Houghton’s biggest
The Green
Playing field
0.5 ha (1 acres)
Centralin the middle of Houghton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: The Carlisle Kid · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Houghton · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Houghton lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Solway Coast National Landscape begins 2.9 mi from the village’s edge. Footpaths add up to 21 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 2.2 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Houghton add up to 1.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Houghton grades B for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
21 km
2.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Solway Coast starts 2.9 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Houghton?
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.Countryside close byThe Solway Coast National Landscape starts 2.9 mi west.On a National TrailThe Hadrian's Wall Path passes through.Less park per person1.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Houghton’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by the Solway Coast National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Houghton grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Houghton, 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 57% of UK towns23rd of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space1.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
35out 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 · Solway Coast begins just past 5 km
62out of
100
100
Footpaths2.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
37out 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
Houghton is 23rd of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,400 to 1,600 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
Houghton2.2
Villages its size2.0
Cumbria towns2.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Houghton1.7
Villages its size2.0
Cumbria towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Houghton100%
Villages its size87%
Cumbria towns84%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Houghton stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 37 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chambercombe Devon | A+ | 8.7 | 100% | 2.8 | 29% |
| 2 | Ashurst Wood West Sussex | A+ | 4 | 100% | 3.4 | 81% |
| 3 | Heathfield Devon | A+ | 20.4 | 100% | 3 | 30% |
| 4 | Charlton Down Dorset | A | 4 | 100% | 2.3 | 58% |
| 5 | Newburn Tyne and Wear | A | 12.1 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 6 | Gargrave North Yorkshire | A | 5.2 | 100% | 1.9 | 41% |
| 7 | Three Crosses West Glamorgan | A | 2.4 | 100% | 1.3 | 39% |
| 8 | Denham Buckinghamshire | A− | 5.7 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 9 | Knowle Hampshire | A− | 2 | 100% | 3.1 | 7% |
| 10 | Hale Cheshire | A− | 4.8 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Littleton Hampshire | A− | 7.8 | 100% | 1.1 | 10% |
| 12 | Twyford Hampshire | A− | 6.8 | 49% | 3.3 | 44% |
| 13 | Little Kingshill Buckinghamshire | A− | 6.5 | 50% | 2.9 | 90% |
| 14 | Holme Cumbria | A− | 2.8 | 100% | 1.8 | 25% |
| 15 | Burnhope County Durham | B+ | 3.1 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Offenham Worcestershire | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 17 | Horspath Oxfordshire | B | 14 | 54% | 5 | 0% |
| 18 | Hellifield North Yorkshire | B | 1.3 | 100% | 2.2 | 38% |
| 19 | Staveley Cumbria | B | 1.7 | 85% | 2.5 | 89% |
| 20 | Alconbury Cambridgeshire | B | 5.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Sturminster Marshall Dorset | B | 2 | 100% | 1.4 | 30% |
| 22 | Pont Rhyd-y-cyff Mid Glamorgan | B | 4.9 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 23 | Houghton Cumbria | B | 1.7 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Wingrave Buckinghamshire | B− | 3.7 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 25 | Kingstone Herefordshire | B− | 3.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Kibblesworth Tyne and Wear | B− | 2.5 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 27 | Netherne on-the-Hill Surrey | B− | 1.6 | 40% | 5.9 | 19% |
| 28 | Trinant Gwent | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Nether Stowey Somerset | C+ | 1.9 | 18% | 3 | 39% |
| 30 | Killinghall North Yorkshire | C+ | 1 | 100% | 1.6 | 7% |
| 31 | Nether Heyford Northamptonshire | C+ | 1.4 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Lavendon Buckinghamshire | C | 1.5 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 33 | Connor Downs Cornwall | C | 0.5 | 79% | 0.7 | 8% |
| 34 | Barton Lancashire | C | 2.6 | 47% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Newborough Cambridgeshire | C | 2.1 | 100% | 0.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Eythorne Kent | C | 0.5 | 79% | 2.5 | 9% |
| 37 | Brabourne Lees Kent | C | 0.9 | 0% | 3.2 | 34% |
| 38 | Alveley Shropshire | C− | 5.4 | 51% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 39 | Warton Warwickshire | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Cogenhoe Northamptonshire | C− | 1.5 | 78% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 41 | Burniston North Yorkshire | C− | 0.1 | 0% | 0.9 | 49% |
| 42 | Hartwell Northamptonshire | C− | 1.2 | 59% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Silverton Devon | C− | 1 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Ruishton Somerset | C− | 0.6 | 60% | 2.7 | 4% |
| 45 | Denbury Devon | C− | 2.8 | 24% | 0.7 | 3% |
| 46 | Marnhull Dorset | C− | 1.8 | 41% | 3 | 0% |
| 47 | Pontyberem Dyfed | C− | 4.7 | 58% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 48 | East Rainton Tyne and Wear | D | 1.4 | 34% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Hook East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.1 | 19% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 50 | North Somercotes Lincolnshire | D | 1.7 | 44% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Pontyates Dyfed | D | 4.6 | 39% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 52 | Cawood North Yorkshire | D | 1.9 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Copplestone Devon | D | 1.1 | 88% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 54 | Oakington Cambridgeshire | D | 2.1 | 52% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Stockton Warwickshire | D | 1.5 | 44% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Four Crosses Powys | D− | 1.9 | 53% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Badersfield Norfolk | D− | 0.3 | 53% | 1 | 2% |
| 58 | Sturton by Stow Lincolnshire | D− | 1.7 | 41% | 1 | 0% |
| 59 | Tilney St Lawrence Norfolk | D− | 1.5 | 53% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Woodford Northamptonshire | D− | 0 | 0% | 1.5 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Houghton’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 Houghton
The biggest is The Green, 0.5 ha (1 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Houghton’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%)
Houghton100%
Villages its size87%
Cumbria towns84%
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 village, about one for every 106 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Solway Coast National Landscape is 2.9 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Houghton scores 0% on it even though the Solway Coast National Landscape is 2.9 mi away. Lake District National Park covers 2,362 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Houghton is on the Hadrian's Wall Path
21 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Houghton and the kilometre around it, 2.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
National
Hadrian's Wall Path8.2 km
The Hadrian's Wall Path, a national route, passes Houghton.
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 Houghton: 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) | 7.8 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.1 | 17.3 | 16.8 | 14.9 | 12.6 | 10.3 | 8.3 | 7.2 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 80 | 67 | 60 | 49 | 56 | 70 | 80 | 89 | 77 | 96 | 84 | 95 |
April is the driest month (49 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 96 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 43 nights a year. The climate in Houghton →
Things to do
14 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
Houghton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
The Beach22 mi from Houghton’s edge
DirectionsDouble Mills Beach25 mi from Houghton’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 4
Former Swifts Golf Course17 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsKingmoor South Nature Reserve35 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsKingmoor North Nature Reserve12 ha · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites 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.
CarlisleScotbyWarwick BridgeWetheralDalstonLongtownHoughton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Carlisle, 2.4 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 91% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Warwick Bridge, Wetheral and Longtown have at least twice Houghton’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Houghton
What is the biggest park in Houghton?
The Green, 0.5 ha (1 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Houghton near a National Park?
Yes. Lake District National Park begins 12 mi south-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 Solway Coast National Landscape, 2.9 mi away.
What are the best walks near Houghton?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Hadrian's Wall Path.
What is the nearest beach to Houghton?
The Beach, 22 mi from the edge of the village, then Double Mills Beach (25 mi). Houghton itself is inland.
How many people in Houghton 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 Houghton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Houghton good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 37% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 35% (1.7 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 Houghton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Houghton’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.