Arnside’s biggest
War Memorial Playing Fields
Playing field
3.0 ha (7 acres)0.1 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Arnside
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Stuart Wilding · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Arnside · parks, paths & countryside
Arnside is inside the Arnside & Silverdale National Landscape
43 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 4.1 for every square kilometre. The sea makes up 24% of the area within 5 km. Arnside grades A− for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
65%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
43 km
4.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
75%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Arnside & Silverdale National Landscape
The sea
24%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Arnside?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Inside the Arnside & Silverdale National LandscapeArnside sits inside it: 76 km² of protected landscape.On the coast24% of the area within 5 km is sea; 2 beaches mapped.A village of footpaths4.1 km of path per km², more than 82% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Less park per person1.3 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Arnside’s strongest suit is a protected landscape all round, followed by the sea. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Arnside grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Arnside, 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 83% of UK towns10th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space1.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
22out of
100
100
A park within a walk65%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
24out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape75%of the land within 5 km
97out of
100
100
Footpaths4.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
83out of
100
100
The sea24%of the area within 5 km
90out 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
Arnside is 10th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,100 to 2,300 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
Arnside4.1
Villages its size2.2
Cumbria towns2.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Arnside1.3
Villages its size2.0
Cumbria towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Arnside65%
Villages its size68%
Cumbria towns84%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Arnside stands out most for path per km²: only 9 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 48 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brockham Surrey | A+ | 7.4 | 94% | 4.4 | 38% |
| 2 | Limpsfield Surrey | A+ | 2.9 | 100% | 3.7 | 41% |
| 3 | Tanyfron Clwyd | A | 7.4 | 100% | 2.6 | 13% |
| 4 | Berry Hill Gloucestershire | A | 2.9 | 79% | 4.7 | 55% |
| 5 | Elstead Surrey | A | 2.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 82% |
| 6 | Westcott Surrey | A | 1.8 | 86% | 5.5 | 78% |
| 7 | Hapton Lancashire | A | 2.6 | 87% | 6.1 | 2% |
| 8 | Severn Beach Gloucestershire | A− | 5.8 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 9 | Great Horkesley Essex | A− | 4.7 | 78% | 3.3 | 25% |
| 10 | Arnside Cumbria | A− | 1.3 | 65% | 4.1 | 75% |
| 11 | Smalley Derbyshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 12 | Merlin's Bridge Dyfed | A− | 3.3 | 100% | 2 | 11% |
| 13 | Berrow and Brean Somerset | A− | 3.6 | 75% | 1.7 | 1% |
| 14 | Newstead Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 15 | Woodcote Oxfordshire | B+ | 1.6 | 84% | 3.5 | 99% |
| 16 | Acle Norfolk | B+ | 1.6 | 89% | 3.1 | 43% |
| 17 | Brimscombe and Thrupp Gloucestershire | B+ | 2.1 | 12% | 5.9 | 89% |
| 18 | Tisbury Wiltshire | B+ | 1.5 | 86% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 19 | Woodford Greater Manchester | B+ | 5.9 | 80% | 2.3 | 5% |
| 20 | Steventon Oxfordshire | B+ | 2 | 100% | 2 | 17% |
| 21 | Crick Northamptonshire | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 22 | Mayfield East Sussex | B− | 3.3 | 61% | 1.9 | 99% |
| 23 | Loddon Norfolk | B− | 2.4 | 77% | 2.5 | 18% |
| 24 | Park Street and Frogmore Hertfordshire | B− | 4.5 | 63% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 25 | Bickershaw Greater Manchester | B− | 5 | 13% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Lechlade-on-Thames Gloucestershire | B− | 6.7 | 66% | 1.5 | 6% |
| 27 | Bere Alston Devon | C+ | 1.4 | 64% | 1.3 | 93% |
| 28 | Hermitage Berkshire | C+ | 0.6 | 58% | 3.4 | 82% |
| 29 | Boughton under Blean Kent | C+ | 2.7 | 24% | 2.5 | 18% |
| 30 | Hook Norton Oxfordshire | C+ | 2 | 70% | 2 | 28% |
| 31 | Cold Ash Berkshire | C+ | 1.5 | 7% | 3.1 | 60% |
| 32 | Berkeley Gloucestershire | C+ | 0.9 | 49% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 33 | Farndon Cheshire | C+ | 1.2 | 82% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 34 | East Bergholt Suffolk | C | 1.9 | 26% | 2.4 | 46% |
| 35 | Trimsaran Dyfed | C | 2.4 | 31% | 1 | 2% |
| 36 | Bishopsteignton Devon | C | 3 | 62% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Wickham Market Suffolk | C | 2.5 | 64% | 1.7 | 7% |
| 38 | Llanidloes Powys | C | 2.4 | 89% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Eye Suffolk | C | 2 | 66% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Wateringbury Kent | C− | 2.4 | 73% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Great Blakenham Suffolk | C− | 3.6 | 70% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Stoke Prior Worcestershire | C− | 2.6 | 67% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 43 | Coleford Somerset | C− | 1.2 | 51% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Coltishall and Horstead Norfolk | C− | 2.1 | 57% | 1.3 | 8% |
