Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.086% of the land within 5 km of Stanhope is National Park or National Landscape
The North Pennines National Landscape reaches the edge of Stanhope. Parks and playing fields in Stanhope add up to 7.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 36 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 3.5 for every square kilometre. Stanhope grades A+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Stanhope?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Stanhope’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by plenty of park space.
Stanhope grades A+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Stanhope, 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.
Stanhope is 1st of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,500 to 1,700 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Stanhope stands out most for park space per resident: only 4 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanhope County Durham | A+ | 7.7 | 100% | 3.5 | 86% |
| 2 | Salcombe Devon | A+ | 2 | 100% | 3.3 | 65% |
| 3 | Finberry Kent | A+ | 4 | 100% | 5.1 | 2% |
| 4 | Dobcross Greater Manchester | A+ | 2.8 | 100% | 4.8 | 22% |
| 5 | Fairlight East Sussex | A+ | 39.6 | 50% | 3.3 | 42% |
| 6 | Crockenhill Kent | A+ | 5.2 | 100% | 3.1 | 27% |
| 7 | Wood Street Village Surrey | A+ | 25.7 | 81% | 4.9 | 18% |
| 8 | Ducklington Oxfordshire | A | 10.1 | 79% | 4.8 | 4% |
| 9 | Roydon Essex | A | 3.5 | 100% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 10 | Haverigg Cumbria | A | 4.7 | 67% | 2.5 | 11% |
| 11 | North Bradley Wiltshire | A | 3.4 | 100% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 12 | Middle Winterslow Wiltshire | A | 7 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 13 | St Athan South Glamorgan | A | 2.2 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 14 | Sabden Lancashire | A− | 0.8 | 100% | 5 | 38% |
| 15 | Oakenshaw West Yorkshire | A− | 7.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 16 | West Wellow Hampshire | A− | 3.6 | 82% | 2.7 | 51% |
| 17 | Thorpe-le-Soken Essex | A− | 4.2 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 18 | East Dean and Friston East Sussex | B+ | 1.2 | 18% | 4.6 | 58% |
| 19 | King's Cliffe Northamptonshire | B+ | 3.3 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 20 | Littlebourne Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 3 | 9% |
| 21 | Ambergate Derbyshire | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 22 | Farcet Cambridgeshire | B+ | 13.8 | 77% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 23 | Tideswell Derbyshire | B | 1.5 | 100% | 1.6 | 97% |
| 24 | Mount Hawke Cornwall | B | 1.4 | 85% | 2 | 6% |
| 25 | Fence Lancashire | B | 1.3 | 62% | 6.2 | 32% |
| 26 | Wick Gloucestershire | B− | 1.8 | 56% | 3.6 | 39% |
| 27 | Mundford Norfolk | B− | 3.1 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 28 | Gotham Nottinghamshire | B− | 3.9 | 83% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 29 | South Witham Lincolnshire | B− | 2.5 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 30 | High Harrington Cumbria | C+ | 0.5 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Evenwood County Durham | C+ | 3.4 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Norton (Norton Juxta Kempsey) Worcestershire | C+ | 0.9 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 33 | Bacton and Cotton Suffolk | C+ | 4.4 | 70% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Rufford Lancashire | C | 2.8 | 70% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Anna Valley and Upper Clatford Hampshire | C | 2.2 | 77% | 3 | 0% |
| 36 | Four Lanes Cornwall | C | 0.6 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Kingsley Cheshire | C | 3.4 | 81% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Blisworth Northamptonshire | C | 2.2 | 81% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 39 | Stock Essex | C | 2.2 | 62% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 40 | Harden West Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 40% | 5 | 0% |
| 41 | Arksey South Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 88% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Rawcliffe East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Glapwell Derbyshire | C− | 2.2 | 60% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Horsmonden Kent | C− | 0.5 | 79% | 0.9 | 50% |
| 45 | Yalding Kent | C− | 7.1 | 21% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Tidbury Green West Midlands | C− | 2.4 | 49% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Baston Lincolnshire | C− | 2.3 | 78% | 1 | 0% |
| 48 | Ainsworth Greater Manchester | D | 0.4 | 64% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Heighington County Durham | D | 2.6 | 64% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Henstridge Somerset | D | 1.8 | 47% | 2 | 0% |
| 51 | Broadclyst Devon | D | 1.4 | 78% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 52 | St Erme and Trispen Cornwall | D | 0.3 | 69% | 1.2 | 2% |
| 53 | Wood End (North Warwickshire) Warwickshire | D | 1.1 | 74% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 54 | Camblesforth North Yorkshire | D | 0.3 | 81% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Burton Green Warwickshire | D− | 0 | 0% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 56 | Aberford West Yorkshire | D− | 1.3 | 22% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 57 | Edgmond Shropshire | D− | 1.7 | 33% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Walpole St Peter and Walpole St Andrew Norfolk | D− | 1.7 | 52% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 59 | School Aycliffe County Durham | D− | 0 | 0% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Leasingham Lincolnshire | D− | 1.3 | 50% | 0.9 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Stanhope’s built-up area.
Everyone in Stanhope lives 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).
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 4 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 394 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Stanhope
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.
North Pennines
86% of the land within 5 km of Stanhope is National Park or National Landscape, more than 97% of UK towns. Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Stanhope
36 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Stanhope and the kilometre around it, 3.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
Close to home, the Stanhope Burn Geotrail has 5 km of local walk within 2 km of the village. The regional route here is the Weardale Way.
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 Stanhope: June to September
The village’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) | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 5 |
| Rain (mm) | 94 | 79 | 70 | 67 | 59 | 80 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 94 | 106 | 111 |
May is the driest month (59 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 18 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 111 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 63 nights a year. The climate in Stanhope →
4 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Stanhope is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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
Playgrounds 4
Plus 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanhope | A+ | 7.7 | 100% | 86% |
| Wolsingham 5.1 mi | A+ | 2.7 | 100% | 55% |
| Tow Law 7.6 mi | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 21% |
| Castleside 7.9 mi | B+ | 0.9 | 100% | 42% |
| Consett 9.8 mi | B | 1.7 | 87% | 19% |
| Billy Row 10.4 mi | B | 2.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Crook 10.6 mi | C+ | 1.5 | 85% | 0% |
Stanhope grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table.
Questions about the outdoors in Stanhope
Is Stanhope near a National Park?
Yes. Yorkshire Dales National Park begins 18 mi south of the village’s edge. It covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the North Pennines National Landscape, at the edge of the village.
What are the best walks near Stanhope?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Weardale Way, Stanhope Burn Geotrail and Ashes Quarry Geotrail.
What is the nearest beach to Stanhope?
Shingle Beach, 19 mi from the edge of the village, then Shingles (19 mi). Stanhope itself is inland.
How many people in Stanhope 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 Stanhope?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Stanhope good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 72% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 93% (7.7 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 Stanhope’s overall grade.
Where Stanhope’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.