Horrabridge & Mary Tavy
West Devon 006 · 4 sub-areas · 6,333 residents
West Devon 006 is a rural stretch of West Devon with around 6,300 residents and a distinctly older, owner-occupier population. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £763 a month — well below the national average for a 2-bed and reflective of the area's remote, countryside character. Nearly a third of residents are over 65, making this one of the more retirement-oriented pockets in the South West.
Horrabridge & Mary Tavy is a settled residential pocket of West Devon. The bigger gravitational centre is Bristol, around 265 minutes away by direct train, but most days don't require leaving — local life is what people are here for. The population skews older, with a long-settled feel and a high share of retirees; most homes are owner-occupied, so turnover is low and many residents have been here a long time.
Overview
What's it like to live in Horrabridge & Mary Tavy?
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 below the national norm, with a typical home letting at around £837 a month.
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.
Horrabridge & Mary Tavy in West Devon
Living in Horrabridge & Mary Tavy
West Devon 006 feels like a slice of deep rural Devon — unhurried, green, and far from the commuter belt. With just over 6,300 residents spread across a wide area, density is low and the landscape does most of the talking. Greenspace is close by for most households, with the typical resident living within about 530 metres of accessible open land. It's a place that rewards people who want to slow down, not speed up.
Rents here are genuinely low by any national measure. A two-bedroom home comes in at around £763 a month — roughly 36% below the UK median for a 2-bed. Even three-bedroom properties average under £950. The trade-off is clear: you're not paying London or even Bristol prices, but you're also not within easy reach of a major city. Property prices tell a slightly different story — the median sale price sits at around £410,000 — so this is affordable to rent but not necessarily to buy, especially on local wages.
The population skews noticeably older. Around a third of residents are over 65, and the 50–64 age bracket accounts for another 27% — together that's nearly six in ten residents over 50. Young adults aged 18–34 make up just over 11%. Ownership is the dominant tenure here, with 80% of households owner-occupied and private renting accounting for only about 11%. This is a settled, long-established community, not one with a high turnover of renters.
Car ownership and car use are almost universal — nearly 58% of residents drive to work and over a third work from home. Public transport use is just 1.7%, which tells you everything about the infrastructure. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 10.6 km away in a straight line — around a 2-hour walk, so driving is essentially essential. If you're considering a move here, factor in two cars and the running costs that come with them. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on specific parts of the area.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is West Devon 006 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. If you want countryside, quiet and low rents, it delivers — greenspace is within 530 metres for most residents and crime is well below the national average. The trade-off is limited public transport, an older community feel, and a long drive to any major city. It suits remote workers, retirees and those who genuinely want to step away from urban life.
- What is the rent in West Devon 006?
- A one-bedroom home averages around £596 a month, a two-bed around £763, and a three-bed around £941. These are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose by about 1.9% over the past year — a relatively slow pace compared to many parts of England.
- Is West Devon 006 safe?
- Yes — it's one of the safer areas in England. The crime rate is around 26 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, compared to a national average of roughly 80 per 1,000. Rural Devon communities consistently record low crime figures, and West Devon 006 follows that pattern.
- What's the commute from West Devon 006 to the nearest city?
- It's not straightforward. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 10.6 km away, and public transport accounts for only 1.7% of how residents get to work. Most people drive. The journey to a major employment hub by public transport is around four and a half hours. Remote working — which 35% of residents already do — is almost a necessity for most professional jobs.
- Who lives in West Devon 006?
- Predominantly older owner-occupiers. Nearly a third of residents are over 65 and another 27% are aged 50–64. Just 11% are aged 18–34. Around 80% own their home. It's a settled, long-established community with low turnover — not an area where you'll find many young renters or a transient population.
- What schools are near West Devon 006?
- There are 5 schools within typical catchment distance, with around 38% rated Good or Outstanding — well below the national average of about 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is roughly 7 km away. Given the rural setting, families should check current Ofsted ratings and factor in travel distances carefully before committing to the area.
- How affordable is it to buy a home in West Devon 006?
- Not especially, despite the affordable rents. The median sale price is around £410,000, and on a median local salary of about £26,500, saving a deposit takes an estimated 7.7 years. Renting is relatively cheap; buying is a stretch unless you're bringing equity or a higher income from elsewhere.