Falmouth’s biggest
Kimberley Park
Park or garden
2.8 ha (7 acres)1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Falmouth
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Ian S · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Falmouth · parks, paths & countryside
Falmouth is on the coast, on the South West Coast Path
The sea makes up 39% of the area within 5 km. The Cornwall National Landscape reaches the edge of Falmouth. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 96% of residents. Falmouth grades A for the outdoors: #5 of 35 in Cornwall. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
96%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
86 km
3.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
41%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Cornwall National Landscape
The sea
39%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Falmouth?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast39% of the area within 5 km is sea; 78 beaches mapped.A park on every doorstep96% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Hills with a view9 mapped viewpoints, about 9× as many per resident as the typical town its size.Less park per person1.3 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Falmouth’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by parks close to every home. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Falmouth grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Falmouth, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A
Better than 94% of UK towns#5 of 35 in Cornwall · 3rd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
21out of
100
100
A park within a walk96%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
77out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape41%of the land within 5 km
89out of
100
100
Footpaths3.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
71out of
100
100
The sea39%of the area within 5 km
95out 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
Falmouth is 3rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 22,100 to 26,100 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
Falmouth3.5
Towns its size3.7
Cornwall towns2.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Falmouth1.3
Towns its size2.6
Cornwall towns1.6
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Falmouth96%
Towns its size82%
Cornwall towns81%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Falmouth stands out most for homes near a park: only 4 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 57 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee-on-the-Solent Hampshire | A+ | 5.7 | 96% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 2 | Stroud Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.6 | 79% | 5.8 | 70% |
| 3 | Falmouth Cornwall | A | 1.3 | 96% | 3.5 | 41% |
| 4 | Reddish Greater Manchester | A | 6.7 | 100% | 5 | 0% |
| 5 | Caterham Surrey | A | 4.3 | 84% | 4.3 | 17% |
| 6 | Newport Isle of Wight | A | 1.8 | 80% | 3.8 | 37% |
| 7 | Ash and Ash Vale Surrey | A | 4.3 | 72% | 5.4 | 20% |
| 8 | Huntingdon Cambridgeshire | A | 5.7 | 99% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Thornaby-on-Tees North Yorkshire | A | 5.4 | 92% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 10 | South Ockendon Essex | A− | 2.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Droylsden Greater Manchester | A− | 5.2 | 95% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 12 | Reigate Surrey | A− | 5.5 | 58% | 4.7 | 20% |
| 13 | Felixstowe Suffolk | A− | 2 | 88% | 1.9 | 28% |
| 14 | Heanor Derbyshire | A− | 4.2 | 92% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Gorleston-on-Sea Norfolk | A− | 1.4 | 81% | 3.2 | 17% |
| 16 | Hedge End Hampshire | A− | 5.5 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Little Hulton Greater Manchester | A− | 8.6 | 87% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Wilmslow Cheshire | A− | 4.4 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 19 | Kempston Bedfordshire | A− | 4.9 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 20 | Newton-le-Willows Merseyside | A− | 5.2 | 99% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 21 | Ryde Isle of Wight | A− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.6 | 19% |
| 22 | Shoreham-by-Sea West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 74% | 2.7 | 35% |
| 23 | Whitefield Greater Manchester | A− | 4.7 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 24 | Ingleby Barwick North Yorkshire | B+ | 2.9 | 87% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 25 | Maldon Essex | B+ | 2.8 | 82% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 26 | Whitehaven Cumbria | B+ | 1.8 | 91% | 2 | 1% |
| 27 | Chesham Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 64% |
| 28 | Herne Bay Kent | B+ | 2.3 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 29 | Thatcham Berkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 87% | 3.1 | 27% |
| 30 | Cheadle Hulme Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.9 | 80% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 31 | Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock Essex | B+ | 2.2 | 97% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Oadby Leicestershire | B+ | 3.7 | 92% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 33 | Bradley Stoke Gloucestershire | B+ | 2 | 93% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 34 | Seaford East Sussex | B+ | 0.8 | 73% | 2.8 | 52% |
| 35 | Orrell Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.1 | 77% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 36 | Swinton Greater Manchester | B | 3.9 | 81% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 37 | Newton Aycliffe County Durham | B | 2.1 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Broadstairs Kent | B | 1.7 | 76% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Sudbury Suffolk | B | 3.8 | 77% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Truro Cornwall | B | 1.6 | 84% | 2.9 | 21% |
| 41 | Hailsham East Sussex | B | 1.4 | 87% | 3.2 | 12% |
| 42 | Rawtenstall Lancashire | B | 1.9 | 83% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 43 | Royton Greater Manchester | B− | 2.8 | 71% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Thetford Norfolk | B− | 2.9 | 65% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 45 | St Austell Cornwall | B− | 1.2 | 71% | 2.5 | 7% |
| 46 | Bishop Auckland County Durham | B− | 2.7 | 85% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Chester-le-Street County Durham | C+ | 1.7 | 75% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 48 | Hindley Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.5 | 77% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Coseley West Midlands | C+ | 1.4 | 84% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Newquay Cornwall | C+ | 1.6 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Ashford Surrey | C+ | 3.4 | 73% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Clifton Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.5 | 76% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Kenilworth Warwickshire | C+ | 2.7 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Market Harborough Leicestershire | C+ | 1.9 | 94% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Formby Merseyside | C+ | 1.4 | 63% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Ascot Berkshire | C+ | 3.6 | 56% | 3 | 0% |
