Photo: Stephen McKay · CC BY-SA 2.0

Outdoors in Heanor · parks, paths & countryside

Heanor has more footpath per square kilometre than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns

Footpaths add up to 114 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 4.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Heanor add up to 4.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 92% of residents. Heanor grades A− for the outdoors: #17 of 59 in Derbyshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.

7named parks 10 mito Peak District 11waymarked walks

Green space

4.2 ha

per 1,000 residents

Typical UK town 2.1

Near a park

92%

of residents within 400 m

Typical UK town 83%

Footpaths

114 km

4.4 km per km², town + 1 km

Typical UK town 3.0 per km²

Protected landscape

of the land within 5 km

Nearest: Peak District National Park

Character

What kind of outdoors town is Heanor?

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.Room to roam4.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 82% of UK towns.

Heanor’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by plenty of park space.

Outdoors grade

Heanor grades A− for the outdoors

Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Heanor, 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 81% of UK towns#17 of 59 in Derbyshire · 14th of 60 UK towns its size

Public green space4.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces

83out of
100

A park within a walk92%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)

70out of
100

National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km

31out of
100

Footpaths4.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it

86out of
100

The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland

42out of
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

Heanor is 14th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors

The 60 UK towns and cities of 22,400 to 26,300 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

Heanor4.4

Towns its size3.5

Derbyshire towns3.6

All UK towns3.0

Green space, ha per 1,000 residents

Heanor4.2

Towns its size2.5

Derbyshire towns2.2

All UK towns2.1

Residents within 400 m of a park

Heanor92%

Towns its size82%

Derbyshire towns86%

All UK towns83%

Against towns its size, Heanor stands out most for park space per resident: only 14 of the other 59 have more.

Show as a table

	Town	Outdoors	Green space	Near a park	Path per km²	Protected
1	Lee-on-the-Solent Hampshire	A⁺	5.7	96%	3.7	1%
2	Stroud Gloucestershire	A⁺	4.6	79%	5.8	70%
3	Falmouth Cornwall	A	1.3	96%	3.5	41%
4	Caterham Surrey	A	4.3	84%	4.3	17%
5	Newport Isle of Wight	A	1.8	80%	3.8	37%
6	Ash and Ash Vale Surrey	A	4.3	72%	5.4	20%
7	Huntingdon Cambridgeshire	A	5.7	99%	4.4	0%
8	Thornaby-on-Tees North Yorkshire	A	5.4	92%	5.2	0%
9	Larkfield Kent	A⁻	5.6	75%	3.4	27%
10	South Ockendon Essex	A⁻	2.6	88%	3.8	0%
11	Droylsden Greater Manchester	A⁻	5.2	95%	4.1	0%
12	Reigate Surrey	A⁻	5.5	58%	4.7	20%
13	Felixstowe Suffolk	A⁻	2	88%	1.9	28%
14	Heanor Derbyshire	A⁻	4.2	92%	4.4	0%
15	Gorleston-on-Sea Norfolk	A⁻	1.4	81%	3.2	17%
16	Hedge End Hampshire	A⁻	5.5	87%	4.4	0%
17	Little Hulton Greater Manchester	A⁻	8.6	87%	3.8	0%
18	Wilmslow Cheshire	A⁻	4.4	90%	4	0%
19	Kempston Bedfordshire	A⁻	4.9	88%	4	0%
20	Newton-le-Willows Merseyside	A⁻	5.2	99%	3.1	0%
21	Ryde Isle of Wight	A⁻	1.7	76%	2.6	19%
22	Shoreham-by-Sea West Sussex	A⁻	1.6	74%	2.7	35%
23	Ingleby Barwick North Yorkshire	B⁺	2.9	87%	6.1	0%
24	Maldon Essex	B⁺	2.8	82%	3.2	0%
25	Whitehaven Cumbria	B⁺	1.8	91%	2	1%
26	Chesham Buckinghamshire	B⁺	1.9	73%	4	64%
27	Herne Bay Kent	B⁺	2.3	83%	2.9	0%
28	Thatcham Berkshire	B⁺	1.9	87%	3.1	27%
29	Fleetwood Lancashire	B⁺	2.7	92%	1.8	0%
30	Cheadle Hulme Greater Manchester	B⁺	3.9	80%	4.3	0%
31	Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock Essex	B⁺	2.2	97%	2.4	0%
32	Oadby Leicestershire	B⁺	3.7	92%	3.1	0%
33	Bradley Stoke Gloucestershire	B⁺	2	93%	5.3	0%
34	Seaford East Sussex	B⁺	0.8	73%	2.8	52%
35	Orrell Greater Manchester	B⁺	4.1	77%	4.3	0%
36	Swinton Greater Manchester	B	3.9	81%	3.7	0%
37	Newton Aycliffe County Durham	B	2.1	94%	4.1	0%
38	Rugeley Staffordshire	B	1.2	94%	2.7	37%
39	Broadstairs Kent	B	1.7	76%	3.1	0%
40	Sudbury Suffolk	B	3.8	77%	3.5	0%
41	Truro Cornwall	B	1.6	84%	2.9	21%
42	Hailsham East Sussex	B	1.4	87%	3.2	12%
43	Rawtenstall Lancashire	B	1.9	83%	6.4	0%
44	Royton Greater Manchester	B⁻	2.8	71%	4.9	0%
45	Thetford Norfolk	B⁻	2.9	65%	5.1	0%
46	St Austell Cornwall	B⁻	1.2	71%	2.5	7%
47	Bishop Auckland County Durham	B⁻	2.7	85%	2.7	0%
48	Chester-le-Street County Durham	C⁺	1.7	75%	6.2	0%
49	Hindley Greater Manchester	C⁺	2.5	77%	3.4	0%
50	Coseley West Midlands	C⁺	1.4	84%	4.7	0%
51	Newquay Cornwall	C⁺	1.6	75%	2.6	0%
52	Ashford Surrey	C⁺	3.4	73%	2.9	0%
53	Clifton Nottinghamshire	C⁺	1.5	76%	6.2	0%
54	Market Harborough Leicestershire	C⁺	1.9	94%	2.3	0%
55	Formby Merseyside	C⁺	1.4	63%	2.8	0%
56	Ascot Berkshire	C⁺	3.6	56%	3	0%
57	Potters Bar Hertfordshire	C	1.6	71%	4.3	0%
58	Golborne Greater Manchester	C	3	66%	2.7	0%
59	Wickersley and Bramley South Yorkshire	C	1.7	77%	3.4	0%
60	Retford Nottinghamshire	C⁻	1.7	76%	2.3	0%

