Criccieth’s biggest
Y Maes
Park or garden
0.3 ha (1 acres)
Centralin the middle of Criccieth
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Bill Harrison · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Criccieth · parks, paths & countryside
Criccieth is on the coast
The sea makes up 39% of the area within 5 km. Snowdonia National Park begins 2.3 mi from the village’s edge. Footpaths add up to 13 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 1.3 for every square kilometre. Criccieth grades B for the outdoors. 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
75%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
13 km
1.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
4%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Snowdonia National Park
The sea
39%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Criccieth?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast39% of the area within 5 km is sea; 9 beaches mapped.Countryside both waysSnowdonia starts 2.3 mi north-east, Llyn 5.2 mi north-west.Few mapped footpaths1.3 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Criccieth’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Criccieth grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Criccieth, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B
Better than 65% of UK towns16th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space2.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
67out of
100
100
A park within a walk75%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
37out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape4%of the land within 5 km
67out of
100
100
Footpaths1.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
13out of
100
100
The sea39%of the area within 5 km
95out 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
Criccieth is 16th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,700 to 1,800 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
Criccieth1.3
Villages its size2.1
Gwynedd towns1.8
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Criccieth2.9
Villages its size1.7
Gwynedd towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Criccieth75%
Villages its size81%
Gwynedd towns83%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Criccieth stands out most for park space per resident: only 17 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 45 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Llanbadarn Fawr Dyfed | A+ | 14.7 | 82% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 2 | Wanborough Wiltshire | A+ | 6 | 100% | 2.7 | 45% |
| 3 | Trimley St Martin Suffolk | A+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.9 | 43% |
| 4 | Woodbury Devon | A | 3.3 | 100% | 0.9 | 26% |
| 5 | Malvern Wells Worcestershire | A | 10.8 | 37% | 5.3 | 57% |
| 6 | Elstree Hertfordshire | A | 22 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 7 | Flimby Cumbria | A | 1.7 | 100% | 2.3 | 2% |
| 8 | Grain Kent | A | 13 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 9 | Upchurch Kent | A | 4 | 76% | 2.3 | 7% |
| 10 | New Hartley Northumberland | A− | 1.9 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 11 | Hamstreet Kent | A− | 2.3 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 12 | Ripley Surrey | A− | 15 | 64% | 3.6 | 2% |
| 13 | Ingleton North Yorkshire | B+ | 1.5 | 100% | 2.5 | 54% |
| 14 | Harthill South Yorkshire | B+ | 3.6 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Appledore Devon | B+ | 1.2 | 100% | 1.6 | 16% |
| 16 | Criccieth Gwynedd | B | 2.9 | 75% | 1.3 | 4% |
| 17 | Denby Bottles Derbyshire | B | 1.4 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Rackheath Norfolk | B | 2.6 | 100% | 1 | 14% |
| 19 | South Hiendley West Yorkshire | B | 13.4 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 20 | North Benfleet Essex | B | 11 | 56% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | East Bridgford Nottinghamshire | B− | 1.4 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Great Bentley Essex | B− | 6.4 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Bryn Dyfed | B− | 2.9 | 67% | 1.4 | 1% |
| 24 | Flockton West Yorkshire | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Shaldon Devon | B− | 1.7 | 85% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 26 | Winkfield Row Berkshire | B− | 11 | 80% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Much Wenlock Shropshire | B− | 2.4 | 13% | 3.6 | 20% |
| 28 | Summit Greater Manchester | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Trethomas Gwent | B− | 6.9 | 48% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 30 | Feniton Devon | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 1.4 | 17% |
| 31 | Dunvant West Glamorgan | C+ | 4.3 | 36% | 1.8 | 30% |
| 32 | Langho Lancashire | C+ | 1.6 | 74% | 3 | 7% |
| 33 | North Leigh Oxfordshire | C+ | 2.3 | 56% | 2.4 | 26% |
| 34 | Sharnbrook Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.6 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 35 | Harvington Worcestershire | C+ | 2.6 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 36 | Minsterley Shropshire | C+ | 1.1 | 77% | 2.4 | 38% |
| 37 | Bury Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.1 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 38 | Great Broughton and Little Broughton Cumbria | C | 1.2 | 85% | 2.3 | 1% |
| 39 | Doveridge Derbyshire | C | 1.7 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Billington Lancashire | C− | 0.5 | 0% | 3.9 | 14% |
| 41 | Poyle Berkshire | C− | 0.7 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 42 | Leeming North Yorkshire | C− | 5 | 76% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 43 | West Thorney West Sussex | C− | 0.4 | 0% | 0.9 | 55% |
