Church of St Peter · Photo: Dylan Moore · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in Johnston
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park begins 1.4 mi from the village’s edge. 6 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 0.6 for every square kilometre. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 55% of residents. Johnston grades D for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Johnston?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Johnston’s strongest suit is the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park close by. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Johnston grades D for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Johnston, 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.
How Johnston compares with UK villages of 1,700 to 1,800
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,700 to 1,800 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Johnston falls furthest behind on path per km², where 56 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Llanbadarn Fawr Dyfed | A+ | 14.7 | 82% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 2 | Rogiet Gwent | A+ | 3.9 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Woodbury Devon | A | 3.3 | 100% | 0.9 | 26% |
| 4 | Malvern Wells Worcestershire | A | 10.8 | 37% | 5.3 | 57% |
| 5 | New Denham Buckinghamshire | A | 8.9 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Elstree Hertfordshire | A | 22 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 7 | Scalby North Yorkshire | A | 5.9 | 70% | 2 | 43% |
| 8 | New Hartley Northumberland | A− | 1.9 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Hamstreet Kent | A− | 2.3 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 10 | Wembdon Somerset | A− | 7.4 | 88% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Heslington North Yorkshire | A− | 6.3 | 80% | 9.2 | 0% |
| 12 | Ingleton North Yorkshire | B+ | 1.5 | 100% | 2.5 | 54% |
| 13 | Compton Berkshire | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.1 | 100% |
| 14 | Pendlebury Greater Manchester | B+ | 18.5 | 74% | 4 | 0% |
| 15 | Trimdon Colliery County Durham | B+ | 4.7 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Eight Ash Green Essex | B+ | 8.2 | 80% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Denby Bottles Derbyshire | B | 1.4 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Rackheath Norfolk | B | 2.6 | 100% | 1 | 14% |
| 19 | South Hiendley West Yorkshire | B | 13.4 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 20 | North Benfleet Essex | B | 11 | 56% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | East Bridgford Nottinghamshire | B− | 1.4 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Great Bentley Essex | B− | 6.4 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Llandeilo Dyfed | B− | 1.8 | 88% | 2.3 | 22% |
| 24 | Delabole Cornwall | B− | 1.1 | 76% | 2 | 35% |
| 25 | Blaengarw Mid Glamorgan | B− | 5 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Winkfield Row Berkshire | B− | 11 | 80% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Much Wenlock Shropshire | B− | 2.4 | 13% | 3.6 | 20% |
| 28 | Copford Essex | B− | 4 | 70% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 29 | North Tawton Devon | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Great Chesterford Essex | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 31 | Cheddington Buckinghamshire | C+ | 2.2 | 35% | 3.1 | 16% |
| 32 | Sharnbrook Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.6 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 33 | Kedington Suffolk | C+ | 3.3 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Bury Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.1 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 35 | Duckmanton Derbyshire | C | 1.2 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Great Broughton and Little Broughton Cumbria | C | 1.2 | 85% | 2.3 | 1% |
| 37 | Doveridge Derbyshire | C | 1.7 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 38 | Bodelwyddan Clwyd | C | 1.9 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Shireoaks Nottinghamshire | C | 1.5 | 78% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Penygroes Gwynedd | C− | 0.7 | 66% | 0.6 | 26% |
| 41 | Billington Lancashire | C− | 0.5 | 0% | 3.9 | 14% |
| 42 | Deddington Oxfordshire | C− | 3.6 | 53% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Middle Barton Oxfordshire | C− | 1.9 | 81% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Shilbottle Northumberland | C− | 1.8 | 49% | 1.9 | 7% |
| 45 | Elmstead Market Essex | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Pattingham Staffordshire | C− | 2 | 80% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Sudbrooke Lincolnshire | C− | 1.5 | 82% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Croft Leicestershire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Hatfield Heath Essex | D | 1.3 | 76% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Glinton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 79% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 51 | Frizington Cumbria | D | 1.4 | 52% | 0.9 | 15% |
| 52 | Aiskew North Yorkshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Richings Park Buckinghamshire | D | 1 | 72% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Houghton on the Hill Leicestershire | D | 1.8 | 60% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Thorp Arch West Yorkshire | D | 2.6 | 29% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Johnston Dyfed | D | 1.4 | 55% | 0.6 | 5% |
| 57 | St Clears Dyfed | D− | 2 | 31% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Bramham West Yorkshire | D− | 1.4 | 47% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Necton Norfolk | D− | 1.5 | 17% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Tockwith North Yorkshire | D− | 0.4 | 14% | 1.1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Johnston’s built-up area.
6 in 10 Johnston 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 800 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 589 residents.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is 1.4 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.
Pembrokeshire Coast
5% of the land within 5 km of Johnston is National Park or National Landscape, more than 67% of UK towns. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park covers 615 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths in and around Johnston
6 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Johnston and the kilometre around it, 0.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Johnston; 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.
The best walking months in Johnston: 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) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.7 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 117 | 85 | 80 | 69 | 71 | 78 | 79 | 95 | 90 | 133 | 152 | 137 |
April is the driest month (69 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 152 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 24 nights a year. The climate in Johnston →
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
Johnston is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston | D | 1.4 | 55% | 5% |
| Merlin's Bridge 2.3 mi | A− | 3.3 | 100% | 11% |
| Haverfordwest 3.2 mi | C− | 1.0 | 85% | 8% |
| Milford Haven 3.4 mi | C | 0.8 | 70% | 30% |
| Neyland 3.7 mi | A− | 3.0 | 93% | 13% |
| Pembroke Dock 5.1 mi | B− | 1.7 | 80% | 25% |
| Crundale 5.1 mi | D | 1.5 | 57% | 5% |
Neyland, 3.7 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 93% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Merlin's Bridge and Neyland have at least twice Johnston’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Johnston
Is Johnston near a National Park?
Yes. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park begins 1.4 mi east of the village’s edge. It covers 615 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What is the nearest beach to Johnston?
Sandy Haven Beach, 4.4 mi from the edge of the village, then Freshwater West (6.8 mi). Johnston itself is inland.
How many people in Johnston live near a park?
55% 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 Johnston?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Johnston good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 0.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 2% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 23% (1.4 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 Johnston’s overall grade.
Where Johnston’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.