The map

Parks, footpaths & countryside

Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Heanor’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 Heanor

The biggest is Shipley Country Park, 300 ha (740 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.

All 7 named parks by size: 625 ha (1,544 acres) and 80 km of path

Parks & gardens 602 haPlaying fields 22 ha

The two biggest, Shipley Country Park and Shipley Country Park, are 96% of the named green space and carry 77 km of path between them.

Heanor’s biggest

Shipley Country Park

Park or garden

300 ha (740 acres)38.5 km of path

8 h 35 minto walk all 38.5 km of path

420 pitchesfootball pitches would fit

0.7 mi south-westfrom the centre

PlaygroundDog Kennel Lane

Directionsto the nearest entrance

Shipley Country Park

Park or garden

300 ha (740 acres)38.5 km of path

8 h 35 minto walk all 38.5 km of path

420 pitchesfootball pitches would fit

0.7 mi south-westfrom the centre

PlaygroundDog Kennel Lane

Directionsto the nearest entrance

Hall Park

Playing field · 210 m outside town

11 ha (28 acres)0.9 km of path

10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path

16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit

1.3 mi eastfrom the centre

Directionsto the nearest entrance

Charles Hill Playing Fields

Playing field

9.0 ha (22 acres)0.7 km of path

10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path

13 pitchesfootball pitches would fit

1.1 mi north-westfrom the centre

Nature reserve

Directionsto the nearest entrance

Heanor Memorial Park

Park or garden

3.1 ha (8 acres)1.1 km of path

15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path

4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit

Centralin the middle of Heanor

Playground

Directionsto the nearest entrance

Aldercar Recreation Ground

Playing field

2.1 ha (5 acres)0.3 km of path

3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit

0.6 mi north-eastfrom the centre

Directionsto the nearest entrance

Tom Norman Memorial Gardens

Park or garden

0.0 ha (0 acres)

0.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre

Directionsto the nearest entrance

Close to home

9 in 10 Heanor 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 (92%)Further (8%)

Heanor92%

Towns its size82%

Derbyshire towns86%

All UK towns83%

About 2,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 41 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 592 residents.

