Exmouth’s biggest
Phear Park
Park or garden
12 ha (29 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Exmouth
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Own work · Public domainA−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Exmouth · parks, paths & countryside
Exmouth is on the coast, on the South West Coast Path
The sea makes up 42% of the area within 5 km. The East Devon National Landscape reaches the edge of Exmouth. Parks and playing fields in Exmouth add up to 1.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Exmouth grades A− for the outdoors: #13 of 47 in Devon. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
82%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
85 km
2.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
21%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: East Devon National Landscape
The sea
42%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Exmouth?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast42% of the area within 5 km is sea; 15 beaches mapped.Hills with a view9 mapped viewpoints, about 8× as many per resident as the typical town its size.Countryside close byThe East Devon National Landscape starts 0.0 mi east.Less park per person1.4 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Exmouth’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by its views. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Exmouth grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Exmouth, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 75% of UK towns#13 of 47 in Devon · 18th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
26out of
100
100
A park within a walk82%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
51out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape21%of the land within 5 km
79out of
100
100
Footpaths2.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
48out of
100
100
The sea42%of the area within 5 km
97out 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
Exmouth is 18th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 32,100 to 39,100 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
Exmouth2.6
Towns its size3.9
Devon towns1.8
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Exmouth1.4
Towns its size2.4
Devon towns1.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Exmouth82%
Towns its size84%
Devon towns84%
All UK towns83%
Exmouth falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 52 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Locks Heath Hampshire | A+ | 3.5 | 91% | 3.7 | 4% |
| 2 | Great Malvern Worcestershire | A+ | 3.9 | 90% | 6 | 38% |
| 3 | Dover Kent | A+ | 3 | 86% | 2.9 | 29% |
| 4 | Hyde Greater Manchester | A | 4.3 | 91% | 3.9 | 1% |
| 5 | Epsom Surrey | A | 5.7 | 80% | 4.8 | 2% |
| 6 | Burgess Hill West Sussex | A | 2.4 | 87% | 5 | 27% |
| 7 | Skelmersdale Lancashire | A | 7.8 | 91% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 8 | Ilkeston Derbyshire | A | 3.7 | 98% | 5 | 0% |
| 9 | Redhill Surrey | A− | 2.2 | 91% | 4.3 | 14% |
| 10 | Rustington West Sussex | A− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.7 | 25% |
| 11 | Dunstable Bedfordshire | A− | 2 | 78% | 8 | 29% |
| 12 | Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire | A− | 4.3 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 13 | Caversham Berkshire | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 4.3 | 32% |
| 14 | Accrington Lancashire | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 15 | Nelson Lancashire | A− | 1.8 | 85% | 5.2 | 15% |
| 16 | St Neots Cambridgeshire | A− | 3.5 | 91% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Didcot Oxfordshire | A− | 1.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 39% |
| 18 | Exmouth Devon | A− | 1.4 | 82% | 2.6 | 21% |
| 19 | Waterlooville Hampshire | B+ | 1 | 66% | 5.2 | 18% |
| 20 | Chippenham Wiltshire | B+ | 2.8 | 76% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 21 | Fulwood Lancashire | B+ | 3.5 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 22 | Swadlincote Derbyshire | B+ | 4.1 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 23 | Fleet Hampshire | B+ | 3.3 | 79% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Lichfield Staffordshire | B+ | 2.7 | 82% | 3.1 | 2% |
| 25 | Brierley Hill West Midlands | B+ | 3.1 | 82% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 26 | Pudsey West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 94% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 27 | Hucknall Nottinghamshire | B+ | 3 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 28 | Aberdare Mid Glamorgan | B+ | 4.6 | 84% | 1.8 | 19% |
| 29 | Hitchin Hertfordshire | B+ | 1.5 | 83% | 4.4 | 10% |
| 30 | Rowley Regis West Midlands | B+ | 4.1 | 71% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 31 | West Bridgford Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.2 | 86% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 32 | Brighouse West Yorkshire | B | 2.5 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Wigston Leicestershire | B | 2.9 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Billingham County Durham | B | 4.7 | 86% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear | B | 1.9 | 82% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Warwick Warwickshire | B | 3 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Denton Greater Manchester | B | 2.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Letchworth Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 85% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Loughton Essex | B | 2.9 | 74% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Abingdon-on-Thames Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 91% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Bicester Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 99% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 42 | Chadderton Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Caerphilly Gwent | B | 2.6 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Morecambe Lancashire | B− | 0.8 | 84% | 2.2 | 2% |
| 45 | Redcar North Yorkshire | B− | 2.6 | 79% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 46 | Canvey Island Essex | B− | 1.5 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Tonbridge Kent | B− | 2.1 | 65% | 2.6 | 38% |
| 48 | Whitstable Kent | B− | 1.5 | 84% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Camberley Surrey | C+ | 2 | 73% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Billericay Essex | C+ | 4.1 | 70% | 3 | 0% |
| 51 | Winsford Cheshire | C+ | 1.3 | 92% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Pontefract West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.6 | 84% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 53 | New Haw, West Byfleet and Sheerwater Surrey | C+ | 2.2 | 69% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Morley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.2 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Horndean Hampshire | C+ | 0.9 | 57% | 3.3 | 53% |
| 56 | Long Eaton Derbyshire | C | 1.8 | 74% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Rayleigh Essex | C | 2 | 71% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 80% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Bilston West Midlands | C− | 1.5 | 76% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 60 | Bromsgrove Worcestershire | C− | 1.4 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Exmouth’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 Exmouth
