Photo: Tony Atkin · CC BY-SA 2.0Carlyon Bay is on the coast, on the South West Coast Path
The sea makes up 31% of the area within 5 km. The Cornwall National Landscape begins 1.2 mi from the village’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Carlyon Bay add up to 0.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Carlyon Bay grades C for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Carlyon Bay?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Carlyon Bay’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by the Cornwall National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Carlyon Bay grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Carlyon Bay, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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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.
Carlyon Bay is 35th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,100 to 1,200 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Carlyon Bay stands out most for path per km²: only 22 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 52 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porlock Somerset | A+ | 2.9 | 75% | 5.2 | 71% |
| 2 | Sundridge Kent | A+ | 9.1 | 100% | 2.3 | 73% |
| 3 | Longhoughton Northumberland | A+ | 4.7 | 100% | 1.2 | 27% |
| 4 | Halmer End and Alsagers Bank Staffordshire | A | 33.2 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 5 | Dawlish Warren Devon | A | 21.1 | 73% | 2.9 | 1% |
| 6 | Egloshayle Cornwall | A | 7.3 | 100% | 2.6 | 12% |
| 7 | Bures Suffolk | A | 5.4 | 100% | 2.5 | 14% |
| 8 | Brighstone Isle of Wight | A | 2.2 | 55% | 3.4 | 56% |
| 9 | Hampsthwaite North Yorkshire | A− | 2 | 100% | 2.6 | 23% |
| 10 | Hurst Green East Sussex | B+ | 2.3 | 100% | 1.1 | 100% |
| 11 | Shillingstone Dorset | B+ | 2.8 | 67% | 3.2 | 51% |
| 12 | Stallingborough Lincolnshire | B+ | 2.3 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 13 | St Bees Cumbria | B | 8.5 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 14 | Slinfold West Sussex | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Gislingham Suffolk | B | 3.1 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Moresby Parks Cumbria | B− | 1.2 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | Stradbroke Suffolk | B− | 3 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Thorpe End Norfolk | B− | 0.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 10% |
| 19 | Stretton-on-Dunsmore Warwickshire | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Penybanc Dyfed | B− | 7.4 | 35% | 2.4 | 1% |
| 21 | Datchworth Hertfordshire | C+ | 10.8 | 76% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Coddington Nottinghamshire | C+ | 2.9 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Tansley Derbyshire | C+ | 1.6 | 73% | 3.4 | 4% |
| 24 | Child Okeford Dorset | C+ | 1.7 | 45% | 3.3 | 42% |
| 25 | Coldeast Devon | C+ | 1.6 | 47% | 3.6 | 30% |
| 26 | Grampound Road Cornwall | C+ | 3.6 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Haswell County Durham | C+ | 3.2 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Allithwaite Cumbria | C+ | 1.9 | 60% | 1 | 17% |
| 29 | Baslow Derbyshire | C+ | 1.6 | 45% | 2.8 | 98% |
| 30 | Chesterton Oxfordshire | C+ | 1.8 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Blackmore Essex | C+ | 3.6 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 32 | Dickleburgh Norfolk | C+ | 1.9 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 33 | Bottom Boat West Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Cold Norton Essex | C | 1.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Carlyon Bay Cornwall | C | 0.7 | 0% | 2.4 | 12% |
| 36 | Rearsby Leicestershire | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Yoxall Staffordshire | C | 1.9 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Barrington Cambridgeshire | C | 3.6 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Raglan Gwent | C− | 3.9 | 0% | 1.2 | 1% |
| 40 | Hordle Hampshire | C− | 0 | 0% | 1.6 | 41% |
| 41 | North Elmham Norfolk | C− | 4.7 | 71% | 1 | 0% |
| 42 | Southfields Essex | C− | 2.8 | 0% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Old Leake Lincolnshire | C− | 3.6 | 75% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Chilworth Hampshire | C− | 1.1 | 24% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Chudleigh Knighton Devon | C− | 1 | 46% | 2.5 | 16% |
| 46 | Guilsfield Powys | C− | 3.6 | 71% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Abbotskerswell Devon | C− | 4.2 | 49% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Spofforth North Yorkshire | C− | 1.7 | 78% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Bratton Wiltshire | C− | 1.9 | 25% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Shardlow Derbyshire | D | 1.5 | 73% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Ullesthorpe Leicestershire | D | 1.5 | 75% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Pant Shropshire | D | 0.3 | 0% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Outlane West Yorkshire | D | 0.5 | 0% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Aston Oxfordshire | D | 2.2 | 62% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Llanybydder Dyfed | D | 2.2 | 60% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Melton Constable Norfolk | D | 1.6 | 76% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Stoke Ferry Norfolk | D | 1.1 | 73% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Bretforton Worcestershire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 1.4 | 9% |
| 59 | Standlake Oxfordshire | D− | 1.7 | 42% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Moor End Gloucestershire | D− | 0 | 0% | 1.9 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Carlyon Bay’s built-up area.
Few Carlyon Bay residents live within a 5-minute walk of 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).
About 1,200 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 27 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 43 residents.
The Cornwall National Landscape is 1.2 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.
Cornwall
12% of the land within 5 km of Carlyon Bay is National Park or National Landscape, more than 72% of UK towns.
Carlyon Bay is on the South West Coast Path
18 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Carlyon Bay and the kilometre around it, 2.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
The South West Coast Path, a national route, passes Carlyon Bay.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in Carlyon Bay: May to September
The village’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) | 8.5 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| Rain (mm) | 134 | 109 | 90 | 74 | 67 | 66 | 83 | 81 | 84 | 131 | 155 | 147 |
June is the driest month (66 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 155 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 11 nights a year. The climate in Carlyon Bay →
The coast and beaches near Carlyon Bay
31% of the area within 5 km of Carlyon Bay is sea. 28 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 9 with a name.
The South West Coast Path passes the town.
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.
2 viewpoints and 27 playgrounds
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
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 27
Plus 27 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 4
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlyon Bay | C | 0.7 | 0% | 12% |
| St Austell 1.4 mi | B− | 1.2 | 71% | 7% |
| St Blazey 1.5 mi | A− | 2.4 | 78% | 17% |
| Tywardreath 2.6 mi | A+ | 4.6 | 100% | 26% |
| Penwithick 2.8 mi | A | 15.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Trewoon 3.3 mi | D | 0.9 | 71% | 6% |
| Polgooth 3.5 mi | A+ | 7.0 | 100% | 13% |
Tywardreath, 2.6 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. St Blazey, Tywardreath and Penwithick have at least twice Carlyon Bay’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Carlyon Bay
Is Carlyon Bay near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Cornwall National Landscape, 1.2 mi south-west of the village’s edge. It covers 964 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near Carlyon Bay?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the South West Coast Path (Section 32: Mevagissey to Par) and Par Beach Trail.
How many people in Carlyon Bay live near a park?
0% 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 Carlyon Bay?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Carlyon Bay good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 41% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 7% (0.7 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 Carlyon Bay’s overall grade.
Where Carlyon Bay’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.