Dronfield’s biggest
Greenhill Park
Park or garden · 310 m outside town
12 ha (29 acres)2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
17 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Andrew Hill · CC BY-SA 2.0A+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Dronfield · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Dronfield lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 97% of residents. 125 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 5.3 for every square kilometre. The Peak District National Park begins 1.3 mi from the town’s edge. Dronfield grades A+ for the outdoors: #2 of 59 in Derbyshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
97%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
125 km
5.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
9%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Peak District National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Dronfield?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep97% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.A town of footpaths5.3 km of path per km², more than 94% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Peak District National Park starts 1.3 mi west.
Dronfield’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by dense footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Dronfield grades A+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Dronfield, 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 95% of UK towns#2 of 59 in Derbyshire · 3rd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
73out of
100
100
A park within a walk97%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
78out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape9%of the land within 5 km
71out of
100
100
Footpaths5.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
95out 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
Dronfield is 3rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 19,700 to 22,600 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
Dronfield5.3
Towns its size3.6
Derbyshire towns3.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Dronfield3.2
Towns its size2.3
Derbyshire towns2.2
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Dronfield97%
Towns its size86%
Derbyshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Dronfield stands out most for path per km²: only 3 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapeltown and High Green South Yorkshire | A+ | 4.9 | 94% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 2 | Camborne Cornwall | A+ | 2.2 | 93% | 4 | 8% |
| 3 | Dronfield Derbyshire | A+ | 3.2 | 97% | 5.3 | 9% |
| 4 | Buxton Derbyshire | A | 3.5 | 86% | 3.8 | 61% |
| 5 | Reddish Greater Manchester | A | 6.7 | 100% | 5 | 0% |
| 6 | Faversham Kent | A | 2 | 88% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 7 | Hebburn Tyne and Wear | A | 6.6 | 99% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 8 | Quedgeley and Hardwicke Gloucestershire | A | 2.1 | 99% | 4.7 | 21% |
| 9 | Farnham Surrey | A | 5.1 | 73% | 4.3 | 35% |
| 10 | Hazlemere Buckinghamshire | A | 2.5 | 81% | 4.7 | 68% |
| 11 | Stratton St Margaret Wiltshire | A | 3.3 | 82% | 5.1 | 5% |
| 12 | Seaham County Durham | A | 2.9 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Harwich Essex | A− | 1.7 | 95% | 2.1 | 20% |
| 14 | South Ockendon Essex | A− | 2.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 15 | Peterlee County Durham | A− | 2.3 | 85% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 16 | Workington Cumbria | A− | 3 | 97% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 17 | Dukinfield Greater Manchester | A− | 4 | 95% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 18 | Coalville Leicestershire | A− | 3.7 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 19 | Rothwell West Yorkshire | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Whitefield Greater Manchester | A− | 4.7 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Crowborough East Sussex | B+ | 3.2 | 68% | 2.6 | 91% |
| 22 | Kirkby-in-Ashfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 3 | 93% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 23 | Hythe and Dibden Purlieu Hampshire | B+ | 0.8 | 49% | 4.4 | 44% |
| 24 | Ossett West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.8 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Sandhurst Berkshire | B+ | 5.1 | 79% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Hazel Grove Greater Manchester | B+ | 2.9 | 62% | 4.2 | 3% |
| 27 | Brownhills West Midlands | B | 11 | 80% | 2 | 2% |
| 28 | Great Bookham and Fetcham Surrey | B | 1.7 | 68% | 4.4 | 33% |
| 29 | Ripley Derbyshire | B | 2.4 | 91% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Irlam Greater Manchester | B | 3.1 | 95% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Biggleswade Bedfordshire | B | 1.6 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Westhoughton Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Penwortham Lancashire | B | 2.9 | 91% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Old Trafford Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 79% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Hailsham East Sussex | B | 1.4 | 87% | 3.2 | 12% |
| 36 | Dorchester Dorset | B | 1.6 | 78% | 2.9 | 53% |
| 37 | Stourport-on-Severn Worcestershire | B | 3.1 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Romsey Hampshire | B− | 1.2 | 82% | 4.5 | 2% |
| 39 | Bingley West Yorkshire | B− | 2.1 | 80% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 40 | Calne Wiltshire | B− | 1.3 | 88% | 2.4 | 33% |
| 41 | Berkhamsted Hertfordshire | B− | 1 | 69% | 3.6 | 56% |
| 42 | Staines-upon-Thames Surrey | B− | 3.4 | 67% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Wednesbury West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 93% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Dereham Norfolk | B− | 1.8 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Failsworth Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.8 | 77% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 46 | Clevedon Somerset | C+ | 1.1 | 69% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Sunbury-on-Thames Surrey | C+ | 2 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Kenilworth Warwickshire | C+ | 2.7 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 49 | Spennymoor County Durham | C+ | 2.1 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Normanton West Yorkshire | C | 1.2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 51 | Horwich Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 67% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Maghull Merseyside | C− | 1.6 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Skegness Lincolnshire | C− | 0.9 | 58% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Stowmarket Suffolk | C− | 0.8 | 50% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Gainsborough Lincolnshire | C− | 1 | 96% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 56 | March Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.7 | 87% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 57 | Goole East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.7 | 81% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Stamford Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 64% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Tiverton Devon | D | 1.5 | 59% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Darlaston West Midlands | D | 1.3 | 78% | 1.9 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Dronfield’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 Dronfield
