Ilfracombe’s biggest
Brimlands Playing Field
Playing field
8.8 ha (22 acres)1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Ilfracombe · parks, paths & countryside
Ilfracombe is on the coast, on the South West Coast Path
The sea makes up 44% of the area within 5 km. The North Devon National Landscape reaches the edge of Ilfracombe. Footpaths add up to 40 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.0 for every square kilometre. Ilfracombe grades A for the outdoors: #2 of 47 in Devon. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
86%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
40 km
3.0 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
28%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Devon National Landscape
The sea
44%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Ilfracombe?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast44% of the area within 5 km is sea; 18 beaches mapped.Protected countryside28% of the land within 5 km is North Devon National Landscape.On a National TrailThe South West Coast Path passes through.
Ilfracombe’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep.
Outdoors grade
Ilfracombe grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Ilfracombe, 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 92% of UK towns#2 of 47 in Devon · 4th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
44out of
100
100
A park within a walk86%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
59out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape28%of the land within 5 km
82out of
100
100
Footpaths3.0 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
60out of
100
100
The sea44%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
Ilfracombe is 4th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 8,800 to 9,600 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
Ilfracombe3.0
Towns its size3.3
Devon towns1.8
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Ilfracombe2.0
Towns its size2.6
Devon towns1.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Ilfracombe86%
Towns its size85%
Devon towns84%
All UK towns83%
Ilfracombe falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 43 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swanage Dorset | A+ | 6.9 | 95% | 4.2 | 47% |
| 2 | Worsbrough South Yorkshire | A | 10.1 | 100% | 6 | 0% |
| 3 | Brynteg Clwyd | A | 8.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 7% |
| 4 | Ilfracombe Devon | A | 2 | 86% | 3 | 28% |
| 5 | Killamarsh Derbyshire | A | 10.6 | 97% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 6 | Bordon Hampshire | A | 8.6 | 54% | 6.7 | 49% |
| 7 | Linthwaite and Slaithwaite West Yorkshire | A | 2.2 | 97% | 4.8 | 12% |
| 8 | New Mills Derbyshire | A | 2.4 | 84% | 5.1 | 34% |
| 9 | Warlingham Surrey | A | 4.2 | 81% | 4.3 | 13% |
| 10 | Nuthall and Watnall Nottinghamshire | A | 6.3 | 97% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 11 | Greasby Merseyside | A | 5.9 | 74% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 12 | Whiteley Hampshire | A− | 3 | 52% | 4.4 | 2% |
| 13 | Thurmaston Leicestershire | A− | 10.4 | 89% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 14 | Hetton-le-Hole Tyne and Wear | A− | 7.8 | 95% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 15 | Esher Surrey | A− | 6.9 | 86% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Shelf and Northowram West Yorkshire | A− | 5.3 | 88% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 17 | Billingshurst West Sussex | A− | 2.9 | 95% | 3.1 | 3% |
| 18 | Thurnscoe South Yorkshire | A− | 9.4 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Shaftesbury Dorset | A− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.3 | 44% |
| 20 | Aveley Essex | A− | 3.4 | 84% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Shanklin Isle of Wight | A− | 1.4 | 33% | 4.5 | 29% |
| 22 | Irthlingborough Northamptonshire | A− | 4.7 | 94% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Winnersh Berkshire | B+ | 9.6 | 80% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 24 | Frodsham Cheshire | B+ | 2.5 | 67% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 25 | Sandiacre Derbyshire | B+ | 2.6 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 26 | Hayle Cornwall | B+ | 1.4 | 72% | 3.4 | 6% |
| 27 | Banstead Surrey | B+ | 2.4 | 66% | 5.2 | 3% |
| 28 | Ashbourne Derbyshire | B | 1.9 | 92% | 2.7 | 14% |
| 29 | Cockermouth Cumbria | B | 2.6 | 81% | 2.2 | 42% |
| 30 | Pontllanfraith Gwent | B | 3.7 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Hemsworth West Yorkshire | B | 3.6 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Gatley Greater Manchester | B | 5.7 | 66% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Clay Cross Derbyshire | B | 2.6 | 88% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 34 | North Wingfield and Holmewood Derbyshire | B | 2.7 | 84% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 35 | South Kirkby West Yorkshire | B | 3 | 97% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Tiptree Essex | B | 2.7 | 90% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Perton Staffordshire | B | 2.4 | 93% | 3 | 0% |
| 38 | Yaxley Cambridgeshire | B− | 2.6 | 90% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Whitnash Warwickshire | B− | 2 | 95% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 40 | Cullompton Devon | B− | 3.2 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Knottingley West Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 88% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Hook Hampshire | B− | 2.4 | 80% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 43 | West End and Chobham Surrey | B− | 3.3 | 65% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Caister-on-Sea Norfolk | C+ | 1.1 | 58% | 2.1 | 21% |
| 45 | Wideopen Tyne and Wear | C+ | 2.1 | 75% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Okehampton Devon | C+ | 0.9 | 85% | 2.2 | 37% |
| 47 | Brandon County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 48 | Barwell Leicestershire | C | 1.7 | 90% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Milnrow Greater Manchester | C | 2.9 | 58% | 3 | 0% |
| 50 | Kinmel Bay Clwyd | C | 1.8 | 76% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Totnes Devon | C | 0.4 | 65% | 3.3 | 11% |
