Photo: andy dolman · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in Cwm
The Brecon Beacons National Park begins 3.5 mi from the town’s edge. 12% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Footpaths add up to 25 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.1 for every square kilometre. Cwm grades C− for the outdoors: #33 of 38 in Gwent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Cwm?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Cwm’s strongest suit is the Brecon Beacons National Park close by. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Cwm grades C− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Cwm, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
100
100
100
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.
Cwm is 44th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,400 to 2,600 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Cwm stands out most for path per km²: only 14 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 58 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rawnsley Staffordshire | A+ | 17.7 | 100% | 3.7 | 36% |
| 2 | Shalford Surrey | A+ | 14.9 | 89% | 4.8 | 47% |
| 3 | Silloth Cumbria | A+ | 7.3 | 100% | 1.4 | 17% |
| 4 | Eton Berkshire | A | 22.9 | 100% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 5 | Lyndhurst Hampshire | A | 3.6 | 73% | 4.3 | 100% |
| 6 | Rowhedge Essex | A | 1.6 | 100% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 7 | Chopwell Tyne and Wear | A | 7.5 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 8 | Longford Gloucestershire | A | 11.9 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 9 | Little Clacton Essex | A− | 3.6 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 10 | South Anston South Yorkshire | A− | 3.5 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 11 | Stewartby Bedfordshire | A− | 21 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 12 | Saundersfoot Dyfed | A− | 10.2 | 69% | 0.9 | 19% |
| 13 | Thornley County Durham | B+ | 3.2 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 14 | Witton Gilbert County Durham | B+ | 2.1 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Craven Arms Shropshire | B | 1.3 | 87% | 2.9 | 59% |
| 16 | Barlestone Leicestershire | B | 3 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 17 | Farndon Nottinghamshire | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Oakley Bedfordshire | B | 3.2 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 19 | Alresford Essex | B− | 1.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 20 | Pannal North Yorkshire | B− | 3.7 | 77% | 3 | 0% |
| 21 | Coundon and Leeholme County Durham | B− | 4.4 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 22 | Brewood Staffordshire | B− | 3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 23 | Kelvedon Hatch Essex | B− | 7.3 | 77% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Ash Green Warwickshire | B− | 3.4 | 67% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 25 | Timsbury Somerset | B− | 2.7 | 68% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Bishop's Itchington Warwickshire | C+ | 1.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 27 | Llanrwst Clwyd | C+ | 2.2 | 75% | 1.6 | 45% |
| 28 | Crossways Dorset | C+ | 0.5 | 100% | 1.8 | 22% |
| 29 | Shepley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.6 | 87% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Widdrington Station Northumberland | C+ | 1 | 88% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Caton Lancashire | C+ | 1.2 | 72% | 2.2 | 67% |
| 32 | Steeple Claydon Buckinghamshire | C+ | 1.5 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Whittington Staffordshire | C | 7.5 | 77% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Stratton Gloucestershire | C | 0.7 | 46% | 3.3 | 70% |
| 35 | Great Houghton South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Tycroes Dyfed | C | 3.5 | 80% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 37 | Llandybie Dyfed | C | 2.6 | 59% | 1.2 | 13% |
| 38 | Laleham Surrey | C | 9.8 | 34% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Ash (Dover) Kent | C | 2.3 | 72% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Willaston (Cheshire West and Chester) Cheshire | C− | 4.2 | 60% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 41 | Upper Heyford Oxfordshire | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Hatton Derbyshire | C− | 3.3 | 61% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 43 | Loggerheads Staffordshire | C− | 1.2 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 44 | Cwm Gwent | C− | 2 | 12% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Cliffe Kent | C− | 1.1 | 55% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 46 | Probus Cornwall | C− | 0.6 | 75% | 1.5 | 15% |
| 47 | Maulden Bedfordshire | D | 0.9 | 55% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 48 | East Harling Norfolk | D | 1.7 | 85% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Lampeter Dyfed | D | 1.5 | 88% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Long Crendon Buckinghamshire | D | 1.4 | 86% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 51 | Llanhilleth Gwent | D | 1.3 | 71% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 52 | Mawsley Village Northamptonshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 2 | 0% |
| 53 | Broughton Lancashire | D | 1.7 | 45% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Long Itchington Warwickshire | D | 2.1 | 45% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Clophill Bedfordshire | D | 0.7 | 41% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Silverstone Northamptonshire | D | 1.1 | 0% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Nafferton East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.3 | 56% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Holme upon Spalding Moor East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.5 | 41% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Shipdham Norfolk | D− | 1 | 59% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Rhos West Glamorgan | D− | 1 | 58% | 0.8 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Cwm’s built-up area.
1 in 10 Cwm 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 2,200 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 10 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 251 residents.
The Brecon Beacons National Park is 3.5 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.
Brecon Beacons
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Cwm scores 0% on it even though the Brecon Beacons National Park is 3.5 mi away. Brecon Beacons National Park covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
Footpaths in and around Cwm
25 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Cwm 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 Cwm; 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 Cwm: 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 | 16.6 | 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) | 201 | 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 201 mm of rain falls in January, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 55 nights a year. The climate in Cwm →
10 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
Cwm is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
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. Craig Rhiwargan, at 427 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Cwm.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 4
Nature reserves 1
Playgrounds 10
Plus 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cwm | C− | 2.0 | 12% | 0% |
| Blaina 2.1 mi | C+ | 2.1 | 53% | 13% |
| Abertillery 2.2 mi | C | 2.4 | 69% | 0% |
| Markham 2.6 mi | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 0% |
| New Tredegar 2.8 mi | D− | 1.4 | 68% | 0% |
| Nantyglo 3.1 mi | A− | 2.5 | 82% | 29% |
| Ebbw Vale 3.2 mi | A− | 2.0 | 92% | 29% |
Nantyglo, 3.1 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 82% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Cwm
Is Cwm near a National Park?
Yes. Brecon Beacons National Park begins 3.5 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
What is the nearest beach to Cwm?
The Bendricks, 23 mi from the edge of the town, then Sugar Loaf Beach (24 mi). Cwm itself is inland.
How many people in Cwm live near a park?
12% 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 Cwm?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Cwm good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 62% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 45% (2.0 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 Cwm’s overall grade.
Where Cwm’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.