South Hetton’s biggest
Miner's Welfare Grounds
Playing field
5.5 ha (14 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of South Hetton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Bill Henderson · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in South Hetton · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in South Hetton lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in South Hetton add up to 3.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 24 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 2.5 for every square kilometre. South Hetton grades B+ for the outdoors: #12 of 52 in County Durham. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
24 km
2.5 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
Character
What kind of outdoors town is South Hetton?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Room to roam3.4 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 75% of UK towns.
South Hetton’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
South Hetton grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is South Hetton, 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 66% of UK towns#12 of 52 in County Durham · 20th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
75out of
100
100
A park within a walk100%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
89out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
46out 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
South Hetton is 20th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,700 to 3,000 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
South Hetton2.5
Towns its size2.2
County Durham towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
South Hetton3.4
Towns its size2.0
County Durham towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
South Hetton100%
Towns its size82%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, South Hetton stands out most for park space per resident: only 16 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Halling Kent | A+ | 3.8 | 100% | 4.6 | 54% |
| 2 | Rudloe Wiltshire | A+ | 7.3 | 91% | 4 | 45% |
| 3 | Downton Wiltshire | A | 4.3 | 100% | 2 | 59% |
| 4 | Bruton Somerset | A | 9.3 | 100% | 2.5 | 1% |
| 5 | Hartshill Warwickshire | A | 19 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 6 | Mortimer Berkshire | A | 2.4 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 7 | Stoke Mandeville Buckinghamshire | A− | 5.5 | 37% | 6.8 | 29% |
| 8 | Kingsclere Hampshire | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 2.5 | 50% |
| 9 | Wargrave Berkshire | A− | 4 | 100% | 2 | 11% |
| 10 | Threemilestone Cornwall | A− | 3.1 | 100% | 2.6 | 1% |
| 11 | Knighton Powys | A− | 2.7 | 81% | 3.4 | 34% |
| 12 | East Saltdean East Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 0% | 4.9 | 44% |
| 13 | Congresbury Somerset | A− | 8.5 | 67% | 3.5 | 10% |
| 14 | Holywell Green and Stainland West Yorkshire | A− | 4 | 89% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 15 | Seaton Sluice Northumberland | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 16 | Milton-under-Wychwood and Shipton-under-Wychwood Oxfordshire | B+ | 4.1 | 87% | 1.3 | 100% |
| 17 | Welham Green Hertfordshire | B+ | 2.5 | 93% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 18 | Charfield Gloucestershire | B+ | 1.3 | 100% | 3 | 22% |
| 19 | Almondsbury Gloucestershire | B+ | 7.9 | 77% | 4 | 0% |
| 20 | South Hetton County Durham | B+ | 3.4 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 21 | Hertford Heath Hertfordshire | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 22 | Charlbury Oxfordshire | B | 3.1 | 66% | 2.4 | 65% |
| 23 | Barlborough Derbyshire | B | 4.4 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 24 | Newport Essex | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Rockwell Green Somerset | B | 1 | 90% | 3.2 | 24% |
| 26 | Denholme West Yorkshire | B | 1.6 | 100% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 27 | Scholes (near Cleckheaton) West Yorkshire | B | 4 | 89% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Tollesbury Essex | B− | 2 | 85% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Chalgrove Oxfordshire | B− | 4.1 | 85% | 1.2 | 4% |
| 30 | Aston Clwyd | B− | 4.4 | 37% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Waltham Chase Hampshire | B− | 2 | 75% | 2.2 | 39% |
| 32 | Over Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Rolleston on Dove Staffordshire | C+ | 3.8 | 84% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 34 | Alderholt Dorset | C | 1.9 | 43% | 2.3 | 31% |
| 35 | Collingham Nottinghamshire | C | 2.4 | 78% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll Gwynedd | C | 0.8 | 71% | 1.6 | 8% |
| 37 | Barrow upon Humber Lincolnshire | C | 1.5 | 88% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 38 | Trimdon County Durham | C | 1 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 39 | East Goscote Leicestershire | C | 2.9 | 75% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 40 | Corbridge Northumberland | C | 2.2 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Maerdy Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Alrewas Staffordshire | C− | 1.5 | 66% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Tuxford Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.4 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 44 | Mere Wiltshire | C− | 1.6 | 34% | 1.5 | 54% |
| 45 | Weedon Bec Northamptonshire | C− | 1.1 | 87% | 2 | 0% |
| 46 | Thorngumbald East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.3 | 69% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Cleobury Mortimer Shropshire | D | 0.8 | 64% | 2 | 2% |
| 48 | Catterall Lancashire | D | 1 | 47% | 1.9 | 9% |
| 49 | Gamlingay Cambridgeshire | D | 2.1 | 32% | 2 | 0% |
| 50 | Scotter Lincolnshire | D | 2.6 | 61% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Sherburn County Durham | D | 0.2 | 0% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Seghill Northumberland | D | 0.2 | 41% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Pevensey Bay East Sussex | D | 0.5 | 0% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 54 | East Ayton and West Ayton North Yorkshire | D | 0.1 | 0% | 1.2 | 33% |
| 55 | West Winch Norfolk | D | 1.5 | 73% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Hunmanby North Yorkshire | D | 0.3 | 33% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Pickmere Cheshire | D− | 0.4 | 71% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Langstone Gwent | D− | 0.1 | 46% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 59 | Feltwell Norfolk | D− | 1.1 | 63% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Greetham Rutland | D− | 0.9 | 30% | 0.8 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is South Hetton’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 South Hetton
The biggest is Miner's Welfare Grounds, 5.5 ha (14 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close South Hetton’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 (100%)Further (0%)
South Hetton100%
Towns its size82%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 14 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 206 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The North Pennines National Landscape is 17 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 South Hetton
24 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in South Hetton and the kilometre around it, 2.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of South Hetton; 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 South Hetton: 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 | 10.4 | 8.3 | 7.2 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 52 | 46 | 43 | 51 | 48 | 65 | 61 | 74 | 58 | 69 | 76 | 61 |
March is the driest month (43 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 76 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in South Hetton →
The coast
Beaches near South Hetton
0% of the area within 5 km of South Hetton is sea, so the Outdoors Grade counts it as inland. 1 beach is mapped within 5 km.
Blast Beach3.1 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
14 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
Playgrounds 14
Plus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Colliery Farm Campsite1.1 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
HaswellEasington LaneMurtonHetton-le-HoleShotton CollieryEasingtonSouth Hetton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Hetton | B+ | 3.4 | 100% | 0% |
| Haswell 1.2 mi | C+ | 3.2 | 100% | 0% |
| Easington Lane 1.2 mi | B− | 0.9 | 100% | 0% |
| Murton 1.5 mi | C+ | 2.1 | 54% | 0% |
| Hetton-le-Hole 2.1 mi | A− | 7.8 | 95% | 0% |
| Shotton Colliery 2.8 mi | D− | 0.9 | 40% | 0% |
| Easington 3.0 mi | A− | 5.0 | 94% | 0% |
Easington, 3 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 94% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Hetton-le-Hole has at least twice South Hetton’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in South Hetton
What is the biggest park in South Hetton?
Miner's Welfare Grounds, 5.5 ha (14 acres), with 0.6 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is South Hetton near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the North Pennines National Landscape, 17 mi west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,985 km² and was designated in 1988.
How many people in South Hetton live near a park?
100% 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 South Hetton?
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 South Hetton good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 46% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 75% (3.4 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 South Hetton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where South Hetton’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.