Watersfield’s story
14 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Watersfield’s built-up area.
22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WatersfieldWest Sussex
In West Sussex, South East, this village has 328 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Charlesdrakew · Public domain
Population
328
Census 2021 · Horsham council
Median age
56.2
32% are 65+ · West Sussex 23%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Watersfield a good place to live?
Watersfield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. 14 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. On the way to work, 12% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. People aged 65 and over make up 32% of residents.
What makes Watersfield stand out
The 3 things Watersfield does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 17.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
32% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Watersfield.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Watersfield than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 14% are under 15
56.2median age
41% of adults hold a degree, higher than both West Sussex’s towns (32%) and England’s towns (34%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 6.1% of the population. The median resident of Watersfield is 56.2 years old.
WatersfieldWest SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
32%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 88 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.
| Watersfield | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.1% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 32% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Watersfield: just 16% travel under 5 km, below West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
12%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 48% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
86% of commuters drove, above both West Sussex’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%). Working from home was the norm for 48% of workers at the census. Unemployment benefit claims reached 1.3% of 16 to 64s in 2026.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
Train5%
On foot4%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
16%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
48%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£53K
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
More households own their home in Watersfield than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 77%
£0Kmedian sale
Renting privately is how one in ten households live. Social housing holds just over one in ten households, below both West Sussex’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,474 a month across the Horsham council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Watersfield£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £688,500 | 6 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,474
average private rent a month, Horsham council area
£2,401
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 Watersfield than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.1 per 1,000 residents a year
11.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Police figures for Watersfield’s built-up area: 10 crimes and 1 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violent crime ran at 11.2 per 1,000 residents a year, below West Sussex’s towns (17.5) and England’s towns (22) alike. Of all the crimes, 80% were violence and sexual offences.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual8
Public order1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
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.
11.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
16.3
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 · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
Bad health is less common in Watersfield than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.4% of residents
84%good or very good health
The nearest A&E to Watersfield is St Richard's Hospital, 11.1 miles away. A disability affects 15% of people in the town. Seeing a GP means leaving Watersfield: the nearest practice is 2.8 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Watersfield | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.4% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
82
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Watersfield are listed than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 427 per 10,000 residents
14listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
22% of homes date from before 1919. Of Watersfield’s land, 15% lies in conservation areas, above both West Sussex’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%).
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II14
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
22%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
427
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 Watersfield
12pages on Watersfield
The big questions
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Amberley Castle and 14 more in and around Watersfield
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Watersfield. Best known first.
CastleAmberley Castle2.6 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumBignor Roman Villa2 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumAmberley Museum and Heritage Centre3.7 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseParham House4.4 km outside town, to the east
Heritage railwayAmberley Museum Railway3.6 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumAmberley Fire Station (museum exhibit)3.7 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Amberley Castle: Jonathan Day from Brighton, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bignor Roman Villa: Trevor Harris, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Parham House: Rictor Norton & David Allen from London, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Amberley Museum Railway: Ninja Scaley, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Watersfield
Village in West Sussex, England
Watersfield is a built-up area of 328 people, in the Horsham 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
- 328 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Horsham
- County
- West Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006347
Watersfield’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
PulboroughCodmore HillPetworthWest ChiltingtonStorringtonAbingworthArundelWatersfield
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watersfield | 328 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pulborough | 3,651 | 2.9 | C+ | B− | B− | B+ |
| Codmore Hill | 1,288 | 3.4 | — | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Petworth | 2,592 | 4.2 | C+ | D | B+ | B+ |
| West Chiltington | 3,095 | 4.6 | B+ | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Storrington | 8,713 | 4.8 | B | C | B | A |
| Abingworth | 1,039 | 5.4 | — | C− | A | A+ |
| Arundel | 3,035 | 5.8 | B | D− | C | A− |
Codmore Hill and Abingworth have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Watersfield
How many listed buildings are there in Watersfield?
That is 17.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Watersfield?
Band D council tax in Watersfield is £2,401 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.
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.