The biggest is Greenhill Park, 12 ha (29 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 8 named parks by size: 45 ha (112 acres) and 8 km of path
Parks & gardens 33 haPlaying fields 12 ha
The two biggest, Greenhill Park and Frith Wood, are 54% of the named green space and carry 5 km of path between them. 3 of the 8 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Frith Wood
Park or garden
12 ha (31 acres)2.1 km of path
25 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
17 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Gosforth Fields
Playing field
11 ha (26 acres)0.5 km of path
15 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Sindelfingen Park
Park or garden
4.8 ha (12 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Cliffe Park
Park or garden
2.7 ha (7 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Dronfield
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Dronfield Nature Park
Park or garden
1.3 ha (3 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Radbourne Common
Park or garden
0.4 ha (1 acres)0.2 km of path
0.9 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The H E Barnes Stadium
Playing field
1.2 ha (3 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the park
Close to home
How close Dronfield’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 (97%)Further (3%)
Dronfield97%
Towns its size86%
Derbyshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
About 1,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 30 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 705 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Peak District National Park is 1.3 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
9% of the land within 5 km of Dronfield is National Park or National Landscape, more than 70% of UK towns. Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
10 waymarked walks pass through or near Dronfield
125 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Dronfield and the kilometre around it, 5.3 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
Dronfield Rotary Walk17.1 km
Sheffield Country Walk12.8 km
North Chesterfield Way6.5 km
Chesterfield Round Walk5.8 km
Round Holmesfield Walk3.8 km
Frith wood, Summerley and Unstone3.7 km
GHB Ward Walk3.3 km
Linacre and Cordwell Valleys Circular Walk3.0 km
Drone Valley Way1.7 km
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 101.6 km
Close to home, the North Chesterfield Way has 7 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Sheffield Country Walk and Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 10.
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 Dronfield: May 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 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 72 | 63 | 57 | 58 | 57 | 72 | 63 | 67 | 64 | 80 | 84 | 85 |
May is the driest month (57 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 85 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in Dronfield →
Things to do
30 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.
3Nature reserves3× towns its size3Picnic sites3.1× towns its size30Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks
The nearest beaches
Dronfield is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
The Beach18 mi from Dronfield’s edge
DirectionsDoncaster Lakeside Beach20 mi from Dronfield’s edge
DirectionsBeach at Doncaster Lakeside20 mi from Dronfield’s edge
DirectionsSea Lions21 mi from Dronfield’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 3
Twentywellsick Wood Nature Reserve1.5 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 30
Cliffe Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsHilltop Playgroundin town
DirectionsLundy Road Playgroundin town
DirectionsMoonpenny Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 26 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park 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.
ChesterfieldEckingtonBrimingtonSheffieldStaveleyHolymoorsideDronfield
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dronfield | A+ | 3.2 | 97% | 9% |
| Chesterfield 4.3 mi | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4% |
| Eckington 4.4 mi | B− | 1.8 | 80% | 0% |
| Brimington 4.7 mi | C | 1.2 | 72% | 0% |
| Sheffield 5.1 mi | A | 2.7 | 85% | 15% |
| Staveley 5.3 mi | A | 6.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Holymoorside 5.6 mi | B− | 1.1 | 82% | 14% |
Dronfield grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. Staveley has at least twice Dronfield’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Dronfield
What is the biggest park in Dronfield?
Greenhill Park, 12 ha (29 acres), with 2.7 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Frith Wood (12 ha) is second. 8 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Dronfield near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 1.3 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 Dronfield?
10 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Dronfield Rotary Walk, Sheffield Country Walk and North Chesterfield Way. Greenhill Park alone has 2.7 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Dronfield?
The Beach, 18 mi from the edge of the town, then Doncaster Lakeside Beach (20 mi). Dronfield itself is inland.
How many people in Dronfield live near a park?
97% 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 Dronfield?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Dronfield good for walking?
For paths, yes: 5.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 95% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 73% (3.2 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 Dronfield’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Dronfield’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.