Annfield Plain’s biggest
Annfield Plain Park
Park or garden
5.2 ha (13 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Annfield Plain
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Annfield Plain · parks, paths & countryside
93% of Annfield Plain’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The North Pennines National Landscape begins 4.7 mi from the town’s edge. Footpaths add up to 66 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.7 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Annfield Plain add up to 3.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Annfield Plain grades B+ for the outdoors: #8 of 52 in County Durham. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
93%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
66 km
3.7 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
North Pennines starts 4.7 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Annfield Plain?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths3.7 km of path per km², more than 75% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe North Pennines National Landscape starts 4.7 mi south-west.
Annfield Plain’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the North Pennines National Landscape close by.
Outdoors grade
Annfield Plain grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Annfield Plain, 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 73% of UK towns#8 of 52 in County Durham · 15th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
75out of
100
100
A park within a walk93%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
72out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · North Pennines begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
75out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland
42out 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
Annfield Plain is 15th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 7,400 to 8,100 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
Annfield Plain3.7
Towns its size2.9
County Durham towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Annfield Plain3.4
Towns its size2.1
County Durham towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Annfield Plain93%
Towns its size78%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Annfield Plain stands out most for park space per resident: only 9 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freshwater and Totland Isle of Wight | A+ | 5 | 89% | 3.9 | 20% |
| 2 | Chipping Sodbury Gloucestershire | A+ | 5.2 | 93% | 8.2 | 29% |
| 3 | Bargod Gwent | A | 13.6 | 100% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 4 | Dursley Gloucestershire | A | 1.8 | 90% | 7.2 | 52% |
| 5 | Grove Oxfordshire | A | 2.2 | 92% | 4.7 | 27% |
| 6 | Bursledon Hampshire | A | 2.6 | 90% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 7 | Richmond North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 96% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 8 | Prestwood and Great Missenden Buckinghamshire | A− | 5.5 | 65% | 3.2 | 94% |
| 9 | Dinas Powis South Glamorgan | A− | 3 | 73% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 10 | London Colney Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 96% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 11 | Burnham-on-Crouch Essex | A− | 5.3 | 86% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 12 | City of London London | A− | 2 | 100% | 11 | 0% |
| 13 | Cam Gloucestershire | A− | 2.8 | 57% | 5 | 34% |
| 14 | Pembroke Dyfed | B+ | 2.2 | 91% | 1 | 31% |
| 15 | Annfield Plain County Durham | B+ | 3.4 | 93% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 16 | Great Notley Essex | B+ | 6.4 | 79% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 17 | Cromer Norfolk | B+ | 1.4 | 74% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 18 | Runwell Essex | B+ | 5.1 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Partington Greater Manchester | B | 2.8 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Edenbridge Kent | B | 2.6 | 64% | 3 | 42% |
| 21 | Barugh Green and Redbrook South Yorkshire | B | 2.1 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 22 | Rusthall and Langton Green Kent | B | 2.1 | 69% | 2.7 | 79% |
| 23 | Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire | B | 1.4 | 78% | 3.2 | 57% |
| 24 | Clayton-le-Moors Lancashire | B | 1.1 | 86% | 4.2 | 2% |
| 25 | Ashley Hampshire | B | 2.2 | 53% | 1.7 | 47% |
| 26 | Twyford Berkshire | B− | 2.4 | 86% | 2.1 | 5% |
| 27 | Berechurch Essex | B− | 2.1 | 72% | 10.4 | 0% |
| 28 | Wootton Bedfordshire | B− | 2.5 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Rogerstone Gwent | B− | 3.1 | 60% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Crawcrook and Greenside Tyne and Wear | B− | 3.2 | 86% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Yatton Somerset | B− | 3.7 | 40% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Denbigh Clwyd | B− | 1.3 | 96% | 2.3 | 5% |
| 33 | Abersychan Gwent | B− | 2.8 | 83% | 1.1 | 17% |
| 34 | Buntingford Hertfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 95% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Ystalyfera West Glamorgan | C+ | 2.6 | 84% | 0.8 | 15% |
| 36 | Crediton Devon | C+ | 2.4 | 89% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 37 | Paddock Wood Kent | C+ | 1.7 | 78% | 2.1 | 28% |
| 38 | Countesthorpe Leicestershire | C+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Seaton Delaval Northumberland | C+ | 0.5 | 66% | 4 | 0% |
| 40 | Sprotbrough South Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Holywell Clwyd | C | 0.9 | 68% | 3 | 0% |
