Ashburton & Buckfastleigh
Teignbridge 017 · 5 sub-areas · 8,105 residents
Teignbridge 017 is a rural pocket of Teignbridge in Devon's South West, home to around 8,100 people. A typical two-bedroom lets for about £854 a month — noticeably below the national median for a 2-bed — though with rents rising around 4.5% year-on-year, the gap is narrowing. The area skews older than most, with over a quarter of residents aged 65 or above.
Ashburton & Buckfastleigh is a settled residential pocket of Teignbridge. The bigger gravitational centre is Bristol, around 203 minutes away by direct train, but most days don't require leaving — local life is what people are here for.
Overview
What's it like to live in Ashburton & Buckfastleigh?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; there's effectively nothing within walking distance — eating out, drinking and shopping mean a drive; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; Transport links are limited — a car or e-bike is a practical assumption for most regular trips; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £944 a month for a typical home.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 5 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Ashburton & Buckfastleigh in Teignbridge
Living in Ashburton & Buckfastleigh
Teignbridge 017 sits within the Teignbridge district of Devon, and it feels like it. This is largely quiet, semi-rural territory — owner-occupied, car-dependent, and noticeably older in character than most English neighbourhoods. Nearly two in three households own their home outright or with a mortgage, and one-person households account for around a third of all homes, reflecting the older age profile.
The cost of living here is meaningfully lower than much of southern England. A two-bedroom home rents for around £854 a month — well under the national median of roughly £1,200 for that size. But that affordability comes with trade-offs: public transport is thin on the ground, with only about 1% of residents commuting that way. Over half drive to work, and working from home — at nearly 31% — is more common here than in most places, which makes sense given how rural the surrounding area is.
Demographically, this is one of the older neighbourhoods in the region. Almost a quarter of residents are aged 50–64, and a further quarter are 65 or older — together, nearly half the population is in those two brackets. Families with children are a smaller share of the mix, at around one in six households. Ethnic diversity is very low, with over 94% of residents born in the UK.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 10 km away — around a 2-hour walk in straight-line terms, so you'll need a car or a lift to get there. There's no metro or tram service within realistic reach. Greenspace, on the other hand, is genuinely close: about 53% of residents are within easy walking distance of it, with the average green space just 378 metres away. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on specific parts of the neighbourhood.
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Frequently asked
- Is Teignbridge 017 a nice place to live?
- It depends on what you value. If you want quiet, affordable rural Devon living with good greenspace access and low crime, it delivers. Around 53% of residents are within walking distance of green space, and crime sits well below the national average at 54 per 1,000. The trade-off is limited public transport and a long drive to reach major towns or cities.
- What is the rent in Teignbridge 017?
- A one-bedroom typically rents for around £643 a month, a two-bedroom for about £854, and a three-bedroom for roughly £1,066. These figures are estimates based on local sale prices scaled from district-level data. Rents rose around 4.5% in the past year, so expect gradual upward pressure.
- Is Teignbridge 017 safe?
- Yes, relatively. The recorded crime rate is around 54 per 1,000 residents a year, noticeably below the UK average of roughly 80 per 1,000. Rural Devon areas tend to have lower rates of theft and violent crime than urban counterparts, and the deprivation level here is moderate rather than high.
- What's the commute from Teignbridge 017 to the nearest major city?
- It's not easy by public transport. Only about 1% of residents commute that way, and the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 10 km away — you'll need a car to reach it. The fastest public-transport journey to a major UK employment hub is around 3.5 hours. Over half of residents drive, and nearly a third work from home.
- Who lives in Teignbridge 017?
- The area skews noticeably older — nearly half of residents are aged 50 or above, and the under-35 population is thin. Most households own their home, and around a third are single-person households. It's a settled, predominantly UK-born community with relatively low turnover and modest ethnic diversity.
- What schools are near Teignbridge 017?
- There are 8 schools within typical catchment distance, but only around 30% of them are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national share of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is approximately 15.8 km away. If schools are a priority, it's worth checking with Teignbridge council on current catchment areas and availability.
- Is Teignbridge 017 good for families?
- It's a mixed picture. Rents are affordable and crime is low, but the school Ofsted ratings within easy reach are below the national average, and there's very little public transport for older children. Couples with children make up around 17% of households — lower than many suburban areas. Families who drive and work from home may find it suits them; those relying on public services may struggle.