Warrington’s biggest
Sankey Valley Park
Park or garden
25 ha (61 acres)2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
34 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Stephen Craven · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Warrington · parks, paths & countryside
93% of Warrington’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Warrington add up to 3.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 398 km in the city and the kilometre around it, 3.5 for every square kilometre. Warrington grades B+ for the outdoors: #8 of 46 in Cheshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
93%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
398 km
3.5 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
Warrington grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Warrington, 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 71% of UK towns#8 of 46 in Cheshire · 20th of 40 UK cities its size
Public green space3.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
76out of
100
100
A park within a walk93%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
72out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
71out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 1.2% sea, under the 5% that counts
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.
Cities its size
Warrington is 20th of 40 UK cities its size for the outdoors
The 40 UK towns and cities of 122,000 to 236,000 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
Warrington3.5
Cities its size4.3
Cheshire towns2.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Warrington3.5
Cities its size2.3
Cheshire towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Warrington93%
Cities its size85%
Cheshire towns82%
All UK towns83%
Against cities its size, Warrington stands out most for park space per resident: only 3 of the other 39 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 26 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swindon Wiltshire | A+ | 3.1 | 96% | 5.9 | 21% |
| 2 | Poole Dorset | A | 2.5 | 81% | 3.4 | 20% |
| 3 | Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire | A | 8 | 99% | 6.3 | 0% |
| 4 | Telford Shropshire | A | 3.2 | 96% | 4 | 6% |
| 5 | Colchester Essex | A | 3.2 | 86% | 5.4 | 10% |
| 6 | Kingswood and Fishponds Gloucestershire | A | 3.1 | 85% | 6.1 | 10% |
| 7 | Middlesbrough North Yorkshire | A | 2.6 | 85% | 2.9 | 3% |
| 8 | Swansea West Glamorgan | A | 3.2 | 86% | 2.1 | 9% |
| 9 | Watford Hertfordshire | A | 2.8 | 88% | 4.5 | 1% |
| 10 | Richmond upon Thames London | A− | 5.7 | 83% | 7.6 | 0% |
| 11 | Bournemouth Dorset | A− | 1.9 | 81% | 3.2 | 1% |
| 12 | Westminster London | A− | 2.6 | 98% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 13 | Merton London | A− | 3.3 | 89% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 14 | Sutton London | A− | 2.9 | 85% | 3.8 | 1% |
| 15 | Ipswich Suffolk | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 3.9 | 12% |
| 16 | Luton Bedfordshire | A− | 1.9 | 78% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 17 | Portsmouth Hampshire | A− | 1.2 | 82% | 3.5 | 2% |
| 18 | Newport Gwent | A− | 2.8 | 85% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 19 | Peterborough Cambridgeshire | B+ | 3.7 | 96% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Warrington Cheshire | B+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 21 | Oxford Oxfordshire | B+ | 2.4 | 90% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 22 | Huddersfield West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.4 | 94% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 23 | Norwich Norfolk | B+ | 1.9 | 77% | 5.4 | 4% |
| 24 | Camden London | B+ | 2 | 90% | 7.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Reading Berkshire | B+ | 1.7 | 73% | 4.6 | 26% |
| 26 | York North Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Kensington and Chelsea London | B | 1.5 | 99% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 28 | Kingston upon Thames London | B | 3.3 | 71% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Cambridge Cambridgeshire | B | 2.3 | 79% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 30 | Bolton Greater Manchester | B | 2.2 | 85% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Sunderland Tyne and Wear | B− | 1.5 | 76% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Islington London | B− | 0.6 | 98% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Hammersmith and Fulham London | B− | 1 | 93% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Blackburn Lancashire | B− | 2.2 | 71% | 3.1 | 1% |
| 35 | Exeter Devon | B− | 1.8 | 81% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 36 | Blackpool Lancashire | C+ | 1.6 | 75% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 37 | Southend-on-Sea Essex | C+ | 1.5 | 62% | 3 | 0% |
| 38 | Barking and Dagenham London | C+ | 2.4 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Slough Berkshire | C | 1.9 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 40 | Wolverhampton West Midlands | C | 1.8 | 76% | 2.8 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Warrington’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 Warrington
The biggest is Sankey Valley Park, 25 ha (61 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 289 ha (713 acres) and 40 km of path
Parks & gardens 250 haPlaying fields 39 ha
The biggest is Sankey Valley Park, 25 ha (61 acres); no single park dominates.
