Widnes’ biggest
Crow Wood Park
Park or garden
21 ha (52 acres)1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
29 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Peter I. Vardy · Public domainBOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Widnes · parks, paths & countryside
86% of Widnes’ residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Widnes add up to 3.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. The sea makes up 9% of the area within 5 km. 114 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 2.1 for every square kilometre. Widnes grades B for the outdoors: #13 of 46 in Cheshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
86%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
114 km
2.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
The sea
9%
of the area within 5 km
Outdoors grade
Widnes grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Widnes, 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 64% of UK towns#13 of 46 in Cheshire · 35th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
70out of
100
100
A park within a walk86%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
58out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
34out of
100
100
The sea9%of the area within 5 km
86out 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
Widnes is 35th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 50,300 to 71,600 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
Widnes2.1
Towns its size3.5
Cheshire towns2.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Widnes3.0
Towns its size2.4
Cheshire towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Widnes86%
Towns its size86%
Cheshire towns82%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Widnes stands out most for park space per resident: only 15 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 53 of the 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 | Rochester Kent | A+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.6 | 23% |
| 3 | Lancaster Lancashire | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.5 | 22% |
| 4 | Dartford Kent | A | 3.9 | 72% | 5.1 | 1% |
| 5 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 6 | Scarborough North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 86% | 3.1 | 17% |
| 7 | Cannock Staffordshire | A | 5.5 | 88% | 3.5 | 26% |
| 8 | Gravesend Kent | A | 1.4 | 84% | 6.4 | 14% |
| 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 | Barnsley South Yorkshire | A | 4.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Banbury Oxfordshire | A | 2.6 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 14 | Gosport Hampshire | A | 3 | 85% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Farnborough Hampshire | A | 4 | 77% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 16 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 17 | Tynemouth Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.2 | 85% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Hereford Herefordshire | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 19 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 20 | Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent | A− | 2.2 | 93% | 2.7 | 73% |
| 21 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Washington Tyne and Wear | A− | 4.5 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 23 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 24 | Carlton Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.9 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Bootle Merseyside | B+ | 2.1 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Canterbury Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 5.7 | 19% |
| 28 | Torquay Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 29 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 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 | Ellesmere Port Cheshire | B | 2.8 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Wokingham Berkshire | B | 4 | 84% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Widnes Cheshire | B | 3 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Beeston Nottinghamshire | B | 2.7 | 77% | 6 | 0% |
| 37 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 38 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria | B | 2 | 91% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Macclesfield Cheshire | B | 1.8 | 80% | 3.3 | 18% |
| 41 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Brentwood Essex | B− | 3.9 | 69% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Bloxwich West Midlands | B− | 3.6 | 74% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Kettering Northamptonshire | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 3.3 | 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 | Kingswinford West Midlands | C+ | 2.6 | 71% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Walsall West Midlands | C+ | 2.5 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Clacton-on-Sea Essex | C | 1.7 | 73% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Bognor Regis West Sussex | C | 1.1 | 78% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Loughborough Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 73% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Durham County Durham | C | 1.1 | 68% | 6 | 0% |
| 58 | Stourbridge West Midlands | C | 1.9 | 72% | 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 Widnes’ 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 Widnes
The biggest is Crow Wood Park, 21 ha (52 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 16 named parks by size: 114 ha (281 acres) and 14 km of path
Parks & gardens 106 haPlaying fields 7.9 ha
The biggest is Crow Wood Park, 21 ha (52 acres); no single park dominates. 5 of the 16 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
King George's Park
Park or garden
20 ha (48 acres)1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
27 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Widnes
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Victoria Park
Park or garden
14 ha (34 acres)4.6 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.6 km of path
19 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Widnes
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Upton Rocks
Park or garden
11 ha (26 acres)0.5 km of path
15 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Pex Hill Country Park
Park or garden
7.6 ha (19 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.4 mi northfrom the centre
Viewpoint 1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Sunnybank Woodland Park
Park or garden
8.1 ha (20 acres)0.6 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Barrow's Green Weates Close Easement
Park or garden
5.2 ha (13 acres)1.7 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi eastfrom the centre
Somerford Walk
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Halebank Park
Park or garden · 140 m outside town
7.8 ha (19 acres)
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 16 named parks and green spaces
Crow Wood ParkPark or garden · 21 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsKing George's ParkPark or garden · 20 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 4.6 km of path
DirectionsUpton RocksPark or garden · 11 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsPex Hill Country ParkPark or garden · 7.6 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsSunnybank Woodland ParkPark or garden · 8.1 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsBarrow's Green Weates Close EasementPark or garden · 5.2 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsHalebank ParkPark or garden · 7.8 ha · just outside town
DirectionsLovel FieldPark or garden · 5.3 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsHough Green ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsLeigh Recreation GroundPlaying field · 6.2 ha
DirectionsHalebank Recreation GroundPlaying field · 1.7 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsVictoria GardensPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsSt Marie's ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBirchfield GardensPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsQuarry GardensPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsClose to home
How close Widnes’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 (86%)Further (14%)
Widnes86%
Towns its size86%
Cheshire towns82%
All UK towns83%
About 9,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 63 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 951 residents.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Widnes
114 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Widnes and the kilometre around it, 2.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
Mersey Way14.7 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Liverpool to Warrington)13.7 km
Mersey Valley Timberland Trail3.7 km
Close to home, the Mersey Way has 15 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. The regional route here is the Trans-Pennine Trail (Liverpool to Warrington).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
When to get out
The best walking months in Widnes: 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 | 15.9 | 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 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 69 | 55 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 71 | 71 | 79 | 78 | 85 | 79 | 84 |
March is the driest month (52 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 85 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 32 nights a year. The climate in Widnes →
The coast
Widnes is near the sea
9% of the area within 5 km of Widnes is sea. 1 beach is mapped within 5 km, 0 with a name.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
Things to do
8 viewpoints and 63 playgrounds
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.
8Viewpoints3.7× towns its size2Hills and peaks2Nature reserves1Picnic sites63Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size2Dog parks1Campsites2Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 8
Widnes Warth0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPex Hill0.1 mi from town
DirectionsRaptor Watch1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Beacon Hill1.1 mi from town
DirectionsDream1.2 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Dorchester Park3.2 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsRuncorn Hill23 ha · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 63
Trampolinein town
DirectionsVictoria Gardens Playgroundin town
DirectionsTrinity Garden0.4 mi from town
DirectionsOtterburn Street Playground1.0 mi from town
DirectionsOtterburn Street playground1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPrimrose Meadow Play Area1.2 mi from town
DirectionsCastle Rise1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 56 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 2
Plus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Sunny Side Naturist Camp1.1 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 2
Plus 2 slipways 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.
CrontonHale BankRuncornHalePrescotSt HelensWidnes
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Runcorn, 3.1 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 87% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Cronton and Hale Bank have at least twice Widnes’ green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Widnes
What is the biggest park in Widnes?
Crow Wood Park, 21 ha (52 acres), with 1.7 km of path. King George's Park (20 ha) is second. 16 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Widnes near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Widnes.
What are the best walks near Widnes?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Mersey Way, Trans-Pennine Trail (Liverpool to Warrington) and Mersey Valley Timberland Trail.
How many people in Widnes live near a park?
86% 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 Widnes?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Widnes good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 34% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 70% (3.0 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 Widnes’ overall grade.
Sources
Where Widnes’ 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.