St Blazey’s biggest
Philip Varcoe Playing Fields
Playing field
2.4 ha (6 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of St Blazey
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Engine Sheds, Stack and Turntable · Photo: Gillett's Crossing from Bristol, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in St Blazey · parks, paths & countryside
St Blazey is on the coast, on the South West Coast Path
The sea makes up 22% of the area within 5 km. The Cornwall National Landscape begins 0.7 mi from the town’s edge. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 78% of residents. St Blazey grades A− for the outdoors: #10 of 35 in Cornwall. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
78%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
42 km
2.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
17%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Cornwall National Landscape
The sea
22%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is St Blazey?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast22% of the area within 5 km is sea; 32 beaches mapped.Countryside close byThe Cornwall National Landscape starts 0.7 mi east.On a National TrailThe South West Coast Path passes through.Historic parksTregrehan is a registered historic park (Grade II*).
St Blazey’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by the Cornwall National Landscape close by.
Outdoors grade
St Blazey grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is St Blazey, 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 84% of UK towns#10 of 35 in Cornwall · 11th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
55out of
100
100
A park within a walk78%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
42out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape17%of the land within 5 km
75out of
100
100
Footpaths2.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
55out of
100
100
The sea22%of the area within 5 km
90out 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
St Blazey is 11th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 6,300 to 6,900 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
St Blazey2.8
Towns its size3.1
Cornwall towns2.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
St Blazey2.4
Towns its size2.0
Cornwall towns1.6
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
St Blazey78%
Towns its size80%
Cornwall towns81%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, St Blazey stands out most for park space per resident: only 23 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stone Kent | A+ | 3.1 | 100% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 2 | Filey North Yorkshire | A | 5.9 | 89% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 3 | Chalford Gloucestershire | A | 1.6 | 96% | 4.7 | 94% |
| 4 | East Boldon and West Boldon Tyne and Wear | A | 3.4 | 96% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 5 | Wingerworth Derbyshire | A | 9 | 86% | 4 | 0% |
| 6 | Shotton Clwyd | A | 4.5 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 7 | Ibstock Leicestershire | A | 8.5 | 96% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 8 | Barton on Sea Hampshire | A | 4.9 | 50% | 2.8 | 22% |
| 9 | Bedwas Gwent | A | 4.4 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 10 | Broad Blunsdon Wiltshire | A− | 5.2 | 93% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 11 | St Blazey Cornwall | A− | 2.4 | 78% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 12 | Marston Moretaine Bedfordshire | A− | 17.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 13 | Olney Buckinghamshire | A− | 6.3 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 14 | Alcester Warwickshire | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Whitfield Kent | A− | 2.3 | 79% | 2.5 | 32% |
| 16 | Horden County Durham | A− | 2.1 | 82% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 17 | Paulton Somerset | A− | 2.1 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 18 | Whitworth Lancashire | B+ | 2.5 | 96% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Broadbridge Heath West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 95% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 20 | Lightwater Surrey | B+ | 9.2 | 72% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 21 | Milford and Witley Surrey | B+ | 2.6 | 54% | 3.7 | 78% |
| 22 | Cawston Warwickshire | B+ | 3.6 | 98% | 3 | 0% |
| 23 | North Anston South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 24 | Cleator Moor Cumbria | B+ | 3.5 | 91% | 1.9 | 11% |
| 25 | Little Chalfont Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.5 | 83% | 3.6 | 45% |
| 26 | Groby Leicestershire | B+ | 2.1 | 96% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Peasedown St John Somerset | B+ | 1.5 | 88% | 4 | 9% |
| 28 | Burley in Wharfedale West Yorkshire | B | 1.6 | 81% | 3.5 | 35% |
| 29 | Hindhead Surrey | B | 1.7 | 37% | 5.9 | 66% |
| 30 | Braunton Devon | B | 1.6 | 78% | 2.1 | 24% |
| 31 | Galleywood Essex | B | 10.3 | 61% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Hartford Cheshire | B | 2.2 | 95% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Rishton Lancashire | B− | 2.2 | 94% | 3 | 0% |
| 34 | Yapton West Sussex | B− | 1.8 | 63% | 2 | 15% |
| 35 | Wincanton Somerset | B− | 1.4 | 88% | 2.8 | 7% |
| 36 | Crigglestone and Durkar West Yorkshire | B− | 4.4 | 45% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Ushaw Moor and Bearpark County Durham | C+ | 1.6 | 82% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 38 | Chiswell Green Hertfordshire | C+ | 4 | 54% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Denmead Hampshire | C+ | 1.4 | 72% | 2.8 | 35% |
| 40 | Tetbury Gloucestershire | C+ | 1.2 | 66% | 2.6 | 88% |
| 41 | Rawdon West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Bolton-le-Sands Lancashire | C+ | 1.1 | 58% | 1.6 | 23% |
| 43 | Brampton Cambridgeshire | C | 3.2 | 61% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Market Deeping Lincolnshire | C | 1.5 | 96% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Farnham Common and Farnham Royal Buckinghamshire | C | 1 | 55% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes Dyfed | C | 9.7 | 70% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Rhoose South Glamorgan | C | 2 | 43% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 48 | Great Wakering Essex | C | 1.1 | 47% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Lydiate Merseyside | C− | 1.5 | 90% | 2 | 0% |
| 50 | Ashingdon Essex | C− | 1.3 | 61% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Culcheth Cheshire | C− | 1.7 | 67% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Boston Spa West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 86% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 53 | Washingborough and Heighington Lincolnshire | D | 1.8 | 66% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Holmes Chapel Cheshire | D | 0.8 | 72% | 2 | 0% |
| 55 | Pontarddulais West Glamorgan | D | 1.9 | 67% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Coleshill Warwickshire | D | 1.3 | 69% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Broughton Clwyd | D− | 0.8 | 80% | 1 | 0% |
| 58 | Blythe Bridge and Forsbrook Staffordshire | D− | 1.6 | 49% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Abercynon Mid Glamorgan | D− | 1.1 | 55% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Tadcaster North Yorkshire | D− | 0.6 | 58% | 1.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is St Blazey’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 St Blazey
The biggest is Philip Varcoe Playing Fields, 2.4 ha (6 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
King Edward's Garden
Park or garden
0.2 ha (1 acres)
0.6 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
8 in 10 St Blazey 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).
