Bovey Tracey’s biggest
Mill Marsh Park
Park or garden
9.8 ha (24 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Bovey Tracey
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Bovey Tracey · parks, paths & countryside
55% of the land within 5 km of Bovey Tracey is National Park or National Landscape
Dartmoor National Park reaches the edge of Bovey Tracey. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 66% of residents. Footpaths add up to 45 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.5 for every square kilometre. Bovey Tracey grades B− for the outdoors: #24 of 47 in Devon. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
66%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
45 km
2.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
55%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Dartmoor National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Bovey Tracey?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside55% of the land within 5 km is Dartmoor National Park.Parks can be a walk away34% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Bovey Tracey’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Bovey Tracey grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bovey Tracey, 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 53% of UK towns#24 of 47 in Devon · 25th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
51out of
100
100
A park within a walk66%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
26out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape55%of the land within 5 km
93out of
100
100
Footpaths2.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
47out 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
Bovey Tracey is 25th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 5,900 to 6,600 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
Bovey Tracey2.5
Towns its size2.9
Devon towns1.8
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Bovey Tracey2.2
Towns its size2.0
Devon towns1.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Bovey Tracey66%
Towns its size81%
Devon towns84%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Bovey Tracey stands out most for park space per resident: only 24 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 40 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netley Hampshire | A+ | 16.3 | 100% | 4.1 | 4% |
| 2 | Stone Kent | A+ | 3.1 | 100% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Wingerworth Derbyshire | A | 9 | 86% | 4 | 0% |
| 4 | Shotton Clwyd | A | 4.5 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 5 | Boldon Colliery Tyne and Wear | A | 5.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 6 | Bedwas Gwent | A | 4.4 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 7 | Barnton Cheshire | A− | 10 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 8 | Marston Moretaine Bedfordshire | A− | 17.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 9 | Alcester Warwickshire | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 10 | Ackworth Moor Top West Yorkshire | A− | 4.6 | 91% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 11 | Paulton Somerset | A− | 2.1 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 12 | Burghfield Common Berkshire | A− | 2.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 8% |
| 13 | Broadbridge Heath West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 95% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 14 | Milford and Witley Surrey | B+ | 2.6 | 54% | 3.7 | 78% |
| 15 | Cawston Warwickshire | B+ | 3.6 | 98% | 3 | 0% |
| 16 | Little Chalfont Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.5 | 83% | 3.6 | 45% |
| 17 | Crofton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 18 | Axminster Devon | B | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 66% |
| 19 | Hindhead Surrey | B | 1.7 | 37% | 5.9 | 66% |
| 20 | Galleywood Essex | B | 10.3 | 61% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 21 | Throckley Tyne and Wear | B | 3.1 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Wixams Bedfordshire | B | 5.3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 23 | East Wittering West Sussex | B | 1.1 | 78% | 1.9 | 27% |
| 24 | Oundle Northamptonshire | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 25 | Bovey Tracey Devon | B− | 2.2 | 66% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 26 | Yapton West Sussex | B− | 1.8 | 63% | 2 | 15% |
| 27 | Upton West Yorkshire | B− | 2.2 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Danbury Essex | B− | 3.9 | 34% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Ushaw Moor and Bearpark County Durham | C+ | 1.6 | 82% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 30 | South Molton Devon | C+ | 2.2 | 96% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 31 | Annesley Woodhouse Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.1 | 96% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Kirby Cross Essex | C+ | 2.4 | 44% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 33 | Waltham Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.2 | 84% | 1.3 | 19% |
| 34 | Oakdale Gwent | C+ | 5.2 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Lower Willingdon East Sussex | C+ | 0.8 | 57% | 4.2 | 33% |
| 36 | Tetbury Gloucestershire | C+ | 1.2 | 66% | 2.6 | 88% |
| 37 | Malton North Yorkshire | C+ | 2.3 | 43% | 2.4 | 24% |
| 38 | Strensall North Yorkshire | C | 1.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 39 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes Dyfed | C | 9.7 | 70% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Ottery St Mary Devon | C− | 1.2 | 71% | 1.7 | 34% |
| 42 | Gildersome West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 81% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Studley Warwickshire | C− | 1.6 | 63% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Ashingdon Essex | C− | 1.3 | 61% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Great Shelford and Stapleford Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.6 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Weaverham Cheshire | C− | 0.7 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 47 | Stainforth South Yorkshire | C− | 2.2 | 80% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Boston Spa West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 86% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Cottenham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 86% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Washingborough and Heighington Lincolnshire | D | 1.8 | 66% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Staplehurst Kent | D | 1.3 | 70% | 1.4 | 1% |
