Rhymney’s biggest
War Memorial Park
Park or garden
9.9 ha (24 acres)1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Rhymney
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Jaggery · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Rhymney · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Rhymney lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 97% of residents. The Brecon Beacons National Park begins 1.7 mi from the town’s edge. 49 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.8 for every square kilometre. Rhymney grades A for the outdoors: #5 of 38 in Gwent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
97%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
49 km
3.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
6%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Brecon Beacons National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Rhymney?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep97% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.A town of footpaths3.8 km of path per km², more than 77% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Brecon Beacons National Park starts 1.7 mi north-west.
Rhymney’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by dense footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Rhymney grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Rhymney, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A
Better than 89% of UK towns#5 of 38 in Gwent · 7th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
69out of
100
100
A park within a walk97%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
77out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape6%of the land within 5 km
68out of
100
100
Footpaths3.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
78out 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
Rhymney is 7th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 4,800 to 5,200 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
Rhymney3.8
Towns its size2.6
Gwent towns2.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Rhymney2.9
Towns its size2.1
Gwent towns2.5
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Rhymney97%
Towns its size79%
Gwent towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Rhymney stands out most for path per km²: only 9 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rye East Sussex | A+ | 3.5 | 89% | 3.5 | 46% |
| 2 | Pill Somerset | A+ | 5.2 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 3 | Frinton-on-Sea Essex | A+ | 7.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 4 | Burry Port Dyfed | A+ | 11.8 | 75% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 5 | Moreton-in-Marsh Gloucestershire | A | 5 | 100% | 1.8 | 55% |
| 6 | Wirksworth Derbyshire | A | 2 | 100% | 4.6 | 8% |
| 7 | Rhymney Gwent | A | 2.9 | 97% | 3.8 | 6% |
| 8 | Meols Merseyside | A | 3.1 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 9 | Holmfirth West Yorkshire | A | 2.2 | 88% | 4.6 | 27% |
| 10 | Fitzwilliam and Kinsley West Yorkshire | A− | 11.5 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 11 | Joyden's Wood Kent | A− | 2.7 | 82% | 5.6 | 4% |
| 12 | Fordingbridge Hampshire | A− | 3.6 | 92% | 2 | 56% |
| 13 | Coleford Gloucestershire | A− | 2.8 | 66% | 4.3 | 48% |
| 14 | Elvetham Heath Hampshire | A− | 8.7 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 15 | Needham Market Suffolk | A− | 7.2 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 16 | Overseal and Castle Gresley Derbyshire | A− | 2.5 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Huthwaite Nottinghamshire | B+ | 8.1 | 75% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 18 | Seaton Cumbria | B+ | 2.5 | 87% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 19 | Cranbrook Devon | B+ | 6.4 | 87% | 1.9 | 1% |
| 20 | Hildenborough Kent | B+ | 6.5 | 40% | 2.8 | 46% |
| 21 | Sturry Kent | B+ | 2.7 | 80% | 3.4 | 1% |
| 22 | Stone Cross East Sussex | B+ | 1.4 | 86% | 2.3 | 9% |
| 23 | Aspull Greater Manchester | B | 7.6 | 92% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 24 | Easingwold North Yorkshire | B | 4.3 | 86% | 1.5 | 14% |
| 25 | Grimethorpe South Yorkshire | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 26 | Market Rasen Lincolnshire | B | 2.6 | 94% | 1.6 | 16% |
| 27 | Sedgefield County Durham | B | 6.2 | 81% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 28 | Headley Down and Headley Hampshire | B | 2.1 | 55% | 3.4 | 44% |
| 29 | Abercarn Gwent | B− | 3 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 30 | Whitburn Tyne and Wear | B− | 2.5 | 46% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 31 | Wotton-under-Edge Gloucestershire | C+ | 0.4 | 32% | 5.4 | 60% |
| 32 | Stokesley North Yorkshire | C+ | 0.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 16% |
| 33 | Wool Dorset | C+ | 2.3 | 51% | 2.5 | 33% |
| 34 | Steeton West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 35 | Moulton Northamptonshire | C+ | 3.3 | 88% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Barton-le-Clay Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.3 | 43% | 3.2 | 38% |
| 37 | Church Lancashire | C | 1.5 | 79% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Billinge Merseyside | C | 0.9 | 94% | 3 | 0% |
| 39 | Treharris Mid Glamorgan | C | 2.6 | 72% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Copthorne West Sussex | C | 1.2 | 62% | 2.9 | 13% |
