Accrington’s biggest
Peel Park
Park or garden
32 ha (80 acres)5.3 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.3 km of path
45 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Raymond Knapman · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Accrington · parks, paths & countryside
Accrington has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 152 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 5.6 for every square kilometre. The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape begins 2.9 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Accrington add up to 2.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Accrington grades A− for the outdoors: #13 of 65 in Lancashire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
79%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
152 km
5.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Forest Of Bowland starts 2.9 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Accrington?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths5.6 km of path per km², more than 96% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Forest Of Bowland National Landscape starts 2.9 mi north.
Accrington’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape close by.
Outdoors grade
Accrington grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Accrington, 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 78% of UK towns#13 of 65 in Lancashire · 14th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
62out of
100
100
A park within a walk79%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
45out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Forest Of Bowland begins just past 5 km
62out of
100
100
Footpaths5.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
96out 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
Accrington is 14th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 31,900 to 38,100 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
Accrington5.6
Towns its size3.9
Lancashire towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Accrington2.6
Towns its size2.3
Lancashire towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Accrington79%
Towns its size84%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Accrington stands out most for path per km²: only 3 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Locks Heath Hampshire | A+ | 3.5 | 91% | 3.7 | 4% |
| 2 | Great Malvern Worcestershire | A+ | 3.9 | 90% | 6 | 38% |
| 3 | Dover Kent | A+ | 3 | 86% | 2.9 | 29% |
| 4 | Hyde Greater Manchester | A | 4.3 | 91% | 3.9 | 1% |
| 5 | Epsom Surrey | A | 5.7 | 80% | 4.8 | 2% |
| 6 | Burgess Hill West Sussex | A | 2.4 | 87% | 5 | 27% |
| 7 | Skelmersdale Lancashire | A | 7.8 | 91% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 8 | Redhill Surrey | A− | 2.2 | 91% | 4.3 | 14% |
| 9 | Rustington West Sussex | A− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.7 | 25% |
| 10 | Chandler's Ford Hampshire | A− | 2.7 | 80% | 5.3 | 6% |
| 11 | Dunstable Bedfordshire | A− | 2 | 78% | 8 | 29% |
| 12 | Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire | A− | 4.3 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 13 | Caversham Berkshire | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 4.3 | 32% |
| 14 | Accrington Lancashire | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 15 | Nelson Lancashire | A− | 1.8 | 85% | 5.2 | 15% |
| 16 | St Neots Cambridgeshire | A− | 3.5 | 91% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Didcot Oxfordshire | A− | 1.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 39% |
| 18 | Exmouth Devon | A− | 1.4 | 82% | 2.6 | 21% |
| 19 | Waterlooville Hampshire | B+ | 1 | 66% | 5.2 | 18% |
| 20 | Chippenham Wiltshire | B+ | 2.8 | 76% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 21 | Fulwood Lancashire | B+ | 3.5 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 22 | Swadlincote Derbyshire | B+ | 4.1 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 23 | Fleet Hampshire | B+ | 3.3 | 79% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Lichfield Staffordshire | B+ | 2.7 | 82% | 3.1 | 2% |
| 25 | Brierley Hill West Midlands | B+ | 3.1 | 82% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 26 | Pudsey West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 94% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 27 | Hucknall Nottinghamshire | B+ | 3 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 28 | Aberdare Mid Glamorgan | B+ | 4.6 | 84% | 1.8 | 19% |
| 29 | Hitchin Hertfordshire | B+ | 1.5 | 83% | 4.4 | 10% |
| 30 | West Bridgford Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.2 | 86% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Brighouse West Yorkshire | B | 2.5 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Wigston Leicestershire | B | 2.9 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 33 | Billingham County Durham | B | 4.7 | 86% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear | B | 1.9 | 82% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Warwick Warwickshire | B | 3 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 36 | Denton Greater Manchester | B | 2.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Letchworth Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 85% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Loughton Essex | B | 2.9 | 74% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Abingdon-on-Thames Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 91% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Bicester Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 99% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 41 | Caerphilly Gwent | B | 2.6 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Chadderton Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Morecambe Lancashire | B− | 0.8 | 84% | 2.2 | 2% |
| 44 | Redcar North Yorkshire | B− | 2.6 | 79% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Canvey Island Essex | B− | 1.5 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Tonbridge Kent | B− | 2.1 | 65% | 2.6 | 38% |
| 47 | Whitstable Kent | B− | 1.5 | 84% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Camberley Surrey | C+ | 2 | 73% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Billericay Essex | C+ | 4.1 | 70% | 3 | 0% |
| 50 | Winsford Cheshire | C+ | 1.3 | 92% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Pontefract West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.6 | 84% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 52 | New Haw, West Byfleet and Sheerwater Surrey | C+ | 2.2 | 69% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Morley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.2 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 54 | Horndean Hampshire | C+ | 0.9 | 57% | 3.3 | 53% |
| 55 | Long Eaton Derbyshire | C | 1.8 | 74% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Rayleigh Essex | C | 2 | 71% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 57 | Sedgley West Midlands | C | 1.5 | 65% | 4 | 0% |
