Tanfield Lea’s biggest
Oakey Park
Playing field · 130 m outside town
3.2 ha (8 acres)0.3 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Tanfield Lea · parks, paths & countryside
Tanfield Lea has more footpath per square kilometre than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
44 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 4.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Tanfield Lea add up to 3.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 89% of residents. Tanfield Lea grades A− for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
89%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
44 km
4.4 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 village is Tanfield Lea?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A village of footpaths4.4 km of path per km², more than 86% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Room to roam3.8 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 80% of UK towns.
Tanfield Lea’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Tanfield Lea grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Tanfield Lea, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 78% of UK towns10th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space3.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
80out of
100
100
A park within a walk89%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
65out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
87out 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.
Villages its size
Tanfield Lea is 10th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,300 to 2,500 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
Tanfield Lea4.4
Villages its size2.3
County Durham towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Tanfield Lea3.8
Villages its size2.0
County Durham towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Tanfield Lea89%
Villages its size88%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Tanfield Lea stands out most for path per km²: only 4 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reydon Suffolk | A+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.6 | 49% |
| 2 | Wolsingham County Durham | A+ | 2.7 | 100% | 3.9 | 55% |
| 3 | Aldeburgh Suffolk | A | 2.3 | 88% | 2.3 | 41% |
| 4 | St Margaret's at Cliffe Kent | A | 2.3 | 90% | 2.4 | 15% |
| 5 | Old Stratford Northamptonshire | A | 9.8 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Awsworth Nottinghamshire | A− | 2.4 | 100% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 7 | Upton upon Severn Worcestershire | A− | 4.9 | 90% | 2.8 | 2% |
| 8 | Colerne Wiltshire | A− | 3.1 | 86% | 2.4 | 84% |
| 9 | West Wick Somerset | A− | 1.6 | 100% | 3.5 | 16% |
| 10 | Tanfield Lea County Durham | A− | 3.8 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 11 | Higher Folds Greater Manchester | A− | 2.8 | 90% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 12 | Sway Hampshire | B+ | 2.9 | 38% | 4 | 74% |
| 13 | Kington Herefordshire | B+ | 3.9 | 89% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 14 | Williton Somerset | B+ | 1.1 | 88% | 2.1 | 31% |
| 15 | Cotford St Luke Somerset | B+ | 2.2 | 100% | 2.2 | 6% |
| 16 | Henlow Bedfordshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 17 | Nant-y-moel Mid Glamorgan | B | 7 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Chattenden Kent | B | 1.4 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Middlestown and Overton West Yorkshire | B− | 1.5 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 20 | Stalbridge Dorset | B− | 3.3 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 21 | Narberth Dyfed | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 1.6 | 4% |
| 22 | Watlington Oxfordshire | B− | 2.3 | 67% | 2.4 | 55% |
| 23 | Wootton (Vale of White Horse) Oxfordshire | B− | 3.4 | 84% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Redlynch and Woodfalls Wiltshire | B− | 2.1 | 34% | 3.1 | 59% |
| 25 | Bassingbourn Cambridgeshire | B− | 3.8 | 85% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Riccall North Yorkshire | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Ashurst Hampshire | B− | 0.9 | 65% | 3.6 | 72% |
| 28 | St Dennis Cornwall | C+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Pentyrch South Glamorgan | C+ | 2.6 | 50% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Renishaw Derbyshire | C+ | 0.6 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Shelley Essex | C+ | 0.7 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Hendreforgan Mid Glamorgan | C+ | 2.7 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 33 | Witchford Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Grendon Warwickshire | C+ | 8.1 | 71% | 2 | 0% |
| 35 | Coven Staffordshire | C+ | 3.6 | 87% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Ruspidge Gloucestershire | C+ | 2 | 46% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 37 | Lingwood Norfolk | C+ | 1.2 | 73% | 2.6 | 26% |
| 38 | Pontycymer Mid Glamorgan | C | 2.2 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 39 | South Milford North Yorkshire | C | 1.7 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Bletchingley Surrey | C | 0.5 | 10% | 3.9 | 18% |
