Photo: Bryn Holmes · CC BY-SA 2.0Padstow is on the coast, on the King Charles III England Coast Path
The sea makes up 26% of the area within 5 km. The Cornwall National Landscape reaches the edge of Padstow. Parks and playing fields in Padstow add up to 0.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Padstow grades C+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Padstow?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Padstow’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Padstow grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Padstow, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
100
100
100
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.
Padstow is 23rd of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,300 to 2,500 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Padstow stands out most for path per km²: only 17 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 58 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reydon Suffolk | A+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.6 | 49% |
| 2 | Radford Semele Warwickshire | A | 12.3 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 3 | St Margaret's at Cliffe Kent | A | 2.3 | 90% | 2.4 | 15% |
| 4 | Upton upon Severn Worcestershire | A− | 4.9 | 90% | 2.8 | 2% |
| 5 | Picket Piece Hampshire | A− | 3.9 | 100% | 1.3 | 33% |
| 6 | Tanfield Lea County Durham | A− | 3.8 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 7 | Cannington Somerset | A− | 2.8 | 88% | 3.2 | 3% |
| 8 | Y Felinheli Gwynedd | B+ | 4.9 | 65% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 9 | Hall Green West Yorkshire | B+ | 7.5 | 82% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 10 | Nant-y-moel Mid Glamorgan | B | 7 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 11 | Pen-y-fai Mid Glamorgan | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 12 | Stalbridge Dorset | B− | 3.3 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 13 | Narberth Dyfed | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 1.6 | 4% |
| 14 | Creech St Michael Somerset | B− | 1.2 | 88% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Dormansland Surrey | B− | 2.5 | 70% | 2.3 | 33% |
| 16 | Upper Halliford Surrey | B− | 5.1 | 44% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 17 | Bassingbourn Cambridgeshire | B− | 3.8 | 85% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 18 | Riccall North Yorkshire | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Wiveliscombe Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 20 | Ashurst Hampshire | B− | 0.9 | 65% | 3.6 | 72% |
| 21 | St Dennis Cornwall | C+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Osbaldwick North Yorkshire | C+ | 1.9 | 70% | 5 | 0% |
| 23 | Padstow Cornwall | C+ | 0.6 | 33% | 2.5 | 37% |
| 24 | Pentyrch South Glamorgan | C+ | 2.6 | 50% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 25 | Bramford Suffolk | C+ | 3.2 | 76% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Mickleton Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.2 | 52% | 2.1 | 45% |
| 27 | Witchford Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Coven Staffordshire | C+ | 3.6 | 87% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Lingwood Norfolk | C+ | 1.2 | 73% | 2.6 | 26% |
| 30 | Stanton Suffolk | C | 2.6 | 87% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Woolavington Somerset | C | 1.6 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Dearham Cumbria | C | 0.6 | 72% | 1.4 | 6% |
| 33 | West Rainton County Durham | C | 2.1 | 73% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 34 | Bletchingley Surrey | C | 0.5 | 10% | 3.9 | 18% |
| 35 | Stanford in the Vale Oxfordshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Credenhill Herefordshire | C− | 1.5 | 87% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 37 | Wilstead Bedfordshire | C− | 1.7 | 88% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Roche Cornwall | C− | 2.8 | 81% | 1 | 0% |
| 39 | Marshfield Gwent | C− | 1 | 85% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 40 | Hathern Leicestershire | C− | 1.8 | 50% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Knowsley Merseyside | C− | 3.1 | 77% | 1 | 0% |
| 42 | Creigiau South Glamorgan | C− | 1.7 | 85% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Kings Sutton Northamptonshire | C− | 1.8 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 44 | Collingham West Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Reepham Norfolk | C− | 2.3 | 66% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Stilton Cambridgeshire | C− | 0.8 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Coates and Eastrea Cambridgeshire | C− | 0.9 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Dinnington Tyne and Wear | C− | 1.6 | 89% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Brown Edge Staffordshire | C− | 1.1 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Goxhill Lincolnshire | C− | 1.5 | 69% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Usk Gwent | C− | 3.5 | 56% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 52 | Eastry Kent | D | 2 | 77% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Netherton (Wakefield) West Yorkshire | D | 0.7 | 27% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 54 | St Stephen Cornwall | D | 1.2 | 88% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Fishburn County Durham | D | 1.5 | 76% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Burton upon Stather Lincolnshire | D | 1.5 | 75% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Belton Lincolnshire | D | 1.5 | 67% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Hingham Norfolk | D− | 1.9 | 13% | 1 | 0% |
| 59 | Norton South Yorkshire | D− | 1.3 | 63% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Leven East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.2 | 64% | 0.7 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Padstow’s built-up area.
3 in 10 Padstow 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 1,600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 3 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 784 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Padstow
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
37% of the land within 5 km of Padstow is National Park or National Landscape, more than 86% of UK towns.
Padstow is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
24 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Padstow and the kilometre around it, 2.5 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 King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Padstow. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Saints Way and Camel Trail.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
A registered historic park in Padstow
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Padstow’s named parks.
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.
The best walking months in Padstow: 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) | 8.4 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| Rain (mm) | 104 | 79 | 66 | 57 | 55 | 59 | 65 | 71 | 71 | 111 | 117 | 115 |
May is the driest month (55 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 117 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 9 nights a year. The climate in Padstow →
The coast and beaches near Padstow
26% of the area within 5 km of Padstow is sea. 52 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 13 with a name.
The King Charles III England 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 3 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
Playgrounds 3
Plus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 5
Plus 1 campsite more.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padstow | C+ | 0.6 | 33% | 37% |
| Rock 2.0 mi | A− | 3.2 | 39% | 37% |
| St Merryn 2.2 mi | B− | 1.9 | 47% | 29% |
| Wadebridge 5.1 mi | C | 1.8 | 74% | 17% |
| Egloshayle 5.5 mi | A | 7.3 | 100% | 12% |
| St Columb Major 7.4 mi | D | 1.0 | 89% | 0% |
| Quintrell Downs 10.1 mi | B+ | 3.3 | 100% | 0% |
Egloshayle, 5.5 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Rock, St Merryn and Wadebridge have at least twice Padstow’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Padstow
Is Padstow near a National Park?
It covers 964 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near Padstow?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: Marsland Mouth to Newquay, South West Coast Path (Section 15: Padstow to Porthcothan) and Saints Way.
How many people in Padstow live near a park?
33% 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 Padstow?
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 Padstow are historic?
Prideaux Place (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Padstow good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 47% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 5% (0.6 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 Padstow’s overall grade.
Where Padstow’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.