Fortuneswell’s biggest
Verne Common
Park or garden
2.9 ha (7 acres)0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Fortuneswell
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Raimond Spekking · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Fortuneswell · parks, paths & countryside
Fortuneswell is on the coast, on the South West Coast Path
The sea makes up 82% of the area within 5 km. 57 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.6 for every square kilometre. The Dorset National Landscape begins 3.4 mi from the town’s edge. Fortuneswell grades A for the outdoors: #10 of 30 in Dorset. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
57 km
4.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Dorset starts 3.4 mi out, past the 5 km
The sea
82%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Fortuneswell?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast82% of the area within 5 km is sea; 14 beaches mapped.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.A town of footpaths4.6 km of path per km², more than 88% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Less park per person1.1 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Fortuneswell’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by parks close to every home. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Fortuneswell grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Fortuneswell, 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 86% of UK towns#10 of 30 in Dorset · 6th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
14out of
100
100
A park within a walk100%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
89out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Dorset begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
89out of
100
100
The sea82%of the area within 5 km
100out 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
Fortuneswell is 6th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 4,400 to 4,700 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
Fortuneswell4.6
Towns its size2.8
Dorset towns3.2
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Fortuneswell1.1
Towns its size2.2
Dorset towns1.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Fortuneswell100%
Towns its size82%
Dorset towns77%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Fortuneswell stands out most for path per km²: only 5 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 51 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keswick Cumbria | A+ | 9.1 | 100% | 4.1 | 100% |
| 2 | Lawford Essex | A+ | 3.4 | 94% | 2.8 | 40% |
| 3 | Chipstead and Woodmansterne Surrey | A+ | 10.3 | 92% | 4.8 | 12% |
| 4 | Hamble-le-Rice Hampshire | A+ | 12.7 | 67% | 3.6 | 7% |
| 5 | Monkton Heathfield Somerset | A | 2.4 | 100% | 4.4 | 8% |
| 6 | Fortuneswell Dorset | A | 1.1 | 100% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 7 | Kimberley Nottinghamshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 8 | Stanton Hill and Skegby Nottinghamshire | A− | 16.1 | 83% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 9 | Nantyglo Gwent | A− | 2.5 | 82% | 3.7 | 29% |
| 10 | Brampton South Yorkshire | A− | 4.4 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Wheathampstead Hertfordshire | A− | 3.1 | 93% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 12 | Hugglescote Leicestershire | B+ | 4.2 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 13 | Winscombe and Sandford Somerset | B+ | 3.5 | 52% | 3.6 | 38% |
| 14 | Kings Worthy Hampshire | B+ | 3.9 | 66% | 3 | 23% |
| 15 | Elmswell Suffolk | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 16 | Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire | B | 4.5 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 17 | Blackhall Colliery County Durham | B | 1.1 | 95% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 18 | Callington Cornwall | B | 2.1 | 100% | 1.1 | 21% |
| 19 | Whaley Bridge Derbyshire | B | 1.6 | 44% | 4.3 | 53% |
| 20 | Lyneham Wiltshire | B− | 1.5 | 94% | 2.7 | 6% |
| 21 | High Lane Greater Manchester | B− | 1.5 | 67% | 4.6 | 12% |
| 22 | Alderley Edge Cheshire | B− | 2.2 | 86% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Finedon Northamptonshire | B− | 3.9 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 24 | Bromham Bedfordshire | B− | 3.8 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Irchester Northamptonshire | B− | 8.2 | 83% | 2 | 0% |
| 26 | Cwmavon West Glamorgan | B− | 2.3 | 75% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Llay Clwyd | B− | 10.6 | 85% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 28 | Cleadon Tyne and Wear | B− | 2.1 | 63% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Toddington Bedfordshire | B− | 0.9 | 86% | 3.1 | 8% |
| 30 | Blaina Gwent | C+ | 2.1 | 53% | 3.1 | 13% |
| 31 | Loughor West Glamorgan | C+ | 2.1 | 70% | 1.2 | 6% |
| 32 | Stamford Bridge East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Brinsley and Underwood Nottinghamshire | C+ | 3.3 | 71% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Iwade Kent | C+ | 0.8 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Kennington Oxfordshire | C+ | 2.1 | 58% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Howden East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 3.6 | 94% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Southminster Essex | C+ | 1.8 | 92% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Queen's Hills Norfolk | C | 0.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 39 | Backworth Tyne and Wear | C | 2 | 59% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Eccleston Lancashire | C | 2.4 | 83% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Clapham Bedfordshire | C | 1.3 | 94% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 42 | Kilburn and Horsley Woodhouse Derbyshire | C | 1.6 | 75% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Skelmanthorpe West Yorkshire | C | 1 | 88% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Coxhoe County Durham | C | 1.4 | 66% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Kinver Staffordshire | C | 3.1 | 60% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Woodhall Spa Lincolnshire | C− | 1.9 | 61% | 3 | 0% |
