Blackburn’s biggest
Witton Country Park
Park or garden
160 ha (395 acres)7.8 km of path
1 h 45 minto walk all 7.8 km of path
224 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi westfrom the centre
Peak
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Blackburn · parks, paths & countryside
Parks and walks in Blackburn
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape begins 2.6 mi from the city’s edge. 226 km of footpaths run through the city and the kilometre around it, 3.1 for every square kilometre. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 71% of residents. Blackburn grades B− for the outdoors: #41 of 65 in Lancashire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
71%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
226 km
3.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
1%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Forest Of Bowland National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors city is Blackburn?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe Forest Of Bowland National Landscape starts 2.6 mi north.Historic parks2 registered historic parks and gardens, including Queen's Park, Blackburn.
Blackburn’s strongest suit is the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape close by, followed by its historic parks.
Outdoors grade
Blackburn grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Blackburn, 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 49% of UK towns#41 of 65 in Lancashire · 45th of 57 UK cities its size
Public green space2.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
52out of
100
100
A park within a walk71%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
33out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape1%of the land within 5 km
63out of
100
100
Footpaths3.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
62out 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.
Cities its size
Blackburn is 45th of 57 UK cities its size for the outdoors
The 57 UK towns and cities of 87,000 to 169,000 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
Blackburn3.1
Cities its size4.1
Lancashire towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Blackburn2.2
Cities its size2.5
Lancashire towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Blackburn71%
Cities its size86%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
Blackburn falls furthest behind on path per km², where 44 of the 56 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hastings East Sussex | A+ | 3.1 | 76% | 4.3 | 42% |
| 2 | Gloucester Gloucestershire | A | 2.7 | 93% | 6 | 22% |
| 3 | Gillingham Kent | A | 1.6 | 86% | 5.3 | 23% |
| 4 | Poole Dorset | A | 2.5 | 81% | 3.4 | 20% |
| 5 | Crawley West Sussex | A | 2.6 | 85% | 10.5 | 33% |
| 6 | Stockport Greater Manchester | A | 4 | 93% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 7 | Eastbourne East Sussex | A | 2 | 75% | 4.3 | 23% |
| 8 | Telford Shropshire | A | 3.2 | 96% | 4 | 6% |
| 9 | Basingstoke Hampshire | A | 2.5 | 94% | 5.8 | 6% |
| 10 | Colchester Essex | A | 3.2 | 86% | 5.4 | 10% |
| 11 | Kingswood and Fishponds Gloucestershire | A | 3.1 | 85% | 6.1 | 10% |
| 12 | Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire | A | 3 | 95% | 3.6 | 18% |
| 13 | Bath Somerset | A | 1.8 | 89% | 5.6 | 50% |
| 14 | Harlow Essex | A | 3.7 | 99% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 15 | Middlesbrough North Yorkshire | A | 2.6 | 85% | 2.9 | 3% |
| 16 | Watford Hertfordshire | A | 2.8 | 88% | 4.5 | 1% |
| 17 | Stevenage Hertfordshire | A− | 3 | 98% | 7.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Gateshead Tyne and Wear | A− | 3.3 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Basildon Essex | A− | 3 | 95% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 20 | Aylesbury Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 9.5 | 5% |
| 21 | Maidstone Kent | A− | 2.9 | 81% | 3.5 | 20% |
| 22 | Cheltenham Gloucestershire | A− | 1.4 | 87% | 4.5 | 44% |
| 23 | Worthing West Sussex | A− | 1.2 | 78% | 2.9 | 38% |
| 24 | Ipswich Suffolk | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 3.9 | 12% |
| 25 | Newport Gwent | A− | 2.8 | 85% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Bedford Bedfordshire | B+ | 4.2 | 88% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Wakefield West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.9 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 28 | Oldham Greater Manchester | B+ | 1.7 | 87% | 5 | 0% |
| 29 | Huddersfield West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.4 | 94% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 30 | Birkenhead Merseyside | B+ | 3.1 | 71% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 31 | York North Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Salford Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 91% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 33 | Kensington and Chelsea London | B | 1.5 | 99% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Chelmsford Essex | B | 2.4 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 35 | Wythenshawe Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Kingston upon Thames London | B | 3.3 | 71% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 37 | St Helens Merseyside | B | 3.4 | 91% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Preston Lancashire | B | 3 | 80% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Cambridge Cambridgeshire | B | 2.3 | 79% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Hartlepool County Durham | B− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Nuneaton Warwickshire | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 42 | West Bromwich West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 83% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Sunderland Tyne and Wear | B− | 1.5 | 76% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Halifax West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Blackburn Lancashire | B− | 2.2 | 71% | 3.1 | 1% |
| 46 | Exeter Devon | B− | 1.8 | 81% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Royal Sutton Coldfield West Midlands | B− | 6.1 | 64% | 3 | 0% |