| 52 | Ferryhill County Durham | C− | 1.5 | 94% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 53 | Pencoed Mid Glamorgan | C− | 2.8 | 52% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Sileby Leicestershire | C− | 1 | 80% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Shifnal Shropshire | D | 1 | 89% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Brandon Suffolk | D | 0.8 | 39% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Littleport Cambridgeshire | D | 1 | 71% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Harworth and Bircotes Nottinghamshire | D | 1.9 | 64% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Pheasey West Midlands | D− | 0.9 | 40% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Kirkham Lancashire | D− | 1.3 | 66% | 1.3 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ilfracombe’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 Ilfracombe
The biggest is Brimlands Playing Field, 8.8 ha (22 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 7 named parks by size: 13 ha (33 acres) and 4 km of path
Parks & gardens 4.6 haPlaying fields 8.8 haPlay spaces 0.1 ha
The two biggest, Brimlands Playing Field and Bicclescombe Park, are 85% of the named green space and carry 3 km of path between them. 5 of the 7 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Bicclescombe Park
Park or garden
2.7 ha (7 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Ilfracombe
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Jubilee Gardens
Park or garden
1.1 ha (3 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Ilfracombe
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Runnymede Gardens
Park or garden
0.3 ha (1 acres)0.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Ilfracombe
Directionsto the nearest entrance
St James's Park
Park or garden
0.4 ha (1 acres)0.3 km of path
0.5 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Cow Green Garden
Park or garden
0.2 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Ilfracombe
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Oxford Park Garden
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Ilfracombe
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
9 in 10 Ilfracombe 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 (86%)Further (14%)
Ilfracombe86%
Towns its size85%
Devon towns84%
All UK towns83%
About 1,300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 8 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,150 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
North Devon and Exmoor both start about 3 miles from Ilfracombe
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
North Devon
At the edge north-west172 km²since 196028% of the land within 5 km
Official site28% of the land within 5 km of Ilfracombe is National Park or National Landscape, more than 82% of UK towns. Exmoor National Park covers 693 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Ilfracombe is on the South West Coast Path
40 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Ilfracombe and the kilometre around it, 3.0 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
National
South West Coast Path (Section 4: Combe Martin to Woolacombe)9.3 km
The South West Coast Path, a national route, passes Ilfracombe.
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 Ilfracombe: June 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 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.6 | 16.1 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 118 | 99 | 88 | 72 | 71 | 91 | 87 | 114 | 106 | 156 | 148 | 146 |
May is the driest month (71 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 156 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 5 nights a year. The climate in Ilfracombe →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Ilfracombe
44% of the area within 5 km of Ilfracombe is sea. 18 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 6 with a name.
Wildersmouth Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsHele Beach0.4 mi from town
DirectionsBroadsands2.1 mi from town
DirectionsGolden Cove2.2 mi from town
DirectionsCombe Martin beach3.0 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
5 viewpoints and 8 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.
5Viewpoints7Hills and peaks7.2× towns its size2Nature reserves1Picnic sites8Playgrounds0.4× towns its size8Campsites1Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Plus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 7
Lantern Hillin town
DirectionsCapstone Hill0.0 mi from town
DirectionsFurze Hill0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 2
Cairn Woodland Local Nature Reserve11 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Campsites 8
Mullacott Farm0.3 mi from town
DirectionsHele Valley Holiday Park Campsite0.4 mi from town
DirectionsTreetops0.7 mi from town
DirectionsLittle Shelfin Farm Campsite0.9 mi from town
DirectionsThe Lazy Buzzard1.0 mi from town
DirectionsYomer Wood Camping1.1 mi from town
DirectionsSunnymead Farm Camping & Touring Site1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 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.
ChambercombeCombe MartinBrauntonChivenor and WraftonBickingtonBarnstapleIlfracombe
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilfracombe | A | 2.0 | 86% | 28% |
| Chambercombe 0.8 mi | A+ | 8.7 | 100% | 29% |
| Combe Martin 4.0 mi | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 37% |
| Braunton 7.0 mi | B | 1.6 | 78% | 24% |
| Chivenor and Wrafton 7.7 mi | C− | 0.6 | 0% | 17% |
| Bickington 9.2 mi | B | 1.4 | 100% | 0% |
| Barnstaple 9.3 mi | C | 1.6 | 92% | 0% |
Chambercombe, 0.8 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Chambercombe has at least twice Ilfracombe’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Ilfracombe
What is the biggest park in Ilfracombe?
Brimlands Playing Field, 8.8 ha (22 acres), with 1.2 km of path. Bicclescombe Park (2.7 ha) is second. 7 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Ilfracombe near a National Park?
Yes. Exmoor National Park begins 2.8 mi east of the town’s edge. It covers 693 km² and has been a National Park since 1954. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the North Devon National Landscape, at the edge of the town.
What are the best walks near Ilfracombe?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the South West Coast Path (Section 4: Combe Martin to Woolacombe).
How many people in Ilfracombe live near a park?
86% 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 Ilfracombe?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Ilfracombe good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.0 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 60% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 44% (2.0 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 Ilfracombe’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Ilfracombe’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.