| 58 | Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 80% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Bilston West Midlands | C− | 1.5 | 76% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 60 | Bromsgrove Worcestershire | C− | 1.4 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Accrington’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 Accrington
The biggest is Peel Park, 32 ha (80 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 13 named parks by size: 75 ha (185 acres) and 12 km of path
Parks & gardens 52 haPlaying fields 23 ha
The two biggest, Peel Park and Oak Hill Park, are 52% of the named green space and carry 7 km of path between them. 4 of the 13 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Oak Hill Park
Park or garden
6.5 ha (16 acres)1.7 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Accrington War Memorial Grade II* +1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Rhyddings Park
Park or garden · 190 m outside town
5.1 ha (13 acres)2.1 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Haworth Park
Park or garden
4.0 ha (10 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi south-eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
King George V Playing Field
Playing field
9.4 ha (23 acres)0.1 km of path
13 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Milnshaw Park
Park or garden
2.4 ha (6 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Bullough Park
Playing field
5.3 ha (13 acres)0.2 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Accrington Stanley Community Trust Sports Hub
Playing field
5.0 ha (12 acres)
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi northfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 13 named parks and green spaces
Peel ParkPark or garden · 32 ha · 5.3 km of path
DirectionsOak Hill ParkPark or garden · 6.5 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsRhyddings ParkPark or garden · 5.1 ha · 2.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHaworth ParkPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsKing George V Playing FieldPlaying field · 9.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsMilnshaw ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsBullough ParkPlaying field · 5.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsAccrington Stanley Community Trust Sports HubPlaying field · 5.0 ha
DirectionsGatty Memorial ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsAccrington Cricket ClubPlaying field · 2.9 ha
DirectionsDykenook GardensPark or garden · 0.1 ha
DirectionsAccrington Pals GardensPark or garden · 0.1 ha
DirectionsHuncoat Peace GardenPark or garden · 0.0 ha · just outside town
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Accrington 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 (79%)Further (21%)
Accrington79%
Towns its size84%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 7,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 33 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,057 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 2.9 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Accrington scores 0% on it even though the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 2.9 mi away. Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Accrington
152 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Accrington and the kilometre around it, 5.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
Huncoat Trail14.7 km
Rossendale Way4.9 km
Burnley Way4.8 km
Close to home, the Huncoat Trail has 15 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Rossendale Way and Burnley Way.
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 Accrington: June 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) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 17.1 | 16.6 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.4 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 119 | 105 | 90 | 73 | 75 | 87 | 98 | 105 | 106 | 128 | 130 | 148 |
April is the driest month (73 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 148 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 41 nights a year. The climate in Accrington →
Things to do
33 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
Accrington is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Treasure Beach9.1 mi from Accrington’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach10.0 mi from Accrington’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North10 mi from Accrington’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South10 mi from Accrington’s edge
DirectionsStone Beach10 mi from Accrington’s edge
DirectionsGood to know
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
Hills and peaks 4
Hameldon Scouts0.7 mi from town
Directions13 Stone Hill1.1 mi from town
DirectionsGreat Hameldon409 m (1,342 ft) · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Donkey Bank Picnic Site0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 33
Baxenden Recreation Groundin town
DirectionsHigham Playing Fields Play Areain town
DirectionsPlus 31 playgrounds 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.
ChurchOswaldtwistleHuncoatClayton-le-MoorsRishtonGreat HarwoodAccrington
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accrington | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 0% |
| Church 0.8 mi | C | 1.5 | 79% | 0% |
| Oswaldtwistle 1.5 mi | B− | 1.1 | 94% | 0% |
| Huncoat 1.6 mi | A+ | 10.1 | 100% | 1% |
| Clayton-le-Moors 1.9 mi | B | 1.1 | 86% | 2% |
| Rishton 2.3 mi | B− | 2.2 | 94% | 0% |
| Great Harwood 2.8 mi | A | 2.2 | 97% | 4% |
Huncoat, 1.6 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Huncoat has at least twice Accrington’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Accrington
What is the biggest park in Accrington?
Peel Park, 32 ha (80 acres), with 5.3 km of path. Oak Hill Park (6.5 ha) is second. 13 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Accrington near a National Park?
Yes. Yorkshire Dales National Park begins 17 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape, 2.9 mi away.
What are the best walks near Accrington?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Huncoat Trail, Rossendale Way and Burnley Way. Peel Park alone has 5.3 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Accrington?
Treasure Beach, 9.1 mi from the edge of the town, then Car Park Beach (10.0 mi). Accrington itself is inland.
How many people in Accrington live near a park?
79% 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 Accrington?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Accrington good for walking?
For paths, yes: 5.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 96% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 62% (2.6 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 Accrington’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Accrington’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.