Photo: Stephen McKay · CC BY-SA 2.0Princetown is inside Dartmoor National Park
100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Parks and playing fields in Princetown add up to 1.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Princetown grades B+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Princetown?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Princetown’s strongest suit is a protected landscape all round, followed by parks close to every home. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Princetown grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Princetown, 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.
Princetown is 18th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,400 to 1,500 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Princetown stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 46 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Runton and Beeston Regis Norfolk | A+ | 25 | 100% | 4.8 | 34% |
| 2 | Trull Somerset | A+ | 5.9 | 100% | 3.9 | 20% |
| 3 | Sandridge Hertfordshire | A+ | 18.8 | 100% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 4 | Whiteshill and Randwick Gloucestershire | A | 4.5 | 60% | 7 | 64% |
| 5 | New Houghton Derbyshire | A | 33.8 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 6 | Penrhyndeudraeth Gwynedd | A | 2.5 | 100% | 1 | 68% |
| 7 | Balcombe West Sussex | A | 2.9 | 100% | 2.2 | 90% |
| 8 | Jump South Yorkshire | A | 5.1 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 9 | Sedbergh Cumbria | A | 1.9 | 83% | 5 | 92% |
| 10 | St Day Cornwall | A | 3.2 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 11 | Chaldon Surrey | A− | 7.4 | 50% | 4.9 | 24% |
| 12 | Heath and Reach Bedfordshire | A− | 3.3 | 100% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 13 | Five Oak Green Kent | A− | 3 | 100% | 2 | 30% |
| 14 | Llandovery Dyfed | A− | 13.3 | 100% | 1 | 22% |
| 15 | Hallow Worcestershire | A− | 3.7 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 16 | Wigginton North Yorkshire | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 17 | Grundisburgh Suffolk | B+ | 2.2 | 100% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 18 | Princetown Devon | B+ | 1.4 | 100% | 2.3 | 100% |
| 19 | Stanwell Moor Surrey | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 20 | Brookwood Surrey | B+ | 8.5 | 59% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 21 | Emley West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 22 | Cowling North Yorkshire | B | 1.3 | 100% | 6 | 0% |
| 23 | Alconbury Cambridgeshire | B | 5.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 24 | Wedmore Somerset | B | 4.7 | 60% | 3.1 | 1% |
| 25 | Kelloe County Durham | B | 5.6 | 42% | 6 | 0% |
| 26 | Calvert Buckinghamshire | B | 3.3 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Abertysswg Gwent | B | 2.5 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 28 | Little Hallingbury Essex | B− | 1 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Brigstock Northamptonshire | B− | 8.2 | 84% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Bishop Sutton Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 64% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 31 | Orsett Essex | B− | 4.4 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 32 | Robertsbridge East Sussex | C+ | 2 | 38% | 2.7 | 100% |
| 33 | Ashton Keynes Wiltshire | C+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Gosfield Essex | C+ | 3.7 | 85% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Pirton Hertfordshire | C+ | 2.4 | 57% | 2.3 | 24% |
| 36 | Sutton Valence Kent | C+ | 5.6 | 71% | 1 | 1% |
| 37 | Gelligaer Gwent | C+ | 2.3 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 38 | Shortlanesend Cornwall | C+ | 1 | 100% | 1.7 | 2% |
| 39 | Castor and Ailsworth Cambridgeshire | C | 3.4 | 41% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Ryhall Rutland | C | 1.9 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 41 | Stewkley Buckinghamshire | C | 4.2 | 74% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 42 | Ticehurst East Sussex | C | 1.4 | 75% | 0.8 | 100% |
| 43 | Salhouse Norfolk | C− | 1.9 | 71% | 1 | 17% |
| 44 | Patrington East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 3.6 | 79% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Blofield Heath Norfolk | C− | 2.5 | 43% | 0.9 | 17% |
| 46 | Mid Lavant West Sussex | C− | 1.3 | 33% | 1.8 | 62% |
| 47 | Thorrington Essex | C− | 1.2 | 65% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Shipton Bellinger Hampshire | D | 1.5 | 79% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Ranskill Nottinghamshire | D | 0.4 | 100% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Keadby Lincolnshire | D | 1.7 | 84% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Flore Northamptonshire | D | 1.6 | 62% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Westonzoyland Somerset | D | 3.1 | 30% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Blakedown Worcestershire | D | 0.8 | 79% | 2 | 0% |
| 54 | Gosberton Lincolnshire | D | 1.1 | 86% | 0.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Byram North Yorkshire | D | 2.1 | 19% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Barford Warwickshire | D | 2.1 | 58% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Markham Gwent | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Guilden Sutton Cheshire | D− | 0.3 | 56% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Shadwell West Yorkshire | D− | 0.3 | 25% | 2 | 0% |
| 60 | Easton Norfolk | D− | 1 | 0% | 1.2 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Princetown’s built-up area.
Everyone in Princetown lives 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).
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Princetown
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.
Dartmoor
100% of the land within 5 km of Princetown is National Park or National Landscape, more than 99% of UK towns. Dartmoor National Park covers 956 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Princetown
16 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Princetown and the kilometre around it, 2.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
2 regional routes pass through, including the Dartmoor Way and Abbot's Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
2 registered historic parks in Princetown
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Princetown’s named parks.
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.
The best walking months in Princetown: June 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) | 8.4 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 231 | 170 | 144 | 121 | 112 | 124 | 146 | 152 | 143 | 215 | 224 | 243 |
May is the driest month (112 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 18 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 243 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 39 nights a year. The climate in Princetown →
Viewpoints, hills and nature near Princetown
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.
The nearest beaches
Princetown is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Check the water before you swim. The Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Hills and peaks 8
Plus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 1
Plus 1 playground without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princetown | B+ | 1.4 | 100% | 100% |
| Horrabridge 5.3 mi | B | 1.4 | 83% | 92% |
| Yelverton 5.6 mi | B− | 3.6 | 72% | 85% |
| Tavistock 6.5 mi | A− | 5.9 | 83% | 72% |
| Bere Alston 9.7 mi | C+ | 1.4 | 64% | 93% |
| Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel 10.1 mi | B− | 2.5 | 64% | 66% |
| Buckfastleigh 10.4 mi | B+ | 2.9 | 89% | 53% |
Tavistock, 6.5 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 83% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Yelverton, Tavistock and Buckfastleigh have at least twice Princetown’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Princetown
What are the best walks near Princetown?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Dartmoor Way and Abbot's Way.
What is the nearest beach to Princetown?
Bovisand Beach, 15 mi from the edge of the village, then Pamflete Beach (16 mi). Princetown itself is inland.
How many people in Princetown live near a park?
100% 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 Princetown?
June 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 Princetown are historic?
H M Prison Dartmoor: American Prisoner of War Cemetery (Grade II) and H M Prison Dartmoor: French Prisoner of War Cemetery (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Princetown good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 39% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 25% (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 Princetown’s overall grade.
Where Princetown’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.