Blaina’s biggest
Central Park
Playing field
3.5 ha (9 acres)0.4 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Ian S · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Blaina · parks, paths & countryside
Parks and walks in Blaina
The Brecon Beacons National Park begins 1.4 mi from the town’s edge. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 53% of residents. 35 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.1 for every square kilometre. Blaina grades C+ for the outdoors: #25 of 38 in Gwent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
53%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
35 km
3.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
13%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Brecon Beacons National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Blaina?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe Brecon Beacons National Park starts 1.4 mi north-east.Parks can be a walk away47% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Blaina’s strongest suit is the Brecon Beacons National Park close by. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Blaina grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Blaina, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C+
Better than 43% of UK towns#25 of 38 in Gwent · 30th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
49out of
100
100
A park within a walk53%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
16out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape13%of the land within 5 km
73out of
100
100
Footpaths3.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
63out 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
Blaina is 30th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 4,400 to 4,700 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
Blaina3.1
Towns its size2.8
Gwent towns2.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Blaina2.1
Towns its size2.2
Gwent towns2.5
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Blaina53%
Towns its size82%
Gwent towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Blaina stands out most for path per km²: only 22 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 52 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keswick Cumbria | A+ | 9.1 | 100% | 4.1 | 100% |
| 2 | Lawford Essex | A+ | 3.4 | 94% | 2.8 | 40% |
| 3 | Chipstead and Woodmansterne Surrey | A+ | 10.3 | 92% | 4.8 | 12% |
| 4 | Hamble-le-Rice Hampshire | A+ | 12.7 | 67% | 3.6 | 7% |
| 5 | Monkton Heathfield Somerset | A | 2.4 | 100% | 4.4 | 8% |
| 6 | Fortuneswell Dorset | A | 1.1 | 100% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 7 | Kimberley Nottinghamshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 8 | Stanton Hill and Skegby Nottinghamshire | A− | 16.1 | 83% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 9 | Nantyglo Gwent | A− | 2.5 | 82% | 3.7 | 29% |
| 10 | Brampton South Yorkshire | A− | 4.4 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Wheathampstead Hertfordshire | A− | 3.1 | 93% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 12 | Hugglescote Leicestershire | B+ | 4.2 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 13 | Winscombe and Sandford Somerset | B+ | 3.5 | 52% | 3.6 | 38% |
| 14 | Kings Worthy Hampshire | B+ | 3.9 | 66% | 3 | 23% |
| 15 | Elmswell Suffolk | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 16 | Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire | B | 4.5 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 17 | Blackhall Colliery County Durham | B | 1.1 | 95% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 18 | Callington Cornwall | B | 2.1 | 100% | 1.1 | 21% |
| 19 | Whaley Bridge Derbyshire | B | 1.6 | 44% | 4.3 | 53% |
| 20 | Lyneham Wiltshire | B− | 1.5 | 94% | 2.7 | 6% |
| 21 | High Lane Greater Manchester | B− | 1.5 | 67% | 4.6 | 12% |
| 22 | Alderley Edge Cheshire | B− | 2.2 | 86% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Finedon Northamptonshire | B− | 3.9 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 24 | Bromham Bedfordshire | B− | 3.8 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Irchester Northamptonshire | B− | 8.2 | 83% | 2 | 0% |
| 26 | Cwmavon West Glamorgan | B− | 2.3 | 75% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Llay Clwyd | B− | 10.6 | 85% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 28 | Cleadon Tyne and Wear | B− | 2.1 | 63% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Toddington Bedfordshire | B− | 0.9 | 86% | 3.1 | 8% |
| 30 | Blaina Gwent | C+ | 2.1 | 53% | 3.1 | 13% |
| 31 | Loughor West Glamorgan | C+ | 2.1 | 70% | 1.2 | 6% |
| 32 | Stamford Bridge East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Brinsley and Underwood Nottinghamshire | C+ | 3.3 | 71% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Iwade Kent | C+ | 0.8 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Kennington Oxfordshire | C+ | 2.1 | 58% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Howden East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 3.6 | 94% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Southminster Essex | C+ | 1.8 | 92% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Queen's Hills Norfolk | C | 0.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 39 | Backworth Tyne and Wear | C | 2 | 59% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Eccleston Lancashire | C | 2.4 | 83% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Clapham Bedfordshire | C | 1.3 | 94% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 42 | Kilburn and Horsley Woodhouse Derbyshire | C | 1.6 | 75% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Skelmanthorpe West Yorkshire | C | 1 | 88% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Coxhoe County Durham | C | 1.4 | 66% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Kinver Staffordshire | C | 3.1 | 60% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Woodhall Spa Lincolnshire | C− | 1.9 | 61% | 3 | 0% |
