Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: Pauline E · CC BY-SA 2.0103 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.7 for every square kilometre. The Peak District National Park begins 0.4 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Matlock add up to 2.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Matlock grades A− for the outdoors: #15 of 59 in Derbyshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Matlock’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by its views.
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Matlock, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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.
The 60 UK towns and cities of 11,400 to 12,700 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Matlock stands out most for path per km²: only 7 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 39 of the others do better.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitby North Yorkshire | A+ | 4 | 100% | 2.9 | 53% |
| 2 | Tring Hertfordshire | A+ | 5.7 | 95% | 4.8 | 57% |
| 3 | Snodland Kent | A+ | 7.7 | 97% | 4.4 | 44% |
| 4 | Chepstow Gwent | A+ | 1.9 | 100% | 3.3 | 30% |
| 5 | Minehead Somerset | A+ | 1.4 | 95% | 4.3 | 47% |
| 6 | Brockworth Gloucestershire | A+ | 2.5 | 95% | 5.1 | 46% |
| 7 | Waltham Cross Hertfordshire | A | 10.6 | 100% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 8 | Holyhead Gwynedd | A | 3.4 | 78% | 2.3 | 31% |
| 9 | Southwick West Sussex | A | 1.1 | 100% | 2.6 | 34% |
| 10 | Houghton-le-Spring Tyne and Wear | A | 4.8 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 11 | Emsworth Hampshire | A | 2.3 | 56% | 3.7 | 51% |
| 12 | Sandown Isle of Wight | A | 1.4 | 74% | 4.5 | 28% |
| 13 | Killingworth Tyne and Wear | A | 4.7 | 97% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 14 | Little Lever Greater Manchester | A | 4.5 | 97% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Dawlish Devon | A | 2.1 | 93% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Bradwell Norfolk | A− | 2 | 80% | 2.7 | 31% |
| 17 | Matlock Derbyshire | A− | 2.9 | 76% | 4.7 | 20% |
| 18 | Conisbrough South Yorkshire | A− | 5.3 | 99% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Bridport Dorset | A− | 0.9 | 75% | 3.7 | 71% |
| 20 | Flackwell Heath and Wooburn Green Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.7 | 90% | 3.9 | 30% |
| 21 | Guiseley West Yorkshire | A− | 2.5 | 75% | 5.7 | 6% |
| 22 | Barton-upon-Humber Lincolnshire | A− | 5.9 | 97% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Cleckheaton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 98% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 24 | New Milton Hampshire | B+ | 2.3 | 75% | 1.9 | 38% |
| 25 | Ivybridge Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 86% | 3.4 | 38% |
| 26 | Blandford Forum Dorset | B+ | 2.1 | 90% | 2.2 | 72% |
| 27 | Haslemere Surrey | B+ | 1 | 78% | 5.1 | 80% |
| 28 | Bentley South Yorkshire | B+ | 3.4 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Worsley Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.7 | 86% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 30 | Cudworth and Shafton South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 88% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire | B | 2.4 | 70% | 2.9 | 53% |
| 32 | Oxted Surrey | B | 2.1 | 84% | 2.8 | 28% |
| 33 | Buckhurst Hill Essex | B | 4.5 | 64% | 6.3 | 0% |
| 34 | Littleborough Greater Manchester | B | 5 | 85% | 3 | 0% |
| 35 | Stotfold Bedfordshire | B | 2.1 | 96% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Shirebrook Derbyshire | B | 1.8 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 37 | Ystrad Mynach Gwent | B− | 5.4 | 85% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 38 | Honiton Devon | B− | 1.3 | 90% | 2 | 73% |
| 39 | Chigwell Essex | B− | 2.9 | 64% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Mossley Greater Manchester | B− | 0.9 | 74% | 4.5 | 14% |
| 41 | Wells Somerset | B− | 1.7 | 65% | 3.4 | 26% |
| 42 | Lymm Cheshire | B− | 3.6 | 89% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Leatherhead Surrey | B− | 1 | 72% | 3.9 | 24% |
| 44 | Ince-in-Makerfield Greater Manchester | B− | 2 | 74% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Kingsteignton Devon | B− | 1.9 | 95% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Huntington North Yorkshire | C+ | 2 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 47 | Stanwell Surrey | C+ | 1.4 | 93% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Featherstone West Yorkshire | C | 2 | 77% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Bridgnorth Shropshire | C− | 2.4 | 66% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Haverfordwest Dyfed | C− | 1 | 85% | 1.4 | 8% |
| 51 | Oakham Rutland | C− | 1.8 | 86% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Cheadle Staffordshire | C− | 1.7 | 90% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Market Drayton Shropshire | C− | 1.5 | 88% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Codsall Staffordshire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Sarn Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.8 | 75% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Desborough Northamptonshire | D | 0.6 | 69% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Wetherby West Yorkshire | D | 0.5 | 14% | 3 | 0% |
| 58 | Thorne South Yorkshire | D− | 1.6 | 65% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Tonyrefail Mid Glamorgan | D− | 0.7 | 48% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Watton Norfolk | D− | 0.5 | 28% | 1.4 | 0% |
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Matlock’s built-up area.
The biggest is High Tor Recreation Ground, 21 ha (51 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
The two biggest, High Tor Recreation Ground and Lovers' Walks, are 85% of the named green space and carry 6 km of path between them.
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).
About 2,800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 20 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 600 residents.
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.
20% of the land within 5 km of Matlock is National Park or National Landscape, more than 78% of UK towns. Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
103 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Matlock and the kilometre around it, 4.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
2 regional routes pass through, including the Derwent Valley Heritage Way and Limestone Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
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 | 16.5 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.5 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 81 | 74 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 78 | 72 | 78 | 72 | 96 | 99 | 97 |
May is the driest month (65 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 99 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 44 nights a year. The climate in Matlock →
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.
Matlock is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Check the water before you swim. The Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Up high. High Tor, at 205 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Matlock.
Plus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Plus 18 playgrounds without a name on the map.
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matlock | A− | 2.9 | 76% | 20% |
| Tansley 1.3 mi | C+ | 1.6 | 73% | 4% |
| Darley Dale 2.5 mi | A+ | 3.8 | 100% | 51% |
| Cromford 2.6 mi | A | 1.8 | 100% | 12% |
| Wirksworth 4.3 mi | A | 2.0 | 100% | 8% |
| Crich 5.0 mi | C− | 0.6 | 69% | 0% |
| South Wingfield 5.5 mi | B− | 5.4 | 75% | 0% |
Darley Dale, 2.5 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park.
High Tor Recreation Ground, 21 ha (51 acres), with 4.3 km of path. Lovers' Walks (8.2 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 0.4 mi west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Derwent Valley Heritage Way and Limestone Way. High Tor Recreation Ground alone has 4.3 km of path.
The Beach, 19 mi from the edge of the town, then Doncaster Lakeside Beach (30 mi). Matlock itself is inland.
76% 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%.
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
For paths, yes: 4.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 90% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 68% (2.9 ha per 1,000 residents).
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 Matlock’s overall grade.
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.