Whaley Bridge’s biggest
Memorial Park
Park or garden
5.3 ha (13 acres)1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Whaley Bridge
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Alan Murray-Rust · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Whaley Bridge · parks, paths & countryside
53% of the land within 5 km of Whaley Bridge is National Park or National Landscape
The Peak District National Park reaches the edge of Whaley Bridge. 59 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.3 for every square kilometre. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 44% of residents. Whaley Bridge grades B for the outdoors: #34 of 59 in Derbyshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
44%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
59 km
4.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
53%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Peak District National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Whaley Bridge?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside53% of the land within 5 km is Peak District National Park.A town of footpaths4.3 km of path per km², more than 85% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Less park per person1.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Whaley Bridge’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by dense footpaths. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Whaley Bridge grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Whaley Bridge, 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 55% of UK towns#34 of 59 in Derbyshire · 19th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
33out of
100
100
A park within a walk44%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
10out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape53%of the land within 5 km
93out of
100
100
Footpaths4.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
86out 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
Whaley Bridge is 19th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 4,400 to 4,800 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
Whaley Bridge4.3
Towns its size2.7
Derbyshire towns3.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Whaley Bridge1.6
Towns its size2.2
Derbyshire towns2.2
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Whaley Bridge44%
Towns its size77%
Derbyshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Whaley Bridge stands out most for path per km²: only 10 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 57 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chipstead and Woodmansterne Surrey | A+ | 10.3 | 92% | 4.8 | 12% |
| 2 | Hamble-le-Rice Hampshire | A+ | 12.7 | 67% | 3.6 | 7% |
| 3 | Marple Bridge Greater Manchester | A | 9.9 | 80% | 4.4 | 13% |
| 4 | Monkton Heathfield Somerset | A | 2.4 | 100% | 4.4 | 8% |
| 5 | Huntington Staffordshire | A | 3.7 | 74% | 4.6 | 27% |
| 6 | Fortuneswell Dorset | A | 1.1 | 100% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 7 | Writtle Essex | A− | 5.8 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 8 | Stanton Hill and Skegby Nottinghamshire | A− | 16.1 | 83% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 9 | Cringleford Norfolk | A− | 1.7 | 94% | 7.4 | 0% |
| 10 | Nantyglo Gwent | A− | 2.5 | 82% | 3.7 | 29% |
| 11 | Brampton South Yorkshire | A− | 4.4 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 12 | Wheathampstead Hertfordshire | A− | 3.1 | 93% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 13 | Hugglescote Leicestershire | B+ | 4.2 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 14 | Borough Green Kent | B+ | 2.5 | 93% | 1.9 | 50% |
| 15 | Winscombe and Sandford Somerset | B+ | 3.5 | 52% | 3.6 | 38% |
| 16 | Kings Worthy Hampshire | B+ | 3.9 | 66% | 3 | 23% |
| 17 | Blackhall Colliery County Durham | B | 1.1 | 95% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 18 | Callington Cornwall | B | 2.1 | 100% | 1.1 | 21% |
| 19 | Whaley Bridge Derbyshire | B | 1.6 | 44% | 4.3 | 53% |
| 20 | Coedpoeth Clwyd | B | 1.4 | 100% | 1.9 | 24% |
| 21 | Lyneham Wiltshire | B− | 1.5 | 94% | 2.7 | 6% |
| 22 | High Lane Greater Manchester | B− | 1.5 | 67% | 4.6 | 12% |
| 23 | Alderley Edge Cheshire | B− | 2.2 | 86% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Chalfont St Giles Buckinghamshire | B− | 1.8 | 57% | 3.5 | 37% |
| 25 | Finedon Northamptonshire | B− | 3.9 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Astley Greater Manchester | B− | 3.5 | 78% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 27 | Bromham Bedfordshire | B− | 3.8 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Irchester Northamptonshire | B− | 8.2 | 83% | 2 | 0% |
| 29 | Cwmavon West Glamorgan | B− | 2.3 | 75% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Llay Clwyd | B− | 10.6 | 85% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Cleadon Tyne and Wear | B− | 2.1 | 63% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Toddington Bedfordshire | B− | 0.9 | 86% | 3.1 | 8% |
| 33 | Bramley Hampshire | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 34 | Blaina Gwent | C+ | 2.1 | 53% | 3.1 | 13% |
| 35 | Loughor West Glamorgan | C+ | 2.1 | 70% | 1.2 | 6% |
| 36 | Brinsley and Underwood Nottinghamshire | C+ | 3.3 | 71% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Iwade Kent | C+ | 0.8 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 38 | Kennington Oxfordshire | C+ | 2.1 | 58% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Howden East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 3.6 | 94% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Southminster Essex | C+ | 1.8 | 92% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Eccleston Lancashire | C | 2.4 | 83% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 42 | Clapham Bedfordshire | C | 1.3 | 94% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 43 | Minster (Thanet) Kent | C | 2.3 | 64% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Makeney Derbyshire | C | 2.1 | 56% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Coxhoe County Durham | C | 1.4 | 66% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Mynydd Isa Clwyd | C | 0.9 | 87% | 2 | 3% |
