Chesterfield’s biggest
Holmebrook Valley Park
Park or garden
62 ha (152 acres)11.5 km of path
2 h 35 minto walk all 11.5 km of path
86 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi north-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Alan Murray-Rust · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Chesterfield · parks, paths & countryside
Chesterfield has more footpath per square kilometre than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 287 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 4.4 for every square kilometre. The Peak District National Park begins 1.9 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Chesterfield add up to 2.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Chesterfield grades A− for the outdoors: #14 of 59 in Derbyshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
86%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
287 km
4.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
4%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Peak District National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Chesterfield?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths4.4 km of path per km², more than 86% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Peak District National Park starts 1.9 mi west.Historic parksQueen's Park is a registered historic park (Grade II*).
Chesterfield’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Peak District National Park close by.
Outdoors grade
Chesterfield grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Chesterfield, 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 84% of UK towns#14 of 59 in Derbyshire · 17th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
65out of
100
100
A park within a walk86%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
59out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape4%of the land within 5 km
66out of
100
100
Footpaths4.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
86out 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.
Towns its size
Chesterfield is 17th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 62,500 to 94,500 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
Chesterfield4.4
Towns its size3.7
Derbyshire towns3.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Chesterfield2.7
Towns its size2.4
Derbyshire towns2.2
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Chesterfield86%
Towns its size86%
Derbyshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Chesterfield stands out most for path per km²: only 21 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester Kent | A+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.6 | 23% |
| 2 | Hastings East Sussex | A+ | 3.1 | 76% | 4.3 | 42% |
| 3 | Burnley Lancashire | A+ | 3.4 | 95% | 5.7 | 7% |
| 4 | Dartford Kent | A | 3.9 | 72% | 5.1 | 1% |
| 5 | Ashford Kent | A | 2.7 | 94% | 5.2 | 23% |
| 6 | Guildford Surrey | A | 2.8 | 86% | 6.1 | 31% |
| 7 | Cannock Staffordshire | A | 5.5 | 88% | 3.5 | 26% |
| 8 | Chatham Kent | A | 1.6 | 78% | 6.4 | 26% |
| 9 | Bath Somerset | A | 1.8 | 89% | 5.6 | 50% |
| 10 | Harlow Essex | A | 3.7 | 99% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 11 | Barnsley South Yorkshire | A | 4.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 12 | Bracknell Berkshire | A | 3.7 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 13 | Gosport Hampshire | A | 3 | 85% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 14 | South Shields Tyne and Wear | A | 2.4 | 80% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 15 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 16 | Weston-super-Mare Somerset | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 3.7 | 8% |
| 17 | Chesterfield Derbyshire | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 18 | Stevenage Hertfordshire | A− | 3 | 98% | 7.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire | A− | 5.2 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 20 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 21 | Aylesbury Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 9.5 | 5% |
| 22 | Carlisle Cumbria | A− | 3.2 | 91% | 3.1 | 4% |
| 23 | St Albans Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 95% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Harrogate North Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 86% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 26 | Redditch Worcestershire | A− | 4.1 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 28 | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.6 | 68% | 5.4 | 67% |
| 29 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 31 | Ellesmere Port Cheshire | B | 2.8 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 32 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Wallasey Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 90% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Wigan Greater Manchester | B | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 0% |
| 37 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Hartlepool County Durham | B− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Nuneaton Warwickshire | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Rugby Warwickshire | B− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Tamworth Staffordshire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 3 | 0% |
| 42 | Grimsby Lincolnshire | B− | 1.3 | 75% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 43 | Bury Greater Manchester | B− | 2.4 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Halifax West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Kettering Northamptonshire | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Stafford Staffordshire | B− | 1.9 | 70% | 3.1 | 11% |
| 47 | Royal Sutton Coldfield West Midlands | B− | 6.1 | 64% | 3 | 0% |
| 48 | Stockton-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 2 | 83% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Woking Surrey | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Shrewsbury Shropshire | C+ | 1.6 | 87% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Walsall West Midlands | C+ | 2.5 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 52 | Darlington County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Bognor Regis West Sussex | C | 1.1 | 78% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 54 | Loughborough Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 73% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Doncaster South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Scunthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Chester Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Crewe Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 88% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Southport Merseyside | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Burton upon Trent Staffordshire | C− | 1.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Chesterfield’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 Chesterfield
The biggest is Holmebrook Valley Park, 62 ha (152 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 16 named parks by size: 164 ha (406 acres) and 21 km of path
Parks & gardens 127 haPlaying fields 37 haPlay spaces 0.1 ha
The two biggest, Holmebrook Valley Park and Hunloke Country Park, are 65% of the named green space and carry 16 km of path between them. 6 of the 16 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Hunloke Country Park
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
45 ha (110 acres)4.2 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.2 km of path
63 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.5 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Tapton Park
Park or garden
10 ha (25 acres)1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi eastfrom the centre
2 listedChesterfield FP101Chesterfield FP 19Chesterfield FP116
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade II*
Queen's Park
Park or garden
