Abbey Field
Colchester 013 · 4 sub-areas · 8,342 residents
Colchester 013 is a residential part of Colchester in the East of England, home to around 8,300 people. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,080 a month — noticeably below the UK median for a 2-bed — and the area sits in the upper half of the national deprivation scale, making it one of the more comfortable parts of the borough.
Abbey Field is a mid-density neighbourhood of Colchester in the East of England region. It sits between busier and quieter parts of the local authority and isn't dominated by a single use — there's a mix of workplaces, housing and local services. A high share of adults are degree-educated, which often shows up in the kind of jobs people commute to.
Overview
What's it like to live in Abbey Field?
Greenspace is reachable but isn't on the immediate doorstep — most residents walk a few blocks to reach a park; Crime sits around the national average — neither a notable concern nor a notable selling point; Public transport is genuinely strong; most errands and a fair share of social life don't need a car; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,216 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Abbey Field in Colchester
Living in Abbey Field
This part of Colchester has a settled, predominantly owner-occupied feel. Around two in three households own their home, which is well above what you'd find in most urban neighbourhoods, and the relatively low share of single-person households points to a place where families and couples have put down roots rather than somewhere transient renters pass through.
Rents here are competitive. A two-bedroom home runs about £1,080 a month — roughly in line with, or just below, the UK median for that size — and even three-bedroom houses sit at around £1,320. That's a meaningfully different proposition from renting in Chelmsford or the London commuter belt. The trade-off is that rent has risen by about 6% in the past year, so it's not standing still.
The population skews slightly young: nearly a quarter of residents are under 18, and another quarter are in the 18–34 bracket, which gives the area more of a family-with-young-children character than a retiree one. The degree-qualified share is high at around 45%, suggesting a professionally active resident base — many of whom work from home. Nearly four in ten residents work from home, one of the more notable features of this area compared to typical UK neighbourhoods.
For practical purposes, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1.4 km away — about a 17-minute walk — and the rail commute to London runs to just over 86 minutes. That puts London within reach for occasional trips but makes this genuinely a place to live rather than a commuter dormitory. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
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Frequently asked
- Is Colchester 013 a nice place to live?
- It's a comfortable, settled part of Colchester — mostly owner-occupied, with a well-educated population and decent broadband. Crime runs slightly above the national average, and the Ofsted picture for nearby schools is below the national norm, but the cost of living is reasonable and the area sits in the less deprived half of England by most measures.
- What is the rent in Colchester 013?
- A one-bedroom home runs about £833 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,080, and a three-bedroom roughly £1,320. Rents rose by about 6% in the past year. These are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices.
- Is Colchester 013 safe?
- The crime rate is around 100 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — modestly above the UK national rate of roughly 80 per 1,000. It's not a high-crime area in absolute terms, and the low deprivation score suggests the environment is generally stable. Check the crime widget for the specific categories driving the figure.
- What's the commute from Colchester 013 to London?
- The rail journey to London takes just over 86 minutes by public transport. The nearest mainline station is about 1.4 km away — roughly a 17-minute walk. It's within range for occasional trips, but most residents drive or work from home rather than commuting daily.
- Who lives in Colchester 013?
- Mostly owner-occupying families and professionals — around 64% of households own their home, roughly 45% of residents are degree-qualified, and nearly four in ten work from home. The age spread is relatively even, with a noticeable share of under-18s suggesting plenty of families with children.
- What schools are near Colchester 013?
- There are 81 schools within typical catchment distance. Around 42% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — below the national share of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is just over 1 km away. Use the schools widget on this page for named institutions and current inspection ratings.
- What's the council tax in Colchester 013?
- Band D council tax in Colchester 013 comes to around £2,283 a year. That's the standard reference point; your actual bill will depend on your band and any applicable discounts.