Barrow’s biggest
Ribble Valley Rememberence Park
Park or garden · 340 m outside town
0.2 ha (0 acres)
0.7 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Alexander P Kapp · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Barrow · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Barrow lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape begins 0.5 mi from the village’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Barrow add up to 0.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 24 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 2.8 for every square kilometre. Barrow grades B for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
0.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
24 km
2.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
27%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Forest Of Bowland National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Barrow?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Protected countryside27% of the land within 5 km is Forest Of Bowland National Landscape.Less park per person0.5 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Barrow’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Barrow grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Barrow, 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 61% of UK towns21st of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space0.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
4out of
100
100
A park within a walk100%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
89out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape27%of the land within 5 km
82out of
100
100
Footpaths2.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
55out 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.
Villages its size
Barrow is 21st of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,300 to 1,500 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
Barrow2.8
Villages its size2.4
Lancashire towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Barrow0.5
Villages its size2.0
Lancashire towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Barrow100%
Villages its size88%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Barrow stands out most for path per km²: only 19 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 56 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dwygyfylchi Clwyd | A+ | 3.2 | 83% | 4.3 | 28% |
| 2 | Tatsfield Surrey | A+ | 7.5 | 100% | 3.1 | 34% |
| 3 | Troon Cornwall | A+ | 6.2 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 4 | Kingswood Gloucestershire | A | 2.1 | 100% | 3.7 | 45% |
| 5 | Chilton Oxfordshire | A | 5.4 | 88% | 2.8 | 70% |
| 6 | Cromford Derbyshire | A | 1.8 | 100% | 6.6 | 12% |
| 7 | Cowfold West Sussex | A | 2.6 | 100% | 3.6 | 15% |
| 8 | Gomshall Surrey | A | 1.9 | 89% | 4.8 | 87% |
| 9 | West Horsley Surrey | A | 3 | 74% | 5.2 | 40% |
| 10 | Startforth County Durham | A | 6 | 78% | 4.3 | 4% |
| 11 | Maresfield East Sussex | A | 2.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 44% |
| 12 | Sherston Wiltshire | A | 3.7 | 100% | 1.4 | 75% |
| 13 | Sherfield on Loddon Hampshire | A− | 8.3 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 14 | Weston Rhyn Shropshire | A− | 3.6 | 100% | 2.2 | 10% |
| 15 | Distington Cumbria | A− | 4.2 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 16 | Wharncliffe Side South Yorkshire | A− | 3.3 | 47% | 6.4 | 22% |
| 17 | Bradwell Derbyshire | A− | 1.2 | 100% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 18 | Carway Dyfed | B+ | 17 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Appleton Thorn Cheshire | B+ | 5.6 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 20 | Handcross West Sussex | B | 9.6 | 58% | 1.9 | 87% |
| 21 | Barrow Lancashire | B | 0.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 27% |
| 22 | Motcombe Dorset | B | 9.5 | 74% | 1.5 | 25% |
| 23 | Trevor Clwyd | B | 2 | 60% | 3.5 | 55% |
| 24 | Woolmer Green Hertfordshire | B | 1.3 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Bentley Hampshire | B | 1.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 22% |
| 26 | Cefn Cribwr Mid Glamorgan | B | 6.5 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Sampford Peverell Devon | B− | 3 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 28 | Kingswood Kent | B− | 3.8 | 23% | 2.7 | 11% |
| 29 | Clwt-y-bont Gwynedd | B− | 0.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 19% |
| 30 | Steeple Bumpstead Essex | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Trub Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.9 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Houghton Cambridgeshire | C+ | 2.2 | 81% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Pilning Gloucestershire | C+ | 2 | 54% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Launton Oxfordshire | C+ | 0.7 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 35 | Thorner West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.1 | 74% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Benenden Kent | C | 2 | 57% | 1.7 | 83% |
| 37 | Great Waldingfield Suffolk | C | 2 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 38 | East Hendred Oxfordshire | C | 1.4 | 29% | 2.8 | 47% |
| 39 | Great Bardfield Essex | C | 2 | 81% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Brailsford Derbyshire | C | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Ringstead Northamptonshire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 42 | Slip End Bedfordshire | C | 1.9 | 22% | 2.3 | 28% |
