Murton’s biggest
Murton Recreation Ground
Playing field
13 ha (32 acres)
18 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Murton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
War Memorial, Village Green · Photo: Richard Cooke · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Murton · parks, paths & countryside
Parks and walks in Murton
54% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. The sea makes up 12% of the area within 5 km. Parks and playing fields in Murton add up to 2.1 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Murton grades C+ for the outdoors: #34 of 52 in County Durham. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
54%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
33 km
2.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Pennines National Landscape
The sea
12%
of the area within 5 km
Outdoors grade
Murton grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Murton, 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 37% of UK towns#34 of 52 in County Durham · 36th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
47out of
100
100
A park within a walk54%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
16out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
47out of
100
100
The sea12%of the area within 5 km
87out 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
Murton is 36th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 6,900 to 7,500 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
Murton2.6
Towns its size3.1
County Durham towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Murton2.1
Towns its size1.9
County Durham towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Murton54%
Towns its size78%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
Murton falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 54 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holbury Hampshire | A+ | 5.5 | 89% | 3.1 | 42% |
| 2 | Sheringham Norfolk | A+ | 11.6 | 74% | 3.4 | 32% |
| 3 | Stocksbridge South Yorkshire | A | 2.2 | 100% | 4.4 | 30% |
| 4 | Ruddington Nottinghamshire | A | 9.7 | 100% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 5 | Bude Cornwall | A | 3.1 | 78% | 3.3 | 9% |
| 6 | Anstey Leicestershire | A | 12.9 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 7 | Liphook Hampshire | A | 3.1 | 86% | 3.8 | 64% |
| 8 | Bolton upon Dearne South Yorkshire | A | 5.6 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 9 | Bourne End Buckinghamshire | A | 2.9 | 87% | 4 | 19% |
| 10 | Gwersyllt Clwyd | A | 14.6 | 96% | 2.5 | 2% |
| 11 | Ashley Heath Dorset | A | 24.2 | 68% | 4 | 15% |
| 12 | Darfield South Yorkshire | A | 4 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 13 | Seaton Devon | A− | 1.1 | 84% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 14 | Otford and Kemsing Kent | A− | 3.3 | 53% | 3.6 | 73% |
| 15 | Torpoint Cornwall | A− | 2.2 | 84% | 1.6 | 26% |
| 16 | Goldthorpe South Yorkshire | A− | 8.4 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 17 | Blackwater Hampshire | B+ | 10.6 | 74% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 18 | Chinnor Oxfordshire | B+ | 1.5 | 88% | 3.7 | 37% |
| 19 | Kiveton Park South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.8 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Gowerton West Glamorgan | B+ | 3.2 | 79% | 1.2 | 14% |
| 21 | Malmesbury Wiltshire | B | 2 | 86% | 2.5 | 26% |
| 22 | Wroughton Wiltshire | B | 1.1 | 78% | 3.9 | 52% |
| 23 | Chapel-en-le-Frith Derbyshire | B− | 1 | 75% | 3.8 | 58% |
| 24 | Woodville Derbyshire | B− | 3.7 | 78% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 25 | Eckington Derbyshire | B− | 1.8 | 80% | 6 | 0% |
| 26 | Balsall Common West Midlands | B− | 3.7 | 81% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 27 | Cranfield Bedfordshire | B− | 2.3 | 72% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 28 | Borrowash Derbyshire | B− | 2.8 | 85% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Bollington Cheshire | B− | 1.3 | 56% | 4.1 | 31% |
| 30 | Abersychan Gwent | B− | 2.8 | 83% | 1.1 | 17% |
| 31 | North Baddesley Hampshire | C+ | 1.7 | 91% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Chipping Norton Oxfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 67% | 2.4 | 73% |
| 33 | Wrecclesham Surrey | C+ | 1.2 | 50% | 3.8 | 37% |
| 34 | Poringland Norfolk | C+ | 1.3 | 91% | 2.1 | 5% |
| 35 | Pelton and Ouston County Durham | C+ | 2 | 64% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Murton County Durham | C+ | 2.1 | 54% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 37 | West Mersea Essex | C+ | 1.9 | 69% | 2 | 0% |
| 38 | Thrapston Northamptonshire | C | 1.2 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 39 | Caerleon Gwent | C | 1.9 | 64% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Horncastle Lincolnshire | C | 0.6 | 60% | 3.9 | 10% |