| 41 | Bungay Suffolk | C | 0.5 | 78% | 2.6 | 12% |
| 42 | Sutton on Sea and Trusthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 1.8 | 67% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Northway Gloucestershire | C | 0.9 | 58% | 3.1 | 13% |
| 44 | Odiham Hampshire | C | 1.9 | 72% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 45 | Jaywick Essex | C− | 1.1 | 75% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Shavington Cheshire | C− | 1.1 | 87% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Melbourne Derbyshire | C− | 1.5 | 67% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 48 | Halesworth Suffolk | C− | 1.4 | 55% | 1.9 | 5% |
| 49 | Tickhill South Yorkshire | D | 1.7 | 69% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Haslington Cheshire | D | 1.8 | 41% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Gresford Clwyd | D | 1.4 | 76% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Melbourn Cambridgeshire | D | 1.2 | 45% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 53 | Fleckney Leicestershire | D | 0.8 | 63% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 54 | Lepton West Yorkshire | D− | 0.9 | 36% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Wingate County Durham | D− | 1 | 64% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Harleston Norfolk | D− | 0.2 | 42% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Bulford Wiltshire | D− | 0.9 | 51% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Appley Bridge Greater Manchester | D− | 0.5 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Shotton Colliery County Durham | D− | 0.9 | 40% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Somerton Somerset | D− | 0.6 | 48% | 1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Rhymney’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 Rhymney
The biggest is War Memorial Park, 9.9 ha (24 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Ann Mac Harris Park
Park or garden
0.6 ha (1 acres)0.1 km of path
0.8 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Rhymney’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 (97%)Further (3%)
Rhymney97%
Towns its size79%
Gwent towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 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 500 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Brecon Beacons National Park is 1.7 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
1.7 mi north-west1,350 km²since 19556% of the land within 5 km
6% of the land within 5 km of Rhymney is National Park or National Landscape, more than 68% 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 Rhymney
49 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Rhymney and the kilometre around it, 3.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Rhymney; 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 Rhymney: 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 | 16.7 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 195 | 145 | 123 | 99 | 94 | 94 | 104 | 117 | 119 | 187 | 192 | 209 |
June is the driest month (94 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 209 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 49 nights a year. The climate in Rhymney →
Things to do
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
Rhymney is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
The Bendricks24 mi from Rhymney’s edge
DirectionsPebble Beach25 mi from Rhymney’s edge
DirectionsFish Bench Bay25 mi from Rhymney’s edge
DirectionsTraeth yr Afon25 mi from Rhymney’s edge
DirectionsMargam Sands25 mi from Rhymney’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
Hills and peaks 2
Twyn Abertysswg0.4 mi from town
DirectionsRhymney Hill457 m (1,499 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 10
Plus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Parc Bryn Bach1.1 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
PontlottynFochriwAbertysswgTredegarNew TredegarEbbw ValeRhymney
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhymney | A | 2.9 | 97% | 6% |
| Pontlottyn 1.1 mi | C+ | 1.8 | 70% | 0% |
| Fochriw 1.5 mi | C− | 1.0 | 73% | 0% |
| Abertysswg 1.6 mi | B | 2.5 | 85% | 0% |
| Tredegar 2.1 mi | A− | 6.9 | 78% | 20% |
| New Tredegar 3.4 mi | D− | 1.4 | 68% | 0% |
| Ebbw Vale 3.5 mi | A− | 2.0 | 92% | 29% |
Rhymney grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. Tredegar has at least twice Rhymney’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Rhymney
What is the biggest park in Rhymney?
War Memorial Park, 9.9 ha (24 acres), with 1.8 km of path. Ann Mac Harris Park (0.6 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Rhymney near a National Park?
Yes. Brecon Beacons National Park begins 1.7 mi north-west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
What is the nearest beach to Rhymney?
The Bendricks, 24 mi from the edge of the town, then Pebble Beach (25 mi). Rhymney itself is inland.
How many people in Rhymney live near a park?
97% 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 Rhymney?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Rhymney good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 78% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 69% (2.9 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 Rhymney’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Rhymney’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.