Within 400 m (78%)Further (22%)
St Blazey78%
Towns its size80%
Cornwall towns81%
All UK towns83%
About 1,500 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 31 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 212 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Cornwall National Landscape is 0.7 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
17% of the land within 5 km of St Blazey is National Park or National Landscape, more than 75% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
St Blazey is on the South West Coast Path
42 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in St Blazey and the kilometre around it, 2.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocal
Par Beach Trail9.5 km
Saints Way8.6 km
South West Coast Path (Section 32: Mevagissey to Par)6.5 km
South West Coast Path (Section 33: Par to Polperro)3.0 km
The South West Coast Path, a national route, passes St Blazey. Close to home, the Par Beach Trail has 10 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. The regional route here is the Saints Way.
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 St Blazey
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside St Blazey’s named parks.
Registered · Grade II*Tregrehan1.9 ha
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 St Blazey: 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 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| Rain (mm) | 136 | 110 | 88 | 73 | 69 | 67 | 79 | 82 | 84 | 128 | 148 | 151 |
June is the driest month (67 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 151 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 12 nights a year. The climate in St Blazey →
The coast
The coast and beaches near St Blazey
22% of the area within 5 km of St Blazey is sea. 32 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 11 with a name.
Crinnis Beach0.4 mi from town
DirectionsShorthorn Beach0.4 mi from town
DirectionsSpit Beach0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPar Sands0.5 mi from town
DirectionsBooley Beach1.0 mi from town
DirectionsDuporth Beach1.4 mi from town
DirectionsPorthpean Beach1.7 mi from town
DirectionsSilvermine Beach2.3 mi from town
DirectionsCoombe Haven2.9 mi from town
DirectionsReadymoney Cove Beach3.0 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
3 viewpoints and 31 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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 2
Prideaux Wood Nature Reserve25 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsTywardreath Marsh Nature Reserve1.5 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsCampsites 5
Carlyon Bay Caravan & Camping Park0.1 mi from town
DirectionsEast Crinnis Holiday Camp0.1 mi from town
DirectionsBroad Meadow House1.0 mi from town
DirectionsBoscoppa farm campsite1.0 mi from town
DirectionsYHA Eden Project1.1 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
TywardreathCarlyon BaySt AustellPenwithickFoweyLostwithielSt Blazey
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Blazey | A− | 2.4 | 78% | 17% |
| Tywardreath 1.1 mi | A+ | 4.6 | 100% | 26% |
| Carlyon Bay 1.5 mi | C | 0.7 | 0% | 12% |
| St Austell 2.6 mi | B− | 1.2 | 71% | 7% |
| Penwithick 2.9 mi | A | 15.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Fowey 3.5 mi | A | 3.2 | 91% | 32% |
| Lostwithiel 4.5 mi | C− | 1.6 | 67% | 11% |
Tywardreath, 1.1 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Penwithick has at least twice St Blazey’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in St Blazey
What is the biggest park in St Blazey?
Philip Varcoe Playing Fields, 2.4 ha (6 acres). King Edward's Garden (0.2 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is St Blazey near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Cornwall National Landscape, 0.7 mi east of the town’s edge. It covers 964 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near St Blazey?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Par Beach Trail, Saints Way and South West Coast Path (Section 32: Mevagissey to Par).
How many people in St Blazey live near a park?
78% 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 St Blazey?
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 St Blazey are historic?
Tregrehan (Grade II*) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is St Blazey good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 55% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 55% (2.4 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 St Blazey’s overall grade.
Sources
Where St Blazey’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.