Glossop’s biggest
Manor Park
Park or garden
14 ha (34 acres)3.5 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.5 km of path
19 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Glossop
Peak
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Andrew Hill · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Glossop · parks, paths & countryside
60% of the land within 5 km of Glossop is National Park or National Landscape
The Peak District National Park reaches the edge of Glossop. Footpaths add up to 84 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 4.2 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Glossop add up to 1.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Glossop grades B+ for the outdoors: #21 of 59 in Derbyshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
78%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
84 km
4.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
60%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Peak District National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Glossop?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside60% of the land within 5 km is Peak District National Park.A town of footpaths4.2 km of path per km², more than 84% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.On a National TrailThe Pennine Bridleway Interim Route for Walkers passes through.Less park per person1.5 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Glossop’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by dense footpaths. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Glossop grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Glossop, 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 71% of UK towns#21 of 59 in Derbyshire · 20th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
29out of
100
100
A park within a walk78%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
42out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape60%of the land within 5 km
95out of
100
100
Footpaths4.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
84out 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
Glossop is 20th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 16,600 to 19,100 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
Glossop4.2
Towns its size3.4
Derbyshire towns3.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Glossop1.5
Towns its size2.4
Derbyshire towns2.2
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Glossop78%
Towns its size86%
Derbyshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Glossop stands out most for path per km²: only 14 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 51 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cirencester Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.3 | 95% | 4.1 | 48% |
| 2 | Prestatyn Clwyd | A+ | 3.3 | 92% | 2.9 | 14% |
| 3 | Littlehampton West Sussex | A+ | 2.1 | 99% | 3.1 | 18% |
| 4 | Dorking Surrey | A | 4.4 | 75% | 7 | 57% |
| 5 | Litherland Merseyside | A | 7.3 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 6 | Houghton Regis Bedfordshire | A | 3.5 | 81% | 8 | 20% |
| 7 | Brixham Devon | A | 3.1 | 76% | 2.5 | 30% |
| 8 | Waltham Abbey Essex | A | 11.9 | 92% | 6.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Colne Lancashire | A | 3.2 | 86% | 5.3 | 8% |
| 10 | Shiney Row and Penshaw Tyne and Wear | A | 9.6 | 98% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Connah's Quay Clwyd | A | 5.8 | 97% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 12 | Forest Town Nottinghamshire | A | 6.4 | 94% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 13 | Northwich Cheshire | A | 8.8 | 92% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Clifton Greater Manchester | A | 10 | 92% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Abbots Langley and Kings Langley Hertfordshire | A | 3.8 | 88% | 3.6 | 3% |
| 16 | Bredbury and Woodley Greater Manchester | A | 4.8 | 94% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 17 | Euxton Lancashire | A− | 3.7 | 98% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 18 | Alton Hampshire | B+ | 2.6 | 82% | 3 | 27% |
| 19 | Wath upon Dearne South Yorkshire | B+ | 5.5 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 20 | Glossop Derbyshire | B+ | 1.5 | 78% | 4.2 | 60% |
| 21 | Walkden Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.4 | 92% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 22 | Wombwell South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 23 | Belper Derbyshire | B+ | 2.4 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 24 | Eastwood Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 93% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Swanley Kent | B+ | 1.8 | 78% | 4.2 | 20% |
| 26 | Warminster Wiltshire | B+ | 1.7 | 86% | 3 | 44% |
| 27 | Liversedge West Yorkshire | B+ | 2 | 98% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 28 | Amersham Buckinghamshire | B | 1.8 | 62% | 3.7 | 64% |
| 29 | Cradley Heath West Midlands | B | 3.3 | 76% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 30 | Cobham Surrey | B | 3.1 | 49% | 4 | 1% |
| 31 | Wimborne Minster Dorset | B | 2.7 | 51% | 3.6 | 17% |
| 32 | Penrith Cumbria | B | 1.6 | 91% | 2.9 | 9% |
| 33 | Bangor Gwynedd | B | 0.9 | 79% | 2.7 | 11% |
| 34 | Shaw Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 96% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 35 | Minster (Swale) Kent | B | 2.5 | 89% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 36 | Bramhall Greater Manchester | B− | 4.7 | 71% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 37 | St Ives Cambridgeshire | B− | 1.7 | 95% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 38 | Biddulph Staffordshire | B− | 3.3 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 39 | Guisborough North Yorkshire | B− | 1.5 | 80% | 2.6 | 35% |
| 40 | Baildon West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 71% | 7.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Carterton Oxfordshire | B− | 2.1 | 82% | 2 | 13% |
| 42 | Ramsbottom Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.1 | 74% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Rawmarsh South Yorkshire | C+ | 2 | 84% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Maesteg Mid Glamorgan | C+ | 2 | 94% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Melksham Wiltshire | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Newmarket Suffolk | C+ | 1.9 | 91% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Royston Hertfordshire | C+ | 1.3 | 83% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 48 | Adwick le Street South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.8 | 89% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Bodmin Cornwall | C+ | 1.1 | 87% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 50 | Nantwich Cheshire | C | 2.2 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Streetly West Midlands | C | 7.5 | 58% | 2 | 0% |
