Carmarthen’s biggest
Carmarthen Park
Park or garden
4.1 ha (10 acres)1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Carmarthen
6 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: M J Richardson · CC BY-SA 2.0DOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Carmarthen · parks, paths & countryside
76% of Carmarthen’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Footpaths add up to 48 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 1.6 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Carmarthen add up to 1.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Carmarthen grades D for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
76%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
48 km
1.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Gower National Landscape
Outdoors grade
Carmarthen grades D for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Carmarthen, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
D
Better than 12% of UK towns#23 of 23 in Dyfed
Public green space1.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
33out of
100
100
A park within a walk76%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
40out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths1.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
19out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 0.9% sea, under the 5% that counts
42out 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
How Carmarthen compares with UK towns of 15,500 to 17,500
The 60 UK towns and cities of 15,500 to 17,500 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
Carmarthen1.6
Towns its size3.3
Dyfed towns1.2
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Carmarthen1.6
Towns its size2.3
Dyfed towns2.2
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Carmarthen76%
Towns its size83%
Dyfed towns74%
All UK towns83%
Carmarthen falls furthest behind on path per km², where 57 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prestatyn Clwyd | A+ | 3.3 | 92% | 2.9 | 14% |
| 2 | Conwy Clwyd | A+ | 2.9 | 82% | 3.6 | 13% |
| 3 | Clitheroe Lancashire | A | 3 | 98% | 3.1 | 59% |
| 4 | Hadfield Derbyshire | A | 2.4 | 91% | 4.5 | 36% |
| 5 | Shiney Row and Penshaw Tyne and Wear | A | 9.6 | 98% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Bishop's Cleeve Gloucestershire | A | 1.9 | 100% | 3.9 | 35% |
| 7 | Connah's Quay Clwyd | A | 5.8 | 97% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 8 | Bedlington Northumberland | A | 5.1 | 94% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 9 | Bredbury and Woodley Greater Manchester | A | 4.8 | 94% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Lewes East Sussex | A | 1.9 | 83% | 4.6 | 75% |
| 11 | Kidsgrove Staffordshire | A− | 8.6 | 87% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 12 | Porthcawl Mid Glamorgan | A− | 3.5 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 13 | Worcester Park and Stoneleigh Surrey | B+ | 7.3 | 76% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 14 | South Woodham Ferrers Essex | B+ | 7.8 | 93% | 3 | 0% |
| 15 | Wath upon Dearne South Yorkshire | B+ | 5.5 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 16 | Peacehaven East Sussex | B+ | 1.1 | 51% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 17 | Weybridge Surrey | B+ | 3.9 | 80% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 18 | Burnham-on-Sea Somerset | B+ | 2.1 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 19 | Wombwell South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 20 | Swanley Kent | B+ | 1.8 | 78% | 4.2 | 20% |
| 21 | Whickham Tyne and Wear | B+ | 3.9 | 77% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 22 | Swinton South Yorkshire | B+ | 3 | 97% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Tyldesley Greater Manchester | B | 2.3 | 97% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Brackley Northamptonshire | B | 2.7 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 25 | Haydock Merseyside | B | 6.8 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Westbury Wiltshire | B | 1.4 | 97% | 3.3 | 1% |
| 27 | Amersham Buckinghamshire | B | 1.8 | 62% | 3.7 | 64% |
| 28 | Patchway Gloucestershire | B | 2.5 | 80% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Haslingden Lancashire | B | 1.8 | 89% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Wimborne Minster Dorset | B | 2.7 | 51% | 3.6 | 17% |
| 31 | Penrith Cumbria | B | 1.6 | 91% | 2.9 | 9% |
| 32 | Bangor Gwynedd | B | 0.9 | 79% | 2.7 | 11% |
| 33 | Wymondham Norfolk | B | 2.8 | 97% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Minster (Swale) Kent | B | 2.5 | 89% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Bramhall Greater Manchester | B− | 4.7 | 71% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 36 | St Ives Cambridgeshire | B− | 1.7 | 95% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 37 | Hoyland South Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 67% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 38 | Knaresborough North Yorkshire | B− | 2.3 | 87% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Baildon West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 71% | 7.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Mexborough South Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 97% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 41 | Heysham Lancashire | B− | 1.4 | 83% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 42 | Ramsbottom Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.1 | 74% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 43 | South Normanton and Pinxton Derbyshire | C+ | 1.7 | 90% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Elland West Yorkshire | C+ | 2 | 69% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 45 | Royston Hertfordshire | C+ | 1.3 | 83% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Aldridge West Midlands | C+ | 3 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Bodmin Cornwall | C+ | 1.1 | 87% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 48 | Longfield, New Ash Green and Hartley Kent | C | 1.2 | 54% | 3.3 | 21% |
| 49 | Streetly West Midlands | C | 7.5 | 58% | 2 | 0% |
| 50 | Ripon North Yorkshire | C | 1 | 75% | 2.4 | 17% |
| 51 | Nailsea Somerset | C | 1.1 | 65% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Alsager Cheshire | C | 1.2 | 82% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Tonypandy Mid Glamorgan | C | 1.5 | 85% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Maltby South Yorkshire | C− | 1.8 | 78% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Hale Greater Manchester | C− | 2.4 | 50% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Stone Staffordshire | C− | 1.5 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 57 | North Hykeham Lincolnshire | C− | 2.4 | 60% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Saffron Walden Essex | C− | 1.1 | 63% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 59 | Louth Lincolnshire | C− | 0.6 | 76% | 1.3 | 47% |
| 60 | Carmarthen Dyfed | D | 1.6 | 76% | 1.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Carmarthen’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 Carmarthen
The biggest is Carmarthen Park, 4.1 ha (10 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 4 named parks by size: 8 ha (19 acres) and 1 km of path
Parks & gardens 4.2 haPlaying fields 3.4 ha
The two biggest, Carmarthen Park and Carmarthen Wanderers Cricket Club, are 84% of the named green space.