| 47 | Wesham Lancashire | C− | 1.7 | 87% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Preesall and Knott End-on-Sea Lancashire | C− | 0.7 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Bricket Wood Hertfordshire | C− | 1.7 | 43% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Stretton Staffordshire | C− | 3.7 | 49% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Saxilby Lincolnshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 52 | Crowland Lincolnshire | C− | 2.8 | 70% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Freckleton Lancashire | D | 0.4 | 73% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Linton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.1 | 67% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Welton Lincolnshire | D | 2 | 57% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Ynysybwl Mid Glamorgan | D | 2.3 | 60% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Banks Lancashire | D | 0.3 | 33% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Lakenheath Suffolk | D | 1.1 | 57% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Broughton Lincolnshire | D | 0.9 | 39% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Elm and Emneth Norfolk | D | 2.2 | 45% | 0.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Fortuneswell’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 Fortuneswell
The biggest is Verne Common, 2.9 ha (7 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Victoria Gardens
Park or garden
1.7 ha (4 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Fortuneswell
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Chiswell Walled Garden
Park or garden
0.0 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Fortuneswell
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
Everyone in Fortuneswell 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).
Within 400 m (100%)Further (0%)
Fortuneswell100%
Towns its size82%
Dorset towns77%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 7 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 651 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Dorset National Landscape is 3.4 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 Fortuneswell scores 0% on it even though the Dorset National Landscape is 3.4 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Fortuneswell is on the South West Coast Path
57 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Fortuneswell and the kilometre around it, 4.6 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 49: Isle of Portland Circuit)15.1 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Portland to Lulworth8.7 km
South West Coast Path (Section 50: Ferrybridge to Lulworth Cove)0.5 km
The South West Coast Path, a national route, passes Fortuneswell.
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 Fortuneswell: 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 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 11 |
| Rain (mm) | 83 | 51 | 51 | 45 | 45 | 41 | 45 | 44 | 50 | 75 | 85 | 88 |
June is the driest month (41 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 88 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 7 nights a year. The climate in Fortuneswell →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Fortuneswell
82% of the area within 5 km of Fortuneswell is sea. 14 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 4 with a name.
Portland Beach0.1 mi from town
DirectionsLittle Beach0.9 mi from town
DirectionsChurch Ope Cove1.4 mi from town
DirectionsCastle Cove1.7 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
4 viewpoints and 7 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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 2
Tout Quarry Reserve & Sculpture Park18 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsBroadcroft Quarry Butterfly Reserve7.3 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 7
Plus 7 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Plus 2 slipways 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.
GroveWestonSouthwellWeymouthChickerellDorchesterFortuneswell
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortuneswell | A | 1.1 | 100% | 0% |
| Grove 1.2 mi | A+ | 6.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Weston 1.3 mi | A+ | 2.5 | 95% | 0% |
| Southwell 2.2 mi | A | 0.7 | 100% | 0% |
| Weymouth 4.0 mi | A | 2.6 | 55% | 35% |
| Chickerell 4.8 mi | A | 1.5 | 88% | 27% |
| Dorchester 10.2 mi | B | 1.6 | 78% | 53% |
Grove, 1.2 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Grove, Weston and Weymouth have at least twice Fortuneswell’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Fortuneswell
What is the biggest park in Fortuneswell?
Verne Common, 2.9 ha (7 acres), with 0.5 km of path. Victoria Gardens (1.7 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Fortuneswell near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Dorset National Landscape, 3.4 mi north-west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,129 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near Fortuneswell?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the South West Coast Path (Section 49: Isle of Portland Circuit), King Charles III England Coast Path: Portland to Lulworth and South West Coast Path (Section 50: Ferrybridge to Lulworth Cove).
How many people in Fortuneswell 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 Fortuneswell?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Fortuneswell good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 89% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 14% (1.1 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 Fortuneswell’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Fortuneswell’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.