Darlington’s biggestHistoric park · Grade II
South Park
Park or garden
81 ha (201 acres)6.9 km of path
1 h 35 minto walk all 6.9 km of path
114 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi southfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Darlington · parks, paths & countryside
87% of Darlington’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Footpaths add up to 142 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Darlington add up to 2.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Darlington grades C+ for the outdoors: #37 of 52 in County Durham. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
87%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
142 km
2.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Yorkshire Dales National Park
Outdoors grade
Darlington grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Darlington, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C+
Better than 36% of UK towns#37 of 52 in County Durham · 52nd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
51out 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 Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
42out 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
Darlington is 52nd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 74,100 to 116,000 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
Darlington2.4
Towns its size4.0
County Durham towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Darlington2.2
Towns its size2.4
County Durham towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Darlington87%
Towns its size86%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
Darlington falls furthest behind on path per km², where 54 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hastings East Sussex | A+ | 3.1 | 76% | 4.3 | 42% |
| 2 | Burnley Lancashire | A+ | 3.4 | 95% | 5.7 | 7% |
| 3 | Gillingham Kent | A | 1.6 | 86% | 5.3 | 23% |
| 4 | Ashford Kent | A | 2.7 | 94% | 5.2 | 23% |
| 5 | Guildford Surrey | A | 2.8 | 86% | 6.1 | 31% |
| 6 | Eastbourne East Sussex | A | 2 | 75% | 4.3 | 23% |
| 7 | Chatham Kent | A | 1.6 | 78% | 6.4 | 26% |
| 8 | Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire | A | 3 | 95% | 3.6 | 18% |
| 9 | Bath Somerset | A | 1.8 | 89% | 5.6 | 50% |
| 10 | Harlow Essex | A | 3.7 | 99% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 11 | Bracknell Berkshire | A | 3.7 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 12 | Weston-super-Mare Somerset | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 3.7 | 8% |
| 13 | Chesterfield Derbyshire | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 14 | Stevenage Hertfordshire | A− | 3 | 98% | 7.3 | 0% |
| 15 | Gateshead Tyne and Wear | A− | 3.3 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 16 | Basildon Essex | A− | 3 | 95% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 17 | Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire | A− | 5.2 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 18 | Aylesbury Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 9.5 | 5% |
| 19 | Carlisle Cumbria | A− | 3.2 | 91% | 3.1 | 4% |
| 20 | St Albans Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 95% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 21 | Harrogate North Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 86% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 22 | Maidstone Kent | A− | 2.9 | 81% | 3.5 | 20% |
| 23 | Cheltenham Gloucestershire | A− | 1.4 | 87% | 4.5 | 44% |
| 24 | Redditch Worcestershire | A− | 4.1 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Worthing West Sussex | A− | 1.2 | 78% | 2.9 | 38% |
| 26 | Bedford Bedfordshire | B+ | 4.2 | 88% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Wakefield West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.9 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 28 | Oldham Greater Manchester | B+ | 1.7 | 87% | 5 | 0% |
| 29 | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.6 | 68% | 5.4 | 67% |
| 30 | Birkenhead Merseyside | B+ | 3.1 | 71% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Salford Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 91% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 32 | Chelmsford Essex | B | 2.4 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Wythenshawe Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 34 | St Helens Merseyside | B | 3.4 | 91% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Preston Lancashire | B | 3 | 80% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Wallasey Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 90% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Wigan Greater Manchester | B | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 0% |
| 38 | Hartlepool County Durham | B− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Nuneaton Warwickshire | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Rugby Warwickshire | B− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Tamworth Staffordshire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 3 | 0% |
| 42 | West Bromwich West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 83% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Grimsby Lincolnshire | B− | 1.3 | 75% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 44 | Halifax West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Bury Greater Manchester | B− | 2.4 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Royal Sutton Coldfield West Midlands | B− | 6.1 | 64% | 3 | 0% |
| 47 | Lincoln Lincolnshire | B− | 2.5 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Rochdale Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.7 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Stockton-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 2 | 83% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Woking Surrey | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Shrewsbury Shropshire | C+ | 1.6 | 87% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Darlington County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Worcester Worcestershire | C | 1.5 | 77% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Doncaster South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Solihull West Midlands | C | 2.9 | 54% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Scunthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Chester Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Crewe Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 88% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Southport Merseyside | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Burton upon Trent Staffordshire | C− | 1.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Darlington’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 Darlington
