Risca’s biggest
Parc Gwledig Cwm Sirhywi
Park or garden
109 ha (269 acres)4.0 km of path
55 minto walk all 4 km of path
152 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Jaggery · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Risca · parks, paths & countryside
Risca has more park space per resident than 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Risca add up to 6.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 94% of residents. Footpaths add up to 92 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.4 for every square kilometre. Risca grades A− for the outdoors: #11 of 38 in Gwent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
6.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
94%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
92 km
3.4 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 town is Risca?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam6.9 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 92% of UK towns.On a National TrailThe Cambrian Way passes through.
Risca’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by the Cambrian Way.
Outdoors grade
Risca grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Risca, 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 79% of UK towns#11 of 38 in Gwent · 22nd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space6.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
92out of
100
100
A park within a walk94%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
73out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
69out 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
Risca is 22nd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 14,400 to 16,000 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
Risca3.4
Towns its size3.6
Gwent towns2.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Risca6.9
Towns its size2.7
Gwent towns2.5
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Risca94%
Towns its size84%
Gwent towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Risca stands out most for park space per resident: only 5 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saltash Cornwall | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 2 | Lymington Hampshire | A+ | 2.8 | 89% | 3.3 | 56% |
| 3 | Hythe Kent | A+ | 3.7 | 76% | 4 | 31% |
| 4 | Otley West Yorkshire | A+ | 5.8 | 93% | 4.4 | 26% |
| 5 | Tadley Hampshire | A+ | 11.4 | 96% | 4.2 | 9% |
| 6 | Llandudno Clwyd | A+ | 2.1 | 83% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 7 | Conwy Clwyd | A+ | 2.9 | 82% | 3.6 | 13% |
| 8 | Swanscombe Kent | A+ | 3.3 | 90% | 8.5 | 0% |
| 9 | Kesgrave Suffolk | A | 3.3 | 97% | 4.7 | 14% |
| 10 | Petersfield Hampshire | A | 3.2 | 93% | 3.2 | 100% |
| 11 | Staveley Derbyshire | A | 6.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Penzance Cornwall | A | 1.6 | 96% | 2.3 | 34% |
| 13 | Cheadle Greater Manchester | A | 6.5 | 96% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 14 | Stapleford Nottinghamshire | A | 3.5 | 95% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Skipton North Yorkshire | A | 1.7 | 99% | 4.2 | 25% |
| 16 | Yateley Hampshire | A− | 14.9 | 85% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Kidsgrove Staffordshire | A− | 8.6 | 87% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Porthcawl Mid Glamorgan | A− | 3.5 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Frimley Surrey | A− | 2.9 | 99% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Tredegar Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 78% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 21 | Hessle East Riding of Yorkshire | A− | 5.3 | 96% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Risca Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 94% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Thornbury Gloucestershire | A− | 2.5 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 24 | Chertsey Surrey | A− | 6.2 | 84% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Ilkley West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.6 | 76% | 5.7 | 37% |
| 26 | Worcester Park and Stoneleigh Surrey | B+ | 7.3 | 76% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Uckfield East Sussex | B+ | 2.9 | 47% | 4.9 | 22% |
| 28 | Neston Cheshire | B+ | 2.7 | 91% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Peacehaven East Sussex | B+ | 1.1 | 51% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 30 | Somercotes and Swanwick Derbyshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 31 | Weybridge Surrey | B+ | 3.9 | 80% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Marlow Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 39% |
| 33 | Ashtead Surrey | B+ | 2.7 | 62% | 4.3 | 13% |
| 34 | Newport Pagnell Buckinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 35 | Humberston and New Waltham Lincolnshire | B+ | 4.1 | 44% | 2.2 | 1% |
| 36 | Whickham Tyne and Wear | B+ | 3.9 | 77% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 37 | Swinton South Yorkshire | B+ | 3 | 97% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Crowthorne Berkshire | B | 4.7 | 60% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 39 | Redruth Cornwall | B− | 1.5 | 78% | 3.7 | 3% |
| 40 | Hoyland South Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 67% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Knaresborough North Yorkshire | B− | 2.3 | 87% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Mexborough South Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 97% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 43 | Aberystwyth Dyfed | B− | 1.8 | 51% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Teignmouth Devon | B− | 1.7 | 82% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 45 | East Ardsley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 91% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Elland West Yorkshire | C+ | 2 | 69% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Herne Kent | C+ | 1.2 | 54% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.2 | 78% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 49 | Darton South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.5 | 86% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | South Hayling Hampshire | C+ | 1 | 65% | 1.4 | 26% |
| 51 | Aldridge West Midlands | C+ | 3 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Hockley and Hawkwell Essex | C+ | 1.6 | 85% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Kidlington Oxfordshire | C+ | 0.9 | 81% | 3 | 2% |