| 52 | Arlesey Bedfordshire | D | 0.9 | 51% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Werrington Staffordshire | D | 1.1 | 42% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 54 | Wem Shropshire | D | 1.2 | 77% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Aintree Merseyside | D | 1.3 | 43% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Selston Nottinghamshire | D | 0.9 | 61% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Earls Barton Northamptonshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Thurcroft South Yorkshire | D− | 0.5 | 56% | 2 | 0% |
| 59 | Abercynon Mid Glamorgan | D− | 1.1 | 55% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Tadcaster North Yorkshire | D− | 0.6 | 58% | 1.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bovey Tracey’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 Bovey Tracey
The biggest is Mill Marsh Park, 9.8 ha (24 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Bovey Tracey Skate Park
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Bovey Tracey
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
7 in 10 Bovey Tracey 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 (66%)Further (34%)
Bovey Tracey66%
Towns its size81%
Devon towns84%
All UK towns83%
About 2,100 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 12 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 520 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Bovey Tracey
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
55% of the land within 5 km of Bovey Tracey is National Park or National Landscape, more than 93% of UK towns. Dartmoor National Park covers 956 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
5 waymarked walks pass through or near Bovey Tracey
45 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bovey Tracey and the kilometre around it, 2.5 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
Dartmoor Way16.0 km
Templer Way8.9 km
Great Plantation Loop4.1 km
Yarner Wood Nature Trail2.6 km
Liverton Circular2.1 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the Dartmoor Way and Templer Way.
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 Bovey Tracey: 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) | 8.4 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 164 | 117 | 97 | 81 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 68 | 129 | 134 | 145 |
May is the driest month (67 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 164 mm of rain falls in January, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 21 nights a year. The climate in Bovey Tracey →
Things to do
12 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.
10Hills and peaks4Nature reserves8.3× towns its size12Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Campsites
The nearest beaches
Bovey Tracey is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Shaldon Beach7.5 mi from Bovey Tracey’s edge
DirectionsGales Hill7.5 mi from Bovey Tracey’s edge
DirectionsSprat Sand7.7 mi from Bovey Tracey’s edge
DirectionsTeignmouth Beach7.8 mi from Bovey Tracey’s edge
DirectionsNess Beach7.8 mi from Bovey Tracey’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. Bearacleave North Tor, at 175 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Bovey Tracey.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 10
Bearacleave North Tor175 m (574 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsJohn Cann's Rocks135 m (443 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsStonelands Waste Tor210 m (689 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsBowden Tor230 m (755 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPixey Copse Tor140 m (459 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsRooks Hole Tor180 m (591 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsSonny Copse Tor200 m (656 ft) · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsNorthcombe Copse Tor185 m (607 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 hills and peaks more.
Nature reserves 4
Woodland Centre0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 3 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 12
Bradley Bends Play Areain town
DirectionsPlus 11 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Coombe Park0.0 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
HeathfieldColdeastChudleigh KnightonChudleighKingsteigntonNewton AbbotBovey Tracey
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bovey Tracey | B− | 2.2 | 66% | 55% |
| Heathfield 1.9 mi | A+ | 20.4 | 100% | 30% |
| Coldeast 2.1 mi | C+ | 1.6 | 47% | 30% |
| Chudleigh Knighton 2.2 mi | C− | 1.0 | 46% | 16% |
| Chudleigh 3.6 mi | C− | 0.3 | 83% | 15% |
| Kingsteignton 4.6 mi | B− | 1.9 | 95% | 0% |
| Newton Abbot 5.2 mi | C+ | 2.6 | 62% | 6% |
Heathfield, 1.9 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Heathfield has at least twice Bovey Tracey’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Bovey Tracey
What is the biggest park in Bovey Tracey?
Mill Marsh Park, 9.8 ha (24 acres), with 0.6 km of path. Bovey Tracey Skate Park (0.1 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Bovey Tracey near a National Park?
It covers 956 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Bovey Tracey?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Dartmoor Way, Templer Way and Great Plantation Loop.
What is the nearest beach to Bovey Tracey?
Shaldon Beach, 7.5 mi from the edge of the town, then Gales Hill (7.5 mi). Bovey Tracey itself is inland.
How many people in Bovey Tracey live near a park?
66% 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 Bovey Tracey?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Bovey Tracey good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 47% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 51% (2.2 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 Bovey Tracey’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Bovey Tracey’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.