Carmarthen Wanderers Cricket Club
Playing field
2.3 ha (6 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the park
Parc Hinds
Playing field
1.1 ha (3 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi eastfrom the centre
St John's Priory monument +4 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Abergwili Community Garden
Park or garden · 310 m outside town
0.1 ha (0 acres)
1.9 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Carmarthen’s homes are to 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 (76%)Further (24%)
Carmarthen76%
Towns its size83%
Dyfed towns74%
All UK towns83%
About 3,900 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 11 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,495 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Gower National Landscape is 12 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 Landscape
Gower
12 mi south187 km²since 1956
National Park
Brecon Beacons
12 mi east1,350 km²since 1955
National Park
Pembrokeshire Coast
14 mi north-west615 km²since 1951
Brecon Beacons National Park covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Footpaths in and around Carmarthen
48 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Carmarthen and the kilometre around it, 1.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Carmarthen; its footpaths are on the map above.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
History inside Carmarthen’s parks
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Carmarthen’s named parks.
Park with listed buildings
Parc Hinds
1.1 ha. 5 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge, including St John's Priory (a scheduled monument).
SMSt John's PrioryIISection of wall at SW corner of Parc HindsIISt John's Priory Precinct Wall or Nun's Walk
Listed buildings insideCarmarthen ParkBandstand in Carmarthen Park, Cast-iron drinking fountain in Carmarthen Park and Eastern pair of lamp standards in Carmarthen Park and 3 more
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 Carmarthen: 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) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.7 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 139 | 103 | 95 | 99 | 107 | 89 | 117 | 107 | 99 | 147 | 152 | 206 |
June is the driest month (89 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 206 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 44 nights a year. The climate in Carmarthen →
Things to do
11 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
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.
The nearest beaches
Carmarthen is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Cefn Sidan9.5 mi from Carmarthen’s edge
DirectionsTywyn Bâch12 mi from Carmarthen’s edge
DirectionsMarros Sands15 mi from Carmarthen’s edge
DirectionsCoppet Hall Beach17 mi from Carmarthen’s edge
DirectionsSaundersfoot Beach17 mi from Carmarthen’s edge
DirectionsGood to know
Check the water before you swim. Natural Resources Wales tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 12
Bryn Tanerdyin town
DirectionsPentre-Meurig Hillin town
DirectionsPen Ystrad0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPen-Lan0.1 mi from town
DirectionsTre-Vaughan Hill0.1 mi from town
DirectionsMount Hill342 m (1,122 ft) · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsBryn-Towy0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPen Wern-Corgam0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 hills and peaks more.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 11
Plus 11 playgrounds 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.
PontyberemPontyatesSt ClearsKidwellyCarwayTumbleCarmarthen
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Carway, 9.4 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Pontyberem, Pontyates and Carway have at least twice Carmarthen’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Carmarthen
What is the biggest park in Carmarthen?
Carmarthen Park, 4.1 ha (10 acres), with 1.3 km of path. Carmarthen Wanderers Cricket Club (2.3 ha) is second. 4 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Carmarthen near a National Park?
Yes. Brecon Beacons National Park begins 12 mi east of the town’s edge. It covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Gower National Landscape, 12 mi away.
What is the nearest beach to Carmarthen?
Cefn Sidan, 9.5 mi from the edge of the town, then Tywyn Bâch (12 mi). Carmarthen itself is inland.
How many people in Carmarthen live near a park?
76% 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 Carmarthen?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Carmarthen good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 19% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 33% (1.6 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 Carmarthen’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Carmarthen’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.