Billingham’s biggest
Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park
Park or garden
104 ha (257 acres)14.3 km of path
3 h 10 minto walk all 14.3 km of path
145 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Jack Bromby · Public domainBOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Billingham · parks, paths & countryside
Billingham has more park space per resident than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Billingham add up to 4.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 86% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Footpaths add up to 114 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.9 for every square kilometre. Billingham grades B for the outdoors: #18 of 52 in County Durham. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
4.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
86%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
114 km
2.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North York Moors National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Billingham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam4.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 85% of UK towns.Hills with a view7 mapped viewpoints, about 7× as many per resident as the typical town its size.On a National TrailThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes through.
Billingham’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by its views.
Outdoors grade
Billingham grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Billingham, 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 62% of UK towns#18 of 52 in County Durham · 34th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space4.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
86out of
100
100
A park within a walk86%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
59out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
58out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 2.6% sea, under the 5% that counts
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
Billingham is 34th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 31,200 to 36,900 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
Billingham2.9
Towns its size3.9
County Durham towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Billingham4.7
Towns its size2.2
County Durham towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Billingham86%
Towns its size84%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Billingham stands out most for park space per resident: only 4 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 44 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Locks Heath Hampshire | A+ | 3.5 | 91% | 3.7 | 4% |
| 2 | Great Malvern Worcestershire | A+ | 3.9 | 90% | 6 | 38% |
| 3 | Dover Kent | A+ | 3 | 86% | 2.9 | 29% |
| 4 | Hyde Greater Manchester | A | 4.3 | 91% | 3.9 | 1% |
| 5 | Epsom Surrey | A | 5.7 | 80% | 4.8 | 2% |
| 6 | Burgess Hill West Sussex | A | 2.4 | 87% | 5 | 27% |
| 7 | Skelmersdale Lancashire | A | 7.8 | 91% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 8 | Prestwich Greater Manchester | A | 9 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 9 | Redhill Surrey | A− | 2.2 | 91% | 4.3 | 14% |
| 10 | Rustington West Sussex | A− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.7 | 25% |
| 11 | Chandler's Ford Hampshire | A− | 2.7 | 80% | 5.3 | 6% |
| 12 | Dunstable Bedfordshire | A− | 2 | 78% | 8 | 29% |
| 13 | Caversham Berkshire | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 4.3 | 32% |
| 14 | Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire | A− | 4.3 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 15 | Accrington Lancashire | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 16 | Nelson Lancashire | A− | 1.8 | 85% | 5.2 | 15% |
| 17 | St Neots Cambridgeshire | A− | 3.5 | 91% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 18 | Didcot Oxfordshire | A− | 1.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 39% |
| 19 | Exmouth Devon | A− | 1.4 | 82% | 2.6 | 21% |
| 20 | Waterlooville Hampshire | B+ | 1 | 66% | 5.2 | 18% |
| 21 | Chippenham Wiltshire | B+ | 2.8 | 76% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 22 | Fulwood Lancashire | B+ | 3.5 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 23 | Swadlincote Derbyshire | B+ | 4.1 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Chichester West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 89% | 3 | 40% |
| 25 | Lichfield Staffordshire | B+ | 2.7 | 82% | 3.1 | 2% |
| 26 | Brierley Hill West Midlands | B+ | 3.1 | 82% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 27 | Pudsey West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 94% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 28 | Hucknall Nottinghamshire | B+ | 3 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 29 | Hitchin Hertfordshire | B+ | 1.5 | 83% | 4.4 | 10% |
| 30 | West Bridgford Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.2 | 86% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Windsor Berkshire | B | 5.5 | 83% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Brighouse West Yorkshire | B | 2.5 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Wigston Leicestershire | B | 2.9 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Billingham County Durham | B | 4.7 | 86% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear | B | 1.9 | 82% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Warwick Warwickshire | B | 3 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Denton Greater Manchester | B | 2.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Letchworth Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 85% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Loughton Essex | B | 2.9 | 74% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Abingdon-on-Thames Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 91% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Caerphilly Gwent | B | 2.6 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Morecambe Lancashire | B− | 0.8 | 84% | 2.2 | 2% |
| 43 | Tonbridge Kent | B− | 2.1 | 65% | 2.6 | 38% |
| 44 | Whitstable Kent | B− | 1.5 | 84% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 45 | Camberley Surrey | C+ | 2 | 73% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Billericay Essex | C+ | 4.1 | 70% | 3 | 0% |
| 47 | Winsford Cheshire | C+ | 1.3 | 92% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Pontefract West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.6 | 84% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 49 | New Haw, West Byfleet and Sheerwater Surrey | C+ | 2.2 | 69% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Morley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.2 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Horndean Hampshire | C+ | 0.9 | 57% | 3.3 | 53% |
| 52 | Barnstaple Devon | C | 1.6 | 92% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Rayleigh Essex | C | 2 | 71% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Sedgley West Midlands | C | 1.5 | 65% | 4 | 0% |
| 55 | Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 80% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Bilston West Midlands | C− | 1.5 | 76% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Rushden Northamptonshire | C− | 1.5 | 84% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Bromsgrove Worcestershire | C− | 1.4 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Port Talbot West Glamorgan | C− | 1.3 | 68% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Pontypridd Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.5 | 70% | 1.9 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Billingham’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 Billingham
The biggest is Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, 104 ha (257 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 8 named parks by size: 281 ha (695 acres) and 25 km of path
Parks & gardens 281 ha
The two biggest, Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park and Billingham Beck Valley Country Park, are 57% of the named green space and carry 17 km of path between them.
