Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in West Rainton
73% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Parks and playing fields in West Rainton add up to 2.1 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 27 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 2.7 for every square kilometre. West Rainton grades C for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
West Rainton grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is West Rainton, 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.
West Rainton is 33rd of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,200 to 2,400 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, West Rainton stands out most for path per km²: only 16 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 | Radford Semele Warwickshire | A | 12.3 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 3 | Harlington Bedfordshire | A− | 2.7 | 100% | 2.7 | 16% |
| 4 | Millbrook Cornwall | A− | 2 | 100% | 1.1 | 19% |
| 5 | Picket Piece Hampshire | A− | 3.9 | 100% | 1.3 | 33% |
| 6 | Cannington Somerset | A− | 2.8 | 88% | 3.2 | 3% |
| 7 | Clare Suffolk | A− | 7.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 8 | Y Felinheli Gwynedd | B+ | 4.9 | 65% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 9 | Hall Green West Yorkshire | B+ | 7.5 | 82% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 10 | Bowness-on-Windermere Cumbria | B | 1.7 | 76% | 2.8 | 100% |
| 11 | Pen-y-fai Mid Glamorgan | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 12 | Stalbridge Dorset | B− | 3.3 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 13 | Narberth Dyfed | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 1.6 | 4% |
| 14 | Creech St Michael Somerset | B− | 1.2 | 88% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Dormansland Surrey | B− | 2.5 | 70% | 2.3 | 33% |
| 16 | Upper Halliford Surrey | B− | 5.1 | 44% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 17 | Bickershaw Greater Manchester | B− | 5 | 13% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 18 | Bassingbourn Cambridgeshire | B− | 3.8 | 85% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 19 | Wiveliscombe Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 20 | Debenham Suffolk | C+ | 1 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 21 | St Dennis Cornwall | C+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Osbaldwick North Yorkshire | C+ | 1.9 | 70% | 5 | 0% |
| 23 | Padstow Cornwall | C+ | 0.6 | 33% | 2.5 | 37% |
| 24 | Delph Greater Manchester | C+ | 0.7 | 72% | 3.9 | 17% |
| 25 | Bramford Suffolk | C+ | 3.2 | 76% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Mickleton Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.2 | 52% | 2.1 | 45% |
| 27 | Lingwood Norfolk | C+ | 1.2 | 73% | 2.6 | 26% |
| 28 | Stanton Suffolk | C | 2.6 | 87% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Caistor Lincolnshire | C | 2.8 | 39% | 1.3 | 33% |
| 30 | Hawkesbury Warwickshire | C | 1 | 78% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Woolavington Somerset | C | 1.6 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Dearham Cumbria | C | 0.6 | 72% | 1.4 | 6% |
| 33 | West Rainton County Durham | C | 2.1 | 73% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 34 | Tatworth Somerset | C | 1.3 | 71% | 1.7 | 44% |
| 35 | Whaddon Wiltshire | C | 2.6 | 55% | 1.3 | 10% |
| 36 | Wardley Greater Manchester | C− | 0.6 | 88% | 3 | 0% |
| 37 | Stanford in the Vale Oxfordshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 38 | Credenhill Herefordshire | C− | 1.5 | 87% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Roche Cornwall | C− | 2.8 | 81% | 1 | 0% |
| 40 | Hathern Leicestershire | C− | 1.8 | 50% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Knowsley Merseyside | C− | 3.1 | 77% | 1 | 0% |
| 42 | Creigiau South Glamorgan | C− | 1.7 | 85% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Kings Sutton Northamptonshire | C− | 1.8 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 44 | Collingham West Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Reepham Norfolk | C− | 2.3 | 66% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Stilton Cambridgeshire | C− | 0.8 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Coates and Eastrea Cambridgeshire | C− | 0.9 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Dinnington Tyne and Wear | C− | 1.6 | 89% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Goxhill Lincolnshire | C− | 1.5 | 69% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Usk Gwent | C− | 3.5 | 56% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Netherton (Wakefield) West Yorkshire | D | 0.7 | 27% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 52 | St Stephen Cornwall | D | 1.2 | 88% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Bicknacre Essex | D | 1 | 56% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Belton Lincolnshire | D | 1.5 | 67% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Tattenhall Cheshire | D− | 1.8 | 28% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Ixworth Suffolk | D− | 1 | 73% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Hingham Norfolk | D− | 1.9 | 13% | 1 | 0% |
| 58 | Norton South Yorkshire | D− | 1.3 | 63% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Leven East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.2 | 64% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Isleham Cambridgeshire | D− | 0.2 | 71% | 0.8 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is West Rainton’s built-up area.
7 in 10 West Rainton 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).
About 600 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 258 residents.
The North Pennines National Landscape is 13 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.
10 waymarked walks pass through or near West Rainton
27 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in West Rainton and the kilometre around it, 2.7 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 Purple Clover Leaf Walk has 7 km of local walk within 2 km of the village. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Weardale Way and Way of Learning.
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 West Rainton: June, 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 | 10.4 | 8.3 | 7.2 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 55 | 49 | 45 | 55 | 49 | 68 | 64 | 74 | 61 | 71 | 81 | 67 |
March is the driest month (45 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 81 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 52 nights a year. The climate in West Rainton →
5 viewpoints, 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
West Rainton 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
Viewpoints 5
Plus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Picnic sites 1
Dog parks 1
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Rainton | C | 2.1 | 73% | 0% |
| East Rainton 1.1 mi | D | 1.4 | 34% | 0% |
| High Pittington 1.6 mi | B | 1.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Hetton-le-Hole 2.1 mi | A− | 7.8 | 95% | 0% |
| Fence Houses 2.1 mi | B+ | 3.8 | 81% | 0% |
| Great Lumley 2.3 mi | C+ | 1.4 | 88% | 0% |
| Houghton-le-Spring 2.4 mi | A | 4.8 | 100% | 0% |
Houghton-le-Spring, 2.4 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Hetton-le-Hole and Houghton-le-Spring have at least twice West Rainton’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in West Rainton
Is West Rainton near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the North Pennines National Landscape, 13 mi west of the village’s edge. It covers 1,985 km² and was designated in 1988.
What are the best walks near West Rainton?
10 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Purple Clover Leaf Walk, Yellow Clover Leaf Walk and Red Clover Leaf Walk.
What is the nearest beach to West Rainton?
Blast Beach, 6.8 mi from the edge of the village, then Hawthorn Hive (7.1 mi). West Rainton itself is inland.
How many people in West Rainton live near a park?
73% 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 West Rainton?
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 West Rainton good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 51% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 49% (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 West Rainton’s overall grade.
Where West Rainton’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.