| 54 | Garforth West Yorkshire | C | 1.2 | 88% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire | C | 1.1 | 90% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Nailsea Somerset | C | 1.1 | 65% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Alsager Cheshire | C | 1.2 | 82% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Swallownest and Aston South Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 73% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Taverham and Drayton Norfolk | C− | 1.9 | 67% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Shepshed Leicestershire | D | 1.1 | 69% | 2.2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Risca’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 Risca
The biggest is Parc Gwledig Cwm Sirhywi, 109 ha (269 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 6 named parks by size: 124 ha (307 acres) and 5 km of path
Parks & gardens 110 haPlaying fields 14 ha
The two biggest, Parc Gwledig Cwm Sirhywi and Waunfawr Park, are 96% of the named green space and carry 4 km of path between them. 3 of the 6 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Waunfawr Park
Playing field
10 ha (25 acres)
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Tredegar Grounds
Park or garden
1.3 ha (3 acres)0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Risca
Playground 3 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Pandy Park
Playing field
2.1 ha (5 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Wattsville Recreation Ground
Playing field
1.8 ha (4 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.9 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Memorial Park
Park or garden · 180 m outside town
0.3 ha (1 acres)0.1 km of path
2 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
9 in 10 Risca 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 (94%)Further (7%)
Risca94%
Towns its size84%
Gwent towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 1,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 25 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 608 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Brecon Beacons National Park is 6.5 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.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
National Park
Brecon Beacons
6.5 mi north-east1,350 km²since 1955
Brecon Beacons National Park covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Risca is on the Cambrian Way
92 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Risca and the kilometre around it, 3.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegional
Cambrian Way8.9 km
Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk7.3 km
The Cambrian Way, a national route, passes Risca. 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.
History along the way
History inside Risca’s parks
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Risca’s named parks.
Park with listed buildings
Tredegar Grounds
1.3 ha. 3 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
IIEntrance to Tredegar GroundsIIJubilee Statue in Tredegar GroundsIIMoriah Baptist Church
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Risca: 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 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 155 | 113 | 99 | 83 | 86 | 79 | 85 | 109 | 99 | 149 | 150 | 164 |
June is the driest month (79 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 164 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 45 nights a year. The climate in Risca →
Things to do
25 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.
1Viewpoints9Hills and peaks9.2× towns its size25Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks1Campsites
The nearest beaches
Risca is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Ladye Bay14 mi from Risca’s edge
DirectionsClevedon Beach14 mi from Risca’s edge
DirectionsSugar Loaf Beach14 mi from Risca’s edge
DirectionsThe Bendricks15 mi from Risca’s edge
DirectionsPebble Beach17 mi from Risca’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. Medart, at 384 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Risca.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Twyn yr Oerfel1.0 mi from town
DirectionsHills and peaks 9
Medart384 m (1,260 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPen Y Trwyn313 m (1,027 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsMynydd Y Lan381 m (1,250 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsMynydd Machen362 m (1,188 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsFox Hill131 m (430 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsTwmbarlwm419 m (1,375 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 3 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 25
Risca Park Play Areain town
DirectionsFeeder Row Children's Playground0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 23 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Cwmcarn Forest Drive Campsite0.6 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.
MachenRogerstoneAbercarnTrethomasCwmfelinfachCwmbrânRisca
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risca | A− | 6.9 | 94% | 0% |
| Machen 1.8 mi | A | 3.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Rogerstone 2.0 mi | B− | 3.1 | 60% | 0% |
| Abercarn 2.8 mi | B− | 3.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Trethomas 3.0 mi | B− | 6.9 | 48% | 0% |
| Cwmfelinfach 3.3 mi | A− | 24.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Cwmbrân 4.1 mi | B+ | 2.1 | 84% | 1% |
Machen, 1.8 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Cwmfelinfach has at least twice Risca’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Risca
What is the biggest park in Risca?
Parc Gwledig Cwm Sirhywi, 109 ha (269 acres), with 4 km of path. Waunfawr Park (10 ha) is second. 6 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Risca near a National Park?
Yes. Brecon Beacons National Park begins 6.5 mi north-east of the town’s edge. It covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
What are the best walks near Risca?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Cambrian Way and Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk. Parc Gwledig Cwm Sirhywi alone has 4 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Risca?
Ladye Bay, 14 mi from the edge of the town, then Clevedon Beach (14 mi). Risca itself is inland.
How many people in Risca live near a park?
94% 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 Risca?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Risca good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 69% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 92% (6.9 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 Risca’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Risca’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.