Photo: Lewis Clarke · CC BY-SA 2.0Almost everyone in Barnard Castle lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
The North Pennines National Landscape begins 2.7 mi from the town’s edge. Footpaths add up to 41 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Barnard Castle add up to 2.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Barnard Castle grades A− for the outdoors: #3 of 52 in County Durham. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Barnard Castle?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Barnard Castle’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by two protected landscapes close by.
Barnard Castle grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Barnard Castle, 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.
Barnard Castle is 15th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 5,600 to 6,000 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Barnard Castle stands out most for path per km²: only 15 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackfield and Langley Hampshire | A+ | 28.1 | 95% | 4.2 | 48% |
| 2 | Saltburn-by-the-Sea North Yorkshire | A | 4.7 | 92% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 3 | Bagshot Surrey | A | 10.5 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 4 | Deepcar South Yorkshire | A | 1.8 | 100% | 6.4 | 21% |
| 5 | Barrowford Lancashire | A | 4.2 | 82% | 5 | 22% |
| 6 | Wareham Dorset | A | 1.9 | 83% | 3.4 | 56% |
| 7 | Leiston Suffolk | A | 1.7 | 95% | 2.7 | 35% |
| 8 | Amble Northumberland | A | 2 | 100% | 2.2 | 5% |
| 9 | West Hallam Derbyshire | A | 4.8 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Haworth West Yorkshire | A | 4.1 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 11 | Millom Cumbria | A | 2 | 82% | 3.2 | 13% |
| 12 | Menston West Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 90% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 13 | Shepperton Surrey | A | 8.7 | 89% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 14 | Carnforth Lancashire | A− | 1.2 | 89% | 3 | 39% |
| 15 | Barnard Castle County Durham | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 3.4 | 1% |
| 16 | Nailsworth Gloucestershire | A− | 1.3 | 86% | 5.9 | 88% |
| 17 | Botley Hampshire | A− | 14.6 | 70% | 3.6 | 2% |
| 18 | East Horsley Surrey | A− | 3.5 | 55% | 4.5 | 33% |
| 19 | Blaenavon Gwent | A− | 1.8 | 100% | 2.3 | 39% |
| 20 | Henfield West Sussex | A− | 3.8 | 51% | 4.4 | 17% |
| 21 | Kingsbridge Devon | B+ | 1.5 | 91% | 1.6 | 67% |
| 22 | Marchwood Hampshire | B+ | 2 | 87% | 1.3 | 38% |
| 23 | Creswell Derbyshire | B+ | 2.7 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Moor Park Hertfordshire | B+ | 4.5 | 46% | 4.5 | 1% |
| 25 | Thrybergh and Dalton South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.6 | 95% | 4 | 0% |
| 26 | Willington County Durham | B+ | 4.7 | 95% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 27 | Garstang Lancashire | B | 2.4 | 89% | 2.3 | 15% |
| 28 | East Tilbury Essex | B | 2.3 | 92% | 2 | 0% |
| 29 | Shipston-on-Stour Warwickshire | B | 2.3 | 94% | 1.6 | 20% |
| 30 | Brixworth Northamptonshire | B | 3.8 | 94% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 31 | Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Northumberland | B | 2.2 | 77% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Hemsby Norfolk | B | 2.5 | 51% | 1.4 | 22% |
| 33 | Bidford-on-Avon Warwickshire | B | 3.4 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Cheddar Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 41% | 3 | 56% |
| 35 | Thirsk North Yorkshire | B− | 1.8 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 36 | Great Torrington Devon | B− | 2.6 | 88% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 37 | Hullbridge Essex | C+ | 5.7 | 59% | 3 | 0% |
| 38 | Aylesham Kent | C+ | 0.3 | 76% | 3.4 | 33% |
| 39 | Bagillt Clwyd | C+ | 1.3 | 87% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 40 | Crawley Down West Sussex | C+ | 1.2 | 80% | 2.2 | 40% |
| 41 | Pontyclun Mid Glamorgan | C | 2.4 | 79% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Ruthin Clwyd | C | 2.7 | 51% | 1.5 | 31% |
| 43 | Egremont Cumbria | C | 1.1 | 63% | 1.8 | 11% |
| 44 | Wadebridge Cornwall | C | 1.8 | 74% | 1.8 | 17% |
| 45 | Bracebridge Heath Lincolnshire | C | 1.1 | 81% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Undy and Magor Gwent | C | 0.9 | 86% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Durrington Wiltshire | C | 1.1 | 90% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 48 | Red Lodge Suffolk | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 49 | Ramsey Cambridgeshire | C | 2.5 | 72% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 50 | Pembury Kent | C− | 1.1 | 45% | 2 | 58% |
| 51 | Abertridwr and Senghenydd Gwent | C− | 1.8 | 87% | 1 | 0% |
| 52 | Purfleet-on-Thames Essex | C− | 0.9 | 64% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 53 | Cuddington Cheshire | C− | 1.5 | 66% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Withernsea East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 0.9 | 60% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Finningley South Yorkshire | D | 2 | 65% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Brigg Lincolnshire | D | 1.7 | 65% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Ruskington Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 70% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Bulkington Warwickshire | D | 0.9 | 76% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Sawtry Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 40% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 60 | Burwell Cambridgeshire | D− | 1.5 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Barnard Castle’s built-up area.
How close Barnard Castle’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).
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 14 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 413 residents.
North Pennines and Yorkshire Dales both start about 6 miles from Barnard Castle
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.
North Pennines
1% of the land within 5 km of Barnard Castle is National Park or National Landscape, more than 63% of UK towns. Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Barnard Castle
41 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Barnard Castle and the kilometre around it, 3.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
2 regional routes pass through, including the Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough) and Alternatives in Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough).
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 Barnard Castle
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Barnard Castle’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 Barnard Castle: June 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) | 7.8 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 17.2 | 16.7 | 14.9 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.3 | 7.3 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 79 | 73 | 62 | 54 | 50 | 64 | 62 | 71 | 64 | 79 | 84 | 93 |
May is the driest month (50 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 93 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 64 nights a year. The climate in Barnard Castle →
2 viewpoints and 14 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 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Picnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 14
Plus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnard Castle | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 1% |
| Startforth 0.7 mi | A | 6.0 | 78% | 4% |
| Staindrop 5.1 mi | D | 1.4 | 82% | 0% |
| Cockfield 6.4 mi | B− | 2.3 | 81% | 0% |
| Gainford 7.3 mi | C+ | 2.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Evenwood 8.2 mi | C+ | 3.4 | 100% | 0% |
| West Auckland 9.8 mi | C− | 1.1 | 91% | 0% |
Startforth, 0.7 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 78% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Startforth has at least twice Barnard Castle’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Barnard Castle
Is Barnard Castle near a National Park?
Yes. Yorkshire Dales National Park begins 5.7 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the North Pennines National Landscape, 2.7 mi away.
What are the best walks near Barnard Castle?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough) and Alternatives in Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough).
How many people in Barnard Castle live near a park?
100% 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 Barnard Castle?
June 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 Barnard Castle are historic?
Bowes Museum (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Barnard Castle good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 69% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 52% (2.2 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 Barnard Castle’s overall grade.
Where Barnard Castle’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.