Birchwood Forest Park
Park or garden
28 ha (70 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
39 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
3 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Woolston Park
Park or garden
25 ha (61 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
35 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.6 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Birchwood Brook Park
Park or garden
22 ha (53 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
30 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
3 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Victoria Park
Playing field
32 ha (80 acres)1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
45 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Walton Hall Gardens
Park or garden · 240 m outside town
16 ha (39 acres)3.3 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.3 km of path
22 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.4 mi southfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Mary Ann Meadows
Park or garden
13 ha (32 acres)3.4 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.4 km of path
18 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.8 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Sankey Valley Park
Park or garden
12 ha (29 acres)2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Sankey Valley ParkPark or garden · 25 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsBirchwood Forest ParkPark or garden · 28 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsWoolston ParkPark or garden · 25 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsBirchwood Brook ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPlaying field · 32 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsWalton Hall GardensPark or garden · 16 ha · 3.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMary Ann MeadowsPark or garden · 13 ha · 3.4 km of path
DirectionsSankey Valley ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsOrford ParkPark or garden · 15 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsPeel Hall ParkPark or garden · 9.4 ha · 2.9 km of path
DirectionsTwenty Acre ParkPark or garden · 7.0 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsBank ParkPark or garden · 6.1 ha · 2.5 km of path
DirectionsSankey Valley ParkPark or garden · 9.3 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsOakwood Gate ParkPark or garden · 7.3 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsLongbarn ParkPark or garden · 6.2 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsLumb Brook Millennium GreenPark or garden · 5.5 ha · 1.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsChurch ParkPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 1.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsElizabeth ParkPark or garden · 5.8 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsBruche ParkPark or garden · 4.6 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsDakota ParkPark or garden · 5.0 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsThe CommonPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsParkfields ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsWilderspool Community WoodlandPark or garden · 4.6 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsEnfield Hall ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsDudlows Green ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsThe Bennett Recreation GroundPlaying field · 6.1 ha
DirectionsSt Elphin's ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsAlexandra ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsThe John Parr Meadow and WoodlandPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCentre ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsClose to home
How close Warrington’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 (93%)Further (7%)
Warrington93%
Cities its size85%
Cheshire towns82%
All UK towns83%
About 12,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 174 playgrounds are mapped in and around the city, about one for every 1,006 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Peak District National Park is 18 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
8 waymarked walks pass through or near Warrington
398 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Warrington and the kilometre around it, 3.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the city.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Mersey Way17.7 km
Mersey Valley Timberland Trail14.2 km
Cheshire Ring Canal Walk11.5 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Liverpool to Warrington)9.0 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Warrington to Ashton-upon-Mersey)7.0 km
Delamere Way6.8 km
New Cut Trail2.8 km
GM Ringway Stage 170.6 km
Close to home, the Mersey Way has 18 km of local walk within 2 km of the city. 4 regional routes pass through, including the Trans-Pennine Trail (Liverpool to Warrington), Trans-Pennine Trail (Warrington to Ashton-upon-Mersey), Delamere Way and GM Ringway Stage 17.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
History inside Warrington’s parks
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Warrington’s named parks.
Park with listed buildings
Bank Park
6.1 ha. 7 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge, including Eastern Outbuilding to Town Hall (Grade I).
IEastern Outbuilding to Town HallITown HallIWestern Outbuilding to Town HallII*Entrance Gates, Piers and LampsII*Lamps on East and West Drives of Town HallIIBorough Treasurer's Office and Bank HouseIIPair of K6 Telephone Kiosks
Listed buildings insideWilderspool Community Woodland104-128, Greenall's Avenue and 80-100, Greenall's Avenue
Heritage walks
Cheshire Ring Canal Walk 11.5 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 Warrington: May to September
The city’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 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 66 | 57 | 53 | 56 | 56 | 67 | 70 | 78 | 73 | 87 | 79 | 83 |
March is the driest month (53 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 87 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 35 nights a year. The climate in Warrington →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 174 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the city in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK city its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
2Viewpoints3Hills and peaksabout the same as cities its size9Nature reservesabout the same as cities its size5Picnic sitesabout the same as cities its size174Playgroundsabout the same as cities its size2Dog parks1Slipways
The nearest beaches
Warrington is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the city.
Wader Point12 mi from Warrington’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South13 mi from Warrington’s edge
DirectionsStone Beach13 mi from Warrington’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North13 mi from Warrington’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach13 mi from Warrington’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
Hills and peaks 3
Airlift Hillin town
DirectionsPestfurlong Hill0.1 mi from town
DirectionsHigh Warren105 m (344 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 9
Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve81 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsGrappenhall Wood8.0 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPaddington Meadows36 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsWoolston Eyes Nature Reserve No. 2 Bed70 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsWoolston Eyes No. 3 Bed50 ha · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsWoolston Eyes No. 4 Bed97 ha · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsWoolston Eyes Nature Reserve No. 1 Bed79 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsWhitley Nature Reserve6.5 ha · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Picnic sites 5
Plus 5 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 174
Alexandra Park Play Areain town
DirectionsBrentnall Boat Parkin town
DirectionsCallands Playgroundin town
DirectionsCollin Street Play Areain town
DirectionsDallam Recreation Ground Playgroundin town
DirectionsDudlows Green Play Areain town
DirectionsElizabeth Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsHatfield Gardens Play Areain town
DirectionsPlus 166 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 2
Plus 2 dog parks 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.
WinwickCroftBurtonwoodAppleton ThornNewton-le-WillowsLymmWarrington
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrington | B+ | 3.5 | 93% | 0% |
| Winwick 2.4 mi | C− | 3.2 | 48% | 0% |
| Croft 3.1 mi | D | 1.1 | 79% | 0% |
| Burtonwood 3.7 mi | B− | 3.3 | 93% | 0% |
| Appleton Thorn 3.7 mi | B+ | 5.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Newton-le-Willows 4.4 mi | A− | 5.2 | 99% | 0% |
| Lymm 4.8 mi | B− | 3.6 | 89% | 0% |
Newton-le-Willows, 4.4 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 99% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Warrington
What is the biggest park in Warrington?
Sankey Valley Park, 25 ha (61 acres), with 2.7 km of path. Birchwood Forest Park (28 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the city or within 400 m of it.
Is Warrington near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 18 mi east of the city’s edge. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Warrington?
8 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the city, including the Mersey Way, Mersey Valley Timberland Trail and Cheshire Ring Canal Walk. Sankey Valley Park alone has 2.7 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Warrington?
Wader Point, 12 mi from the edge of the city, then Creek Beach South (13 mi). Warrington itself is inland.
How many people in Warrington live near a park?
93% 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 Warrington?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Warrington good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 71% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 76% (3.5 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 Warrington’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Warrington’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.