| 45 | Meriden West Midlands | C− | 1.8 | 70% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 46 | Woldingham Surrey | C− | 0.2 | 25% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 47 | Hatfield Woodhouse South Yorkshire | C− | 0.6 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 48 | St Osyth Essex | C− | 1.5 | 54% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Scholes (Leeds) West Yorkshire | D | 0 | 0% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Comberton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.6 | 71% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 51 | Duxford Cambridgeshire | D | 1.7 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 52 | Kineton Warwickshire | D | 0.2 | 0% | 1.8 | 5% |
| 53 | Great Barford Bedfordshire | D− | 1.4 | 45% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Leconfield East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.6 | 51% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Bettws Mid Glamorgan | D− | 0.7 | 71% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Mattishall Norfolk | D− | 1.4 | 58% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Misterton Nottinghamshire | D− | 1.4 | 47% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Billinghay Lincolnshire | D− | 1.8 | 41% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Shenstone Staffordshire | D− | 1 | 55% | 1 | 0% |
| 60 | Puriton Somerset | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 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 Arnside’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 Arnside
The biggest is War Memorial Playing Fields, 3.0 ha (7 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
6 in 10 Arnside 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 (65%)Further (36%)
Arnside65%
Villages its size68%
Cumbria towns84%
All UK towns83%
About 800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 6 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 372 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Arnside
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
National Landscape
Arnside & Silverdale
Arnside is inside it76 km²since 197250% of the land within 5 km
Official siteNational Park
Lake District
0.1 mi north-west2,362 km²since 195126% of the land within 5 km
Official site75% of the land within 5 km of Arnside is National Park or National Landscape, more than 96% of UK towns. Lake District National Park covers 2,362 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
6 waymarked walks pass through or near Arnside
43 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Arnside and the kilometre around it, 4.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
RegionalLocal
Eaves Wood Circular Walk, Arnside/Silverdale3.0 km
Arnside Knott Circular Walk, Arnside/Silverdale2.9 km
Eaves Wood Tramper Trail, Arnside/Silverdale2.6 km
Storth Trail1.8 km
Arnside Knott Tramper Trail, Arnside/Silverdale1.7 km
Cumbria Coastal Way0.5 km
The regional route here is the Cumbria Coastal Way.
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 Arnside: May 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) | 7.9 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 17.1 | 16.7 | 14.9 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.4 | 7.4 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 122 | 100 | 86 | 64 | 68 | 75 | 105 | 110 | 104 | 122 | 119 | 131 |
April is the driest month (64 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 131 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 47 nights a year. The climate in Arnside →
The coast
Arnside is a coastal town
24% of the area within 5 km of Arnside is sea. 2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 0 with a name.
Sea: 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
3 viewpoints and 6 playgrounds
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.
3Viewpoints2Hills and peaks2Nature reserves6Playgroundsabout the same as villages its size1Campsites
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Arnside Knott159 m (522 ft) · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsKing Williams Hill94 m (308 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Brantwood0.4 ha · in town
DirectionsHeathwaite20 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 6
Plus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Holgates Holiday Park: Hollins Farm0.7 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.
SilverdaleMilnthorpeGrange-over-SandsHolmeWarton (Lancaster)AllithwaiteArnside
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnside | A− | 1.3 | 65% | 75% |
| Silverdale 2.1 mi | A | 2.3 | 46% | 76% |
| Milnthorpe 3.3 mi | C | 2.2 | 49% | 39% |
| Grange-over-Sands 3.4 mi | B | 1.5 | 46% | 40% |
| Holme 4.2 mi | A− | 2.8 | 100% | 25% |
| Warton (Lancaster) 4.4 mi | B− | 0.3 | 32% | 43% |
| Allithwaite 4.5 mi | C+ | 1.9 | 60% | 17% |
Silverdale, 2.1 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 46% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Holme has at least twice Arnside’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Arnside
What is the biggest park in Arnside?
War Memorial Playing Fields, 3.0 ha (7 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Arnside near a National Park?
Yes. Lake District National Park begins 0.1 mi north-west of the village’s edge. It covers 2,362 km² and has been a National Park since 1951. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Arnside & Silverdale National Landscape, at the edge of the village.
What are the best walks near Arnside?
6 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Eaves Wood Circular Walk, Arnside/Silverdale, Arnside Knott Circular Walk, Arnside/Silverdale and Eaves Wood Tramper Trail, Arnside/Silverdale.
How many people in Arnside live near a park?
65% 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 Arnside?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Arnside good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 83% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 22% (1.3 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 Arnside’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Arnside’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.