Macclesfield’s biggest
South Park
Park or garden
16 ha (39 acres)3.1 km of path
40 minto walk all 3.1 km of path
22 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Bernt Rostad from Oslo, Norway · CC BY 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Macclesfield · parks, paths & countryside
80% of Macclesfield’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Peak District National Park begins 0.7 mi from the town’s edge. 138 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.3 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Macclesfield add up to 1.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Macclesfield grades B for the outdoors: #16 of 46 in Cheshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
80%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
138 km
3.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
18%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Peak District National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Macclesfield?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe Peak District National Park starts 0.7 mi east.Hills with a view5 mapped viewpoints, about 2× as many per resident as the typical town its size.Historic parksWest Park is a registered historic park (Grade II).
Macclesfield’s strongest suit is the Peak District National Park close by, followed by its views.
Outdoors grade
Macclesfield grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Macclesfield, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B
Better than 61% of UK towns#16 of 46 in Cheshire · 41st of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
40out of
100
100
A park within a walk80%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
48out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape18%of the land within 5 km
76out of
100
100
Footpaths3.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
67out 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
Macclesfield is 41st of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 46,900 to 62,600 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
Macclesfield3.3
Towns its size3.6
Cheshire towns2.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Macclesfield1.8
Towns its size2.3
Cheshire towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Macclesfield80%
Towns its size84%
Cheshire towns82%
All UK towns83%
Macclesfield falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 46 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Folkestone Kent | A+ | 2.3 | 95% | 4.9 | 45% |
| 2 | Havant Hampshire | A+ | 3.6 | 84% | 5.8 | 30% |
| 3 | Lancaster Lancashire | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.5 | 22% |
| 4 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 5 | Scarborough North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 86% | 3.1 | 17% |
| 6 | Andover Hampshire | A | 2.7 | 91% | 4.4 | 21% |
| 7 | Gravesend Kent | A | 1.4 | 84% | 6.4 | 14% |
| 8 | Salisbury Wiltshire | A | 2.7 | 94% | 3.9 | 22% |
| 9 | Barry South Glamorgan | A | 2.9 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Weymouth Dorset | A | 2.6 | 55% | 3.5 | 35% |
| 11 | Sittingbourne Kent | A | 1.9 | 93% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 12 | Banbury Oxfordshire | A | 2.6 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 13 | Farnborough Hampshire | A | 4 | 77% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 14 | Eastleigh Hampshire | A− | 3 | 76% | 4.9 | 17% |
| 15 | Tynemouth Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.2 | 85% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 16 | Hereford Herefordshire | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 17 | Christchurch Dorset | A− | 2.1 | 70% | 3.3 | 14% |
| 18 | Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent | A− | 2.2 | 93% | 2.7 | 73% |
| 19 | Crosby Merseyside | A− | 4.6 | 89% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Washington Tyne and Wear | A− | 4.5 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Ashton-under-Lyne Greater Manchester | A− | 3.1 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 22 | Carlton Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.9 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Bootle Merseyside | B+ | 2.1 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Canterbury Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 5.7 | 19% |
| 25 | West Molesey Surrey | B+ | 4.4 | 80% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 26 | Torquay Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Thundersley and South Benfleet Essex | B+ | 3.2 | 69% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Bridgwater Somerset | B+ | 1.9 | 86% | 3.7 | 2% |
| 29 | Yeovil Somerset | B+ | 2 | 90% | 3.2 | 2% |
| 30 | Bebington Merseyside | B+ | 3 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Royal Leamington Spa Warwickshire | B+ | 2.7 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Huyton with Roby Merseyside | B+ | 3.7 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Cwmbrân Gwent | B+ | 2.1 | 84% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 34 | Wokingham Berkshire | B | 4 | 84% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Horsham West Sussex | B | 1.5 | 83% | 3.9 | 19% |
| 36 | Widnes Cheshire | B | 3 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Beeston Nottinghamshire | B | 2.7 | 77% | 6 | 0% |
| 38 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 39 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 40 | Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria | B | 2 | 91% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Macclesfield Cheshire | B | 1.8 | 80% | 3.3 | 18% |
| 42 | Winchester Hampshire | B | 1.2 | 79% | 3.8 | 35% |
| 43 | Altrincham Greater Manchester | B | 2.2 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Brentwood Essex | B− | 3.9 | 69% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Bloxwich West Midlands | B− | 3.6 | 74% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Tipton West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 79% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Smethwick West Midlands | C+ | 2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Wellingborough Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.7 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Hinckley Leicestershire | C+ | 1.8 | 87% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Halesowen West Midlands | C+ | 2.1 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Willenhall West Midlands | C+ | 3.4 | 66% | 3 | 0% |
| 53 | Kingswinford West Midlands | C+ | 2.6 | 71% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 54 | King's Lynn Norfolk | C+ | 1.3 | 80% | 2.2 | 23% |
| 55 | Clacton-on-Sea Essex | C | 1.7 | 73% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 56 | Durham County Durham | C | 1.1 | 68% | 6 | 0% |
| 57 | Stourbridge West Midlands | C | 1.9 | 72% | 3 | 0% |
| 58 | Keighley West Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Kidderminster Worcestershire | D | 1.2 | 72% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Bridgend Mid Glamorgan | D | 0.9 | 78% | 2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Macclesfield’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 Macclesfield