7.7 ha (19 acres)0.3 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi southfrom the centre
3 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Highfield Recreation Ground
Playing field
9.7 ha (24 acres)0.3 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi northfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Brearley Park
Playing field
6.3 ha (16 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.3 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Stand Road Recreation Ground
Playing field
7.0 ha (17 acres)0.3 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Eastwood Park
Playing field
4.4 ha (11 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.8 mi south-eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 16 named parks and green spaces
Holmebrook Valley ParkPark or garden · 62 ha · 11.5 km of path
DirectionsHunloke Country ParkPark or garden · 45 ha · 4.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsTapton ParkPark or garden · 10 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsQueen's ParkPark or garden · 7.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsHighfield Recreation GroundPlaying field · 9.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBrearley ParkPlaying field · 6.3 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsStand Road Recreation GroundPlaying field · 7.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsEastwood ParkPlaying field · 4.4 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsSomersall Playing FieldsPlaying field · 4.1 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsShentall Memorial GardensPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsAbercrombie Community ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsManor FieldsPlaying field · 2.5 ha
DirectionsQueens ParkPlaying field · 2.0 ha
DirectionsWinsick ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsPearson Recreation GroundPlaying field · 1.1 ha
DirectionsChesterfield SkateparkPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsClose to home
9 in 10 Chesterfield 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 (86%)Further (14%)
Chesterfield86%
Towns its size86%
Derbyshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
About 11,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 106 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 721 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Peak District National Park is 1.9 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
4% of the land within 5 km of Chesterfield is National Park or National Landscape, more than 66% of UK towns. Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
11 waymarked walks pass through or near Chesterfield
287 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Chesterfield 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 town.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Chesterfield Round Walk27.7 km
North Chesterfield Way11.3 km
Whittington and the Handleys7.7 km
South Chesterfield Way7.3 km
Cuckoo Way6.8 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Staveley to Chesterfield spur)6.7 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Staveley to Chesterfield spur - alternative route)5.8 km
Dronfield Rotary Walk5.2 km
Linacre and Cordwell Valleys Circular Walk4.3 km
Drone Valley Way4.3 km
Frith wood, Summerley and Unstone1.3 km
Close to home, the Chesterfield Round Walk has 28 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Trans-Pennine Trail (Staveley to Chesterfield spur) and Trans-Pennine Trail (Staveley to Chesterfield spur - alternative route).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A historic park in the middle of Chesterfield
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Chesterfield’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II*
Queen's Park
7.7 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II*). 3 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
IIBandstand at Queens ParkIIConservatory at Queens ParkIIGates, Piers and Railings at Entrance to Queen's Park
Listed buildings insideShentall Memorial GardensChesterfield Courthouse, Gatepiers at Number 23 and War Memorial and Steps in Front of Chesterfield Town Hall and 1 more
Listed buildings insideTapton ParkGatepiers at Tapton House and Mounting Block Outside Entrance Gates to Tapton House
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Chesterfield: May and July to September
The town’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) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 68 | 61 | 55 | 54 | 55 | 71 | 58 | 61 | 61 | 78 | 82 | 82 |
April is the driest month (54 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 82 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Chesterfield →
Things to do
106 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the town in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK town its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
1Viewpoints2Nature reserves3Picnic sites1.7× towns its size106Playgrounds1.6× towns its size1Campsites
The nearest beaches
Chesterfield is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
The Beach14 mi from Chesterfield’s edge
DirectionsDoncaster Lakeside Beach20 mi from Chesterfield’s edge
DirectionsBeach at Doncaster Lakeside20 mi from Chesterfield’s edge
DirectionsSea Lions21 mi from Chesterfield’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
Viewpoints 1
Spire View0.7 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Bluebank Pools1.3 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 106
Alderman Park Play Areain town
DirectionsBrockwell Infants School Playgroundin town
DirectionsBrockwell Junior School Playgroundin town
DirectionsBrockwell Nursery Playgroundin town
DirectionsChester Street Playgroundin town
DirectionsHeather Vale Road Play Areain town
DirectionsHighfield Park Play Areain town
DirectionsHolme Hall Primary Schoolin town
DirectionsPlus 98 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite 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.
BrimingtonHolymoorsideWingerworthGrassmoorStaveleyOld TuptonChesterfield
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4% |
| Brimington 2.0 mi | C | 1.2 | 72% | 0% |
| Holymoorside 2.8 mi | B− | 1.1 | 82% | 14% |
| Wingerworth 2.9 mi | A | 9.0 | 86% | 0% |
| Grassmoor 3.4 mi | A− | 6.8 | 85% | 0% |
| Staveley 3.4 mi | A | 6.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Old Tupton 4.0 mi | C+ | 2.3 | 73% | 0% |
Wingerworth, 2.9 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 86% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Wingerworth, Grassmoor and Staveley have at least twice Chesterfield’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Chesterfield
What is the biggest park in Chesterfield?
Holmebrook Valley Park, 62 ha (152 acres), with 11.5 km of path. Hunloke Country Park (45 ha) is second. 16 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Chesterfield near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 1.9 mi west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Chesterfield?
11 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Chesterfield Round Walk, North Chesterfield Way and Whittington and the Handleys. Holmebrook Valley Park alone has 11.5 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Chesterfield?
The Beach, 14 mi from the edge of the town, then Doncaster Lakeside Beach (20 mi). Chesterfield itself is inland.
How many people in Chesterfield live near a park?
86% 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 Chesterfield?
May and July to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Chesterfield are historic?
Queen's Park (Grade II*) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Chesterfield good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 86% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 65% (2.7 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 Chesterfield’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Chesterfield’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.