Photo: Eddy Blanche · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in Fochriw
The Brecon Beacons National Park begins 3.4 mi from the village’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Fochriw add up to 1.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 73% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Fochriw grades C− for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Fochriw?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Fochriw’s strongest suit is the Brecon Beacons National Park close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Fochriw grades C− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Fochriw, 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.
Fochriw is 48th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,100 to 1,200 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Fochriw stands out most for path per km²: only 12 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 52 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corton Suffolk | A+ | 4.4 | 100% | 3 | 5% |
| 2 | Bathford Somerset | A+ | 4.8 | 100% | 3.7 | 64% |
| 3 | Upton St Leonards Gloucestershire | A+ | 5.2 | 80% | 7.5 | 43% |
| 4 | Halmer End and Alsagers Bank Staffordshire | A | 33.2 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 5 | Ovingham Northumberland | A | 6.5 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Dove Holes Derbyshire | A | 5.1 | 100% | 1.5 | 52% |
| 7 | Rock Cornwall | A− | 3.2 | 39% | 2.5 | 37% |
| 8 | Camber East Sussex | A− | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 5% |
| 9 | Gotherington Gloucestershire | B+ | 2.7 | 72% | 3.7 | 33% |
| 10 | Walton Somerset | B+ | 3 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 11 | Shillingstone Dorset | B+ | 2.8 | 67% | 3.2 | 51% |
| 12 | Slinfold West Sussex | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 13 | Oakley Buckinghamshire | B | 2.9 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 14 | High Pittington County Durham | B | 1.6 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Huntley Gloucestershire | B | 2.9 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Acomb Northumberland | B | 2 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | Curdworth Warwickshire | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 18 | Bishop Middleham County Durham | B− | 2.6 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Plaxtol Kent | B− | 2.6 | 57% | 2.5 | 40% |
| 20 | Kelly Bray Cornwall | B− | 1.2 | 100% | 1.8 | 22% |
| 21 | Thurlton Norfolk | B− | 1.5 | 100% | 0.7 | 39% |
| 22 | Romsley Worcestershire | B− | 1.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 23 | Penybanc Dyfed | B− | 7.4 | 35% | 2.4 | 1% |
| 24 | Latchingdon Essex | B− | 1.7 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Grovesend West Glamorgan | C+ | 3.5 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Coddington Nottinghamshire | C+ | 2.9 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Child Okeford Dorset | C+ | 1.7 | 45% | 3.3 | 42% |
| 28 | Grampound Road Cornwall | C+ | 3.6 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Lacey Green and Loosley Row Buckinghamshire | C+ | 2.1 | 27% | 2.4 | 82% |
| 30 | Blackmore Essex | C+ | 3.6 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 31 | Wadworth South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.7 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Dickleburgh Norfolk | C+ | 1.9 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 33 | St Cleer Cornwall | C | 3 | 29% | 1.6 | 32% |
| 34 | Hunston West Sussex | C | 1.8 | 65% | 2.4 | 17% |
| 35 | Stoke Hammond Buckinghamshire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Llanerchymedd Gwynedd | C | 4.2 | 64% | 0.6 | 4% |
| 37 | Cold Norton Essex | C | 1.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Swindon Staffordshire | C | 2.5 | 67% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 39 | Mannings Heath West Sussex | C | 1 | 71% | 1.9 | 44% |
| 40 | Hordle Hampshire | C− | 0 | 0% | 1.6 | 41% |
| 41 | North Newbald East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.7 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Wetheral Cumbria | C− | 3.8 | 51% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Owston Ferry Lincolnshire | C− | 1.6 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Southfields Essex | C− | 2.8 | 0% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Crowle Worcestershire | C− | 2.4 | 34% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Eastrington East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 3 | 65% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Guilsfield Powys | C− | 3.6 | 71% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 48 | Fochriw Gwent | C− | 1 | 73% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Capel Hendre Dyfed | D | 0.8 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Long Whatton Leicestershire | D | 2.8 | 63% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Ullesthorpe Leicestershire | D | 1.5 | 75% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Benwick Cambridgeshire | D | 0.3 | 100% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Orwell Cambridgeshire | D | 1.2 | 78% | 2 | 0% |
| 54 | Ramsey Island Essex | D | 1.4 | 39% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Pelynt Cornwall | D | 0 | 0% | 0.6 | 13% |
| 56 | Great Doddington Northamptonshire | D | 1.3 | 69% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | High Legh Cheshire | D− | 1.9 | 50% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Austrey Warwickshire | D− | 1.7 | 0% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 59 | East Keswick West Yorkshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Clipsham Rutland | D− | 0 | 0% | 1.7 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Fochriw’s built-up area.
7 in 10 Fochriw 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 300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 5 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 230 residents.
The Brecon Beacons National Park is 3.4 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.
Brecon Beacons
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Fochriw scores 0% on it even though the Brecon Beacons National Park is 3.4 mi away. Brecon Beacons National Park covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
Footpaths in and around Fochriw
18 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Fochriw and the kilometre around it, 2.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Fochriw; 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 Fochriw: June 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 | 16.6 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 193 | 147 | 123 | 102 | 100 | 99 | 110 | 128 | 127 | 193 | 189 | 212 |
June is the driest month (99 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 212 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 49 nights a year. The climate in Fochriw →
5 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
Fochriw 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
Hills and peaks 2
Nature reserves 1
Playgrounds 5
Plus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fochriw | C− | 1.0 | 73% | 0% |
| Pontlottyn 0.8 mi | C+ | 1.8 | 70% | 0% |
| Rhymney 1.5 mi | A | 2.9 | 97% | 6% |
| Abertysswg 1.5 mi | B | 2.5 | 85% | 0% |
| Bedlinog 2.6 mi | B | 4.1 | 100% | 0% |
| New Tredegar 2.8 mi | D− | 1.4 | 68% | 0% |
| Troedyrhiw and Pentrebach 2.8 mi | C+ | 2.5 | 84% | 0% |
Rhymney, 1.5 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 97% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Rhymney, Abertysswg and Bedlinog have at least twice Fochriw’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Fochriw
Is Fochriw near a National Park?
Yes. Brecon Beacons National Park begins 3.4 mi north of the village’s edge. It covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
What is the nearest beach to Fochriw?
The Bendricks, 23 mi from the edge of the village, then Pebble Beach (24 mi). Fochriw itself is inland.
How many people in Fochriw live near a park?
73% 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 Fochriw?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Fochriw good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 56% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 12% (1.0 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 Fochriw’s overall grade.
Where Fochriw’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.