| 41 | Bugle Cornwall | C− | 1.8 | 92% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Hambleton Lancashire | C− | 2.3 | 14% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Eggborough North Yorkshire | C− | 1.5 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 44 | Wilstead Bedfordshire | C− | 1.7 | 88% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 45 | Marshfield Gwent | C− | 1 | 85% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Hathern Leicestershire | C− | 1.8 | 50% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Aberfan Mid Glamorgan | C− | 4.5 | 58% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Cornforth County Durham | C− | 1.9 | 66% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Collingham West Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Stilton Cambridgeshire | C− | 0.8 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Dinnington Tyne and Wear | C− | 1.6 | 89% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Brown Edge Staffordshire | C− | 1.1 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Eastry Kent | D | 2 | 77% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Leyburn North Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 22% | 2 | 16% |
| 55 | Fishburn County Durham | D | 1.5 | 76% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Parbold Lancashire | D | 1.5 | 36% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Aston-on-Trent Derbyshire | D | 1.5 | 44% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Burton upon Stather Lincolnshire | D | 1.5 | 75% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Myerscough Smithy Lancashire | D | 0.5 | 45% | 3 | 0% |
| 60 | Garden City Clwyd | D− | 1.5 | 58% | 1.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Tanfield Lea’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 Tanfield Lea
The biggest is Oakey Park, 3.2 ha (8 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
9 in 10 Tanfield Lea 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 (89%)Further (11%)
Tanfield Lea89%
Villages its size88%
County Durham towns88%
All UK towns83%
About 300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 9 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 267 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The North Pennines National Landscape is 6.8 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
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Tanfield Lea
44 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Tanfield Lea and the kilometre around it, 4.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
Regional
Tyne and Wear Heritage Way Section 64.2 km
The regional route here is the Tyne and Wear Heritage Way Section 6.
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 Tanfield Lea: July and 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 | 10.3 | 8.3 | 7.2 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 53 | 47 | 54 | 56 | 53 | 73 | 66 | 75 | 62 | 68 | 72 | 64 |
February is the driest month (47 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 75 mm of rain falls in August, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 47 nights a year. The climate in Tanfield Lea →
Things to do
9 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
Tanfield Lea is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Shingles6.4 mi from Tanfield Lea’s edge
DirectionsShingle Beach6.6 mi from Tanfield Lea’s edge
DirectionsHerd Sand14 mi from Tanfield Lea’s edge
DirectionsHendon Beach14 mi from Tanfield Lea’s edge
DirectionsGraham's Sand14 mi from Tanfield Lea’s edge
DirectionsGood to know
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
Nature reserves 1
Kyo Bogs Local Nature Reserve13 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 9
Oakies Playground0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 8 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.
StanleyAnnfield PlainDiptonBurnopfieldRowlands GillSunnisideTanfield Lea
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanfield Lea | A− | 3.8 | 89% | 0% |
| Stanley 1.1 mi | B | 1.7 | 88% | 0% |
| Annfield Plain 1.7 mi | B+ | 3.4 | 93% | 0% |
| Dipton 1.8 mi | B | 3.2 | 87% | 0% |
| Burnopfield 2.1 mi | C− | 1.5 | 50% | 0% |
| Rowlands Gill 3.4 mi | B | 4.9 | 84% | 0% |
| Sunniside 3.4 mi | B | 2.1 | 87% | 0% |
Tanfield Lea grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Tanfield Lea
What is the biggest park in Tanfield Lea?
Oakey Park, 3.2 ha (8 acres), just outside the built-up area. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Tanfield Lea near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the North Pennines National Landscape, 6.8 mi south-west of the village’s edge. It covers 1,985 km² and was designated in 1988.
What are the best walks near Tanfield Lea?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Tyne and Wear Heritage Way Section 6.
What is the nearest beach to Tanfield Lea?
Shingles, 6.4 mi from the edge of the village, then Shingle Beach (6.6 mi). Tanfield Lea itself is inland.
How many people in Tanfield Lea live near a park?
89% 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 Tanfield Lea?
July and September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Tanfield Lea good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 87% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 80% (3.8 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 Tanfield Lea’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Tanfield Lea’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.