Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.087% of Dipton’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. Parks and playing fields in Dipton add up to 3.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 36 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.5 for every square kilometre. Dipton grades B for the outdoors: #16 of 52 in County Durham. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Dipton grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Dipton, 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.
Dipton is 16th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,500 to 2,800 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Dipton stands out most for path per km²: only 13 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petworth West Sussex | A+ | 29.6 | 100% | 4.1 | 93% |
| 2 | Ambleside Cumbria | A+ | 6.9 | 92% | 4.6 | 100% |
| 3 | Tywardreath Cornwall | A+ | 4.6 | 100% | 2.5 | 26% |
| 4 | Settle North Yorkshire | A+ | 6.4 | 100% | 3.6 | 73% |
| 5 | Downley Buckinghamshire | A+ | 9.5 | 76% | 7.6 | 71% |
| 6 | Hadston Northumberland | A+ | 5.8 | 100% | 2 | 1% |
| 7 | Yorkley and Whitecroft Gloucestershire | A | 3.3 | 74% | 6.4 | 1% |
| 8 | Hellingly East Sussex | A | 6.9 | 90% | 3.7 | 11% |
| 9 | Dolgellau Gwynedd | A | 3.6 | 100% | 1.9 | 100% |
| 10 | Newington Kent | A− | 2.3 | 78% | 2.3 | 21% |
| 11 | Combe Martin Devon | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 1.5 | 37% |
| 12 | Newhey Greater Manchester | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 13 | Avonmouth Bristol | B+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Langold Nottinghamshire | B+ | 13 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 15 | Blofield Norfolk | B+ | 2.9 | 100% | 1.5 | 17% |
| 16 | Dipton County Durham | B | 3.2 | 87% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Farington Moss Lancashire | B | 5.9 | 93% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 18 | Prestbury Cheshire | B | 5.6 | 42% | 3.2 | 6% |
| 19 | Builth Wells Powys | B | 4.9 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 20 | Brynamman Dyfed | B | 1.7 | 100% | 1 | 51% |
| 21 | Sutton-in-Craven North Yorkshire | B | 1.8 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Mancetter and Witherley Warwickshire | B− | 3.1 | 88% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Cliffe Woods Kent | B− | 1.7 | 62% | 2.5 | 1% |
| 24 | Halton Lancashire | B− | 0.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 35% |
| 25 | Grimsargh Lancashire | B− | 2.6 | 67% | 2.8 | 2% |
| 26 | Pucklechurch Gloucestershire | C+ | 1.2 | 64% | 4.2 | 20% |
| 27 | Godstone Surrey | C+ | 1.7 | 52% | 3.7 | 18% |
| 28 | Shevington Moor Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.1 | 90% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Ashington West Sussex | C+ | 1.3 | 86% | 2.3 | 21% |
| 30 | Hurworth-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 4.5 | 93% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Snettisham Norfolk | C+ | 1.1 | 73% | 1.3 | 32% |
| 32 | Endon Staffordshire | C+ | 3 | 89% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 33 | Little Dunmow Essex | C+ | 1.1 | 89% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Dunchurch Warwickshire | C+ | 7.8 | 68% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Bosham West Sussex | C+ | 1.2 | 48% | 1.4 | 58% |
| 36 | Catterick North Yorkshire | C | 3.6 | 89% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 37 | Watlington Norfolk | C | 2.3 | 100% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 38 | South Brent Devon | C | 1.5 | 79% | 0.8 | 64% |
| 39 | Smallfield Surrey | C | 1.6 | 70% | 2.4 | 1% |
| 40 | Marham Norfolk | C | 3.5 | 85% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Shelley West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 81% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 42 | Wittering Cambridgeshire | C− | 3.1 | 83% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 43 | South Wonston Hampshire | C− | 1.6 | 42% | 2.6 | 7% |
| 44 | Wolston Warwickshire | C− | 1.6 | 89% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Higham Kent | C− | 0.5 | 0% | 1.8 | 18% |
| 46 | Codicote Hertfordshire | C− | 0.4 | 90% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Newick East Sussex | C− | 1.7 | 35% | 2.1 | 16% |
| 48 | Hardwick Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.5 | 82% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Costessey Norfolk | C− | 1.8 | 12% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 50 | West Clyst Devon | C− | 0.6 | 59% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Saughall Cheshire | D | 2.5 | 27% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 52 | Christleton and Waverton Cheshire | D | 2.4 | 55% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 53 | Tonna West Glamorgan | D | 2.1 | 36% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 54 | Willington Derbyshire | D | 1.8 | 67% | 2 | 0% |
| 55 | Brierley South Yorkshire | D | 0.7 | 82% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Keele Staffordshire | D | 1.1 | 0% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Watton at Stone Hertfordshire | D | 0.8 | 61% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 58 | St Martins Shropshire | D | 0.6 | 59% | 0.8 | 2% |
| 59 | Swineshead Lincolnshire | D− | 1.2 | 73% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Manea Cambridgeshire | D− | 1.3 | 63% | 1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Dipton’s built-up area.
How close Dipton’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).
About 400 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 6 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 442 residents.
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.
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Dipton scores 0% on it even though the North Pennines National Landscape is 4.7 mi away.
Footpaths in and around Dipton
36 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Dipton and the kilometre around it, 3.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Dipton; 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.
The best walking months in Dipton: 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 | 16.1 | 17.3 | 16.8 | 14.9 | 12.6 | 10.3 | 8.3 | 7.2 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 57 | 58 | 49 | 61 | 53 | 75 | 71 | 78 | 67 | 75 | 85 | 77 |
March is the driest month (49 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 85 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 45 nights a year. The climate in Dipton →
6 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
Dipton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
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 Dipton.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Hills and peaks 1
Waterfalls 3
Playgrounds 6
Plus 6 playgrounds 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dipton | B | 3.2 | 87% | 0% |
| Annfield Plain 1.5 mi | B+ | 3.4 | 93% | 0% |
| Tanfield Lea 1.8 mi | A− | 3.8 | 89% | 0% |
| Burnopfield 1.8 mi | C− | 1.5 | 50% | 0% |
| Medomsley 2.4 mi | C | 1.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Leadgate 2.5 mi | C+ | 1.5 | 91% | 1% |
| Stanley 2.7 mi | B | 1.7 | 88% | 0% |
Tanfield Lea, 1.8 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 Dipton
Is Dipton 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 Dipton?
Shingles, 6.3 mi from the edge of the town, then Shingle Beach (6.4 mi). Dipton itself is inland.
How many people in Dipton 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 Dipton?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Dipton good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 71% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 73% (3.2 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 Dipton’s overall grade.
Where Dipton’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.