| 47 | Wesham Lancashire | C− | 1.7 | 87% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Preesall and Knott End-on-Sea Lancashire | C− | 0.7 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Bricket Wood Hertfordshire | C− | 1.7 | 43% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Stretton Staffordshire | C− | 3.7 | 49% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Saxilby Lincolnshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 52 | Crowland Lincolnshire | C− | 2.8 | 70% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Freckleton Lancashire | D | 0.4 | 73% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Linton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.1 | 67% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Welton Lincolnshire | D | 2 | 57% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Ynysybwl Mid Glamorgan | D | 2.3 | 60% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Banks Lancashire | D | 0.3 | 33% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Lakenheath Suffolk | D | 1.1 | 57% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Broughton Lincolnshire | D | 0.9 | 39% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Elm and Emneth Norfolk | D | 2.2 | 45% | 0.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Blaina’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 Blaina
The biggest is Central Park, 3.5 ha (9 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Duffryn Park
Playing field
3.9 ha (10 acres)0.1 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Pilgrims Park
Park or garden
1.9 ha (5 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Blaina
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
5 in 10 Blaina 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 (53%)Further (47%)
Blaina53%
Towns its size82%
Gwent towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 2,100 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 17 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 268 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Brecon Beacons 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.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
National Park
Brecon Beacons
1.4 mi north-east1,350 km²since 195513% of the land within 5 km
13% of the land within 5 km of Blaina is National Park or National Landscape, more than 73% of UK towns. Brecon Beacons National Park covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Footpaths in and around Blaina
35 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Blaina and the kilometre around it, 3.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Blaina; 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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Blaina: 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) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.7 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 168 | 128 | 111 | 96 | 100 | 88 | 93 | 111 | 113 | 171 | 171 | 181 |
June is the driest month (88 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 181 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 59 nights a year. The climate in Blaina →
Things to do
17 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
Blaina is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Fossil Beach24 mi from Blaina’s edge
DirectionsSugar Loaf Beach24 mi from Blaina’s edge
DirectionsLadye Bay25 mi from Blaina’s edge
DirectionsThe Bendricks25 mi from Blaina’s edge
DirectionsClevedon Beach25 mi from Blaina’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.
Up high. Mynydd James, at 550 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Blaina.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 6
Mynydd James550 m (1,804 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsMynydd Carn-Y-Cefn550 m (1,804 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsDarren Ddu491 m (1,611 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsCefn-Coch571 m (1,873 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsMulfran524 m (1,719 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsTwyn Carn-Canddo500 m (1,640 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Silent Valley Local Nature Reserve46 ha · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 17
Plus 17 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.
NantygloCwmBrynmawrAbertilleryEbbw ValeBlaenavonBlaina
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Nantyglo, 1.4 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 82% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Blaina
What is the biggest park in Blaina?
Central Park, 3.5 ha (9 acres). Duffryn Park (3.9 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Blaina near a National Park?
Yes. Brecon Beacons National Park begins 1.4 mi north-east of the town’s edge. It covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
What is the nearest beach to Blaina?
Fossil Beach, 24 mi from the edge of the town, then Sugar Loaf Beach (24 mi). Blaina itself is inland.
How many people in Blaina live near a park?
53% 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 Blaina?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Blaina good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 63% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 49% (2.1 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 Blaina’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Blaina’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.