Gelligaer’s biggest
Parc Penallta
Park or garden · 380 m outside town
123 ha (304 acres)14.1 km of path
3 h 10 minto walk all 14.1 km of path
172 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Roger Cornfoot · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Gelligaer · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Gelligaer lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Footpaths add up to 12 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 1.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Gelligaer add up to 2.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Gelligaer grades C+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
12 km
1.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Brecon Beacons National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Gelligaer?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Few mapped footpaths1.4 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Gelligaer’s strongest suit is parks close to every home. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Gelligaer grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Gelligaer, 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 38% of UK towns37th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space2.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
54out of
100
100
A park within a walk100%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
89out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths1.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
15out 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.
Villages its size
Gelligaer is 37th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,400 to 1,500 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
Gelligaer1.4
Villages its size2.2
Gwent towns2.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Gelligaer2.3
Villages its size2.4
Gwent towns2.5
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Gelligaer100%
Villages its size84%
Gwent towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Gelligaer stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 44 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trull Somerset | A+ | 5.9 | 100% | 3.9 | 20% |
| 2 | Sandridge Hertfordshire | A+ | 18.8 | 100% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 3 | Whiteshill and Randwick Gloucestershire | A | 4.5 | 60% | 7 | 64% |
| 4 | New Houghton Derbyshire | A | 33.8 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 5 | Balcombe West Sussex | A | 2.9 | 100% | 2.2 | 90% |
| 6 | Jump South Yorkshire | A | 5.1 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 7 | Sedbergh Cumbria | A | 1.9 | 83% | 5 | 92% |
| 8 | St Day Cornwall | A | 3.2 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Chaldon Surrey | A− | 7.4 | 50% | 4.9 | 24% |
| 10 | Heath and Reach Bedfordshire | A− | 3.3 | 100% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Five Oak Green Kent | A− | 3 | 100% | 2 | 30% |
| 12 | Llandovery Dyfed | A− | 13.3 | 100% | 1 | 22% |
| 13 | Hallow Worcestershire | A− | 3.7 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 14 | Wigginton North Yorkshire | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Shotley Gate Suffolk | A− | 1 | 100% | 1.5 | 34% |
| 16 | Grundisburgh Suffolk | B+ | 2.2 | 100% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 17 | Princetown Devon | B+ | 1.4 | 100% | 2.3 | 100% |
| 18 | Stanwell Moor Surrey | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 19 | Brookwood Surrey | B+ | 8.5 | 59% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Emley West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 21 | Cowling North Yorkshire | B | 1.3 | 100% | 6 | 0% |
| 22 | Wedmore Somerset | B | 4.7 | 60% | 3.1 | 1% |
| 23 | Kelloe County Durham | B | 5.6 | 42% | 6 | 0% |
| 24 | Tye Green Essex | B | 2 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 25 | Calvert Buckinghamshire | B | 3.3 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Abertysswg Gwent | B | 2.5 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 27 | Little Hallingbury Essex | B− | 1 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Brigstock Northamptonshire | B− | 8.2 | 84% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Warkworth Northumberland | B− | 1.8 | 76% | 1.3 | 9% |
| 30 | Bishop Sutton Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 64% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 31 | Orsett Essex | B− | 4.4 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 32 | Robertsbridge East Sussex | C+ | 2 | 38% | 2.7 | 100% |
| 33 | Ashton Keynes Wiltshire | C+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Gosfield Essex | C+ | 3.7 | 85% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Pirton Hertfordshire | C+ | 2.4 | 57% | 2.3 | 24% |
| 36 | Sutton Valence Kent | C+ | 5.6 | 71% | 1 | 1% |
| 37 | Gelligaer Gwent | C+ | 2.3 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 38 | Shortlanesend Cornwall | C+ | 1 | 100% | 1.7 | 2% |
| 39 | Barlaston Staffordshire | C | 2.7 | 80% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Ryhall Rutland | C | 1.9 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 41 | Stewkley Buckinghamshire | C | 4.2 | 74% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 42 | Hurley Warwickshire | C | 2.8 | 75% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 43 | Salhouse Norfolk | C− | 1.9 | 71% | 1 | 17% |
| 44 | Patrington East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 3.6 | 79% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Blofield Heath Norfolk | C− | 2.5 | 43% | 0.9 | 17% |
