1 miles off. Asked at the census, 79% of residents of West Pennard said they were in good or very good health. The nearest A&E to West Pennard is Yeovil District Hospital, 13.5 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | West Pennard | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.6% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
83
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.2
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 West Pennard are listed than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns: 417 per 10,000 residents
15listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
36% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both Somerset’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (16%). West Pennard’s listed buildings include the Church of St Nicholas, Grade I. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 2 of them.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I2
Grade II*0
Grade II13
Among them · Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
36%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
417
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 West Pennard
12pages on West Pennard
The big questions
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Glastonbury Abbey and 6 more in and around West Pennard
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near West Pennard. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryGlastonbury Abbey4.2 km outside town, to the west
Museum · English HeritageGlastonbury Tribunal4.3 km outside town, to the west
MuseumSomerset Rural Life Museum3.8 km outside town, to the westRuinsRuins · National TrustSt. Michael's Tower2.9 km outside town, to the westPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustGlastonbury Tor3 km outside town, to the westGardenGardenThe Chalice Well and Gardens3.4 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Glastonbury Abbey: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glastonbury Tribunal: NotFromUtrecht, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Somerset Rural Life Museum: NotFromUtrecht, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About West Pennard
Village in Somerset, England
West Pennard is a built-up area of 360 people, in the Mendip 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
- 360 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Mendip
- County
- Somerset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005873
West Pennard’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
PiltonGlastonburyStreetKeinton MandevilleWellsShepton MalletWaltonWest Pennard
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Pennard | 360 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pilton | 1,104 | 3.1 | — | D | C+ | A+ |
| Glastonbury | 8,304 | 3.2 | D | B− | D | C |
| Street | 12,707 | 4.4 | B− | B | C+ | C+ |
| Keinton Mandeville | 1,216 | 4.7 | — | D | A+ | B+ |
| Wells | 12,097 | 4.8 | D | C− | C− | B− |
| Shepton Mallet | 9,645 | 5.4 | C− | B | C− | C+ |
| Walton | 1,149 | 5.5 | — | C | A | B+ |
Pilton, Keinton Mandeville and Walton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about West Pennard
How many listed buildings are there in West Pennard?
That is 17.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Church of St Nicholas.
How much is council tax in West Pennard?
Band D council tax in West Pennard is £2,422 for 2026–27, less than in 54% 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.
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.