Consett’s biggest
Consett Park
Park or garden
7.7 ha (19 acres)2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Consett
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Consett · parks, paths & countryside
87% of Consett’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The North Pennines National Landscape begins 0.3 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Consett add up to 1.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 102 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.1 for every square kilometre. Consett grades B for the outdoors: #14 of 52 in County Durham. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
87%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
102 km
3.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
19%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Pennines National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Consett?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe North Pennines National Landscape starts 0.3 mi west.Less park per person1.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Consett’s strongest suit is the North Pennines National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Consett grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Consett, 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 64% of UK towns#14 of 52 in County Durham · 30th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
36out of
100
100
A park within a walk87%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
61out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape19%of the land within 5 km
77out of
100
100
Footpaths3.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
62out 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
Consett is 30th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 27,400 to 32,600 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
Consett3.1
Towns its size3.2
County Durham towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Consett1.7
Towns its size2.1
County Durham towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Consett87%
Towns its size84%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
Consett falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 36 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yate Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.3 | 99% | 6.8 | 11% |
| 2 | Jarrow Tyne and Wear | A+ | 5.3 | 90% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 3 | Northfleet Kent | A | 2 | 85% | 7.7 | 4% |
| 4 | Ashington Northumberland | A | 5.6 | 83% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 5 | Penarth South Glamorgan | A | 3.5 | 83% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 6 | Witney Oxfordshire | A | 2.5 | 88% | 4.6 | 19% |
| 7 | Woodley Berkshire | A | 5 | 81% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 8 | Lancing and Sompting West Sussex | A | 1.8 | 80% | 3 | 37% |
| 9 | Prestwich Greater Manchester | A | 9 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 10 | Totton Hampshire | A | 1.6 | 94% | 4.4 | 50% |
| 11 | Burntwood Staffordshire | A− | 5.3 | 81% | 3.4 | 12% |
| 12 | Redhill Surrey | A− | 2.2 | 91% | 4.3 | 14% |
| 13 | Ewell Surrey | A− | 7.5 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 14 | Chandler's Ford Hampshire | A− | 2.7 | 80% | 5.3 | 6% |
| 15 | Stretford Greater Manchester | A− | 3.7 | 92% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 16 | Great Yarmouth Norfolk | A− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.2 | 18% |
| 17 | Cleethorpes Lincolnshire | A− | 3 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 18 | Daventry Northamptonshire | A− | 4.1 | 99% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Eston North Yorkshire | B+ | 2.9 | 93% | 2.8 | 2% |
| 20 | Harpenden Hertfordshire | B+ | 3.5 | 84% | 2.9 | 2% |
| 21 | Cramlington Northumberland | B+ | 2.3 | 91% | 6.6 | 0% |
| 22 | Deal Kent | B+ | 1 | 86% | 2.7 | 6% |
| 23 | Farnworth Greater Manchester | B+ | 3 | 85% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 24 | Chichester West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 89% | 3 | 40% |
| 25 | Pontypool Gwent | B+ | 3.6 | 93% | 1.8 | 7% |
| 26 | Brierley Hill West Midlands | B+ | 3.1 | 82% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 27 | Colwyn Bay Clwyd | B+ | 1.9 | 77% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 28 | Windsor Berkshire | B | 5.5 | 83% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Shipley West Yorkshire | B | 2.1 | 87% | 6 | 0% |
| 30 | Consett County Durham | B | 1.7 | 87% | 3.1 | 19% |
| 31 | Darwen Lancashire | B | 2.2 | 89% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Egham Surrey | B | 4.1 | 63% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 33 | Bushey Hertfordshire | B | 3.1 | 77% | 4 | 0% |
| 34 | Atherton Greater Manchester | B | 3.8 | 83% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Evesham Worcestershire | B− | 1.7 | 80% | 3.5 | 4% |
| 36 | Stanford-le-Hope Essex | B− | 2.6 | 84% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 37 | Radcliffe Greater Manchester | B− | 1.7 | 86% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Whitstable Kent | B− | 1.5 | 84% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Melton Mowbray Leicestershire | B− | 3.3 | 84% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Kendal Cumbria | C+ | 0.9 | 67% | 4 | 33% |
| 41 | Winsford Cheshire | C+ | 1.3 | 92% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Newton Abbot Devon | C+ | 2.6 | 62% | 2.3 | 6% |
| 43 | Stratford-upon-Avon Warwickshire | C | 1.6 | 84% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Newark-on-Trent Nottinghamshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 2 | 0% |
| 45 | Bedworth Warwickshire | C | 1.5 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 46 | Barnstaple Devon | C | 1.6 | 92% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Frome Somerset | C | 1.3 | 78% | 2.4 | 9% |
| 48 | Rayleigh Essex | C | 2 | 71% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Beverley East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.7 | 92% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Wickford Essex | C | 2.4 | 59% | 3 | 0% |
| 51 | Sedgley West Midlands | C | 1.5 | 65% | 4 | 0% |
