Photo: Chris Downer · CC BY-SA 2.051% of the land within 5 km of Shillingstone is National Park or National Landscape
The Dorset National Landscape reaches the edge of Shillingstone. Parks and playing fields in Shillingstone add up to 2.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 67% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Shillingstone grades B+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Shillingstone?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Shillingstone’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Shillingstone grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Shillingstone, 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.
Shillingstone is 12th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,100 to 1,200 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Shillingstone stands out most for path per km²: only 11 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 36 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porlock Somerset | A+ | 2.9 | 75% | 5.2 | 71% |
| 2 | Bathford Somerset | A+ | 4.8 | 100% | 3.7 | 64% |
| 3 | Longhoughton Northumberland | A+ | 4.7 | 100% | 1.2 | 27% |
| 4 | Halmer End and Alsagers Bank Staffordshire | A | 33.2 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 5 | Ovingham Northumberland | A | 6.5 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Dove Holes Derbyshire | A | 5.1 | 100% | 1.5 | 52% |
| 7 | Brighstone Isle of Wight | A | 2.2 | 55% | 3.4 | 56% |
| 8 | Rock Cornwall | A− | 3.2 | 39% | 2.5 | 37% |
| 9 | Hampsthwaite North Yorkshire | A− | 2 | 100% | 2.6 | 23% |
| 10 | Walton Somerset | B+ | 3 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 11 | Hurst Green East Sussex | B+ | 2.3 | 100% | 1.1 | 100% |
| 12 | Shillingstone Dorset | B+ | 2.8 | 67% | 3.2 | 51% |
| 13 | Slinfold West Sussex | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 14 | Gislingham Suffolk | B | 3.1 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 15 | Huntley Gloucestershire | B | 2.9 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Acomb Northumberland | B | 2 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | Moresby Parks Cumbria | B− | 1.2 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 18 | Thorpe End Norfolk | B− | 0.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 10% |
| 19 | Stretton-on-Dunsmore Warwickshire | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Romsley Worcestershire | B− | 1.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 21 | Penybanc Dyfed | B− | 7.4 | 35% | 2.4 | 1% |
| 22 | Datchworth Hertfordshire | C+ | 10.8 | 76% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 23 | Coddington Nottinghamshire | C+ | 2.9 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 24 | Tansley Derbyshire | C+ | 1.6 | 73% | 3.4 | 4% |
| 25 | Child Okeford Dorset | C+ | 1.7 | 45% | 3.3 | 42% |
| 26 | Grampound Road Cornwall | C+ | 3.6 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Allithwaite Cumbria | C+ | 1.9 | 60% | 1 | 17% |
| 28 | Baslow Derbyshire | C+ | 1.6 | 45% | 2.8 | 98% |
| 29 | Chesterton Oxfordshire | C+ | 1.8 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 30 | Blackmore Essex | C+ | 3.6 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 31 | Wadworth South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.7 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Dickleburgh Norfolk | C+ | 1.9 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 33 | Hunston West Sussex | C | 1.8 | 65% | 2.4 | 17% |
| 34 | Stoke Hammond Buckinghamshire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Llanerchymedd Gwynedd | C | 4.2 | 64% | 0.6 | 4% |
| 36 | Cold Norton Essex | C | 1.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Carlyon Bay Cornwall | C | 0.7 | 0% | 2.4 | 12% |
| 38 | Rearsby Leicestershire | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Yoxall Staffordshire | C | 1.9 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Raglan Gwent | C− | 3.9 | 0% | 1.2 | 1% |
| 41 | Hordle Hampshire | C− | 0 | 0% | 1.6 | 41% |
| 42 | North Elmham Norfolk | C− | 4.7 | 71% | 1 | 0% |
| 43 | Owston Ferry Lincolnshire | C− | 1.6 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Southfields Essex | C− | 2.8 | 0% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Old Leake Lincolnshire | C− | 3.6 | 75% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Chilworth Hampshire | C− | 1.1 | 24% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Chudleigh Knighton Devon | C− | 1 | 46% | 2.5 | 16% |
| 48 | Eastrington East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 3 | 65% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 49 | Guilsfield Powys | C− | 3.6 | 71% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 50 | Abbotskerswell Devon | C− | 4.2 | 49% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Bratton Wiltshire | C− | 1.9 | 25% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Spofforth North Yorkshire | C− | 1.7 | 78% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Long Whatton Leicestershire | D | 2.8 | 63% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 54 | Ullesthorpe Leicestershire | D | 1.5 | 75% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Pant Shropshire | D | 0.3 | 0% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Outlane West Yorkshire | D | 0.5 | 0% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Aston Oxfordshire | D | 2.2 | 62% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Melton Constable Norfolk | D | 1.6 | 76% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Moor End Gloucestershire | D− | 0 | 0% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 60 | Clipsham Rutland | D− | 0 | 0% | 1.7 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Shillingstone’s built-up area.
7 in 10 Shillingstone 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 400 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 3 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 388 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Shillingstone
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.
Dorset
Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
51% of the land within 5 km of Shillingstone is National Park or National Landscape, more than 92% of UK towns.
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Shillingstone
27 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Shillingstone and the kilometre around it, 3.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
2 regional routes pass through, including the Wessex Ridgeway and 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 Shillingstone: 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 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 114 | 76 | 71 | 67 | 61 | 54 | 56 | 71 | 79 | 116 | 120 | 114 |
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 120 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 48 nights a year. The climate in Shillingstone →
3 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
Shillingstone 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.
Up high. Shillingstone Hill, at 223 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Shillingstone.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 2
Picnic sites 1
Playgrounds 3
Plus 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shillingstone | B+ | 2.8 | 67% | 51% |
| Child Okeford 1.4 mi | C+ | 1.7 | 45% | 42% |
| Sturminster Newton 3.4 mi | B | 1.4 | 85% | 5% |
| Blandford Forum 4.4 mi | B+ | 2.1 | 90% | 72% |
| Pimperne 5.8 mi | C+ | 1.9 | 72% | 89% |
| Charlton Marshall 6.0 mi | C | 0.5 | 78% | 50% |
| Marnhull 6.1 mi | C− | 1.8 | 41% | 0% |
Blandford Forum, 4.4 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 90% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Shillingstone
Is Shillingstone near a National Park?
It covers 1,129 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near Shillingstone?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Wessex Ridgeway and Stour Valley Way.
What is the nearest beach to Shillingstone?
Lake North Beach, 15 mi from the edge of the village, then Shipstal Beach (17 mi). Shillingstone itself is inland.
How many people in Shillingstone live near a park?
67% 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 Shillingstone?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Shillingstone good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 64% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 67% (2.8 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 Shillingstone’s overall grade.
Where Shillingstone’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.