The biggest is Phear Park, 12 ha (29 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 10 named parks by size: 30 ha (75 acres) and 4 km of path
Parks & gardens 14 haPlaying fields 16 ha
The two biggest, Phear Park and King George's Field, are 51% of the named green space and carry 2 km of path between them. 5 of the 10 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
King George's Field
Playing field
3.8 ha (9 acres)0.3 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Warren View Sports Ground
Playing field
4.1 ha (10 acres)
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Manor Gardens
Park or garden
1.1 ha (3 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Gunfield Gardens
Park or garden
1.1 ha (3 acres)0.5 km of path
1.1 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Imperial Recreation Ground
Playing field
3.3 ha (8 acres)
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Maer Road Sports Pavilion
Playing field
2.9 ha (7 acres)
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Beach Gardens
Park or garden
0.5 ha (1 acres)0.5 km of path
1.1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Phear ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsKing George's FieldPlaying field · 3.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsWarren View Sports GroundPlaying field · 4.1 ha
DirectionsManor GardensPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsGunfield GardensPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsImperial Recreation GroundPlaying field · 3.3 ha
DirectionsMaer Road Sports PavilionPlaying field · 2.9 ha
DirectionsBeach GardensPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsRaleigh ParkPlaying field · 1.8 ha
DirectionsBrooklyn ParkPark or garden · 0.1 ha
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Exmouth 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 (82%)Further (18%)
Exmouth82%
Towns its size84%
Devon towns84%
All UK towns83%
About 6,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 26 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,365 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Exmouth
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 Landscape
East Devon
At the edge east269 km²since 196321% of the land within 5 km
Official site21% of the land within 5 km of Exmouth is National Park or National Landscape, more than 78% of UK towns. Dartmoor National Park covers 956 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Exmouth is on the South West Coast Path
85 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Exmouth and the kilometre around it, 2.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocalOther waymarked
East Devon Way10.7 km
South West Coast Path (Section 44: Exmouth to Sidmouth)8.3 km
South West Coast Path (Section 43: Babbacombe to Exmouth)5.9 km
Exmouth Town Trail4.2 km
Hayes Barton Heritage Trail2.2 km
Kenton Starcross Circular1.2 km
The South West Coast Path, a national route, passes Exmouth. The regional route here is the East Devon Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A registered historic park in Exmouth
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Exmouth’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIA la Ronde and The Point-in-View1.5 ha
Heritage walks
Hayes Barton Heritage Trail 2.2 km
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Exmouth: 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 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 10 |
| Rain (mm) | 84 | 63 | 62 | 58 | 50 | 54 | 47 | 63 | 58 | 89 | 91 | 91 |
July is the driest month (47 mm) and the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 91 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 17 nights a year. The climate in Exmouth →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Exmouth
42% of the area within 5 km of Exmouth is sea. 15 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 4 with a name.
Exmouth BeachIn town
DirectionsPirate Cove0.0 mi from town
DirectionsBudleigh Salterton0.5 mi from town
DirectionsRed Rock Beach2.4 mi from town
DirectionsThe South West Coast Path passes the town.
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.
Things to do
9 viewpoints and 26 playgrounds
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.
9Viewpoints8.4× towns its size1Hills and peaks1Waterfalls3Nature reservesabout the same as towns its size2Picnic sites26Playgrounds0.6× towns its size1Dog parks2Campsites4Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 9
Donkey Hillin town
DirectionsThe Rag0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 7 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Black Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 1
Sherbrook Chine1.1 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 3
Exmouth Nature Reserve213 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsBystock Nature Reserve28 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsDawlish Warren National Nature Reserve153 ha · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsDog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Red Rock Adventure Camp0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPratshayes Farm0.2 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 4
Plus 4 slipways 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.
LympstoneStarcrossExtonDawlish WarrenBudleigh SaltertonWoodburyExmouth
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exmouth | A− | 1.4 | 82% | 21% |
| Lympstone 1.9 mi | C | 1.0 | 66% | 16% |
| Starcross 2.2 mi | B+ | 1.9 | 100% | 1% |
| Exton 2.9 mi | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 7% |
| Dawlish Warren 3.1 mi | A | 21.1 | 73% | 1% |
| Budleigh Salterton 3.2 mi | A− | 2.7 | 70% | 38% |
| Woodbury 3.2 mi | A | 3.3 | 100% | 26% |
Dawlish Warren, 3.1 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 73% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Dawlish Warren and Woodbury have at least twice Exmouth’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Exmouth
What is the biggest park in Exmouth?
Phear Park, 12 ha (29 acres), with 2 km of path. King George's Field (3.8 ha) is second. 10 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Exmouth near a National Park?
Yes. Dartmoor National Park begins 9.0 mi west of the town’s edge. It covers 956 km² and has been a National Park since 1951. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the East Devon National Landscape, at the edge of the town.
What are the best walks near Exmouth?
6 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the East Devon Way, South West Coast Path (Section 44: Exmouth to Sidmouth) and South West Coast Path (Section 43: Babbacombe to Exmouth).
How many people in Exmouth live near a park?
82% 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 Exmouth?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Exmouth are historic?
A la Ronde and The Point-in-View (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Exmouth good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 48% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 26% (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 Exmouth’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Exmouth’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.