Darley Dale, #1 on this list · Photo: JThomas · CC BY-SA 2.0

Derbyshire rankings · Outdoors

Best towns for the outdoors in Derbyshire

Darley Dale ranks first on outdoors among Derbyshire’s 59 towns of 2,500+; 19 of the 59 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Outdoors Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): green space per resident, parks within 400 m, National Park or National Landscape within 5 km, footpaths and the coast. The rank across England and Wales sits beside each letter. How grades work

Darley Dale

3,985 people

A⁺

Better than 97% of UK towns·#57 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Dronfield

21,161 people

A⁺

Better than 95% of UK towns·#90 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Bakewell

3,275 people

Better than 94% of UK towns·#122 of 2,156 in England and Wales

All 59 towns, ranked

Outdoors grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England and Wales links to the national list.

Every town in Derbyshire →

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59 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Darley Dale3,985 peopleA⁺#57 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

2Dronfield21,161 peopleA⁺#90 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

3Bakewell3,275 peopleA#122 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

4Buxton20,048 peopleA#128 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

5Killamarsh9,082 peopleA#157 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

6Hadfield16,271 peopleA#163 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

7Wingerworth6,404 peopleA#185 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

8Langwith3,009 peopleA#197 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

9Wirksworth4,904 peopleA#209 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

10New Mills9,195 peopleA#222 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

11West Hallam5,912 peopleA#225 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

12Staveley15,151 peopleA#255 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 88% of UK towns

13Ilkeston38,723 peopleA#322 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

14Chesterfield76,394 peopleA⁻#370 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

15Matlock11,990 peopleA⁻#373 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

16Gamesley3,124 peopleA⁻#386 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 83% of UK towns

17Heanor24,264 peopleA⁻#447 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 81% of UK towns

18Grassmoor3,528 peopleA⁻#455 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 81% of UK towns

19Overseal and Castle Gresley5,055 peopleA⁻#487 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

20Alfreton8,790 peopleB⁺#624 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 74% of UK towns

21Glossop17,820 peopleB⁺#691 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

22Creswell5,792 peopleB⁺#713 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

23Somercotes and Swanwick15,105 peopleB⁺#726 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

T24Belper19,076 peopleB⁺#739 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns

T24Swadlincote34,569 peopleB⁺#739 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns

26Sandiacre9,373 peopleB⁺#761 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns

27Newton and Blackwell3,053 peopleB#850 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

28Ashbourne8,854 peopleB#870 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 64% of UK towns

29Barlborough2,859 peopleB#900 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns

30Ripley20,191 peopleB#936 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

31Clay Cross8,915 peopleB#951 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns

32North Wingfield and Holmewood9,545 peopleB#954 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns

33Shirebrook11,571 peopleB#1,046 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 56% of UK towns

34Whaley Bridge4,618 peopleB#1,079 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

35Chapel-en-le-Frith7,235 peopleB⁻#1,087 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

36Woodville7,255 peopleB⁻#1,097 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 54% of UK towns

37Whitwell3,722 peopleB⁻#1,145 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

38Derby275,561 peopleB⁻#1,161 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

39Eckington7,435 peopleB⁻#1,204 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

40Pilsley and Lower Pilsley3,470 peopleB⁻#1,236 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 48% of UK towns

41Borrowash7,171 peopleB⁻#1,275 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

42Tibshelf4,352 peopleB⁻#1,278 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

43Old Tupton4,190 peopleC⁺#1,347 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 43% of UK towns

44South Normanton and Pinxton16,028 peopleC⁺#1,373 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 42% of UK towns

45Etwall3,080 peopleC⁺#1,445 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 38% of UK towns

46Bolsover11,228 peopleC⁺#1,479 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 37% of UK towns

47Long Eaton37,815 peopleC#1,539 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 34% of UK towns

48Shirland and Stonebroom3,988 peopleC#1,542 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 34% of UK towns

49Heage2,584 peopleC#1,566 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 33% of UK towns

50Kilburn and Horsley Woodhouse4,447 peopleC#1,593 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 31% of UK towns

51Brimington11,068 peopleC#1,627 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 30% of UK towns

52Makeney4,691 peopleC#1,672 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

53Hilton8,269 peopleC⁻#1,811 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 21% of UK towns

54Hatton2,560 peopleC⁻#1,845 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 19% of UK towns

55Breaston and Draycott7,393 peopleC⁻#1,860 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 19% of UK towns

56Melbourne4,860 peopleC⁻#1,893 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 16% of UK towns

57Clowne7,759 peopleC⁻#1,917 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 15% of UK towns

58Willington2,717 peopleD#1,964 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 13% of UK towns

59Repton2,766 peopleD#2,072 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 6% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which town in Derbyshire is best for the outdoors?

Darley Dale ranks first on outdoors among 59 towns, with an A+: better than 97% of UK towns. Dronfield and Bakewell follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Outdoors Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): green space per resident, parks within 400 m, National Park or National Landscape within 5 km, footpaths and the coast. The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Derbyshire’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Derbyshire is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Derbyshire lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Derbyshire rankings →

Best places to live59 towns · #1 Repton Best small towns40 towns · #1 Repton Most affordable towns59 towns · #1 Swadlincote Safest towns59 towns · #1 Repton Towns with the best schools59 towns · #1 Makeney Healthiest towns59 towns · #1 Makeney Best towns for jobs & income59 towns · #1 Makeney Most walkable towns59 towns · #1 Bakewell Towns with the lowest flood risk59 towns · #1 Alfreton and 12 more Most historic towns59 towns · #1 Bakewell Towns with the most civic life59 towns · #1 Bakewell Towns with the highest household incomes59 towns · #1 MakeneyDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax59 towns · #1 DerbyDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters59 towns · #1 Long EatonDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers59 towns · #1 Breaston and Draycott and Long EatonDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers59 towns · #1 BuxtonDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts59 towns · #1 DerbyDescribed, no letters Driest towns59 towns · #1 Long EatonDescribed, no letters Wettest towns59 towns · #1 BuxtonDescribed, no letters

Sources: TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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.