Uppermill’s biggest
Churchill Fields
Playing field
8.2 ha (20 acres)1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Uppermill
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Peter Wood · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Uppermill · parks, paths & countryside
Uppermill has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
120 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.8 for every square kilometre. The Peak District National Park begins 0.1 mi from the town’s edge. 70% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Uppermill grades A− for the outdoors: #19 of 81 in Greater Manchester. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
70%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
120 km
4.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
27%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Peak District National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Uppermill?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths4.8 km of path per km², more than 91% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Protected countryside27% of the land within 5 km is Peak District National Park.On a National TrailThe Pennine Way passes through.Parks can be a walk away31% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Uppermill’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Uppermill grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Uppermill, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 76% of UK towns#19 of 81 in Greater Manchester · 15th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
55out of
100
100
A park within a walk70%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
30out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape27%of the land within 5 km
82out of
100
100
Footpaths4.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
91out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland
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
Uppermill is 15th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 10,600 to 11,800 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
Uppermill4.8
Towns its size3.0
Greater Manchester towns3.9
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Uppermill2.4
Towns its size1.8
Greater Manchester towns2.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Uppermill70%
Towns its size80%
Greater Manchester towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Uppermill stands out most for path per km²: only 7 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 48 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minehead Somerset | A+ | 1.4 | 95% | 4.3 | 47% |
| 2 | Weybourne Surrey | A+ | 7.1 | 86% | 6.1 | 14% |
| 3 | West End Hampshire | A | 9.1 | 100% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 4 | Holyhead Gwynedd | A | 3.4 | 78% | 2.3 | 31% |
| 5 | Brierfield Lancashire | A | 2.1 | 92% | 5.6 | 18% |
| 6 | Penryn Cornwall | A | 1.9 | 91% | 2.6 | 31% |
| 7 | Emsworth Hampshire | A | 2.3 | 56% | 3.7 | 51% |
| 8 | Sandown Isle of Wight | A | 1.4 | 74% | 4.5 | 28% |
| 9 | Great Harwood Lancashire | A | 2.2 | 97% | 4.3 | 4% |
| 10 | Bradwell Norfolk | A− | 2 | 80% | 2.7 | 31% |
| 11 | Conisbrough South Yorkshire | A− | 5.3 | 99% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 12 | Royston South Yorkshire | A− | 7.9 | 97% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Romiley Greater Manchester | A− | 3.9 | 80% | 3.8 | 1% |
| 14 | Southwater West Sussex | A− | 3.4 | 82% | 3.7 | 3% |
| 15 | Uppermill Greater Manchester | A− | 2.4 | 70% | 4.8 | 27% |
| 16 | Kearsley Greater Manchester | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 17 | Cleckheaton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 98% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 18 | Tidworth Wiltshire | B+ | 3.7 | 90% | 2.3 | 8% |
| 19 | Ross-on-Wye Herefordshire | B+ | 1.9 | 76% | 3.4 | 56% |
| 20 | Barnoldswick Lancashire | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 4 | 2% |
| 21 | South Elmsall West Yorkshire | B+ | 9 | 92% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 22 | Oxted Surrey | B | 2.1 | 84% | 2.8 | 28% |
| 23 | Buckhurst Hill Essex | B | 4.5 | 64% | 6.3 | 0% |
| 24 | Corsham Wiltshire | B | 1.9 | 81% | 3 | 31% |
| 25 | Warmsworth South Yorkshire | B | 2.7 | 79% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Gillingham Dorset | B | 1.9 | 91% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 27 | Shirebrook Derbyshire | B | 1.8 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 28 | Sandbach Cheshire | B− | 2.5 | 87% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Helston Cornwall | B− | 1.3 | 61% | 2.7 | 21% |
| 30 | Mossley Greater Manchester | B− | 0.9 | 74% | 4.5 | 14% |
| 31 | Oswaldtwistle Lancashire | B− | 1.1 | 94% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 32 | Lymm Cheshire | B− | 3.6 | 89% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 33 | Leatherhead Surrey | B− | 1 | 72% | 3.9 | 24% |
| 34 | Filton Gloucestershire | B− | 3.3 | 40% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Cambourne Cambridgeshire | B− | 0.7 | 91% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Liskeard Cornwall | C+ | 0.8 | 89% | 2.7 | 6% |
| 37 | Bolsover Derbyshire | C+ | 1.9 | 85% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Stanwell Surrey | C+ | 1.4 | 93% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Selsey West Sussex | C | 1.6 | 79% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Earl Shilton Leicestershire | C | 1.5 | 98% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Sandy Bedfordshire | C | 0.9 | 76% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Brimington Derbyshire | C | 1.2 | 72% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Ulverston Cumbria | C | 0.7 | 60% | 1.8 | 8% |
| 44 | Towcester Northamptonshire | C | 1.3 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 45 | Featherstone West Yorkshire | C | 2 | 77% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Epping Essex | C− | 1.2 | 70% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Attleborough Norfolk | C− | 1.8 | 93% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Hexham Northumberland | C− | 1.5 | 64% | 2 | 9% |