| 46 | Mid Lavant West Sussex | C− | 1.3 | 33% | 1.8 | 62% |
| 47 | Newton Flotman Norfolk | C− | 2.5 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 48 | Thorrington Essex | C− | 1.2 | 65% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 49 | Shipton Bellinger Hampshire | D | 1.5 | 79% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Ranskill Nottinghamshire | D | 0.4 | 100% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Keadby Lincolnshire | D | 1.7 | 84% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Flore Northamptonshire | D | 1.6 | 62% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Blakedown Worcestershire | D | 0.8 | 79% | 2 | 0% |
| 54 | Meon Vale Warwickshire | D | 0.4 | 50% | 1.4 | 19% |
| 55 | Gosberton Lincolnshire | D | 1.1 | 86% | 0.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Byram North Yorkshire | D | 2.1 | 19% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Barford Warwickshire | D | 2.1 | 58% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Markham Gwent | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Shadwell West Yorkshire | D− | 0.3 | 25% | 2 | 0% |
| 60 | Easton Norfolk | D− | 1 | 0% | 1.2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Gelligaer’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 Gelligaer
The biggest is Parc Penallta, 123 ha (304 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Greenhill Playing Fields
Playing field
1.3 ha (3 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Gelligaer
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Gelligaer’s homes are to 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 (100%)Further (0%)
Gelligaer100%
Villages its size84%
Gwent towns85%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 14 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 103 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Brecon Beacons National Park is 8.8 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
8.8 mi north-west1,350 km²since 1955
Brecon Beacons National Park covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Gelligaer
12 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Gelligaer and the kilometre around it, 1.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
Regional
Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk4.9 km
The regional route here is the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway 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 Gelligaer: May 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) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 185 | 154 | 124 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 102 | 121 | 124 | 189 | 194 | 227 |
April is the driest month (98 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 227 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 42 nights a year. The climate in Gelligaer →
Things to do
4 viewpoints, 14 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
Gelligaer is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
The Bendricks18 mi from Gelligaer’s edge
DirectionsPebble Beach19 mi from Gelligaer’s edge
DirectionsWatch House Beach20 mi from Gelligaer’s edge
DirectionsDunraven Bay21 mi from Gelligaer’s edge
DirectionsHardy’s Bay21 mi from Gelligaer’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.
Every named place, with directions
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 14
Pantycelyn Street Playground1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 13 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.
Pen-pedair-heolTir-y-berth and Glan-y-nantYstrad MynachNelsonFleur-de-lis and PengamTrelewisGelligaer
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gelligaer | C+ | 2.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Pen-pedair-heol 0.7 mi | D | 0.9 | 80% | 0% |
| Tir-y-berth and Glan-y-nant 1.2 mi | A | 22.1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ystrad Mynach 1.4 mi | B− | 5.4 | 85% | 0% |
| Nelson 1.6 mi | C | 2.1 | 88% | 0% |
| Fleur-de-lis and Pengam 1.6 mi | B | 6.0 | 54% | 0% |
| Trelewis 1.7 mi | B− | 2.6 | 100% | 0% |
Tir-y-berth and Glan-y-nant, 1.2 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Tir-y-berth and Glan-y-nant, Ystrad Mynach and Fleur-de-lis and Pengam have at least twice Gelligaer’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Gelligaer
What is the biggest park in Gelligaer?
Parc Penallta, 123 ha (304 acres), with 14.1 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Greenhill Playing Fields (1.3 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Gelligaer near a National Park?
Yes. Brecon Beacons National Park begins 8.8 mi north-west of the village’s edge. It covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
What are the best walks near Gelligaer?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk. Parc Penallta alone has 14.1 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Gelligaer?
The Bendricks, 18 mi from the edge of the village, then Pebble Beach (19 mi). Gelligaer itself is inland.
How many people in Gelligaer live near a park?
100% 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 Gelligaer?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Gelligaer good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 15% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 54% (2.3 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 Gelligaer’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Gelligaer’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.