Photo: Thomas Grant · CC BY-SA 2.0Blean has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
64 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 6.5 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Blean add up to 5.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. The Kent Downs National Landscape begins 3.7 mi from the village’s edge. Blean grades A− for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Blean?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Blean’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by plenty of park space.
Blean grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Blean, 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.
Blean is 18th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,300 to 1,400 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Blean stands out most for path per km²: none of the other 59 has more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worrall South Yorkshire | A+ | 3.7 | 100% | 5.4 | 21% |
| 2 | St Davids Dyfed | A+ | 5.2 | 84% | 2.5 | 47% |
| 3 | Holybourne Hampshire | A+ | 12.2 | 100% | 2.7 | 23% |
| 4 | Pateley Bridge North Yorkshire | A+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 100% |
| 5 | Wolvercote Oxfordshire | A | 32 | 100% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 6 | Crowmarsh Gifford Oxfordshire | A | 8 | 77% | 3.6 | 60% |
| 7 | Pwll Dyfed | A | 21.6 | 64% | 2.6 | 19% |
| 8 | Goldsithney Cornwall | A | 1.4 | 100% | 3.1 | 10% |
| 9 | Hurley Berkshire | A | 3.1 | 100% | 2.6 | 36% |
| 10 | Charmouth Dorset | A | 2.5 | 82% | 2.3 | 63% |
| 11 | Bere Regis Dorset | A | 39.2 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 12 | Brinscall Lancashire | A | 3.5 | 100% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 13 | Burbage Wiltshire | A | 2.7 | 100% | 1.9 | 100% |
| 14 | Biddenden Kent | A− | 4.2 | 100% | 1.9 | 20% |
| 15 | Compton Hampshire | A− | 18.8 | 61% | 3.6 | 28% |
| 16 | Upper Caldecote Bedfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Bradley Clwyd | A− | 29.9 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Blean Kent | A− | 5.9 | 80% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 19 | Govilon Gwent | A− | 2.1 | 80% | 3.4 | 69% |
| 20 | Sherford Devon | A− | 3.2 | 100% | 1.5 | 28% |
| 21 | Auckley South Yorkshire | B+ | 4.9 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 22 | Riseley Bedfordshire | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 23 | Layer-de-la-Haye Essex | B+ | 9.5 | 79% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Mynydd Marian Clwyd | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Barleythorpe Rutland | B+ | 3.7 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 26 | Welland Worcestershire | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 1.9 | 38% |
| 27 | Abbots Bromley Staffordshire | B | 6.9 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 28 | Marazion Cornwall | B | 1.4 | 80% | 2 | 14% |
| 29 | Seven Sisters West Glamorgan | B | 7 | 82% | 0.5 | 19% |
| 30 | Lingdale North Yorkshire | B− | 1.4 | 100% | 1.7 | 31% |
| 31 | Burton-in-Kendal Cumbria | B− | 0.6 | 100% | 2.4 | 23% |
| 32 | Cockfield County Durham | B− | 2.3 | 81% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 33 | Burwash East Sussex | B− | 1.5 | 76% | 2.5 | 100% |
| 34 | St Merryn Cornwall | B− | 1.9 | 47% | 1.7 | 29% |
| 35 | Helmsley North Yorkshire | B− | 2.4 | 44% | 2.5 | 73% |
| 36 | Pensarn Clwyd | C+ | 13.1 | 45% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Mobberley Cheshire | C+ | 1.4 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Morton Derbyshire | C+ | 18.3 | 66% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Belford Northumberland | C+ | 1.2 | 83% | 0.9 | 21% |
| 40 | Perranarworthal Cornwall | C+ | 2.5 | 76% | 1.6 | 19% |
| 41 | Littleton Panell Wiltshire | C+ | 5.3 | 39% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 42 | Stonnall Staffordshire | C+ | 11.5 | 82% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Claverdon Warwickshire | C+ | 1.2 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Stoke Gabriel Devon | C+ | 1.2 | 70% | 1.2 | 30% |
| 45 | North Duffield North Yorkshire | C | 2.6 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Quainton Buckinghamshire | C | 3.8 | 69% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Harpole Northamptonshire | C | 2.3 | 81% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Haughley Suffolk | C | 3 | 71% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Kislingbury Northamptonshire | C | 8.4 | 26% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 50 | Moretonhampstead Devon | C | 0.6 | 81% | 1.2 | 100% |
| 51 | Winkleigh Devon | C | 1.9 | 100% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 52 | Wingham Kent | C− | 2.2 | 53% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Llandysul Dyfed | C− | 5.2 | 47% | 1 | 0% |
| 54 | Northborough Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.7 | 68% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Staindrop County Durham | D | 1.4 | 82% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Hauxton Cambridgeshire | D− | 1.3 | 55% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Brandesburton East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 2.2 | 0% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Kilsby Northamptonshire | D− | 0.5 | 50% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Witheridge Devon | D− | 0.5 | 36% | 1 | 0% |
| 60 | Cock and End Suffolk | D− | 0 | 0% | 0.9 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Blean’s built-up area.
8 in 10 Blean 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 265 residents.
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 3.7 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.
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Blean scores 0% on it even though the Kent Downs National Landscape is 3.7 mi away.
9 waymarked walks pass through or near Blean
64 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Blean and the kilometre around it, 6.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
The North Downs Way, a national route, passes Blean. Close to home, the Canterbury Outer Ring Walk has 6 km of local walk within 2 km of the village. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Augustine Camino and Otford to Canterbury Cathedral.
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 Blean: 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 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 60 | 51 | 40 | 43 | 49 | 50 | 48 | 61 | 52 | 81 | 80 | 76 |
March is the driest month (40 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 81 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 33 nights a year. The climate in Blean →
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
Blean is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Check the water before you swim. The Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Nature reserves 1
Picnic sites 1
Playgrounds 5
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 4
Plus 3 campsites without a name on the map.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blean | A− | 5.9 | 80% | 0% |
| Rough Common 1.1 mi | A+ | 11.0 | 100% | 1% |
| Canterbury 2.4 mi | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 19% |
| Whitstable 3.1 mi | B− | 1.5 | 84% | 0% |
| Sturry 3.6 mi | B+ | 2.7 | 80% | 1% |
| Boughton under Blean 3.8 mi | C+ | 2.7 | 24% | 18% |
| Chartham 4.2 mi | B | 2.3 | 67% | 44% |
Rough Common, 1.1 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Blean
Is Blean near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 3.7 mi south of the village’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Blean?
9 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Black Trail, Canterbury Outer Ring Walk and Canterbury Middle Ring Walk.
What is the nearest beach to Blean?
South Shellness Beach, 5.3 mi from the edge of the village, then Herne Bay Beach (5.4 mi). Blean itself is inland.
How many people in Blean live near a park?
80% 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 Blean?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Blean good for walking?
For paths, yes: 6.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 98% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 90% (5.9 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 Blean’s overall grade.
Where Blean’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.