Aberystwyth’s biggest
Blaendolau Playing Field
Playing field · 10 m outside town
15 ha (36 acres)0.3 km of path
20 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Llywelyn2000 · CC BY-SA 4.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Aberystwyth · parks, paths & countryside
Aberystwyth is on the coast
The sea makes up 33% of the area within 5 km. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 51% of residents. 84 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.4 for every square kilometre. Aberystwyth grades B− for the outdoors: #11 of 23 in Dyfed. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
51%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
84 km
3.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Snowdonia National Park
The sea
33%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Aberystwyth?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast33% of the area within 5 km is sea; 9 beaches mapped.Hills with a view18 mapped viewpoints, about 18× as many per resident as the typical town its size.Historic parksUniversity of Wales, Aberystwyth: Plas Penglais, Penglais Campus and Llanbadarn Campus; The National Library of Wales is a registered historic park (Grade II*).Less park per person1.8 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Aberystwyth’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by its views. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Aberystwyth grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Aberystwyth, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B−
Better than 45% of UK towns#11 of 23 in Dyfed · 42nd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
39out of
100
100
A park within a walk51%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
14out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
68out of
100
100
The sea33%of the area within 5 km
93out 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
Aberystwyth is 42nd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 14,000 to 15,300 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
Aberystwyth3.4
Towns its size3.4
Dyfed towns1.2
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Aberystwyth1.8
Towns its size2.7
Dyfed towns2.2
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Aberystwyth51%
Towns its size84%
Dyfed towns74%
All UK towns83%
Aberystwyth falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 56 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lymington Hampshire | A+ | 2.8 | 89% | 3.3 | 56% |
| 2 | Hythe Kent | A+ | 3.7 | 76% | 4 | 31% |
| 3 | Otley West Yorkshire | A+ | 5.8 | 93% | 4.4 | 26% |
| 4 | Tadley Hampshire | A+ | 11.4 | 96% | 4.2 | 9% |
| 5 | Llandudno Clwyd | A+ | 2.1 | 83% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 6 | Kesgrave Suffolk | A | 3.3 | 97% | 4.7 | 14% |
| 7 | Petersfield Hampshire | A | 3.2 | 93% | 3.2 | 100% |
| 8 | Yeadon West Yorkshire | A | 3.5 | 94% | 4.6 | 2% |
| 9 | Staveley Derbyshire | A | 6.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 10 | Cheadle Greater Manchester | A | 6.5 | 96% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 11 | Penzance Cornwall | A | 1.6 | 96% | 2.3 | 34% |
| 12 | Stapleford Nottinghamshire | A | 3.5 | 95% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 13 | Skipton North Yorkshire | A | 1.7 | 99% | 4.2 | 25% |
| 14 | Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint West Sussex | A− | 1.9 | 84% | 4.7 | 42% |
| 15 | Yateley Hampshire | A− | 14.9 | 85% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 16 | Honley West Yorkshire | A− | 2.1 | 87% | 5.1 | 8% |
| 17 | Blaydon Tyne and Wear | A− | 7.9 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 18 | Frimley Surrey | A− | 2.9 | 99% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Tredegar Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 78% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 20 | Risca Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 94% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 21 | Thornbury Gloucestershire | A− | 2.5 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 22 | Chertsey Surrey | A− | 6.2 | 84% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 23 | Birstall Leicestershire | A− | 6 | 80% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Tewkesbury Gloucestershire | B+ | 2.2 | 84% | 4 | 6% |
| 25 | Ilkley West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.6 | 76% | 5.7 | 37% |
| 26 | Uckfield East Sussex | B+ | 2.9 | 47% | 4.9 | 22% |
| 27 | Neston Cheshire | B+ | 2.7 | 91% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 28 | Buckingham Buckinghamshire | B+ | 3.4 | 96% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Somercotes and Swanwick Derbyshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Marlow Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 39% |
| 31 | Ashtead Surrey | B+ | 2.7 | 62% | 4.3 | 13% |
| 32 | Armthorpe South Yorkshire | B+ | 6.4 | 92% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Humberston and New Waltham Lincolnshire | B+ | 4.1 | 44% | 2.2 | 1% |
| 34 | Tilbury Essex | B | 1.4 | 98% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Crowthorne Berkshire | B | 4.7 | 60% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 36 | Morpeth Northumberland | B | 3.7 | 80% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 37 | Catterick Garrison North Yorkshire | B− | 4.9 | 78% | 1.8 | 6% |
| 38 | Newport Shropshire | B− | 3.3 | 95% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Chard Somerset | B− | 1.6 | 94% | 1.9 | 34% |
| 40 | Hawarden Clwyd | B− | 3.7 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 41 | Gorseinon West Glamorgan | B− | 3.7 | 83% | 1.3 | 2% |
| 42 | Aberystwyth Dyfed | B− | 1.8 | 51% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 43 | East Ardsley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 91% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Cowes Isle of Wight | C+ | 1.1 | 50% | 2.2 | 15% |
| 45 | Herne Kent | C+ | 1.2 | 54% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.2 | 78% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Darton South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.5 | 86% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire | C+ | 1.9 | 57% | 2.6 | 31% |
| 49 | Byfleet Surrey | C+ | 3.1 | 59% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Kidlington Oxfordshire | C+ | 0.9 | 81% | 3 | 2% |
| 51 | Garforth West Yorkshire | C | 1.2 | 88% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Milford Haven Dyfed | C | 0.8 | 70% | 0.9 | 30% |
| 53 | Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire | C | 1.1 | 90% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 54 | Swallownest and Aston South Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 73% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Taverham and Drayton Norfolk | C− | 1.9 | 67% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Pyle Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Cottingham East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 2.1 | 73% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Middlewich Cheshire | D | 1.4 | 81% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Shepshed Leicestershire | D | 1.1 | 69% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 60 | Church Village Mid Glamorgan | D | 0.7 | 72% | 1.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Aberystwyth’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 Aberystwyth
The biggest is Blaendolau Playing Field, 15 ha (36 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 5 named parks by size: 18 ha (45 acres)
Parks & gardens 1.2 haPlaying fields 17 haPlay spaces 0.0 ha
The two biggest, Blaendolau Playing Field and Penparcau Playing Field, are 85% of the named green space. 3 of the 5 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Penparcau Playing Field
Park or garden
0.9 ha (2 acres)0.4 km of path
0.9 mi southfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Aberystwyth Cricket Club Clwb Criced Aberystwyth
Playing field · 120 m outside town
2.4 ha (6 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Parc Derwyn Evans
Park or garden
0.3 ha (1 acres)
1.4 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Gwel Afon Play Area
Play space
0.0 ha (0 acres)
0.9 mi southfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
5 in 10 Aberystwyth 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).
