Caerleon’s biggest
St Julian's Glebelands
Playing field · 360 m outside town
18 ha (45 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
26 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Jo and Steve Turner · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Caerleon · parks, paths & countryside
Caerleon has more footpath per square kilometre than 8 in 10 UK towns
54 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.2 for every square kilometre. The Brecon Beacons National Park begins 5.9 mi from the town’s edge. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 64% of residents. Caerleon grades C for the outdoors: #29 of 38 in Gwent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
64%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
54 km
4.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Brecon Beacons starts 5.9 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Caerleon?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths4.2 km of path per km², more than 83% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Brecon Beacons National Park starts 5.9 mi north.Parks can be a walk away36% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Caerleon’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Brecon Beacons National Park close by. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Caerleon grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Caerleon, 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 33% of UK towns#29 of 38 in Gwent · 41st of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
41out of
100
100
A park within a walk64%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
24out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Brecon Beacons begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
84out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 1.8% 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
Caerleon is 41st of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 7,000 to 7,600 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
Caerleon4.2
Towns its size3.2
Gwent towns2.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Caerleon1.9
Towns its size2.1
Gwent towns2.5
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Caerleon64%
Towns its size79%
Gwent towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Caerleon 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 47 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freshwater and Totland Isle of Wight | A+ | 5 | 89% | 3.9 | 20% |
| 2 | Holbury Hampshire | A+ | 5.5 | 89% | 3.1 | 42% |
| 3 | Stocksbridge South Yorkshire | A | 2.2 | 100% | 4.4 | 30% |
| 4 | Ruddington Nottinghamshire | A | 9.7 | 100% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 5 | Bude Cornwall | A | 3.1 | 78% | 3.3 | 9% |
| 6 | Liphook Hampshire | A | 3.1 | 86% | 3.8 | 64% |
| 7 | Bolton upon Dearne South Yorkshire | A | 5.6 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 8 | Bourne End Buckinghamshire | A | 2.9 | 87% | 4 | 19% |
| 9 | Gwersyllt Clwyd | A | 14.6 | 96% | 2.5 | 2% |
| 10 | Ashley Heath Dorset | A | 24.2 | 68% | 4 | 15% |
| 11 | Darfield South Yorkshire | A | 4 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 12 | Seaton Devon | A− | 1.1 | 84% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 13 | Otford and Kemsing Kent | A− | 3.3 | 53% | 3.6 | 73% |
| 14 | Torpoint Cornwall | A− | 2.2 | 84% | 1.6 | 26% |
| 15 | Goldthorpe South Yorkshire | A− | 8.4 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Blackwater Hampshire | B+ | 10.6 | 74% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 17 | Chinnor Oxfordshire | B+ | 1.5 | 88% | 3.7 | 37% |
| 18 | Kiveton Park South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.8 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Cromer Norfolk | B+ | 1.4 | 74% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 20 | Gowerton West Glamorgan | B+ | 3.2 | 79% | 1.2 | 14% |
| 21 | Barugh Green and Redbrook South Yorkshire | B | 2.1 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 22 | Malmesbury Wiltshire | B | 2 | 86% | 2.5 | 26% |
| 23 | Wroughton Wiltshire | B | 1.1 | 78% | 3.9 | 52% |
| 24 | Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire | B | 1.4 | 78% | 3.2 | 57% |
| 25 | Chapel-en-le-Frith Derbyshire | B− | 1 | 75% | 3.8 | 58% |
| 26 | Woodville Derbyshire | B− | 3.7 | 78% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Wootton Bedfordshire | B− | 2.5 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 28 | Rogerstone Gwent | B− | 3.1 | 60% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Eckington Derbyshire | B− | 1.8 | 80% | 6 | 0% |
| 30 | Balsall Common West Midlands | B− | 3.7 | 81% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 31 | Crawcrook and Greenside Tyne and Wear | B− | 3.2 | 86% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Borrowash Derbyshire | B− | 2.8 | 85% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Bollington Cheshire | B− | 1.3 | 56% | 4.1 | 31% |
| 34 | Abersychan Gwent | B− | 2.8 | 83% | 1.1 | 17% |
| 35 | Wrecclesham Surrey | C+ | 1.2 | 50% | 3.8 | 37% |
| 36 | Poringland Norfolk | C+ | 1.3 | 91% | 2.1 | 5% |
| 37 | Pelton and Ouston County Durham | C+ | 2 | 64% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 38 | Murton County Durham | C+ | 2.1 | 54% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 39 | Sprotbrough South Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Thrapston Northamptonshire | C | 1.2 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Caerleon Gwent | C | 1.9 | 64% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 42 | Horncastle Lincolnshire | C | 0.6 | 60% | 3.9 | 10% |