| 49 | Cleveleys Lancashire | C− | 0.8 | 71% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Downham Market Norfolk | C− | 1.5 | 77% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Chatteris Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.4 | 94% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 52 | Cheadle Staffordshire | C− | 1.7 | 90% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Dinnington South Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 81% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 54 | New Ollerton and Ollerton Nottinghamshire | C− | 0.8 | 80% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Leominster Herefordshire | C− | 1.1 | 72% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Newtown Powys | D | 2.3 | 65% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Longton Lancashire | D | 1.7 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Wetherby West Yorkshire | D | 0.5 | 14% | 3 | 0% |
| 59 | Tonyrefail Mid Glamorgan | D− | 0.7 | 48% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Watton Norfolk | D− | 0.5 | 28% | 1.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Uppermill’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 Uppermill
The biggest is Churchill Fields, 8.2 ha (20 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Brownhill Countryside Centre
Park or garden
2.5 ha (6 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi northfrom the centre
Nature reserve 1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Brownhill Countryside Centre
Park or garden
2.5 ha (6 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi northfrom the centre
Nature reserve 1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
7 in 10 Uppermill 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 (70%)Further (31%)
Uppermill70%
Towns its size80%
Greater Manchester towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 3,400 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 20 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 560 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Peak District National Park is 0.1 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
27% of the land within 5 km of Uppermill is National Park or National Landscape, more than 82% of UK towns. Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
14 waymarked walks pass through or near Uppermill
120 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Uppermill and the kilometre around it, 4.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocalOther waymarked
Oldham Way22.9 km
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 59.5 km
GM Ringway Stage 98.1 km
Standedge Trail7.1 km
Tameside Trail (West - Broadbottom to Mossley)5.3 km
GM Ringway Stage 84.8 km
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 44.5 km
Tame Valley Way3.3 km
Man v Barge2.8 km
Tameside Trail (East - Broadbottom to Mossley)1.8 km
Tameside Way1.7 km
Pennine Way (Crowden to Standedge)1.6 km
Standedge Circuit Walk, Marsden Moor1.6 km
Oldham Link1.2 km
The Pennine Way, a national route, passes Uppermill. Close to home, the Oldham Way has 23 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 4 regional routes pass through, including the Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 5, GM Ringway Stage 9, GM Ringway Stage 8 and Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 4.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
When to get out
The best walking months in Uppermill: June 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) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 122 | 115 | 96 | 84 | 82 | 95 | 110 | 109 | 107 | 130 | 135 | 149 |
May is the driest month (82 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 149 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 49 nights a year. The climate in Uppermill →
Things to do
20 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.
12Hills and peaks1Waterfalls3Nature reserves3× towns its size2Picnic sites20Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Campsites1Slipways
The nearest beaches
Uppermill is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Stone Beach12 mi from Uppermill’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach12 mi from Uppermill’s edge
DirectionsWader Point12 mi from Uppermill’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South12 mi from Uppermill’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North12 mi from Uppermill’s edge
DirectionsGood to know
Check the water before you swim. The Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 12
Brown Hill0.0 mi from town
DirectionsWharmton348 m (1,142 ft) · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsLark Hill0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPots and Pans Hill0.4 mi from town
DirectionsNoon Sun Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsAlphin Pike469 m (1,539 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsAlderman's Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsDick Hill0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 hills and peaks more.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
Brownhill Nature Garden1.3 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsMoorgate Quarry Nature Reserve7.9 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsStandedge Road Cutting3.7 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 20
Plus 20 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Well-i-Hole Farm Caravan and Camping0.1 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 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.
DobcrossDelphMossleyLeesStalybridgeOldhamUppermill
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Dobcross, 1.1 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Stalybridge has at least twice Uppermill’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Uppermill
What is the biggest park in Uppermill?
Churchill Fields, 8.2 ha (20 acres), with 1.9 km of path. Brownhill Countryside Centre (2.5 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Uppermill near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 0.1 mi east of the town’s edge. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Uppermill?
14 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Oldham Way, Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 5 and GM Ringway Stage 9.
What is the nearest beach to Uppermill?
Stone Beach, 12 mi from the edge of the town, then Car Park Beach (12 mi). Uppermill itself is inland.
How many people in Uppermill live near a park?
70% 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 Uppermill?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Uppermill good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 91% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 55% (2.4 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 Uppermill’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Uppermill’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.