| 52 | Congleton Cheshire | C | 1.7 | 72% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Hertford Hertfordshire | C | 0.9 | 65% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 54 | Rushden Northamptonshire | C− | 1.5 | 84% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Heywood Greater Manchester | C− | 1.3 | 80% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Heswall Merseyside | C− | 1.1 | 56% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Port Talbot West Glamorgan | C− | 1.3 | 68% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Ormskirk Lancashire | D | 1.5 | 80% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Spalding Lincolnshire | D | 1.1 | 85% | 1.5 | 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 Consett’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 Consett
The biggest is Consett Park, 7.7 ha (19 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 5 named parks by size: 13 ha (32 acres) and 3 km of path
Parks & gardens 9.6 haPlaying fields 3.5 ha
The two biggest, Consett Park and Fawcett Park, are 71% of the named green space and carry 3 km of path between them. 4 of the 5 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Fawcett Park
Park or garden
1.7 ha (4 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Consett
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Sherburn Park
Playing field
1.7 ha (4 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Consett
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Consett Rugby Football Club
Playing field
1.8 ha (5 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Shotley Bridge Station Picnic Area
Park or garden
0.3 ha (1 acres)
1.5 mi northfrom the centre
Picnic site
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Consett’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 (87%)Further (13%)
Consett87%
Towns its size84%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
About 4,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 12 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 2,490 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The North Pennines National Landscape is 0.3 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
National Landscape
North Pennines
0.3 mi west1,985 km²since 198819% of the land within 5 km
Official site19% of the land within 5 km of Consett is National Park or National Landscape, more than 77% of UK towns. Northumberland National Park covers 1,051 km² and has been a National Park since 1957.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Consett
102 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Consett and the kilometre around it, 3.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Way of Light13.4 km
Consett Steel and Swords9.9 km
Consett Heritage Trail7.0 km
Newlands to Shotley Bridge0.6 km
Close to home, the Consett Steel and Swords has 10 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. The regional route here is the Way of Light.
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 Consett: June, 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 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 67 | 65 | 56 | 62 | 55 | 73 | 69 | 81 | 70 | 79 | 90 | 86 |
May is the driest month (55 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 90 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 49 nights a year. The climate in Consett →
Things to do
12 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
Consett is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Shingle Beach7.9 mi from Consett’s edge
DirectionsShingles8.1 mi from Consett’s edge
DirectionsHendon Beach18 mi from Consett’s edge
DirectionsHerd Sand18 mi from Consett’s edge
DirectionsGraham's Sand19 mi from Consett’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 1
Leadgate Maze viewing platform0.7 mi from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 6
Shotley Bridge Waterfall0.0 mi from town
DirectionsShotley Grove Waterfall0.0 mi from town
DirectionsThe Little Waterfall0.5 mi from town
DirectionsWharnley Burn Waterfall0.6 mi from town
DirectionsWallishwalls Waterfall0.7 mi from town
DirectionsRaven's Crag Linn (Waterfall)0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 7
Shotley Bridge Picnic Areain town
DirectionsRowley Station picnic area0.7 mi from town
DirectionsWhitehall picnic area0.8 mi from town
DirectionsEbchester Station Picnic Area0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 12
Plus 12 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.
LeadgateCastlesideMedomsleyBlackhall MillDiptonAnnfield PlainConsett
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consett | B | 1.7 | 87% | 19% |
| Leadgate 1.4 mi | C+ | 1.5 | 91% | 1% |
| Castleside 1.9 mi | B+ | 0.9 | 100% | 42% |
| Medomsley 2.3 mi | C | 1.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Blackhall Mill 3.5 mi | B+ | 3.4 | 100% | 0% |
| Dipton 3.9 mi | B | 3.2 | 87% | 0% |
| Annfield Plain 4.0 mi | B+ | 3.4 | 93% | 0% |
Annfield Plain, 4 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 93% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Consett
What is the biggest park in Consett?
Consett Park, 7.7 ha (19 acres), with 2.2 km of path. Fawcett Park (1.7 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Consett near a National Park?
Yes. Northumberland National Park begins 16 mi north-west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,051 km² and has been a National Park since 1957. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the North Pennines National Landscape, 0.3 mi away.
What are the best walks near Consett?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Way of Light, Consett Steel and Swords and Consett Heritage Trail. Consett Park alone has 2.2 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Consett?
Shingle Beach, 7.9 mi from the edge of the town, then Shingles (8.1 mi). Consett itself is inland.
How many people in Consett live near a park?
87% 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 Consett?
June, July and September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Consett good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 62% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 36% (1.7 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 Consett’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Consett’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.