The biggest is South Park, 16 ha (39 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 9 named parks by size: 44 ha (110 acres) and 10 km of path
Parks & gardens 33 haPlaying fields 12 ha
The two biggest, South Park and West Park, are 56% of the named green space and carry 5 km of path between them. 4 of the 9 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Historic park · Grade II
West Park
Playing field
9.3 ha (23 acres)1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
13 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Macclesfield
Three early medieval cross shafts in West Park monument +1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Riverside Park
Park or garden
5.8 ha (14 acres)1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Victoria Park
Park or garden
4.8 ha (12 acres)1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Macclesfield Riverside Park
Park or garden
5.0 ha (12 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Henbury Millennium Green
Park or garden · 320 m outside town
1.4 ha (3 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.8 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
King George's Field
Playing field
1.8 ha (4 acres)0.3 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Lyme Green
Playing field
0.6 ha (2 acres)0.3 km of path
1.7 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 9 named parks and green spaces
South ParkPark or garden · 16 ha · 3.1 km of path
DirectionsWest ParkPlaying field · 9.3 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsRiverside ParkPark or garden · 5.8 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsMacclesfield Riverside ParkPark or garden · 5.0 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsHenbury Millennium GreenPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsKing George's FieldPlaying field · 1.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsLyme GreenPlaying field · 0.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsMill GreenPark or garden · 0.0 ha
DirectionsClose to home
How close Macclesfield’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 (80%)Further (20%)
Macclesfield80%
Towns its size84%
Cheshire towns82%
All UK towns83%
About 11,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 46 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,182 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Peak District National Park is 0.7 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
18% of the land within 5 km of Macclesfield is National Park or National Landscape, more than 76% of UK towns. Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
6 waymarked walks pass through or near Macclesfield
138 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Macclesfield and the kilometre around it, 3.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Cheshire Ring Canal Walk12.7 km
Gritstone Trail (Disley - River Dane)9.5 km
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 188.3 km
Tegg’s Nose Country Park Trail4.6 km
Bollin Valley Way4.0 km
A Walk to the Forest3.9 km
3 regional routes pass through, including the Gritstone Trail (Disley - River Dane), Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 18 and Bollin Valley 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 historic park in the middle of Macclesfield
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Macclesfield’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
West Park
9.3 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 2 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge, including Three early medieval cross shafts in West Park (a scheduled monument).
SMThree early medieval cross shafts in West ParkIIWest Park Museum
Heritage walks
Cheshire Ring Canal Walk 12.7 km
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 Macclesfield: 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 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 80 | 69 | 61 | 58 | 62 | 76 | 80 | 87 | 80 | 101 | 87 | 95 |
April is the driest month (58 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 101 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 41 nights a year. The climate in Macclesfield →
Things to do
5 viewpoints, 46 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.
5Viewpoints2.4× towns its size4Hills and peaks1.8× towns its size2Picnic sites46Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Slipways
The nearest beaches
Macclesfield is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Wader Point22 mi from Macclesfield’s edge
DirectionsStone Beach22 mi from Macclesfield’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South22 mi from Macclesfield’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North22 mi from Macclesfield’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach22 mi from Macclesfield’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.
Up high. Kerridge Hill, at 313 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Macclesfield.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Plus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 4
Kerridge Hill313 m (1,027 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsTegg's Nose380 m (1,247 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsTegg's Nose South Peak0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 46
The Jubilee Playground1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 45 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
PrestburyBollingtonAlderley EdgeWoodfordChelfordPoyntonMacclesfield
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macclesfield | B | 1.8 | 80% | 18% |
| Prestbury 2.2 mi | B | 5.6 | 42% | 6% |
| Bollington 2.8 mi | B− | 1.3 | 56% | 31% |
| Alderley Edge 5.0 mi | B− | 2.2 | 86% | 0% |
| Woodford 5.7 mi | B+ | 5.9 | 80% | 5% |
| Chelford 6.1 mi | C | 1.8 | 82% | 0% |
| Poynton 6.2 mi | B+ | 2.2 | 79% | 14% |
Poynton, 6.2 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 79% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Prestbury and Woodford have at least twice Macclesfield’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Macclesfield
What is the biggest park in Macclesfield?
South Park, 16 ha (39 acres), with 3.1 km of path. West Park (9.3 ha) is second. 9 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Macclesfield near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 0.7 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 Macclesfield?
6 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk, Gritstone Trail (Disley - River Dane) and Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 18. South Park alone has 3.1 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Macclesfield?
Wader Point, 22 mi from the edge of the town, then Stone Beach (22 mi). Macclesfield itself is inland.
How many people in Macclesfield live near a park?
80% 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 Macclesfield?
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 Macclesfield are historic?
West Park (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Macclesfield good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 67% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 40% (1.8 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 Macclesfield’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Macclesfield’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.