Bamber Bridge’s biggest
Cuerden Valley Park
Park or garden
238 ha (589 acres)15.8 km of path
3 h 30 minto walk all 15.8 km of path
334 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi southfrom the centre
2 listedCam Lane
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Ian S · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Bamber Bridge · parks, paths & countryside
Bamber Bridge has more park space per resident than 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Bamber Bridge add up to 6.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 152 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.7 for every square kilometre. 88% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Bamber Bridge grades A− for the outdoors: #16 of 65 in Lancashire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
6.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
88%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
152 km
3.7 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Forest Of Bowland National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Bamber Bridge?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam6.4 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 91% of UK towns.A town of footpaths3.7 km of path per km², more than 75% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.
Bamber Bridge’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by dense footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Bamber Bridge grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bamber Bridge, 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 77% of UK towns#16 of 65 in Lancashire · 16th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space6.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
91out of
100
100
A park within a walk88%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
64out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
75out 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
Bamber Bridge is 16th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 35,800 to 45,600 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
Bamber Bridge3.7
Towns its size3.8
Lancashire towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Bamber Bridge6.4
Towns its size2.5
Lancashire towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Bamber Bridge88%
Towns its size84%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Bamber Bridge stands out most for park space per resident: only 1 of the other 59 has more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dover Kent | A+ | 3 | 86% | 2.9 | 29% |
| 2 | Hyde Greater Manchester | A | 4.3 | 91% | 3.9 | 1% |
| 3 | Wrexham Clwyd | A | 3.8 | 92% | 3.9 | 2% |
| 4 | Epsom Surrey | A | 5.7 | 80% | 4.8 | 2% |
| 5 | Aldershot Hampshire | A | 3.4 | 77% | 6.3 | 17% |
| 6 | Wallsend Tyne and Wear | A | 6 | 93% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 7 | Merthyr Tydfil Mid Glamorgan | A | 3.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 29% |
| 8 | Haywards Heath West Sussex | A | 2.4 | 84% | 4.2 | 44% |
| 9 | Bexhill-on-Sea East Sussex | A | 1.7 | 83% | 3.4 | 13% |
| 10 | Ilkeston Derbyshire | A | 3.7 | 98% | 5 | 0% |
| 11 | Bletchley Buckinghamshire | A | 4.1 | 91% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 12 | Llanelli Dyfed | A− | 2.3 | 85% | 2.4 | 18% |
| 13 | Trowbridge Wiltshire | A− | 2.3 | 91% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 14 | Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire | A− | 4.3 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 15 | Chorley Lancashire | A− | 5 | 88% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 16 | Bamber Bridge Lancashire | A− | 6.4 | 88% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 17 | Hoddesdon Hertfordshire | A− | 6.5 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Leyland Lancashire | B+ | 4.6 | 91% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 19 | Cheshunt Hertfordshire | B+ | 4.8 | 79% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 20 | Chippenham Wiltshire | B+ | 2.8 | 76% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 21 | Newbury Berkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 81% | 3.3 | 50% |
| 22 | Hatfield Hertfordshire | B+ | 2.8 | 84% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 23 | Fleet Hampshire | B+ | 3.3 | 79% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Hucknall Nottinghamshire | B+ | 3 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 25 | Aberdare Mid Glamorgan | B+ | 4.6 | 84% | 1.8 | 19% |
| 26 | Rowley Regis West Midlands | B+ | 4.1 | 71% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Batley West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.7 | 94% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 28 | West Bridgford Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.2 | 86% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Leigh Greater Manchester | B | 5.3 | 77% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 30 | Arnold Nottinghamshire | B | 3 | 81% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear | B | 1.9 | 82% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 32 | Warwick Warwickshire | B | 3 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Denton Greater Manchester | B | 2.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Bishop's Stortford Hertfordshire | B | 2.3 | 80% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Ramsgate Kent | B | 1.2 | 89% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Borehamwood Hertfordshire | B | 1.8 | 97% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Prescot Merseyside | B | 3.5 | 94% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 38 | Bicester Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 99% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 39 | Blyth Northumberland | B | 1.6 | 83% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 40 | Castleford West Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 92% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 41 | Fareham Hampshire | B | 1.1 | 48% | 4 | 2% |
| 42 | Chadderton Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Redcar North Yorkshire | B− | 2.6 | 79% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Bury St Edmunds Suffolk | B− | 3 | 78% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Oldbury West Midlands | B− | 3 | 68% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Eccles Greater Manchester | B− | 2.7 | 93% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Lytham St Anne's Lancashire | B− | 2.4 | 83% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Canvey Island Essex | B− | 1.5 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Tonbridge Kent | B− | 2.1 | 65% | 2.6 | 38% |
| 50 | Braintree Essex | B− | 1.7 | 89% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Camberley Surrey | C+ | 2 | 73% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Urmston Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.7 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Neath West Glamorgan | C | 2 | 80% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Long Eaton Derbyshire | C | 1.8 | 74% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Kirkby Merseyside | C | 2.2 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Grays Essex | C | 1.2 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Boston Lincolnshire | C− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Worksop Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.3 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 60 | Grantham Lincolnshire | D | 0.9 | 69% | 2.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bamber Bridge’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 Bamber Bridge
The biggest is Cuerden Valley Park, 238 ha (589 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 11 named parks by size: 534 ha (1,319 acres) and 41 km of path
Parks & gardens 518 haPlaying fields 15 ha
The two biggest, Cuerden Valley Park and Cuerden Valley Park, are 89% of the named green space and carry 32 km of path between them.