| 47 | Kinver Staffordshire | C | 3.1 | 60% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Woodhall Spa Lincolnshire | C− | 1.9 | 61% | 3 | 0% |
| 49 | Barton-under-Needwood Staffordshire | C− | 2.3 | 70% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Preesall and Knott End-on-Sea Lancashire | C− | 0.7 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Bricket Wood Hertfordshire | C− | 1.7 | 43% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Sowerby North Yorkshire | C− | 1.5 | 77% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 53 | Stretton Staffordshire | C− | 3.7 | 49% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 54 | Crowland Lincolnshire | C− | 2.8 | 70% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Welton Lincolnshire | D | 2 | 57% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Ynysybwl Mid Glamorgan | D | 2.3 | 60% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Lakenheath Suffolk | D | 1.1 | 57% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Broughton Lincolnshire | D | 0.9 | 39% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Elm and Emneth Norfolk | D | 2.2 | 45% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Chilton County Durham | D− | 1.1 | 68% | 1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Whaley Bridge’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 Whaley Bridge
The biggest is Memorial Park, 5.3 ha (13 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
4 in 10 Whaley Bridge 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 (44%)Further (56%)
Whaley Bridge44%
Towns its size77%
Derbyshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
About 2,600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 9 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 513 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Whaley Bridge
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 south1,438 km²since 195153% of the land within 5 km
Official site53% of the land within 5 km of Whaley Bridge is National Park or National Landscape, more than 92% of UK towns. Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
7 waymarked walks pass through or near Whaley Bridge
59 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Whaley Bridge and the kilometre around it, 4.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Midshires Way7.9 km
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 204.6 km
The Steel Cotton Rail Trail4.5 km
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 193.7 km
Goyt Way3.0 km
Peak Forest Tramway Trail1.1 km
Broken Banks0.4 km
3 regional routes pass through, including the Midshires Way, Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 20 and Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 19.
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 Whaley Bridge: 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 | 15.8 | 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 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 97 | 94 | 81 | 72 | 76 | 84 | 95 | 94 | 96 | 118 | 115 | 128 |
April is the driest month (72 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 128 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Whaley Bridge →
Things to do
9 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.
1Viewpoints5Hills and peaks1Nature reserves9Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Campsites1Slipways
The nearest beaches
Whaley Bridge is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Stone Beach21 mi from Whaley Bridge’s edge
DirectionsWader Point22 mi from Whaley Bridge’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South22 mi from Whaley Bridge’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North22 mi from Whaley Bridge’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach22 mi from Whaley Bridge’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.
Up high. Hawkhurst Head, at 298 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Whaley Bridge.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Eccles Pike1.2 mi from town
DirectionsHills and peaks 5
Hawkhurst Head298 m (978 ft) · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsBrowne Hill325 m (1,066 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsBlack Hill410 m (1,345 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsLadder Hill400 m (1,312 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsKiln Knoll298 m (978 ft) · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Brookfield Pond Nature Reserve0.5 ha · in town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 9
Plus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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.
Furness ValeChinleyNew MillsDisleyChapel-en-le-FrithHayfieldWhaley Bridge
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whaley Bridge | B | 1.6 | 44% | 53% |
| Furness Vale 1.4 mi | A− | 2.0 | 78% | 36% |
| Chinley 2.1 mi | B+ | 1.2 | 78% | 53% |
| New Mills 2.7 mi | A | 2.4 | 84% | 34% |
| Disley 2.8 mi | A− | 1.2 | 100% | 22% |
| Chapel-en-le-Frith 2.9 mi | B− | 1.0 | 75% | 58% |
| Hayfield 4.0 mi | A+ | 2.2 | 100% | 62% |
Hayfield, 4 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Whaley Bridge
What is the biggest park in Whaley Bridge?
Memorial Park, 5.3 ha (13 acres), with 1.9 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Whaley Bridge near a National Park?
Peak District National Park reaches the edge of Whaley Bridge. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Whaley Bridge?
7 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Midshires Way, Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 20 and The Steel Cotton Rail Trail.
What is the nearest beach to Whaley Bridge?
Stone Beach, 21 mi from the edge of the town, then Wader Point (22 mi). Whaley Bridge itself is inland.
How many people in Whaley Bridge live near a park?
44% 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 Whaley Bridge?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Whaley Bridge good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 86% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 33% (1.6 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 Whaley Bridge’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Whaley Bridge’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.