| 43 | Radcliffe on Trent Nottinghamshire | C | 2.5 | 76% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Sawston Cambridgeshire | C | 1.4 | 97% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 45 | Castle Donington Leicestershire | C | 1.8 | 85% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Fazeley Staffordshire | C | 3.2 | 35% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 47 | Dalton-in-Furness Cumbria | C | 0.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Aylsham Norfolk | C | 2.6 | 74% | 2 | 0% |
| 49 | Wivenhoe Essex | C− | 0.9 | 65% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt Leicestershire | C− | 2.1 | 82% | 2 | 0% |
| 51 | Southwell Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 59% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Calverton Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 62% | 3 | 0% |
| 53 | Breaston and Draycott Derbyshire | C− | 1.1 | 73% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Pickering North Yorkshire | C− | 1.7 | 39% | 1.7 | 19% |
| 55 | Shefford Bedfordshire | D | 1.1 | 67% | 3 | 0% |
| 56 | Deeping St James Lincolnshire | D | 0.5 | 73% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Polesworth and Dordon Warwickshire | D | 1.6 | 68% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Beddau Mid Glamorgan | D | 1 | 77% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 59 | Market Weighton East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 79% | 1 | 0% |
| 60 | Featherstone Staffordshire | D− | 1.2 | 52% | 1.5 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Caerleon’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 Caerleon
The biggest is St Julian's Glebelands, 18 ha (45 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Millennium Garden
Park or garden
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.8 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
6 in 10 Caerleon 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 (64%)Further (36%)
Caerleon64%
Towns its size79%
Gwent towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 2,600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 31 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 236 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Brecon Beacons National Park is 5.9 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
5.9 mi north1,350 km²since 1955
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Caerleon scores 0% on it even though the Brecon Beacons National Park is 5.9 mi away. Brecon Beacons National Park covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Caerleon
54 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Caerleon and the kilometre around it, 4.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
Usk Valley Walk2.8 km
Lodge Hill Circular Walk2.6 km
The regional route here is the Usk Valley Walk.
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 Caerleon: 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 | 16.6 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 123 | 88 | 79 | 72 | 77 | 76 | 69 | 88 | 72 | 122 | 120 | 131 |
July is the driest month (69 mm) and the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 131 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 37 nights a year. The climate in Caerleon →
Things to do
31 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
Caerleon is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Sugar Loaf Beach11 mi from Caerleon’s edge
DirectionsLadye Bay12 mi from Caerleon’s edge
DirectionsClevedon Beach12 mi from Caerleon’s edge
DirectionsFossil Beach13 mi from Caerleon’s edge
DirectionsThe Bendricks18 mi from Caerleon’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. Iron Age Hill Fort, at 120 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Caerleon.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Christchurch viewpoint0.7 mi from town
DirectionsHills and peaks 2
Iron Age Hill Fort120 m (394 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsChepstow Hill0.7 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
School nature reserve1.6 ha · in town
Directions19 Hills2.8 ha · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 31
Cold Bath Road Playgroundin town
DirectionsBrecon Park Play Area1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 29 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.
PonthirNewportLangstoneUnderwoodCwmbrânRogerstoneCaerleon
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Newport, 2.1 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 85% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Caerleon
What is the biggest park in Caerleon?
St Julian's Glebelands, 18 ha (45 acres), with 1.1 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Millennium Garden (0.1 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Caerleon near a National Park?
Yes. Brecon Beacons National Park begins 5.9 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
What are the best walks near Caerleon?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Usk Valley Walk and Lodge Hill Circular Walk.
What is the nearest beach to Caerleon?
Sugar Loaf Beach, 11 mi from the edge of the town, then Ladye Bay (12 mi). Caerleon itself is inland.
How many people in Caerleon live near a park?
64% 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 Caerleon?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Caerleon good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 84% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 41% (1.9 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 Caerleon’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Caerleon’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.