Photo: Peter Wood · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in Lydd
The sea makes up 33% of the area within 5 km. The Kent Downs National Landscape begins 6.2 mi from the town’s edge. 17 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 0.9 for every square kilometre. Lydd grades C− for the outdoors: #79 of 87 in Kent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Lydd?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Lydd’s strongest suit is the Kent Downs National Landscape close by, followed by the King Charles III England Coast Path. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Lydd grades C− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Lydd, 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.
Lydd is 48th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 3,800 to 4,100 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Lydd falls furthest behind on path per km², where 55 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darley Dale Derbyshire | A+ | 3.8 | 100% | 3.4 | 51% |
| 2 | Batheaston Somerset | A | 3 | 84% | 4.6 | 71% |
| 3 | Cranbrook Kent | A | 5.8 | 82% | 2.9 | 65% |
| 4 | Chickerell Dorset | A | 1.5 | 88% | 3 | 27% |
| 5 | Walter's Ash and Naphill Buckinghamshire | A | 3.7 | 50% | 5.3 | 79% |
| 6 | Holt Norfolk | A | 8.5 | 84% | 2.4 | 40% |
| 7 | Old Sarum Wiltshire | A | 4.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 8 | Disley Cheshire | A− | 1.2 | 100% | 4.6 | 22% |
| 9 | Bowerhill Wiltshire | A− | 7.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 10 | Mulbarton Norfolk | A− | 7 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 11 | Welwyn Hertfordshire | A− | 2.6 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 12 | Esh Winning County Durham | A− | 3.2 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 13 | Old Basing Hampshire | A− | 13.6 | 92% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 14 | Colden Common Hampshire | B+ | 2.7 | 82% | 2.8 | 35% |
| 15 | Barnt Green Worcestershire | B+ | 37.8 | 81% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 16 | Carbis Bay Cornwall | B+ | 0.5 | 88% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 17 | Long Melford Suffolk | B+ | 6.9 | 87% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Papworth Everard Cambridgeshire | B+ | 4.3 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 19 | Chirk Clwyd | B+ | 1.8 | 100% | 2.3 | 15% |
| 20 | Locking Somerset | B+ | 2.7 | 84% | 2.4 | 23% |
| 21 | Greasbrough South Yorkshire | B | 2.9 | 80% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Queenborough Kent | B | 1.6 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 23 | Tangmere West Sussex | B | 2.1 | 100% | 1.2 | 36% |
| 24 | Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire | B | 7.7 | 76% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Romanby North Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 26 | Mytholmroyd West Yorkshire | B | 1.8 | 88% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 27 | Framlingham Suffolk | B | 3.7 | 73% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Pirbright Surrey | B | 2 | 84% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Calverley West Yorkshire | B | 1.5 | 92% | 6 | 0% |
| 30 | Glanaman Dyfed | B− | 3.3 | 83% | 0.8 | 29% |
| 31 | South Cerney Gloucestershire | B− | 2.5 | 77% | 2.4 | 7% |
| 32 | Alford Lincolnshire | B− | 2.1 | 85% | 1.5 | 26% |
| 33 | Lower Stondon Bedfordshire | B− | 2.7 | 73% | 2.2 | 5% |
| 34 | New Romney Kent | C+ | 2.5 | 79% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 35 | Chipping Ongar Essex | C+ | 2.5 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Bar Hill Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.4 | 93% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 37 | Heacham Norfolk | C+ | 1.5 | 53% | 1.1 | 29% |
| 38 | Forest Row East Sussex | C+ | 0.3 | 51% | 3.4 | 94% |
| 39 | Shirland and Stonebroom Derbyshire | C | 3.7 | 43% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Silver End Essex | C | 2 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Cubbington Warwickshire | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 42 | Tenbury Wells Worcestershire | C | 2.3 | 51% | 2.1 | 3% |
| 43 | Oaklands Hertfordshire | C | 2 | 7% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Bromyard Herefordshire | C | 0.9 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Whiston South Yorkshire | C− | 1 | 75% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Desford Leicestershire | C− | 1.6 | 90% | 2 | 0% |
| 47 | Holton le Clay Lincolnshire | C− | 2 | 59% | 1.4 | 8% |
| 48 | Lydd Kent | C− | 1.7 | 66% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Kingston Bagpuize Oxfordshire | C− | 0.8 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 50 | Swanland East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 75% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Sutton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.9 | 82% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Glyn-neath West Glamorgan | D | 1.3 | 57% | 1.1 | 22% |
| 53 | Crowle Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 91% | 1 | 0% |
| 54 | Puckeridge and Standon Hertfordshire | D | 0.9 | 59% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Sutton Bridge Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 79% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 56 | North Ferriby East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 33% | 1 | 0% |
| 57 | Willingham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.4 | 73% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Long Buckby Northamptonshire | D− | 0.6 | 52% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 59 | Penyffordd Clwyd | D− | 0.7 | 36% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Indian Queens, Fraddon and St Columb Road Cornwall | D− | 0.7 | 27% | 1.6 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Lydd’s built-up area.
7 in 10 Lydd 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 1,300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 11 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 356 residents.
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 6.2 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 Lydd scores 0% on it even though the Kent Downs National Landscape is 6.2 mi away.
Lydd is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
17 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Lydd and the kilometre around it, 0.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Lydd.
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 Lydd: 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) | 8.4 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 70 | 53 | 40 | 41 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 57 | 52 | 81 | 90 | 85 |
March is the driest month (40 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 90 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 26 nights a year. The climate in Lydd →
Lydd is near the sea
33% of the area within 5 km of Lydd is sea. 10 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 3 with a name.
The King Charles III England Coast Path passes the town.
Sea: 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.
5 viewpoints and 11 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Playgrounds 11
Plus 11 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Plus 2 slipways 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lydd | C− | 1.7 | 66% | 0% |
| Littlestone-on-Sea 2.6 mi | C− | 1.4 | 37% | 0% |
| New Romney 2.9 mi | C+ | 2.5 | 79% | 0% |
| St Mary's Bay 5.0 mi | D | 0.0 | 0% | 0% |
| Camber 5.1 mi | A− | 0.9 | 100% | 5% |
| Dymchurch 6.9 mi | C+ | 1.6 | 58% | 13% |
| Rye 7.8 mi | A+ | 3.5 | 89% | 46% |
Rye, 7.8 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 89% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Rye has at least twice Lydd’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Lydd
Is Lydd near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 6.2 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Lydd?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: Camber to Folkestone.
How many people in Lydd live near a park?
66% 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 Lydd?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Lydd good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 0.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 6% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 33% (1.7 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 Lydd’s overall grade.
Where Lydd’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.