Cuerden Valley Park
Park or garden
238 ha (589 acres)15.8 km of path
3 h 30 minto walk all 15.8 km of path
334 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi southfrom the centre
2 listedCam Lane
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Avenham Park
Park or garden · 360 m outside town
19 ha (48 acres)4.8 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 4.8 km of path
27 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi north-westfrom the centre
Ladies Walk
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Withy Grove Park
Park or garden
15 ha (38 acres)2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
21 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Bamber Bridge
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Frenchwood Recreation Ground
Playing field · 360 m outside town
7.1 ha (18 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.2 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
St Catherine's Park
Park or garden
3.4 ha (8 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Croston Manor Park
Park or garden
3.6 ha (9 acres)0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Roman Catholic College Playing Fields
Playing field · 260 m outside town
5.2 ha (13 acres)
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.9 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 11 named parks and green spaces
Cuerden Valley ParkPark or garden · 238 ha · 15.8 km of path
DirectionsCuerden Valley ParkPark or garden · 238 ha · 15.8 km of path
DirectionsAvenham ParkPark or garden · 19 ha · 4.8 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsWithy Grove ParkPark or garden · 15 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsFrenchwood Recreation GroundPlaying field · 7.1 ha · 1.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSt Catherine's ParkPark or garden · 3.4 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsCroston Manor ParkPark or garden · 3.6 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsRoman Catholic College Playing FieldsPlaying field · 5.2 ha · just outside town
DirectionsTardy GatePlaying field · 2.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsSt Paul's ParkPlaying field · 0.5 ha · just outside town
DirectionsMcNamara GardensPark or garden · 0.0 ha
DirectionsClose to home
9 in 10 Bamber Bridge 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 (88%)Further (12%)
Bamber Bridge88%
Towns its size84%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 5,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 73 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 553 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 6.6 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
Footpaths & waymarked walks
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Bamber Bridge
152 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bamber Bridge and the kilometre around it, 3.7 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
Ribble Way8.7 km
Preston Guild Wheel8.0 km
Close to home, the Preston Guild Wheel has 8 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. The regional route here is the Ribble 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 Bamber Bridge: 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) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.6 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 91 | 77 | 64 | 56 | 60 | 76 | 86 | 96 | 93 | 114 | 101 | 119 |
April is the driest month (56 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 119 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 36 nights a year. The climate in Bamber Bridge →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 73 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
Bamber Bridge is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Creek Beach North15 mi from Bamber Bridge’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South15 mi from Bamber Bridge’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach15 mi from Bamber Bridge’s edge
DirectionsWader Point15 mi from Bamber Bridge’s edge
DirectionsStone Beach15 mi from Bamber Bridge’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
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Fishwick Bottoms Nature Reserve26 ha · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 73
Rascals Party and Play Centrein town
DirectionsWhittle-le-Woods Recreation Ground0.2 mi from town
DirectionsChildren's playground0.7 mi from town
DirectionsExercise yards0.8 mi from town
DirectionsAnderton Crescent Play Area0.8 mi from town
DirectionsGuernsey Avenue Play Area0.9 mi from town
DirectionsTiny Rockers1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 66 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.
Higher WaltonGregson LaneFarington MossCoup GreenLeylandPenworthamBamber Bridge
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bamber Bridge | A− | 6.4 | 88% | 0% |
| Higher Walton 1.4 mi | C− | 2.2 | 61% | 0% |
| Gregson Lane 1.8 mi | C+ | 1.7 | 86% | 0% |
| Farington Moss 2.1 mi | B | 5.9 | 93% | 0% |
| Coup Green 2.2 mi | D | 0.6 | 70% | 0% |
| Leyland 2.7 mi | B+ | 4.6 | 91% | 0% |
| Penwortham 2.8 mi | B | 2.9 | 91% | 0% |
Bamber Bridge grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Bamber Bridge
What is the biggest park in Bamber Bridge?
Cuerden Valley Park, 238 ha (589 acres), with 15.8 km of path. Cuerden Valley Park (238 ha) is second. 11 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Bamber Bridge near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape, 6.6 mi north-east of the town’s edge. It covers 806 km² and was designated in 1964.
What are the best walks near Bamber Bridge?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Ribble Way and Preston Guild Wheel. Cuerden Valley Park alone has 15.8 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Bamber Bridge?
Creek Beach North, 15 mi from the edge of the town, then Creek Beach South (15 mi). Bamber Bridge itself is inland.
How many people in Bamber Bridge live near a park?
88% 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 Bamber Bridge?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Bamber Bridge good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 75% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 91% (6.4 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 Bamber Bridge’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Bamber Bridge’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.