Wells or Ashburton: Which Is Better Value?
Wells averages £362,500 against £360,000 in Ashburton, a gap of £2,500 or 1%. You would need £250 more deposit and about £13 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Ashburton charges £378 more council tax at Band D.
Wells averages £362,500 against £360,000 in Ashburton, a gap of £2,500 or 1%. You would need £250 more deposit and about £13 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Ashburton charges £378 more council tax at Band D.
Price and deposit
The headline gap is £2,500, or 1%. On a 10% deposit that is £250 more cash to find before you start. Detached homes average £380,000 against £525,000.
Wells against Ashburton
Town guides for each: Mortgage advice in Wells and Mortgage advice in Ashburton.
Schools and families
Both towns show 0 Outstanding rated schools, so the choice turns on Good rated capacity and catchment distance. Counting last graded Ofsted inspections (before September 2024), Wells has 1 school and Ashburton has 1 school graded Good or better.
A strong catchment in the cheaper town can cost more than an average street in the dearer one. Compare catchments, not averages.
Running costs and getting to work
Band D council tax is £2,300 in Wells and £2,678 in Ashburton, a difference of £378 a year.
The honest verdict
Ashburton is cheaper to buy on these figures. Wells carries the higher price and, on this data, the stronger school profile.
Neither is right in the abstract. If the deposit is your constraint, the £250 difference matters more than anything else here. If catchment is the constraint, price follows the school you need.
What each town is actually like
Price is one axis. These are the things people move for, and the things they find out afterwards.
Wells
In its favour- One of the most beautiful cathedral cities in England
- World-class heritage and good schools
- A compact, walkable, safe centre
- Generally modest flood risk on higher ground
- Among the highest-priced places in Somerset
- A very small city, limited big-town amenities
- No railway station (Castle Cary ~11 miles)
- No full A&E in the city (~20 miles to Bath/Bristol/Yeovil)
Best for Families ★★★★☆
The Blue School (Good), the famous Wells Cathedral School and primaries, with the Mendips and Cheddar close, strong for families who can meet the prices.
Ashburton
In its favour- A characterful old stannary town on the edge of Dartmoor
- Its own primary and secondary schools (Ashburton Primary Good; South Dartmoor college)
- Renowned antiques & independent shops
- Dartmoor, the Dart & the coast within reach
- No railway station in the town (nearest Newton Abbot / Totnes)
- Dartmoor National Park & conservation-area planning constraints
- River/surface-water flood risk on low-lying ground near the Ashburn
- No full A&E (Newton Abbot has a minor injuries unit; nearest A&E at Torbay/Exeter)
Best for Families ★★★★☆
Its own primary (Ashburton Primary, Good) and secondary (South Dartmoor Community College) schools, a real community, and Dartmoor and the River Dart nearby for an outdoor childhood, with fast A38 access, check the latest school reports (the college now has an ungraded report card) and, near the Ashburn, the flood risk.
Wells and Ashburton, side by side
| Measure | Wells | Ashburton |
|---|---|---|
| Average property price | £362,500 | £360,000 |
| Average detached | £380,000 | £525,000 |
| 10% deposit | £36,250 | £36,000 |
| Illustrative monthly payment | £1,907 | £1,894 |
| Band D council tax | £2,300 | £2,678 |
| Outstanding rated schools | 0 | 0 |
| Good rated schools | 1 | 1 |
Local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own figures before acting.
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Questions people ask
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