Knutsford’s biggest
The Heath
Park or garden
13 ha (32 acres)2.6 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.6 km of path
18 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Eirian Evans · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Knutsford · parks, paths & countryside
83% of Knutsford’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Knutsford add up to 2.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 59 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.9 for every square kilometre. Knutsford grades C+ for the outdoors: #23 of 46 in Cheshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
83%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
59 km
2.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Peak District National Park
Outdoors grade
Knutsford grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Knutsford, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C+
Better than 44% of UK towns#23 of 46 in Cheshire · 35th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
62out of
100
100
A park within a walk83%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
52out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
57out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland
42out of
100
100
Graded, never part of the overall grade (like History and Civic life). It measures what is mapped: OS Open Greenspace leaves out woodland and open-access land that isn’t a park, and OpenStreetMap’s rural paths are more complete in some places than others.
Towns its size
Knutsford is 35th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 12,600 to 14,000 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Outdoors score: the share of UK towns each one beats
Footpath, km per km²
Knutsford2.9
Towns its size3.1
Cheshire towns2.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Knutsford2.6
Towns its size2.2
Cheshire towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Knutsford83%
Towns its size78%
Cheshire towns82%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Knutsford stands out most for park space per resident: only 18 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farncombe Surrey | A+ | 5.7 | 92% | 3.8 | 54% |
| 2 | Sidmouth Devon | A | 2.6 | 73% | 2.9 | 60% |
| 3 | Newhaven East Sussex | A | 1.9 | 84% | 2.9 | 50% |
| 4 | Rhosllannerchrugog Clwyd | A | 3.5 | 98% | 2.8 | 31% |
| 5 | Abergavenny Gwent | A | 3.2 | 83% | 3.1 | 60% |
| 6 | Wellington Somerset | A | 2.2 | 99% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 7 | Wick West Sussex | A | 1.3 | 91% | 3 | 25% |
| 8 | Stoke Gifford Gloucestershire | A− | 5.7 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 9 | Addlestone Surrey | A− | 4.3 | 90% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Heckmondwike West Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 11 | Churchdown Gloucestershire | A− | 2.2 | 92% | 3.7 | 11% |
| 12 | Wantage Oxfordshire | A− | 2.5 | 71% | 3.9 | 47% |
| 13 | Lees Greater Manchester | A− | 2.5 | 80% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 14 | Tavistock Devon | A− | 5.9 | 83% | 1.6 | 72% |
| 15 | Bacup Lancashire | A− | 2.5 | 94% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 16 | Audenshaw Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.6 | 93% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 17 | Berwick-upon-Tweed Northumberland | B+ | 2.5 | 62% | 2.7 | 1% |
| 18 | Verwood Dorset | B+ | 5.7 | 41% | 3.9 | 13% |
| 19 | Ringwood Hampshire | B+ | 2.3 | 78% | 3.2 | 43% |
| 20 | Chorleywood Hertfordshire | B+ | 2.7 | 37% | 5.7 | 22% |
| 21 | Poulton-le-Fylde Lancashire | B+ | 3.6 | 85% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Chalfont St Peter Buckinghamshire | B+ | 2.2 | 80% | 3.5 | 18% |
| 23 | Marple Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.4 | 64% | 3.8 | 5% |
| 24 | Poynton Cheshire | B+ | 2.2 | 79% | 3.7 | 14% |
| 25 | Royal Wootton Bassett Wiltshire | B+ | 1.6 | 98% | 3.1 | 10% |
| 26 | Enderby and Narborough Leicestershire | B | 1.9 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 27 | West Kirby Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 68% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Rushall and Shelfield West Midlands | B | 4.3 | 88% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Scawthorpe and Cusworth South Yorkshire | B− | 3.1 | 88% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Standish Greater Manchester | B− | 2.6 | 84% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 31 | Midsomer Norton Somerset | B− | 1.9 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Sheerness Kent | B− | 3 | 68% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Leicester Forest East and Kirby Muxloe Leicestershire | B− | 3.4 | 73% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Davenham Cheshire | B− | 1.3 | 88% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Knutsford Cheshire | C+ | 2.6 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Thame Oxfordshire | C+ | 2.9 | 91% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Buckley Clwyd | C+ | 2.6 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 38 | Street Somerset | C+ | 0.7 | 96% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Birtley Tyne and Wear | C | 1.4 | 71% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Flitwick Bedfordshire | C | 0.8 | 59% | 3.9 | 3% |
| 41 | Todmorden West Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 72% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Hersham Surrey | C | 2.5 | 73% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 43 | Syston Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Ferndown Dorset | C | 0.7 | 13% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Rhondda Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Brough East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 74% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 47 | North Walsham Norfolk | C− | 1.3 | 69% | 2 | 10% |
| 48 | Porth Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.8 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Kirk Sandall and Edenthorpe South Yorkshire | D | 2 | 75% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Halstead Essex | D | 0.6 | 73% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 51 | Amesbury Wiltshire | D | 1.8 | 73% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Northallerton North Yorkshire | D | 1.1 | 70% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Driffield East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 2.1 | 75% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 54 | Mountsorrel Leicestershire | D | 0.9 | 56% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 55 | New Rossington and Rossington South Yorkshire | D | 0.8 | 50% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Flint Clwyd | D | 1 | 56% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Whittlesey Cambridgeshire | D | 1.7 | 73% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Mountain Ash Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.4 | 56% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Wombourne Staffordshire | D | 0.8 | 78% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Balderton Nottinghamshire | D | 1.4 | 64% | 1.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Knutsford’s built-up area.
