Photo: Roger Cornfoot · CC BY-SA 2.027% of the land within 5 km of West Hill is National Park or National Landscape
The East Devon National Landscape reaches the edge of West Hill. 15 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 1.2 for every square kilometre. No park or playing field is mapped within a 5-minute walk of homes in West Hill. West Hill grades D for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is West Hill?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
West Hill’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
West Hill grades D for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is West Hill, 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.
How West Hill compares with UK villages of 2,000 to 2,200
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,000 to 2,200 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
West Hill falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 58 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mullion Cornwall | A+ | 3.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 64% |
| 2 | Hay-on-Wye Powys | A+ | 9.3 | 100% | 3.8 | 21% |
| 3 | Crickhowell Powys | A+ | 4.3 | 100% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 4 | Charlton Hampshire | A+ | 5.6 | 87% | 5.2 | 19% |
| 5 | Bestwood Village Nottinghamshire | A | 43.8 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 6 | Chigwell Row Essex | A | 30.3 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 7 | Springwell Tyne and Wear | A | 5 | 100% | 6.7 | 0% |
| 8 | Eton Wick Berkshire | A | 17.4 | 100% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 9 | Carlton South Yorkshire | A | 23.1 | 87% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 10 | Marldon Devon | A− | 4.1 | 70% | 2.7 | 3% |
| 11 | Chipping Campden Gloucestershire | A− | 2.1 | 100% | 2 | 74% |
| 12 | Church Warsop Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.1 | 85% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 13 | Wells-next-the-Sea Norfolk | B+ | 2 | 70% | 1.9 | 65% |
| 14 | Holbrook Suffolk | B+ | 1.1 | 74% | 2.7 | 52% |
| 15 | Carnon Downs and Devoran Cornwall | B+ | 0.3 | 87% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 16 | Bermuda Warwickshire | B | 4.7 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | Yarnfield Staffordshire | B | 6.6 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Alveston Gloucestershire | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Bickington Devon | B | 1.4 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 20 | Ellington Northumberland | B | 2.5 | 86% | 2 | 0% |
| 21 | East Peckham Kent | B− | 14.5 | 66% | 2 | 1% |
| 22 | Bishop's Tachbrook Warwickshire | B− | 2.5 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Hutton Lancashire | B− | 6.6 | 90% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Wardle Greater Manchester | B− | 1 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 25 | Westoning Bedfordshire | B− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 26 | Aspley Guise Bedfordshire | B− | 2.2 | 69% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Brantham Suffolk | C+ | 1 | 27% | 2.6 | 42% |
| 28 | Gregson Lane Lancashire | C+ | 1.7 | 86% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Pembrey Dyfed | C+ | 0.3 | 48% | 2.6 | 11% |
| 30 | Luddenden Foot West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.2 | 68% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Hixon Staffordshire | C+ | 0.8 | 100% | 1.3 | 11% |
| 32 | Market Bosworth Leicestershire | C | 10.9 | 25% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Galgate Lancashire | C | 1.1 | 58% | 3.4 | 12% |
| 34 | Bredon Worcestershire | C | 2.1 | 66% | 1.6 | 25% |
| 35 | Linton Derbyshire | C | 1.8 | 76% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 36 | Benllech Gwynedd | C | 0.1 | 17% | 1.8 | 27% |
| 37 | Maesycwmmer Gwent | C− | 1.9 | 73% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 38 | Micklefield West Yorkshire | C− | 2.1 | 48% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 39 | Rudgwick West Sussex | C− | 2.5 | 16% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Seamer (Scarborough) North Yorkshire | C− | 2.2 | 58% | 1 | 18% |
| 41 | Crich Derbyshire | C− | 0.6 | 69% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Stainburn Cumbria | C− | 0.1 | 72% | 2 | 0% |
| 43 | Radley Oxfordshire | C− | 2.1 | 36% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Long Bennington Lincolnshire | C− | 1.6 | 82% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Underwood Gwent | C− | 1.9 | 87% | 1 | 0% |
| 46 | Scholar Green Cheshire | C− | 0.7 | 65% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Stone Buckinghamshire | D | 2.2 | 57% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 48 | Bardney Lincolnshire | D | 4.1 | 49% | 1 | 0% |
| 49 | Stretham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.4 | 60% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Merriott Somerset | D | 1.1 | 39% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Hersden Kent | D | 2 | 63% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Meden Vale Nottinghamshire | D | 0.3 | 58% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Thurlby Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 54% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Preston East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 52% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Great Eccleston Lancashire | D | 1.2 | 72% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 56 | West Hill Devon | D | 0 | 0% | 1.2 | 27% |
| 57 | Wymott Lancashire | D− | 0.3 | 10% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Keelby Lincolnshire | D− | 1 | 71% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Wythall Worcestershire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 2 | 0% |
| 60 | Ipplepen Devon | D− | 0.8 | 42% | 1.1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is West Hill’s built-up area.
Few West Hill 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).
About 2,100 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 4 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 527 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around West Hill
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.
East Devon
27% of the land within 5 km of West Hill is National Park or National Landscape, more than 82% of UK towns. Dartmoor National Park covers 956 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
4 waymarked walks pass through or near West Hill
15 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in West Hill and the kilometre around it, 1.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
3 regional routes pass through, including the Orange Way, Otter Valley Walk and Exeter to Honiton Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in West Hill: May 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 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 90 | 72 | 68 | 65 | 60 | 62 | 55 | 68 | 64 | 94 | 108 | 103 |
July is the driest month (55 mm) and the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 108 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 38 nights a year. The climate in West Hill →
4 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
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
West Hill 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
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Plus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 4
Plus 4 playgrounds 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Hill | D | 0.0 | 0% | 27% |
| Ottery St Mary 2.2 mi | C− | 1.2 | 71% | 34% |
| Newton Poppleford 2.7 mi | C | 1.4 | 44% | 60% |
| Whimple 2.7 mi | C+ | 5.2 | 70% | 1% |
| Cranbrook 4.0 mi | B+ | 6.4 | 87% | 1% |
| Feniton 4.0 mi | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 17% |
| Sidmouth 4.6 mi | A | 2.6 | 73% | 60% |
Sidmouth, 4.6 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 73% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Ottery St Mary, Newton Poppleford and Whimple have at least twice West Hill’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in West Hill
Is West Hill near a National Park?
Yes. Dartmoor National Park begins 14 mi west of the village’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 village.
What are the best walks near West Hill?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Orange Way, Otter Valley Walk and Coleridge Link.
What is the nearest beach to West Hill?
Jacobs Ladder Beach, 4.4 mi from the edge of the village, then Budleigh Salterton (7.3 mi). West Hill itself is inland.
How many people in West Hill live near a park?
0% 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 West Hill?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is West Hill good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 11% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 0% (0.0 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 West Hill’s overall grade.
Where West Hill’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.