Photo: Mike Faherty · CC BY-SA 2.0Grove is on the coast, on the South West Coast Path
The sea makes up 87% of the area within 5 km. 56 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 8.7 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Grove add up to 6.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Grove grades A+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Grove?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Grove’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by dense footpaths.
Grove grades A+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Grove, 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.
Grove is 1st of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,000 to 1,100 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Grove stands out most for path per km²: none of the other 59 has more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grove Dorset | A+ | 6 | 100% | 8.7 | 0% |
| 2 | Totternhoe Bedfordshire | A+ | 9.6 | 100% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 3 | Lizard Cornwall | A+ | 2.3 | 100% | 3.3 | 30% |
| 4 | Winchelsea Beach East Sussex | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 45% |
| 5 | East Challow Oxfordshire | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 6 | Cemaes Gwynedd | A+ | 5 | 100% | 1.3 | 14% |
| 7 | Abingworth West Sussex | A | 6.1 | 100% | 2.7 | 27% |
| 8 | Bellingham Northumberland | A | 8.6 | 100% | 1.8 | 57% |
| 9 | Aberaeron Dyfed | A | 6.1 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 10 | Shorne Kent | A | 28.3 | 23% | 3.4 | 24% |
| 11 | Misterton Somerset | A | 2.5 | 100% | 2.9 | 35% |
| 12 | Godshill Isle of Wight | A | 2.1 | 100% | 2.7 | 53% |
| 13 | Ardleigh Essex | A− | 3.2 | 100% | 1.5 | 21% |
| 14 | Hyde Heath Buckinghamshire | B+ | 5.4 | 68% | 2.1 | 81% |
| 15 | Llangynidr Powys | B+ | 2.4 | 65% | 3.2 | 100% |
| 16 | Loddiswell Devon | B+ | 2.1 | 100% | 1.3 | 53% |
| 17 | Thornwood Common Essex | B+ | 6.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 18 | Clyst Honiton Devon | B+ | 8 | 83% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 19 | Morchard Bishop Devon | B | 2.6 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Thornton Leicestershire | B | 13.7 | 50% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Whitwell Hertfordshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Levens Cumbria | B | 0.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 53% |
| 23 | Llanymynech Shropshire | B | 2 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 24 | Minley Hampshire | B− | 5.7 | 0% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 25 | Great Amwell Hertfordshire | B− | 5.7 | 0% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 26 | High Shincliffe County Durham | B− | 0.5 | 100% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 27 | King's Bromley Staffordshire | B− | 3.4 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Derry Hill and Studley Wiltshire | C+ | 1.2 | 100% | 1.7 | 1% |
| 29 | St Newlyn East Cornwall | C+ | 3 | 100% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Little Waltham Essex | C+ | 2.3 | 63% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Warmington Northamptonshire | C | 1.6 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 32 | Bempton East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.6 | 100% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Upper Bucklebury Berkshire | C | 0.1 | 0% | 4 | 48% |
| 34 | Clifton Lancashire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Elswick Lancashire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 36 | Ansley Warwickshire | C− | 1.8 | 64% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Ewyas Harold Herefordshire | C− | 2.1 | 55% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Hoylandswaine South Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 39 | Marchwiel Clwyd | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 40 | Castle Hedingham Essex | C− | 1.7 | 52% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Swarthmoor Cumbria | C− | 0.2 | 79% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Surfleet Lincolnshire | C− | 4.2 | 0% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Scole Norfolk | C− | 2.1 | 51% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Loxwood West Sussex | D | 0 | 0% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 45 | New Quay Dyfed | D | 1.2 | 30% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Sutton St James Lincolnshire | D | 0.1 | 100% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Skidby East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 2.8 | 56% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Marshland St James Norfolk | D | 3.5 | 0% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Northop Clwyd | D | 1.6 | 70% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 50 | Hevingham Norfolk | D | 1.8 | 0% | 2 | 0% |
| 51 | Waltham on the Wolds Leicestershire | D | 2 | 23% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 52 | Henham Essex | D | 0 | 0% | 3 | 0% |
| 53 | Sutton Norfolk | D− | 0 | 0% | 1 | 29% |
| 54 | Methwold Norfolk | D− | 1.8 | 61% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Wawne East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1 | 0% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Foulsham Norfolk | D− | 1.4 | 29% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Mendlesham Suffolk | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Wainfleet St Mary Lincolnshire | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Stockton on the Forest North Yorkshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Ranby Nottinghamshire | D− | 0 | 0% | 0.8 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Grove’s built-up area.
Everyone in Grove 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; 6 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 172 residents.
The Dorset National Landscape is 5.2 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.
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Grove scores 0% on it even though the Dorset National Landscape is 5.2 mi away.
Grove is on the South West Coast Path
56 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Grove and the kilometre around it, 8.7 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 South West Coast Path, a national route, passes Grove.
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 Grove: 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 | 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 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 13 | 11 |
| Rain (mm) | 89 | 57 | 52 | 51 | 47 | 46 | 41 | 61 | 54 | 83 | 93 | 90 |
July 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 93 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 6 nights a year. The climate in Grove →
The coast and beaches near Grove
87% of the area within 5 km of Grove is sea. 8 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 3 with a name.
The 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.
4 viewpoints and 6 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 2
Playgrounds 6
Plus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grove | A+ | 6.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Weston 1.0 mi | A+ | 2.5 | 95% | 0% |
| Fortuneswell 1.2 mi | A | 1.1 | 100% | 0% |
| Southwell 1.8 mi | A | 0.7 | 100% | 0% |
| Weymouth 5.1 mi | A | 2.6 | 55% | 35% |
| Chickerell 6.0 mi | A | 1.5 | 88% | 27% |
| Crossways 10.9 mi | C+ | 0.5 | 100% | 22% |
Grove grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table.
Questions about the outdoors in Grove
Is Grove near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Dorset National Landscape, 5.2 mi north-west of the village’s edge. It covers 1,129 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near Grove?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the South West Coast Path (Section 49: Isle of Portland Circuit) and King Charles III England Coast Path: Portland to Lulworth.
How many people in Grove 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 Grove?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Grove good for walking?
For paths, yes: 8.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 100% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 90% (6.0 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 Grove’s overall grade.
Where Grove’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.