Photo: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0Bere Alston is inside the Tamar Valley National Landscape
Footpaths add up to 11 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 1.3 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Bere Alston add up to 1.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Bere Alston grades C+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Bere Alston?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Bere Alston’s strongest suit is a protected landscape all round. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Bere Alston grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bere Alston, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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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.
Bere Alston is 26th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,200 to 2,400 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Bere Alston falls furthest behind on path per km², where 48 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Limpsfield Surrey | A+ | 2.9 | 100% | 3.7 | 41% |
| 2 | Tanyfron Clwyd | A | 7.4 | 100% | 2.6 | 13% |
| 3 | Radford Semele Warwickshire | A | 12.3 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 4 | Elstead Surrey | A | 2.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 82% |
| 5 | Westcott Surrey | A | 1.8 | 86% | 5.5 | 78% |
| 6 | Hapton Lancashire | A | 2.6 | 87% | 6.1 | 2% |
| 7 | Harlington Bedfordshire | A− | 2.7 | 100% | 2.7 | 16% |
| 8 | Great Horkesley Essex | A− | 4.7 | 78% | 3.3 | 25% |
| 9 | Millbrook Cornwall | A− | 2 | 100% | 1.1 | 19% |
| 10 | Arnside Cumbria | A− | 1.3 | 65% | 4.1 | 75% |
| 11 | Merlin's Bridge Dyfed | A− | 3.3 | 100% | 2 | 11% |
| 12 | Berrow and Brean Somerset | A− | 3.6 | 75% | 1.7 | 1% |
| 13 | Clare Suffolk | A− | 7.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 14 | Acle Norfolk | B+ | 1.6 | 89% | 3.1 | 43% |
| 15 | Tisbury Wiltshire | B+ | 1.5 | 86% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 16 | Woodford Greater Manchester | B+ | 5.9 | 80% | 2.3 | 5% |
| 17 | Bowness-on-Windermere Cumbria | B | 1.7 | 76% | 2.8 | 100% |
| 18 | Crick Northamptonshire | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 19 | Pen-y-fai Mid Glamorgan | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Mayfield East Sussex | B− | 3.3 | 61% | 1.9 | 99% |
| 21 | Loddon Norfolk | B− | 2.4 | 77% | 2.5 | 18% |
| 22 | Dormansland Surrey | B− | 2.5 | 70% | 2.3 | 33% |
| 23 | Park Street and Frogmore Hertfordshire | B− | 4.5 | 63% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 24 | Bickershaw Greater Manchester | B− | 5 | 13% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 25 | Debenham Suffolk | C+ | 1 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 26 | Bere Alston Devon | C+ | 1.4 | 64% | 1.3 | 93% |
| 27 | Delph Greater Manchester | C+ | 0.7 | 72% | 3.9 | 17% |
| 28 | Hermitage Berkshire | C+ | 0.6 | 58% | 3.4 | 82% |
| 29 | Boughton under Blean Kent | C+ | 2.7 | 24% | 2.5 | 18% |
| 30 | Cold Ash Berkshire | C+ | 1.5 | 7% | 3.1 | 60% |
| 31 | Berkeley Gloucestershire | C+ | 0.9 | 49% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 32 | Farndon Cheshire | C+ | 1.2 | 82% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Bishopsteignton Devon | C | 3 | 62% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Wickham Market Suffolk | C | 2.5 | 64% | 1.7 | 7% |
| 35 | Caistor Lincolnshire | C | 2.8 | 39% | 1.3 | 33% |
| 36 | Hawkesbury Warwickshire | C | 1 | 78% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Tatworth Somerset | C | 1.3 | 71% | 1.7 | 44% |
| 38 | Whaddon Wiltshire | C | 2.6 | 55% | 1.3 | 10% |
| 39 | Wardley Greater Manchester | C− | 0.6 | 88% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Stanford in the Vale Oxfordshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Wateringbury Kent | C− | 2.4 | 73% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Stoke Prior Worcestershire | C− | 2.6 | 67% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 43 | Coleford Somerset | C− | 1.2 | 51% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Coltishall and Horstead Norfolk | C− | 2.1 | 57% | 1.3 | 8% |
| 45 | Woldingham Surrey | C− | 0.2 | 25% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 46 | St Osyth Essex | C− | 1.5 | 54% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Scholes (Leeds) West Yorkshire | D | 0 | 0% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Comberton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.6 | 71% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Duxford Cambridgeshire | D | 1.7 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Bicknacre Essex | D | 1 | 56% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Kineton Warwickshire | D | 0.2 | 0% | 1.8 | 5% |
| 52 | Belton Lincolnshire | D | 1.5 | 67% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Great Barford Bedfordshire | D− | 1.4 | 45% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Tattenhall Cheshire | D− | 1.8 | 28% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Bettws Mid Glamorgan | D− | 0.7 | 71% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Ixworth Suffolk | D− | 1 | 73% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Hingham Norfolk | D− | 1.9 | 13% | 1 | 0% |
| 58 | Norton South Yorkshire | D− | 1.3 | 63% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Isleham Cambridgeshire | D− | 0.2 | 71% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Puriton Somerset | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bere Alston’s built-up area.
6 in 10 Bere Alston 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).
About 800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 5 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 452 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Bere Alston
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.
Tamar Valley
93% of the land within 5 km of Bere Alston is National Park or National Landscape, more than 98% of UK towns. Dartmoor National Park covers 956 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Bere Alston
11 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bere Alston and the kilometre around it, 1.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
The regional route here is the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail.
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 Bere Alston: May 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) | 8.5 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 145 | 113 | 99 | 75 | 73 | 88 | 91 | 94 | 99 | 146 | 159 | 165 |
May is the driest month (73 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 165 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 34 nights a year. The climate in Bere Alston →
Bere Alston is near the sea
6% of the area within 5 km of Bere Alston is sea.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
5 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 5
Plus 2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Slipways 1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bere Alston | C+ | 1.4 | 64% | 93% |
| Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel 3.2 mi | B− | 2.5 | 64% | 66% |
| Horrabridge 4.3 mi | B | 1.4 | 83% | 92% |
| Yelverton 4.5 mi | B− | 3.6 | 72% | 85% |
| Tavistock 4.8 mi | A− | 5.9 | 83% | 72% |
| Saltash 5.2 mi | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 44% |
| Callington 5.7 mi | B | 2.1 | 100% | 21% |
Saltash, 5.2 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 96% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Yelverton and Tavistock have at least twice Bere Alston’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Bere Alston
Is Bere Alston near a National Park?
Yes. Dartmoor National Park begins 1.7 mi north-east of the village’s edge. It covers 956 km² and has been a National Park since 1951. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Tamar Valley National Landscape, at the edge of the village.
What are the best walks near Bere Alston?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail, Bluebell Trail at Buckland Abbey and Red Walk, Buckland Abbey.
How many people in Bere Alston live near a park?
64% 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 Bere Alston?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Bere Alston good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 13% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 23% (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 Bere Alston’s overall grade.
Where Bere Alston’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.