Green space: parks, gardens, playing fields and play spaces, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · Contains OS data © Crown copyright · Natural England / NRW
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Knutsford
The biggest is The Heath, 13 ha (32 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 4 named parks by size: 15 ha (38 acres) and 3 km of path
Parks & gardens 15 haPlay spaces 0.0 ha
The two biggest, The Heath and The Moor, are 99% of the named green space and carry 3 km of path between them.
The Moor
Park or garden
2.3 ha (6 acres)0.6 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Knutsford
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Rest Park
Park or garden
0.1 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Knutsford
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Tabley Park Play Area
Play space
0.0 ha (0 acres)
0.9 mi westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Knutsford’s homes are to a park
Each square is 1 in 100 residents: green lives within 400 m of a public park, garden or playing field (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace).
Within 400 m (83%)Further (17%)
Knutsford83%
Towns its size78%
Cheshire towns82%
All UK towns83%
About 2,300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 10 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,325 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Peak District National Park is 10 mi away
Protected landscapes within 30 km, by direction and distance from the edge of the built-up area; circle size shows each one’s area. National Landscapes were called Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty until 2023.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Knutsford
59 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Knutsford and the kilometre around it, 2.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Regional
North Cheshire Way8.8 km
The regional route here is the North Cheshire Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A registered historic park in Knutsford
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Knutsford’s named parks.
Registered · Grade II*Tatton Park0.9 ha
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Knutsford: May to September
The town’s 1991–2020 averages (Met Office HadUK-Grid) and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15 °C or more and little rain for the town.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 71 | 62 | 55 | 55 | 62 | 72 | 74 | 78 | 71 | 90 | 81 | 89 |
March is the driest month (55 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 90 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 43 nights a year. The climate in Knutsford →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 10 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the town in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK town its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Knutsford is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Wader Point18 mi from Knutsford’s edge
DirectionsStone Beach18 mi from Knutsford’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South18 mi from Knutsford’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North18 mi from Knutsford’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach18 mi from Knutsford’s edge
DirectionsGood to know
Check the water before you swim. The Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 10
Tabley Park Play Areain town
DirectionsAdventure Playground1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Tatton Park Scout Campsite0.2 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
MobberleyChelfordPickmereLostock GralamBowdonHigh LeghKnutsford
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Mobberley, 1.6 miles away, grades C+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Knutsford
What is the biggest park in Knutsford?
The Heath, 13 ha (32 acres), with 2.6 km of path. The Moor (2.3 ha) is second. 4 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Knutsford near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 10 mi east of the town’s edge. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Knutsford?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the North Cheshire Way. The Heath alone has 2.6 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Knutsford?
Wader Point, 18 mi from the edge of the town, then Stone Beach (18 mi). Knutsford itself is inland.
How many people in Knutsford live near a park?
83% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a public park, garden or playing field (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace). The typical UK town is 83%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Knutsford?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Knutsford are historic?
Tatton Park (Grade II*) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Knutsford good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 57% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 62% (2.6 ha per 1,000 residents).
How is the Outdoors Grade worked out?
From five measures, each placed among UK towns of 1,000 or more: public green space per resident, the share living near a park, National Park or National Landscape within 5 km, footpaths per square kilometre, and the sea within 5 km. It is a character grade and isn’t part of Knutsford’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Knutsford’s outdoors figures come from
- Parks and green space: Ordnance Survey OS Open Greenspace (parks and gardens, playing fields, play spaces, and their access points). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- National Parks and National Landscapes: Natural England and Natural Resources Wales boundaries, areas and designation dates, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Footpaths, walking routes, beaches and things to do: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License (ODbL), via Geofabrik, 16 October 2026.
- Historic parks, listed buildings and monuments: Historic England, National Heritage List for England, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Rain and temperature: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the town; daylight calculated from its latitude.
- The sea: ONS Countries (December 2024) boundaries clipped to mean high water. Residents near a park: ONS Census 2021 output areas.
- Grade: TownRatings’ Outdoors Grade, ranked against UK towns only.
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.