| 44 | Embsay North Yorkshire | C− | 0.9 | 38% | 2.5 | 47% |
| 45 | Middle Barton Oxfordshire | C− | 1.9 | 81% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Higher Kinnerton Clwyd | C− | 0.7 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 47 | Sudbrooke Lincolnshire | C− | 1.5 | 82% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Croft Leicestershire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Charminster Dorset | D | 0.3 | 0% | 2 | 56% |
| 50 | Glinton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 79% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 51 | Shrewton Wiltshire | D | 1.4 | 42% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Frizington Cumbria | D | 1.4 | 52% | 0.9 | 15% |
| 53 | Aiskew North Yorkshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Houghton on the Hill Leicestershire | D | 1.8 | 60% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Johnston Dyfed | D | 1.4 | 55% | 0.6 | 5% |
| 56 | Monk Fryston and Hillam North Yorkshire | D | 2.7 | 40% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Bramham West Yorkshire | D− | 1.4 | 47% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Necton Norfolk | D− | 1.5 | 17% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Swffryd Gwent | D− | 1.4 | 17% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Hambleton North Yorkshire | D− | 0.1 | 52% | 1.1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Criccieth’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 Criccieth
The biggest is Y Maes, 0.3 ha (1 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
7 in 10 Criccieth 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 (75%)Further (25%)
Criccieth75%
Villages its size81%
Gwynedd towns83%
All UK towns83%
About 400 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 3 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 579 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Snowdonia and Llyn both start about 5 miles from Criccieth
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
Snowdonia
2.3 mi north-east2,140 km²since 19514% of the land within 5 km
National Landscape
Llyn
5.2 mi north-west160 km²since 1957
National Landscape
Ynys Mon/anglesey
14 mi north219 km²since 1967
4% of the land within 5 km of Criccieth is National Park or National Landscape, more than 66% of UK towns. Snowdonia National Park covers 2,140 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Criccieth
13 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Criccieth and the kilometre around it, 1.3 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
Llŷn Coastal Path8.4 km
The regional route here is the Llŷn Coastal Path.
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 Criccieth: 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) | 8.1 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 114 | 95 | 87 | 74 | 61 | 80 | 99 | 92 | 99 | 126 | 137 | 131 |
May is the driest month (61 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 137 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 18 nights a year. The climate in Criccieth →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Criccieth
39% of the area within 5 km of Criccieth is sea. 9 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 1 with a name.
Traeth Morfa Bychan / Black Rock Sands1.8 mi from town
DirectionsSea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
Things to do
3 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 10
Dinas40 m (131 ft) · in town
DirectionsMoel Bach103 m (338 ft) · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsRhiw-for-fawr40 m (131 ft) · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPen Tir-Uchaf122 m (400 ft) · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsYstumllyn30 m (98 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsMoel Ednyfed136 m (446 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsGraig Ddu50 m (164 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsMoel y Gadair67 m (220 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 hills and peaks more.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 3
Plus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Ynysgain Camp and Holiday Centre0.4 mi from town
DirectionsBlack Rock Sands Camping & Touring1.1 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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.
PorthmadogHarlechPenrhyndeudraethPwllheliPenygroesNefynCriccieth
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criccieth | B | 2.9 | 75% | 4% |
| Porthmadog 4.2 mi | B+ | 0.9 | 94% | 41% |
| Harlech 6.5 mi | A− | 1.9 | 36% | 67% |
| Penrhyndeudraeth 7.0 mi | A | 2.5 | 100% | 68% |
| Pwllheli 7.9 mi | C− | 0.1 | 23% | 2% |
| Penygroes 9.5 mi | C− | 0.7 | 66% | 26% |
| Nefyn 11.9 mi | C | 0.0 | 0% | 24% |
Penrhyndeudraeth, 7 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Criccieth
What is the biggest park in Criccieth?
Y Maes, 0.3 ha (1 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Criccieth near a National Park?
Yes. Snowdonia National Park begins 2.3 mi north-east of the village’s edge. It covers 2,140 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Criccieth?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Llŷn Coastal Path.
How many people in Criccieth live near a park?
75% 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 Criccieth?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Criccieth good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 13% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 67% (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 Criccieth’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Criccieth’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.