| 52 | Bourne Lincolnshire | C | 1.3 | 70% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Sleaford Lincolnshire | C | 1.7 | 93% | 2 | 0% |
| 54 | Tonypandy Mid Glamorgan | C | 1.5 | 85% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Hale Greater Manchester | C− | 2.4 | 50% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Stone Staffordshire | C− | 1.5 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 57 | North Hykeham Lincolnshire | C− | 2.4 | 60% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Louth Lincolnshire | C− | 0.6 | 76% | 1.3 | 47% |
| 59 | Oswestry Shropshire | C− | 1.3 | 88% | 2 | 0% |
| 60 | Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay Staffordshire | C− | 1.5 | 60% | 1.6 | 3% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Glossop’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 Glossop
The biggest is Manor Park, 14 ha (34 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Howard Park
Park or garden
4.7 ha (12 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Shirebrook Park Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.8 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
8 in 10 Glossop 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 (78%)Further (22%)
Glossop78%
Towns its size86%
Derbyshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
About 4,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 23 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 775 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Glossop
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 Park
Peak District
At the edge south-west1,438 km²since 195160% of the land within 5 km
Official site60% of the land within 5 km of Glossop is National Park or National Landscape, more than 94% of UK towns. Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Glossop is on the Pennine Bridleway Interim Route for Walkers
84 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Glossop and the kilometre around it, 4.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocal
Trans-Pennine Trail (Stockport to Silkstone Common)9.1 km
Pennine Bridleway Interim Route for Walkers7.6 km
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 35.8 km
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 43.4 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Charlesworth alternative route)2.8 km
Tameside Trail (East - Broadbottom to Mossley)2.2 km
GM Ringway Stage 81.4 km
The Pennine Bridleway Interim Route for Walkers, a national route, passes Glossop. 5 regional routes pass through, including the Trans-Pennine Trail (Stockport to Silkstone Common), Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 3, Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 4 and Trans-Pennine Trail (Charlesworth 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 registered historic park in Glossop
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Glossop’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIHoward Park1.8 ha
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 Glossop: 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 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 110 | 98 | 86 | 74 | 71 | 92 | 103 | 101 | 99 | 122 | 121 | 135 |
May is the driest month (71 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 135 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 48 nights a year. The climate in Glossop →
Things to do
23 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.
6Hills and peaks5.7× towns its size1Nature reserves23Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks
The nearest beaches
Glossop is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Stone Beach17 mi from Glossop’s edge
DirectionsWader Point17 mi from Glossop’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach17 mi from Glossop’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South17 mi from Glossop’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North17 mi from Glossop’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
Hills and peaks 6
Trevor Hillin town
DirectionsCown Edge411 m (1,348 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsLordship Hill358 m (1,175 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPeak Naze385 m (1,263 ft) · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsCock Hill426 m (1,398 ft) · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsHarry Hut441 m (1,447 ft) · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Plus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 23
Temple Street Recreation Area0.5 mi from town
DirectionsNewshaw Lane Park0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 21 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.
GamesleyHadfieldBroadbottomHattersleyHayfieldMarple BridgeGlossop
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glossop | B+ | 1.5 | 78% | 60% |
| Gamesley 1.4 mi | A− | 0.8 | 100% | 32% |
| Hadfield 1.7 mi | A | 2.4 | 91% | 36% |
| Broadbottom 2.4 mi | A+ | 5.0 | 100% | 15% |
| Hattersley 3.4 mi | C | 0.9 | 52% | 7% |
| Hayfield 4.3 mi | A+ | 2.2 | 100% | 62% |
| Marple Bridge 4.8 mi | A | 9.9 | 80% | 13% |
Broadbottom, 2.4 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Broadbottom and Marple Bridge have at least twice Glossop’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Glossop
What is the biggest park in Glossop?
Manor Park, 14 ha (34 acres), with 3.5 km of path. Howard Park (4.7 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Glossop near a National Park?
Peak District National Park reaches the edge of Glossop. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Glossop?
7 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Trans-Pennine Trail (Stockport to Silkstone Common), Pennine Bridleway Interim Route for Walkers and Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 3. Manor Park alone has 3.5 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Glossop?
Stone Beach, 17 mi from the edge of the town, then Wader Point (17 mi). Glossop itself is inland.
How many people in Glossop live near a park?
78% 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 Glossop?
May 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 Glossop are historic?
Howard Park (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Glossop good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 84% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 29% (1.5 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 Glossop’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Glossop’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.