Church of St Mary · Photo: Wulfrunian1 · CC BY-SA 3.050% of the land within 5 km of Charlton Marshall is National Park or National Landscape
The Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape and the Dorset National Landscape both begin about a mile from the village’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Charlton Marshall add up to 0.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 16 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 2.0 for every square kilometre. Charlton Marshall grades C for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Charlton Marshall?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Charlton Marshall’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Charlton Marshall grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Charlton Marshall, 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.
Charlton Marshall is 47th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,000 to 1,200 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Charlton Marshall falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 54 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giggleswick North Yorkshire | A+ | 14.2 | 100% | 4.1 | 75% |
| 2 | Lympne Kent | A+ | 4 | 100% | 2.7 | 34% |
| 3 | Illogan Cornwall | A+ | 3 | 100% | 3.2 | 7% |
| 4 | Frampton on Severn Gloucestershire | A+ | 11 | 100% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 5 | Polgooth Cornwall | A+ | 7 | 100% | 2 | 13% |
| 6 | Alston Cumbria | A | 5.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 100% |
| 7 | Heather Leicestershire | A | 16.9 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 8 | Blockley Gloucestershire | A | 2.9 | 100% | 2.5 | 86% |
| 9 | Moston Cheshire | A | 7.8 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Charnock Richard Lancashire | A | 29.8 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 11 | Mayfield Staffordshire | A− | 1.9 | 100% | 3.3 | 14% |
| 12 | Furness Vale Derbyshire | A− | 2 | 78% | 5 | 36% |
| 13 | Old Langho Lancashire | A− | 7.6 | 73% | 2.9 | 20% |
| 14 | Winford Isle of Wight | A− | 1.7 | 0% | 4.4 | 39% |
| 15 | Llanddulas Clwyd | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Cwmgwrach West Glamorgan | B+ | 3.2 | 100% | 1.7 | 6% |
| 17 | Calver Derbyshire | B+ | 2.2 | 44% | 4.8 | 99% |
| 18 | North Thoresby Lincolnshire | B+ | 3.7 | 100% | 0.8 | 21% |
| 19 | Bethel Gwynedd | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 1.4 | 10% |
| 20 | Groombridge East Sussex | B+ | 2.3 | 77% | 2.8 | 92% |
| 21 | Blackfordby Leicestershire | B+ | 3.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 22 | Upperthong West Yorkshire | B | 1.7 | 65% | 4.7 | 26% |
| 23 | Fishtoft Lincolnshire | B | 2.3 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 24 | Barwick and Stoford Somerset | B | 6.4 | 71% | 2.2 | 5% |
| 25 | Holt Clwyd | B | 0.9 | 100% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Milborne St Andrew Dorset | B | 3.3 | 71% | 2.1 | 33% |
| 27 | Pentre Halkyn Clwyd | B | 1.3 | 59% | 3.6 | 3% |
| 28 | Nanpean Cornwall | B | 4.4 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Bedlinog Mid Glamorgan | B | 4.1 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 30 | Sharnford Leicestershire | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Challock Kent | B− | 3 | 62% | 2 | 88% |
| 32 | Tackley Oxfordshire | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Twyning Gloucestershire | B− | 1 | 100% | 2.5 | 10% |
| 34 | South Wingfield Derbyshire | B− | 5.4 | 75% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Coopersale Essex | B− | 1.1 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Beeford East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 3.9 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 37 | Chillington Devon | C+ | 0.6 | 78% | 1.3 | 55% |
| 38 | Milford Derbyshire | C+ | 1.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Easton on the Hill Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 40 | Draycott Somerset | C+ | 2.1 | 68% | 2.1 | 46% |
| 41 | Sutterton Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Upper Basildon Berkshire | C+ | 2.3 | 0% | 2 | 97% |
| 43 | Lower Shiplake Oxfordshire | C+ | 3 | 0% | 2 | 28% |
| 44 | Ashchurch Gloucestershire | C | 2 | 59% | 2.2 | 21% |
| 45 | Bow Street Dyfed | C | 3.1 | 33% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 46 | Woodhouses Greater Manchester | C | 2.6 | 40% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Charlton Marshall Dorset | C | 0.5 | 78% | 2 | 50% |
| 48 | Glazebury Cheshire | C− | 5.1 | 58% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 49 | Pattishall and Astcote Northamptonshire | C− | 2.9 | 39% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | North Leverton with Habblesthorpe Nottinghamshire | C− | 0.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Bildeston Suffolk | C− | 0.5 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 52 | Gorefield Cambridgeshire | D | 2.9 | 67% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 53 | Broad Oak (Wealden) East Sussex | D | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 96% |
| 54 | Aberporth Dyfed | D | 0.6 | 38% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Wisbech St Mary Cambridgeshire | D | 1.8 | 69% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Hockliffe Bedfordshire | D− | 1.2 | 49% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Berryfield Wiltshire | D− | 0.4 | 53% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 58 | South Hykeham Lincolnshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Netheravon Wiltshire | D− | 0.4 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Great Horwood Buckinghamshire | D− | 0.8 | 0% | 1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Charlton Marshall’s built-up area.
8 in 10 Charlton Marshall 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 200 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 7 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 155 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Charlton Marshall
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.
Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
Dorset
50% of the land within 5 km of Charlton Marshall is National Park or National Landscape, more than 91% of UK towns. New Forest National Park covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006.
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Charlton Marshall
16 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Charlton Marshall and the kilometre around it, 2.0 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
The regional route here is the Stour Valley 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 Charlton Marshall: 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 | 8.8 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 105 | 71 | 69 | 64 | 55 | 54 | 59 | 69 | 71 | 112 | 116 | 113 |
June is the driest month (54 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 116 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 48 nights a year. The climate in Charlton Marshall →
7 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
Charlton Marshall 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
Playgrounds 7
Plus 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton Marshall | C | 0.5 | 78% | 50% |
| Blandford Forum 1.8 mi | B+ | 2.1 | 90% | 72% |
| Pimperne 2.9 mi | C+ | 1.9 | 72% | 89% |
| Sturminster Marshall 4.0 mi | B | 2.0 | 100% | 30% |
| Shillingstone 6.0 mi | B+ | 2.8 | 67% | 51% |
| Lytchett Matravers 6.1 mi | C− | 1.2 | 83% | 5% |
| Bere Regis 6.6 mi | A | 39.2 | 100% | 0% |
Bere Regis, 6.6 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Blandford Forum, Pimperne and Sturminster Marshall have at least twice Charlton Marshall’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Charlton Marshall
Is Charlton Marshall near a National Park?
Yes. New Forest National Park begins 15 mi east of the village’s edge. It covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape, 0.2 mi away.
What are the best walks near Charlton Marshall?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Stour Valley Way.
What is the nearest beach to Charlton Marshall?
Lake North Beach, 9.1 mi from the edge of the village, then Shipstal Beach (11 mi). Charlton Marshall itself is inland.
How many people in Charlton Marshall live near a park?
78% 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 Charlton Marshall?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Charlton Marshall good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.0 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 30% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 4% (0.5 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 Charlton Marshall’s overall grade.
Where Charlton Marshall’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.