Billingham Beck Valley Country Park
Park or garden
55 ha (137 acres)2.4 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.4 km of path
77 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Billingham Beck Valley Country Park
Park or garden
55 ha (137 acres)2.4 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.4 km of path
77 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Billingham Beck Valley Country Park
Park or garden
55 ha (137 acres)2.4 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.4 km of path
77 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
John Whitehead Park
Park or garden
7.1 ha (18 acres)1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Billingham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Riverside Park
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
2.8 ha (7 acres)1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.2 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Kennedy Gardens
Park or garden
0.8 ha (2 acres)0.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Billingham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Green
Park or garden · 340 m outside town
0.5 ha (1 acres)
1.1 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
9 in 10 Billingham 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 (86%)Further (14%)
Billingham86%
Towns its size84%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
About 5,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 19 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,785 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The North York Moors National Park is 6.3 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
North York Moors National Park covers 1,441 km² and has been a National Park since 1952.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Billingham is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
114 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Billingham and the kilometre around it, 2.9 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
King Charles III England Coast Path: Newport Bridge to North Gare9.5 km
Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough)7.8 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Filey Brigg to Newport Bridge7.7 km
Tees Link2.3 km
Teesdale Way (Middlesbrough to Warrenby)1.5 km
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Billingham. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough) and Teesdale Way (Middlesbrough to Warrenby).
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 Billingham: 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) | 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) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 43 | 41 | 38 | 44 | 39 | 61 | 62 | 66 | 54 | 60 | 70 | 59 |
March is the driest month (38 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 70 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 41 nights a year. The climate in Billingham →
Things to do
7 viewpoints, 19 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.
7Viewpoints6.8× towns its size1Waterfalls9Nature reserves4.3× towns its size19Playgrounds0.5× towns its size
The nearest beaches
Billingham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Coatham Sands5.4 mi from Billingham’s edge
DirectionsMiddleton Beach5.6 mi from Billingham’s edge
DirectionsFish Sands5.9 mi from Billingham’s edge
DirectionsBlock Sands6.1 mi from Billingham’s edge
DirectionsNorth Sands6.3 mi from Billingham’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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 7
Haverton viewpoint0.2 mi from town
DirectionsMound0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Acid Drop1.1 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 9
Charlton's Pond9.0 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsSaltholme Wildlife Reserve and Discovery Park216 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPortrack Marsh, Nature Reserve26 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsMiddle Marsh2.8 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsMaze Park12 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 19
Bonnington Playgroundin town
DirectionsCarlton Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsHigh Grange Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsThe Rec0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPavillion Pines Park1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 14 playgrounds 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.
WynyardStockton-on-TeesThornaby-on-TeesMiddlesbroughStillingtonHartlepoolBillingham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billingham | B | 4.7 | 86% | 0% |
| Wynyard 3.1 mi | C | 10.7 | 64% | 0% |
| Stockton-on-Tees 3.2 mi | C+ | 2.0 | 83% | 0% |
| Thornaby-on-Tees 4.7 mi | A | 5.4 | 92% | 0% |
| Middlesbrough 5.0 mi | A | 2.6 | 85% | 3% |
| Stillington 5.4 mi | D | 1.4 | 77% | 0% |
| Hartlepool 5.5 mi | B− | 1.7 | 73% | 0% |
Thornaby-on-Tees, 4.7 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 92% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Wynyard has at least twice Billingham’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Billingham
What is the biggest park in Billingham?
Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, 104 ha (257 acres), with 14.3 km of path. Billingham Beck Valley Country Park (55 ha) is second. 8 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Billingham near a National Park?
Yes. North York Moors National Park begins 6.3 mi south-east of the town’s edge. It covers 1,441 km² and has been a National Park since 1952.
What are the best walks near Billingham?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: Newport Bridge to North Gare, Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough) and King Charles III England Coast Path: Filey Brigg to Newport Bridge. Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park alone has 14.3 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Billingham?
Coatham Sands, 5.4 mi from the edge of the town, then Middleton Beach (5.6 mi). Billingham itself is inland.
How many people in Billingham live near a park?
86% 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 Billingham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Billingham good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 58% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 86% (4.7 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 Billingham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Billingham’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.