| 42 | Mablethorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.1 | 66% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Elworth Cheshire | C | 1.8 | 83% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Newbridge Gwent | C | 2.2 | 94% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 45 | Fazeley Staffordshire | C | 3.2 | 35% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 46 | Norton-on-Derwent North Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 58% | 2.4 | 16% |
| 47 | Marske-by-the-Sea North Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 66% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Dalton-in-Furness Cumbria | C | 0.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Histon and Impington Cambridgeshire | C | 1.5 | 66% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Heathfield East Sussex | C | 0.9 | 53% | 2.3 | 79% |
| 51 | Rainworth Nottinghamshire | C− | 0.5 | 65% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Tenterden Kent | C− | 0.8 | 58% | 1.8 | 48% |
| 53 | Cotgrave Nottinghamshire | C− | 1 | 47% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Godmanchester Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.6 | 66% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Highworth Wiltshire | C− | 0.4 | 59% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Clowne Derbyshire | C− | 1.4 | 67% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross Berkshire | D | 0.7 | 78% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Polesworth and Dordon Warwickshire | D | 1.6 | 68% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Old Windsor and Wraysbury Berkshire | D | 1.2 | 52% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Treorchy Mid Glamorgan | D− | 1 | 57% | 1.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Annfield Plain’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 Annfield Plain
The biggest is Annfield Plain Park, 5.2 ha (13 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Annfield Plain’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 (93%)Further (7%)
Annfield Plain93%
Towns its size78%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
About 500 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 9 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 865 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The North Pennines National Landscape is 4.7 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Annfield Plain scores 0% on it even though the North Pennines National Landscape is 4.7 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Footpaths in and around Annfield Plain
66 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Annfield Plain and the kilometre around it, 3.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Annfield Plain; its footpaths are on the map above.
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 Annfield Plain: July and 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) | 7.8 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.1 | 17.3 | 16.8 | 14.9 | 12.6 | 10.3 | 8.3 | 7.2 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 59 | 47 | 54 | 56 | 53 | 73 | 66 | 75 | 62 | 68 | 72 | 64 |
February is the driest month (47 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 75 mm of rain falls in August, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 51 nights a year. The climate in Annfield Plain →
Things to do
9 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
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.
The nearest beaches
Annfield Plain is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Shingles7.0 mi from Annfield Plain’s edge
DirectionsShingle Beach7.0 mi from Annfield Plain’s edge
DirectionsHendon Beach14 mi from Annfield Plain’s edge
DirectionsHerd Sand15 mi from Annfield Plain’s edge
DirectionsGraham's Sand16 mi from Annfield Plain’s edge
DirectionsGood to know
Check the water before you swim. The Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Up high. Pontop Pike, at 313 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Annfield Plain.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Pontop Pike313 m (1,026 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 1
Little Pontburn Linn Waterfall1.1 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Kyo Bogs Local Nature Reserve13 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 9
Oakies Playground1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite 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.
DiptonTanfield LeaStanleyLeadgateLanchesterBurnhopeAnnfield Plain
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annfield Plain | B+ | 3.4 | 93% | 0% |
| Dipton 1.5 mi | B | 3.2 | 87% | 0% |
| Tanfield Lea 1.7 mi | A− | 3.8 | 89% | 0% |
| Stanley 1.9 mi | B | 1.7 | 88% | 0% |
| Leadgate 2.6 mi | C+ | 1.5 | 91% | 1% |
| Lanchester 2.7 mi | D | 1.4 | 70% | 0% |
| Burnhope 2.7 mi | B+ | 3.1 | 100% | 0% |
Tanfield Lea, 1.7 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 89% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Annfield Plain
What is the biggest park in Annfield Plain?
Annfield Plain Park, 5.2 ha (13 acres), with 0.9 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Annfield Plain near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the North Pennines National Landscape, 4.7 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,985 km² and was designated in 1988.
What is the nearest beach to Annfield Plain?
Shingles, 7.0 mi from the edge of the town, then Shingle Beach (7.0 mi). Annfield Plain itself is inland.
How many people in Annfield Plain live near a park?
93% 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 Annfield Plain?
July and September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Annfield Plain good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 75% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 75% (3.4 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 Annfield Plain’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Annfield Plain’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.