The biggest is South Park, 81 ha (201 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 11 named parks by size: 124 ha (306 acres) and 17 km of path
Parks & gardens 100 haPlaying fields 23 ha
The two biggest, South Park and Hopetown, are 74% of the named green space and carry 10 km of path between them. 5 of the 11 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Hopetown
Park or garden
10 ha (25 acres)2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Darlington
Directionsto the nearest entrance
North End Recreation Ground
Playing field
8.9 ha (22 acres)1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi northfrom the centre
2 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
North Lodge Park
Park or garden
4.0 ha (10 acres)1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Darlington
3 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Alderman Crooks Recreation Ground
Playing field
10 ha (25 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.6 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Eastbourne Park
Playing field
3.5 ha (9 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Stanhope Green
Park or garden
1.4 ha (3 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Green Park
Park or garden
1.7 ha (4 acres)0.5 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 11 named parks and green spaces
South ParkPark or garden · 81 ha · 6.9 km of path
DirectionsHopetownPark or garden · 10 ha · 2.9 km of path
DirectionsNorth End Recreation GroundPlaying field · 8.9 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsNorth Lodge ParkPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsAlderman Crooks Recreation GroundPlaying field · 10 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsEastbourne ParkPlaying field · 3.5 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsStanhope GreenPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsGreen ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsHolgate Moor GreenPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsThe GreenPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsBushel Hill ParkPlaying field · 0.9 ha
DirectionsClose to home
How close Darlington’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%)
Darlington87%
Towns its size86%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
About 12,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 39 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 2,385 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Yorkshire Dales National Park is 9.8 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
Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Darlington
142 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Darlington and the kilometre around it, 2.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough)15.8 km
Barmpton & Little Ketton4.9 km
Alternatives in Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough)4.0 km
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.
History along the way
3 historic parks, and what stands in them
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Darlington’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
South Park
81 ha. Part of South Park, Darlington, a registered historic park (Grade II). 1 listed structure stands inside it or at its edge.
IIPolam Lane Bridge
Registered · Grade IILandscape at Cummins Engine Factory4.9 ha
Registered · Grade IIWest Cemetery11 ha
Listed buildings insideNorth Lodge ParkBandstand to West of Bowling Green, Front Garden Wall to North Lodge and North Lodge (Education Offices)
Listed buildings insideThe GreenClose Farmhouse, Ivy Cottage and Milepost and Milestone 15 Metres West of Number 2
Listed buildings insideNorth End Recreation GroundHoney Pot House and Wall to North of Number 279
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 Darlington: 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 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 50 | 45 | 41 | 48 | 43 | 62 | 65 | 67 | 58 | 61 | 65 | 60 |
March is the driest month (41 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 67 mm of rain falls in August, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 47 nights a year. The climate in Darlington →
Things to do
39 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
Darlington is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Middleton Beach16 mi from Darlington’s edge
DirectionsNorth Sands16 mi from Darlington’s edge
DirectionsFish Sands17 mi from Darlington’s edge
DirectionsBlock Sands17 mi from Darlington’s edge
DirectionsCoatham Sands17 mi from Darlington’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
Hills and peaks 1
Fox Hill0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 39
Gi-Gi's Children's Soft Playin town
DirectionsPlus 38 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Dog Spend Areain town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
Hurworth-on-TeesMiddleton St GeorgeHeighingtonSchool AycliffeNewton AycliffeGainfordDarlington
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 0% |
| Hurworth-on-Tees 3.3 mi | C+ | 4.5 | 93% | 0% |
| Middleton St George 3.8 mi | C− | 1.8 | 94% | 0% |
| Heighington 5.0 mi | D | 2.6 | 64% | 0% |
| School Aycliffe 5.5 mi | D− | 0.0 | 0% | 0% |
| Newton Aycliffe 6.4 mi | B | 2.1 | 94% | 0% |
| Gainford 7.4 mi | C+ | 2.6 | 100% | 0% |
Newton Aycliffe, 6.4 miles away, grades B, the best next door: 94% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Hurworth-on-Tees has at least twice Darlington’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Darlington
What is the biggest park in Darlington?
South Park, 81 ha (201 acres), with 6.9 km of path. Hopetown (10 ha) is second. 11 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Darlington near a National Park?
Yes. Yorkshire Dales National Park begins 9.8 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
What are the best walks near Darlington?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough), Barmpton & Little Ketton and Alternatives in Teesdale Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Middlesbrough). South Park alone has 6.9 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Darlington?
Middleton Beach, 16 mi from the edge of the town, then North Sands (16 mi). Darlington itself is inland.
How many people in Darlington 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 Darlington?
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 Darlington are historic?
Landscape at Cummins Engine Factory (Grade II), South Park (Grade II) and West Cemetery (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Darlington good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 42% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 51% (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 Darlington’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Darlington’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.