| 41 | Radcliffe on Trent Nottinghamshire | C | 2.5 | 76% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Sawston Cambridgeshire | C | 1.4 | 97% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Hagley Worcestershire | C | 1.7 | 90% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Castle Donington Leicestershire | C | 1.8 | 85% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Crewkerne Somerset | C | 0.5 | 66% | 2.8 | 21% |
| 46 | Aylsham Norfolk | C | 2.6 | 74% | 2 | 0% |
| 47 | Hethersett Norfolk | C | 2.1 | 65% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Wivenhoe Essex | C− | 0.9 | 65% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt Leicestershire | C− | 2.1 | 82% | 2 | 0% |
| 50 | Southwell Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 59% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Calverton Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 62% | 3 | 0% |
| 52 | Breaston and Draycott Derbyshire | C− | 1.1 | 73% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Pickering North Yorkshire | C− | 1.7 | 39% | 1.7 | 19% |
| 54 | Shefford Bedfordshire | D | 1.1 | 67% | 3 | 0% |
| 55 | Wellesbourne Warwickshire | D | 1.1 | 88% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Deeping St James Lincolnshire | D | 0.5 | 73% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Beddau Mid Glamorgan | D | 1 | 77% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Market Weighton East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 79% | 1 | 0% |
| 59 | Featherstone Staffordshire | D− | 1.2 | 52% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Albrighton Shropshire | D− | 0.8 | 32% | 1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Murton’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 Murton
The biggest is Murton Recreation Ground, 13 ha (32 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
5 in 10 Murton 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 (54%)Further (46%)
Murton54%
Towns its size78%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
About 3,300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 16 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 452 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The North Pennines National Landscape is 18 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
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Footpaths in and around Murton
33 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Murton and the kilometre around it, 2.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Murton; 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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Murton: 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) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 53 | 42 | 38 | 48 | 46 | 62 | 57 | 67 | 53 | 62 | 70 | 57 |
March is the driest month (38 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °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 37 nights a year. The climate in Murton →
The coast
Murton is near the sea
12% of the area within 5 km of Murton is sea. 7 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 3 with a name.
Blast Beach1.8 mi from town
DirectionsHawthorn Hive2.1 mi from town
DirectionsShippersea Bay2.3 mi from town
DirectionsSea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
Things to do
16 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 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 16
Plus 16 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.
South HettonEasington LaneSeahamHetton-le-HoleHaswellEasingtonMurton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murton | C+ | 2.1 | 54% | 0% |
| South Hetton 1.5 mi | B+ | 3.4 | 100% | 0% |
| Easington Lane 1.9 mi | B− | 0.9 | 100% | 0% |
| Seaham 1.9 mi | A | 2.9 | 90% | 0% |
| Hetton-le-Hole 2.4 mi | A− | 7.8 | 95% | 0% |
| Haswell 2.6 mi | C+ | 3.2 | 100% | 0% |
| Easington 3.1 mi | A− | 5.0 | 94% | 0% |
Seaham, 1.9 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 90% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Hetton-le-Hole and Easington have at least twice Murton’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Murton
What is the biggest park in Murton?
Murton Recreation Ground, 13 ha (32 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Murton near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the North Pennines National Landscape, 18 mi west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,985 km² and was designated in 1988.
How many people in Murton live near a park?
54% 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 Murton?
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 Murton good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 47% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 47% (2.1 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 Murton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Murton’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.