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Barnard Castle , Market PlaceBarnard Castle, #1 on this list · Photo: Lewis Clarke · CC BY-SA 2.0
County Durham rankings · Walkability

Most walkable towns in County Durham

Barnard Castle ranks first on walkability among County Durham’s 52 towns of 2,500+; 3 of the 52 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

#1

Barnard Castle

5,783 people
A+

Better than 97% of UK towns·#80 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

#2

Durham

50,502 people
A

Better than 90% of UK towns·#323 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

#3

Darlington

93,022 people
A−

Better than 85% of UK towns·#519 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

All 52 towns, ranked

Walkability grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list.

Every town in County Durham →

52 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns
1Barnard Castle5,783 peopleA+#80 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns
2Durham50,502 peopleA#323 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns
3Darlington93,022 peopleA−#519 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns
4Shildon9,650 peopleB+#900 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns
5Seaham21,660 peopleB+#1,008 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns
6Newton Aycliffe25,760 peopleB+#1,041 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns
7Chester-le-Street23,554 peopleB+#1,077 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns
8Hartlepool88,001 peopleB+#1,079 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns
9Bishop Auckland23,359 peopleB+#1,108 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 67% of UK towns
10Esh Winning3,877 peopleB+#1,133 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 66% of UK towns
11Peterlee19,750 peopleB+#1,167 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns
12Stockton-on-Tees84,824 peopleB#1,187 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns
13Horden6,805 peopleB#1,226 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns
14Leadgate3,339 peopleB#1,233 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns
15Willington5,685 peopleB#1,303 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns
16Langley Park4,031 peopleB#1,319 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns
17Murton7,239 peopleB#1,323 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns
T18Brandon9,508 peopleB#1,330 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns
T18Ferryhill8,857 peopleB#1,330 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns
20Stanley19,423 peopleB#1,335 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns
21Coundon and Leeholme2,522 peopleB#1,347 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 59% of UK towns
22Billingham33,917 peopleB#1,350 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 59% of UK towns
23Consett29,874 peopleB#1,402 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 58% of UK towns
T24Crook9,717 peopleB#1,467 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns
T24Sacriston5,186 peopleB#1,467 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns
26Ushaw Moor and Bearpark6,483 peopleB−#1,480 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns
27Bowburn4,843 peopleB−#1,495 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 54% of UK towns
28Annfield Plain7,786 peopleB−#1,515 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 54% of UK towns
29Spennymoor20,401 peopleB−#1,546 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns
30West Auckland3,107 peopleB−#1,570 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns
31Burnopfield2,998 peopleB−#1,715 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns
32Easington6,968 peopleB−#1,722 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns
33Shotton Colliery4,943 peopleC+#1,789 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 43% of UK towns
34Great Lumley3,627 peopleC+#1,794 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 43% of UK towns
35Sedgefield4,979 peopleC+#1,838 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 41% of UK towns
36Pelton and Ouston7,305 peopleC+#1,841 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 41% of UK towns
37Sherburn2,796 peopleC+#1,850 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 41% of UK towns
38Chilton4,693 peopleC+#1,961 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 36% of UK towns
39Blackhall Colliery4,577 peopleC+#1,966 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 36% of UK towns
40South Hetton2,877 peopleC+#1,983 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 36% of UK towns
41Egglescliffe10,250 peopleC+#1,988 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 36% of UK towns
42Trimdon2,835 peopleC+#1,990 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 35% of UK towns
43Dipton2,653 peopleC#2,009 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 35% of UK towns
44Coxhoe4,542 peopleC#2,055 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 33% of UK towns
45Wheatley Hill3,148 peopleC#2,114 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 30% of UK towns
46Witton Gilbert2,525 peopleC#2,140 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns
47Hurworth-on-Tees2,667 peopleC−#2,225 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 24% of UK towns
48Wingate5,033 peopleC−#2,250 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 22% of UK towns
49Lanchester3,510 peopleC−#2,274 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 21% of UK towns
50Thornley2,543 peopleC−#2,293 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 19% of UK towns
51Middleton St George4,756 peopleC−#2,310 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 18% of UK towns
52Wynyard4,040 peopleD−#2,512 of 2,515 nationallybehind almost every UK town
Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most walkable town in County Durham?

Barnard Castle ranks first on walkability among 52 towns, with an A+: better than 97% of UK towns. Durham and Darlington follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers County Durham’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in County Durham is on the county page.

Go deeper

More County Durham lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All County Durham rankings →
Best places to live52 towns · #1 EgglescliffeBest small towns38 towns · #1 SedgefieldMost affordable towns52 towns · #1 Stockton-on-TeesSafest towns52 towns · #1 WynyardTowns with the best schools52 towns · #1 Barnard CastleHealthiest towns52 towns · #1 WynyardBest towns for jobs & income52 towns · #1 WynyardTowns with the lowest flood risk52 towns · #1 Blackhall Colliery and 23 moreBest towns for the outdoors52 towns · #1 SeahamMost historic towns52 towns · #1 Barnard CastleTowns with the most civic life52 towns · #1 Barnard CastleTowns with the highest household incomes52 towns · #1 WynyardDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest council tax52 towns · #1 DarlingtonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters52 towns · #1 Horden and SeahamDescribed, no lettersTowns with the warmest summers52 towns · #1 Stockton-on-TeesDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers52 towns · #1 Consett and LeadgateDescribed, no lettersTowns with the fewest frosts52 towns · #1 HartlepoolDescribed, no lettersDriest towns52 towns · #1 Hartlepool and HordenDescribed, no lettersWettest towns52 towns · #1 Esh WinningDescribed, no letters
County by county

Most walkable towns, county by county

AberdeenshireBedfordshireBerkshireBuckinghamshireCambridgeshireCheshireClwydCornwallCounty DurhamCumbriaDerbyshireDevonDorsetDyfedEast Riding of YorkshireEast SussexEssexFifeGloucestershireGreater ManchesterGwentHampshireHertfordshireHighlandKentLancashireLeicestershireLincolnshireLondonMerseysideMid GlamorganNorfolkNorth LanarkshireNorth YorkshireNorthamptonshireNorthumberlandNottinghamshireOxfordshireShropshireSomersetSouth LanarkshireSouth YorkshireStaffordshireSuffolkSurreyTyne and WearWarwickshireWest GlamorganWest MidlandsWest SussexWest YorkshireWiltshireWorcestershire

Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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.