| 43 | Tickton East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 2 | 100% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Winterley Cheshire | C | 0.9 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 45 | Chelford Cheshire | C | 1.8 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Easebourne West Sussex | C | 0.4 | 0% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 47 | Blunham Bedfordshire | C | 2.2 | 77% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Walkern Hertfordshire | C− | 2.4 | 52% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Offord D'Arcy and Offord Cluny Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.7 | 78% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Penperlleni Gwent | C− | 0.6 | 80% | 1.7 | 17% |
| 51 | Newton St Loe Somerset | C− | 0 | 0% | 3.5 | 17% |
| 52 | Cowbit Lincolnshire | C− | 0.9 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Penrhyn-coch Dyfed | D | 0.7 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Hawley Kent | D | 0.7 | 24% | 2.8 | 3% |
| 55 | Perham Down Wiltshire | D | 0.8 | 42% | 2.2 | 17% |
| 56 | Billingborough Lincolnshire | D | 2.4 | 45% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Skelton (York) North Yorkshire | D | 1.4 | 77% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Stillington County Durham | D | 1.4 | 77% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Woodmansey East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 0% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 60 | Langham Rutland | D− | 0.3 | 23% | 1.3 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Barrow’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 Barrow
The biggest is Ribble Valley Rememberence Park, 0.2 ha (0 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Oak Leigh Gardens Play Area
Play space
0.0 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Barrow
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Barrow’s homes are to 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 (100%)Further (0%)
Barrow100%
Villages its size88%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 9 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 154 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 0.5 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
National Landscape
Forest Of Bowland
0.5 mi east806 km²since 196427% of the land within 5 km
Official site27% of the land within 5 km of Barrow is National Park or National Landscape, more than 82% of UK towns. Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Barrow
24 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Barrow and the kilometre around it, 2.8 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
The Ribble Valley Jubilee Trail5.6 km
Ribble Way3.1 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the The Ribble Valley Jubilee Trail and 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 Barrow: 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) | 7.9 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 17.1 | 16.6 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.4 | 7.4 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 116 | 102 | 86 | 65 | 72 | 84 | 96 | 103 | 104 | 121 | 124 | 145 |
April is the driest month (65 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 145 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 37 nights a year. The climate in Barrow →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 9 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
Barrow is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Treasure Beach9.3 mi from Barrow’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach18 mi from Barrow’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North18 mi from Barrow’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South18 mi from Barrow’s edge
DirectionsStone Beach18 mi from Barrow’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.
Hills and peaks 1
Wiswell Moor1.2 mi from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 9
Whalley Playground0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Wiswell Shay Farm CC Site0.3 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
WhalleyBillingtonClitheroeOld LanghoSabdenReadBarrow
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow | B | 0.5 | 100% | 27% |
| Whalley 1.2 mi | B | 1.2 | 88% | 23% |
| Billington 1.9 mi | C− | 0.5 | 0% | 14% |
| Clitheroe 2.2 mi | A | 3.0 | 98% | 59% |
| Old Langho 2.6 mi | A− | 7.6 | 73% | 20% |
| Sabden 2.6 mi | A− | 0.8 | 100% | 38% |
| Read 2.9 mi | C+ | 1.6 | 71% | 21% |
Clitheroe, 2.2 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 98% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Whalley, Clitheroe and Old Langho have at least twice Barrow’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Barrow
What is the biggest park in Barrow?
Ribble Valley Rememberence Park, 0.2 ha (0 acres), just outside the built-up area. Oak Leigh Gardens Play Area (0.0 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Barrow near a National Park?
Yes. Yorkshire Dales National Park begins 13 mi north-east of the village’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, 0.5 mi away.
What are the best walks near Barrow?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the The Ribble Valley Jubilee Trail and Ribble Way.
What is the nearest beach to Barrow?
Treasure Beach, 9.3 mi from the edge of the village, then Car Park Beach (18 mi). Barrow itself is inland.
How many people in Barrow live near a park?
100% 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 Barrow?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Barrow good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 55% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 4% (0.5 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 Barrow’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Barrow’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.