| 57 | Potters Bar Hertfordshire | C | 1.6 | 71% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Golborne Greater Manchester | C | 3 | 66% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Wickersley and Bramley South Yorkshire | C | 1.7 | 77% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Retford Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.3 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Falmouth’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 Falmouth
The biggest is Kimberley Park, 2.8 ha (7 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 10 named parks by size: 11 ha (27 acres) and 4 km of path
Parks & gardens 5.4 haPlaying fields 5.4 ha
The two biggest, Kimberley Park and Trecobeas Play Area, are 69% of the named green space and carry 2 km of path between them. 8 of the 10 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Trecobeas Play Area
Playing field
4.7 ha (12 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Fox Rosehill Gardens
Park or garden
0.9 ha (2 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
0.4 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Queen Mary Gardens
Park or garden
0.8 ha (2 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
0.7 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Gyllyngdune Gardens
Park or garden
0.6 ha (1 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
0.8 mi south-eastfrom the centre
2 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Prince Street Gardens
Park or garden
0.2 ha (0 acres)0.2 km of path
0.4 mi north-eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Greenbank Gardens
Park or garden
0.2 ha (0 acres)0.1 km of path
0.6 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Bowling Green
Playing field · 390 m outside town
0.2 ha (0 acres)
0.8 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Kimberley ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsTrecobeas Play AreaPlaying field · 4.7 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsFox Rosehill GardensPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsQueen Mary GardensPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsGyllyngdune GardensPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsPrince Street GardensPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsGreenbank GardensPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsThe Bowling GreenPlaying field · 0.2 ha · just outside town
DirectionsBowly Community AreaPlaying field · 0.3 ha
DirectionsMerry Mit MeadowPlaying field · 0.3 ha · just outside town
DirectionsClose to home
Almost everyone in Falmouth lives 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).
Within 400 m (96%)Further (4%)
Falmouth96%
Towns its size82%
Cornwall towns81%
All UK towns83%
About 1,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 26 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 926 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Falmouth
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
National Landscape
Cornwall
At the edge north-east964 km²since 195941% of the land within 5 km
Official site41% of the land within 5 km of Falmouth is National Park or National Landscape, more than 88% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Falmouth is on the South West Coast Path
86 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Falmouth 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 town.
National
South West Coast Path (Section 29: Helford to Falmouth)10.3 km
South West Coast Path (Section 30: Falmouth to Portloe)4.3 km
The South West Coast Path, a national route, passes Falmouth.
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 Falmouth
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Falmouth’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIFalmouth General Cemetery5.0 ha
Listed buildings insideGyllyngdune GardensLamp Post at Entrance to Gyllyngdune Gardens and The Bandstand, Gyllyngdune Gardens
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 Falmouth: 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) | 8.5 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.1 |
| High (°C) | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| Rain (mm) | 132 | 113 | 86 | 78 | 66 | 70 | 81 | 89 | 80 | 129 | 148 | 146 |
May is the driest month (66 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 148 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 8 nights a year. The climate in Falmouth →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Falmouth
39% of the area within 5 km of Falmouth is sea. 78 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 18 with a name.
Gyllyngvase Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsSwanpool Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsArthur's Beach (Sunny Cove)0.2 mi from town
DirectionsMaenporth Beach0.6 mi from town
DirectionsGreat Molunan1.3 mi from town
DirectionsLittle Molunan1.4 mi from town
DirectionsCellars Beach1.6 mi from town
DirectionsRosemullion Beach1.9 mi from town
DirectionsGrebe Beach2.2 mi from town
DirectionsPorthbeor Beach2.3 mi from town
DirectionsTrebah2.6 mi from town
DirectionsPassage Cove (sand & shingle) tidal area2.8 mi from town
DirectionsThe 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.
Things to do
9 viewpoints and 26 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.
9Viewpoints8.6× towns its size2Picnic sites26Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size4Campsites6Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 9
Plus 9 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Campsites 4
Tregedna Farm0.2 mi from town
DirectionsTrewen Farm Campsite0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPenwarne Farm Campsite1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 6
Plus 6 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.
PenrynMylor BridgeMawnan SmithPerranarworthalCarnon Downs and DevoranStithiansFalmouth
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falmouth | A | 1.3 | 96% | 41% |
| Penryn 2.0 mi | A | 1.9 | 91% | 31% |
| Mylor Bridge 2.3 mi | C+ | 1.1 | 63% | 49% |
| Mawnan Smith 2.8 mi | A | 3.5 | 30% | 40% |
| Perranarworthal 4.5 mi | C+ | 2.5 | 76% | 19% |
| Carnon Downs and Devoran 4.7 mi | B+ | 0.3 | 87% | 36% |
| Stithians 5.0 mi | B+ | 3.2 | 80% | 3% |
Falmouth grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. Mawnan Smith and Stithians have at least twice Falmouth’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Falmouth
What is the biggest park in Falmouth?
Kimberley Park, 2.8 ha (7 acres), with 1.3 km of path. Trecobeas Play Area (4.7 ha) is second. 10 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Falmouth near a National Park?
It covers 964 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near Falmouth?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the South West Coast Path (Section 29: Helford to Falmouth) and South West Coast Path (Section 30: Falmouth to Portloe).
How many people in Falmouth live near a park?
96% 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 Falmouth?
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 Falmouth are historic?
Falmouth General Cemetery (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Falmouth 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 21% (1.3 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 Falmouth’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Falmouth’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.