South Molton’s biggest
Central Park
Playing field
1.4 ha (4 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of South Molton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in South Molton · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in South Molton lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
96% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Exmoor National Park begins 2.9 mi from the town’s edge. 17 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 1.3 for every square kilometre. South Molton grades C+ for the outdoors: #33 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
96%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
17 km
1.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Exmoor starts 2.9 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is South Molton?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep96% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Countryside close byExmoor National Park starts 2.9 mi north-east.Few mapped footpaths1.3 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
South Molton’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by Exmoor National Park close by. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
South Molton grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is South Molton, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C+
Better than 44% of UK towns#33 of 47 in Devon · 30th 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 walk96%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
76out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Exmoor begins just past 5 km
62out of
100
100
Footpaths1.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
12out 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
South Molton is 30th 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
South Molton1.3
Towns its size2.9
Devon towns1.8
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
South Molton2.2
Towns its size2.1
Devon towns1.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
South Molton96%
Towns its size81%
Devon towns84%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, South Molton stands out most for homes near a park: only 12 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 57 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 | Dodworth South Yorkshire | A− | 2.3 | 97% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 14 | Broadbridge Heath West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 95% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 15 | Milford and Witley Surrey | B+ | 2.6 | 54% | 3.7 | 78% |
| 16 | Cawston Warwickshire | B+ | 3.6 | 98% | 3 | 0% |
| 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 South Molton’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 South Molton
The biggest is Central Park, 1.4 ha (4 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close South Molton’s homes are to 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 (96%)Further (4%)
South Molton96%
Towns its size81%
Devon towns84%
All UK towns83%
About 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 778 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Exmoor National Park is 2.9 mi away
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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so South Molton scores 0% on it even though Exmoor National Park is 2.9 mi away. Exmoor National Park covers 693 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near South Molton
17 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in South Molton 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 town.
Local
South Molton Community Trail2.2 km
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 South Molton: 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 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 125 | 95 | 78 | 69 | 66 | 72 | 83 | 94 | 86 | 125 | 137 | 143 |
May is the driest month (66 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 143 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 32 nights a year. The climate in South Molton →
Things to do
8 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.
The nearest beaches
South Molton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Basett's Ridge13 mi from South Molton’s edge
DirectionsInstow Beach15 mi from South Molton’s edge
DirectionsCombe Martin beach15 mi from South Molton’s edge
DirectionsWild Pear beach15 mi from South Molton’s edge
DirectionsWest Appledore15 mi from South Molton’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.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 8
Plus 8 playgrounds 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.
ChulmleighLandkeyWitheridgeBarnstapleMorchard BishopSouth Molton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Molton | C+ | 2.2 | 96% | 0% |
| Chulmleigh 7.2 mi | C+ | 3.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Landkey 7.9 mi | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Witheridge 9.1 mi | D− | 0.5 | 36% | 0% |
| Barnstaple 10.5 mi | C | 1.6 | 92% | 0% |
| Morchard Bishop 11.8 mi | B | 2.6 | 100% | 0% |
Morchard Bishop, 11.8 miles away, grades B, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in South Molton
What is the biggest park in South Molton?
Central Park, 1.4 ha (4 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is South Molton near a National Park?
Yes. Exmoor National Park begins 2.9 mi north-east of the town’s edge. It covers 693 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
What are the best walks near South Molton?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the South Molton Community Trail.
What is the nearest beach to South Molton?
Basett's Ridge, 13 mi from the edge of the town, then Instow Beach (15 mi). South Molton itself is inland.
How many people in South Molton live near a park?
96% 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 South Molton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is South Molton good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 12% 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 South Molton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where South Molton’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.