Within 400 m (51%)Further (49%)
Aberystwyth51%
Towns its size84%
Dyfed towns74%
All UK towns83%
About 7,200 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 15 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 976 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Snowdonia National Park is 8.0 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
National Park
Snowdonia
8.0 mi north2,140 km²since 1951
Snowdonia National Park covers 2,140 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Aberystwyth
84 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Aberystwyth and the kilometre around it, 3.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Regional
Ceredigion Coast Path8.6 km
The regional route here is the Ceredigion Coast Path.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A registered historic park in Aberystwyth
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Aberystwyth’s named parks.
Registered · Grade II*University of Wales, Aberystwyth: Plas Penglais, Penglais Campus and Llanbadarn Campus; The National Library of Wales36 ha
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Aberystwyth: May to July and 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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 94 | 75 | 63 | 60 | 62 | 69 | 78 | 95 | 85 | 110 | 118 | 107 |
April is the driest month (60 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 118 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 32 nights a year. The climate in Aberystwyth →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Aberystwyth
33% of the area within 5 km of Aberystwyth is sea. 9 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 4 with a name.
North Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsSouth Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsTraeth Tan-y-bwlch0.3 mi from town
DirectionsClarach Beach0.8 mi from town
DirectionsSea: 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
18 viewpoints and 15 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.
18Viewpoints18.3× towns its size4Hills and peaks4.1× towns its size2Picnic sites15Playgrounds0.6× towns its size1Dog parks4Campsites8.3× towns its size1Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 18
Rock Garden, Consti0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPendinas0.2 mi from town
DirectionsMaes Comins Coch0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 15 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 4
Constitution Hill131 m (430 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPenglais0.5 mi from town
DirectionsBryn Cwm-Lletty0.5 mi from town
DirectionsFfynnon Caradog0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 15
Cae Job Play Areain town
DirectionsCastle Park Play Areain town
DirectionsClos Ystwyth Play Areain town
DirectionsHeol Tynyfron Play Areain town
DirectionsParc Dinas Play Areain town
DirectionsPenparcau Roundabout Play Areain town
DirectionsPlascrug Avenue Parkin town
DirectionsRhydyfelin Play Areain town
DirectionsPlus 7 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Assistance Dog Spending Areain town
DirectionsCampsites 4
Midfield Caravan Parkin town
DirectionsBryncarnedd0.2 mi from town
DirectionsNantcellan Barns1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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.
Llanbadarn FawrBow StreetPenrhyn-cochBorthTywynAberystwyth
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberystwyth | B− | 1.8 | 51% | 0% |
| Llanbadarn Fawr 0.6 mi | A+ | 14.7 | 82% | 0% |
| Bow Street 2.9 mi | C | 3.1 | 33% | 0% |
| Penrhyn-coch 3.8 mi | D | 0.7 | 100% | 0% |
| Borth 5.0 mi | B | 3.1 | 74% | 0% |
| Tywyn 11.7 mi | A− | 2.4 | 79% | 51% |
Llanbadarn Fawr, 0.6 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 82% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Llanbadarn Fawr has at least twice Aberystwyth’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Aberystwyth
What is the biggest park in Aberystwyth?
Blaendolau Playing Field, 15 ha (36 acres), just outside the built-up area. Penparcau Playing Field (0.9 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Aberystwyth near a National Park?
Yes. Snowdonia National Park begins 8.0 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 2,140 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Aberystwyth?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Ceredigion Coast Path.
How many people in Aberystwyth live near a park?
51% 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 Aberystwyth?
May to July and September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Aberystwyth are historic?
University of Wales, Aberystwyth: Plas Penglais, Penglais Campus and Llanbadarn Campus; The National Library of Wales (Grade II*) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Aberystwyth good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 68% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 39% (1.8 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 Aberystwyth’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Aberystwyth’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.