National Parks & National Landscapes

The Peak District National Park is 10 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

National Park

Peak District

10 mi north-west1,438 km²since 1951

Official site

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 Heanor

114 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Heanor 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.

LocalOther waymarked

Erewash Valley Trail7.7 km

Broxtowe Country Trail4.3 km

Amber Valley Routeway Walk 213.3 km

Amber Valley Routeway Walk 163.2 km

Amber Valley Routeway Walk 61.7 km

Erewash Circular Walk 61.1 km

Erewash Circular Walk 111.0 km

Amber Valley Routeway Walk 40.9 km

Circular Walk 180.8 km

Cromford Canal Footpath0.8 km

Amber Valley Routeways 130.6 km

Close to home, the Erewash Valley Trail has 8 km of local walk within 2 km of the town.

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 Heanor: 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)	8.1	9.8	11.7	13.9	15.8	16.9	16.4	14.7	12.6	10.5	8.6	7.6
High (°C)	7	8	10	13	17	19	22	21	18	14	10	7
Rain (mm)	63	50	53	50	52	61	65	61	61	73	72	73

February is the driest month (50 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 73 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Heanor →

Things to do

2 viewpoints, 41 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.

2Viewpoints 5Nature reserves5.1× towns its size 1Picnic sites 41Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size

The nearest beaches

Heanor is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.

The Beach15 mi from Heanor’s edge

Directions

Good 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 2

Wildlife Watching Area0.7 mi from town

Directions

Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.

Nature reserves 5

Red River Local Nature Reserve1.9 ha · 0.1 mi from town

Directions

Aldercar Flash Nature Reserve0.2 mi from town

Directions

Woodside Nature Reserve75 ha · 0.8 mi from town

Directions

Brinsley Headstocks4.7 ha · 0.9 mi from town

Directions

Mapperley Wood Nature Reserve9.8 ha · 1.1 mi from town

Directions

Picnic sites 1

Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.

Playgrounds 41

Heanor Memorial Park Play Areain town

Directions

Lockton Avenue Play Areain town

Directions

Victoria Ave Playareain town

Directions

Wilmot Street Playgroundin town

Directions

Loscoe Denby Lane Play Area0.0 mi from town

Directions

Smalley Manor Recreation Area0.0 mi from town

Directions

Toddlers' Playground0.2 mi from town

Directions

Smalley Pastures Playground0.2 mi from town

Directions

Plus 33 playgrounds 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.

EastwoodSmalleyBrinsley and UnderwoodAwsworthWest HallamIronvilleHeanor

ABCDOutdoors Grade

Town	Outdoors	Green space, ha per 1,000	Near a park	Protected within 5 km
Heanor	A⁻	4.2	92%	0%
Eastwood 2.1 mi	B⁺	2.6	93%	0%
Smalley 2.2 mi	A⁻	2.9	100%	0%
Brinsley and Underwood 2.6 mi	C⁺	3.3	71%	0%
Awsworth 3.0 mi	A⁻	2.4	100%	0%
West Hallam 3.1 mi	A	4.8	100%	0%
Ironville 3.1 mi	B	1.6	100%	0%

West Hallam, 3.1 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.

Questions about the outdoors in Heanor

What is the biggest park in Heanor?

Shipley Country Park, 300 ha (740 acres), with 38.5 km of path. Shipley Country Park (300 ha) is second. 7 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.

Is Heanor near a National Park?

Yes. Peak District National Park begins 10 mi north-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 Heanor?

11 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Erewash Valley Trail, Broxtowe Country Trail and Amber Valley Routeway Walk 21. Shipley Country Park alone has 38.5 km of path.

What is the nearest beach to Heanor?

The Beach, 15 mi from the edge of the town. Heanor itself is inland.

How many people in Heanor live near a park?

92% 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 Heanor?

May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.

Is Heanor 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 83% (4.2 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 Heanor’s overall grade.

Sources

Where Heanor’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.