Photo: Garth Newton · CC BY-SA 2.0Almost everyone in Milford lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Milford add up to 1.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 24 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 2.8 for every square kilometre. Milford grades C+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Milford?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Milford’s strongest suit is parks close to every home. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Milford grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Milford, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
100
100
100
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.
Milford is 37th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,000 to 1,100 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Milford stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 43 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giggleswick North Yorkshire | A+ | 14.2 | 100% | 4.1 | 75% |
| 2 | Lympne Kent | A+ | 4 | 100% | 2.7 | 34% |
| 3 | Frampton on Severn Gloucestershire | A+ | 11 | 100% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 4 | Bromham Wiltshire | A+ | 5.8 | 100% | 3.3 | 13% |
| 5 | Colney Heath Hertfordshire | A | 8.7 | 100% | 7.4 | 0% |
| 6 | Alston Cumbria | A | 5.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 100% |
| 7 | Heather Leicestershire | A | 16.9 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 8 | Blockley Gloucestershire | A | 2.9 | 100% | 2.5 | 86% |
| 9 | Furness Vale Derbyshire | A− | 2 | 78% | 5 | 36% |
| 10 | Old Langho Lancashire | A− | 7.6 | 73% | 2.9 | 20% |
| 11 | Plumpton Green East Sussex | A− | 4.6 | 54% | 3.6 | 37% |
| 12 | Winford Isle of Wight | A− | 1.7 | 0% | 4.4 | 39% |
| 13 | Cwmgwrach West Glamorgan | B+ | 3.2 | 100% | 1.7 | 6% |
| 14 | Calver Derbyshire | B+ | 2.2 | 44% | 4.8 | 99% |
| 15 | North Thoresby Lincolnshire | B+ | 3.7 | 100% | 0.8 | 21% |
| 16 | Bethel Gwynedd | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 1.4 | 10% |
| 17 | Groombridge East Sussex | B+ | 2.3 | 77% | 2.8 | 92% |
| 18 | Blackfordby Leicestershire | B+ | 3.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 19 | Five Ash Down East Sussex | B+ | 2.8 | 0% | 4.1 | 43% |
| 20 | Upperthong West Yorkshire | B | 1.7 | 65% | 4.7 | 26% |
| 21 | Fishtoft Lincolnshire | B | 2.3 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Barwick and Stoford Somerset | B | 6.4 | 71% | 2.2 | 5% |
| 23 | Holt Clwyd | B | 0.9 | 100% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 24 | Milborne St Andrew Dorset | B | 3.3 | 71% | 2.1 | 33% |
| 25 | Pentre Halkyn Clwyd | B | 1.3 | 59% | 3.6 | 3% |
| 26 | Nanpean Cornwall | B | 4.4 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Sharnford Leicestershire | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Challock Kent | B− | 3 | 62% | 2 | 88% |
| 29 | Tackley Oxfordshire | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 30 | Twyning Gloucestershire | B− | 1 | 100% | 2.5 | 10% |
| 31 | Ettington Warwickshire | B− | 3.3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 32 | South Wingfield Derbyshire | B− | 5.4 | 75% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Coopersale Essex | B− | 1.1 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Beeford East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 3.9 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 35 | Carleton-in-Craven North Yorkshire | C+ | 0.4 | 100% | 2.3 | 10% |
| 36 | Chillington Devon | C+ | 0.6 | 78% | 1.3 | 55% |
| 37 | Milford Derbyshire | C+ | 1.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Easton on the Hill Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 39 | Draycott Somerset | C+ | 2.1 | 68% | 2.1 | 46% |
| 40 | Sutterton Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Upper Basildon Berkshire | C+ | 2.3 | 0% | 2 | 97% |
| 42 | Lower Shiplake Oxfordshire | C+ | 3 | 0% | 2 | 28% |
| 43 | Woodhouses Greater Manchester | C | 2.6 | 40% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Charlton Marshall Dorset | C | 0.5 | 78% | 2 | 50% |
| 45 | Glazebury Cheshire | C− | 5.1 | 58% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Pattishall and Astcote Northamptonshire | C− | 2.9 | 39% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Stebbing Essex | C− | 2.4 | 70% | 2 | 0% |
| 48 | North Leverton with Habblesthorpe Nottinghamshire | C− | 0.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Tolleshunt Knights Essex | C− | 3.4 | 41% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Gorefield Cambridgeshire | D | 2.9 | 67% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Crundale Dyfed | D | 1.5 | 57% | 0.5 | 5% |
| 52 | Napton on the Hill Warwickshire | D | 0.4 | 69% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 53 | Aberporth Dyfed | D | 0.6 | 38% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Wisbech St Mary Cambridgeshire | D | 1.8 | 69% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Hockliffe Bedfordshire | D− | 1.2 | 49% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Berryfield Wiltshire | D− | 0.4 | 53% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 57 | South Hykeham Lincolnshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Pencader Dyfed | D− | 1.2 | 30% | 0.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Netheravon Wiltshire | D− | 0.4 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Leeming Bar North Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 0% | 0.9 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Milford’s built-up area.
How close Milford’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).
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 7 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 154 residents.
The Peak District National Park is 8.1 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.
Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
9 waymarked walks pass through or near Milford
24 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Milford and the kilometre around it, 2.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
3 regional routes pass through, including the Midshires Way, Derwent Valley Heritage Way and Derby Nomad Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in Milford: May and July to September
The village’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 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 69 | 70 | 54 | 57 | 53 | 82 | 70 | 76 | 73 | 83 | 84 | 77 |
May is the driest month (53 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 84 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 49 nights a year. The climate in Milford →
7 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Milford is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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. Firestone Hill, at 191 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Milford.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 2
Nature reserves 2
The outdoors in nearby towns
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milford | C+ | 1.4 | 100% | 0% |
| Holbrook 0.9 mi | B− | 4.2 | 55% | 0% |
| Makeney 1.5 mi | C | 2.1 | 56% | 0% |
| Belper 1.5 mi | B+ | 2.4 | 94% | 0% |
| Denby Bottles 2.2 mi | B | 1.4 | 100% | 0% |
| Kilburn and Horsley Woodhouse 2.2 mi | C | 1.6 | 75% | 0% |
| Little Eaton 2.5 mi | B | 4.6 | 85% | 0% |
Belper, 1.5 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 94% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Holbrook and Little Eaton have at least twice Milford’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Milford
Is Milford near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 8.1 mi north-west of the village’s edge. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Milford?
9 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Midshires Way, Derwent Valley Heritage Way and Centenary Way (Derbyshire).
What is the nearest beach to Milford?
The Beach, 21 mi from the edge of the village. Milford itself is inland.
How many people in Milford live near a park?
100% 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 Milford?
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.
Is Milford good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 55% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 25% (1.4 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 Milford’s overall grade.
Where Milford’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.