| 48 | Lincoln Lincolnshire | B− | 2.5 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Rochdale Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.7 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 50 | Blackpool Lancashire | C+ | 1.6 | 75% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Darlington County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Worcester Worcestershire | C | 1.5 | 77% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Doncaster South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Solihull West Midlands | C | 2.9 | 54% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Slough Berkshire | C | 1.9 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Chester Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Southport Merseyside | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Blackburn’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 Blackburn
The biggest is Witton Country Park, 160 ha (395 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 24 named parks by size: 342 ha (846 acres) and 24 km of path
Parks & gardens 247 haPlaying fields 95 haPlay spaces 0.3 ha
The two biggest, Witton Country Park and Witton Park, are 59% of the named green space and carry 10 km of path between them. 11 of the 24 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Witton Park
Park or garden
43 ha (107 acres)2.5 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.5 km of path
61 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Pleasington Playing Fields
Playing field
56 ha (138 acres)2.1 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
78 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade II*
Corporation Park
Park or garden
22 ha (55 acres)5.0 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 5 km of path
31 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi northfrom the centre
Viewpoint 2 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade II
Queen's Park
Park or garden
12 ha (30 acres)2.6 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.6 km of path
17 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Roe Lee Park
Park or garden
5.7 ha (14 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.9 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Pleasington and Feniscowles War Memorial Recreation Ground
Playing field
7.1 ha (18 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Nature reserve
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Harrison Playing Fields
Playing field
5.9 ha (15 acres)0.3 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 24 named parks and green spaces
Witton Country ParkPark or garden · 160 ha · 7.8 km of path
DirectionsWitton ParkPark or garden · 43 ha · 2.5 km of path
DirectionsPleasington Playing FieldsPlaying field · 56 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsCorporation ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 5.0 km of path
DirectionsQueen's ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsRoe Lee ParkPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsPleasington and Feniscowles War Memorial Recreation GroundPlaying field · 7.1 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsHarrison Playing FieldsPlaying field · 5.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsWoolridge Playing FieldPlaying field · 5.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsLower Darwen Congregational Church Recreation GroundPlaying field · 4.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsLongshaw GreenPlaying field · 3.5 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsFeniscliffe Playing FieldPlaying field · 3.8 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsGriffin ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha
DirectionsHighfield ParkPlaying field · 0.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsMill Hill GardensPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsAlexandra MeadowsPlaying field · 1.7 ha
DirectionsCherry Tree Cricket and Tennis ClubPlaying field · 1.6 ha
DirectionsPleckgate Playing FieldsPlaying field · 1.6 ha
DirectionsHarrison Recreation GroundPlaying field · 1.0 ha
DirectionsThe Nash Playing FieldsPlaying field · 1.0 ha
DirectionsSafe Haven GardenPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsGriffin Football GroundPlaying field · 0.9 ha
DirectionsSt Paul's GardensPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsThe WitsPlay space · 0.3 ha
DirectionsClose to home
7 in 10 Blackburn 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 (71%)Further (29%)
Blackburn71%
Cities its size86%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 36,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 108 playgrounds are mapped in and around the city, about one for every 1,157 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 2.6 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
Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
5 waymarked walks pass through or near Blackburn
226 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Blackburn and the kilometre around it, 3.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the city.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
The Ribble Valley Jubilee Trail16.1 km
Reelers Trail - Witton Weavers Way10.2 km
Beamers Trail - Witton Weavers Way9.4 km
Tacklers Trail - Witton Weavers Way0.7 km
Full walk - Witton Weavers Way0.7 km
Close to home, the Reelers Trail - Witton Weavers Way has 10 km of local walk within 2 km of the city. The regional route here is the The Ribble Valley Jubilee Trail.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
2 historic parks, and what stands in them
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Blackburn’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II*
Corporation Park
22 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II*). 2 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
IIConservatory at west end of parkIIEntrance Gateway and Flanking Lodges (At South Entrance)
Registered · Grade IIQueen's Park12 ha
Listed buildings insideGriffin ParkEntrance to Griffin Park, Griffin Lodge and 2-12, Springfield Street
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Blackburn: May to September
The city’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) | 7 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 110 | 92 | 79 | 66 | 70 | 82 | 92 | 98 | 100 | 119 | 116 | 134 |
April is the driest month (66 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 134 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 37 nights a year. The climate in Blackburn →
Things to do
3 viewpoints, 108 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the city in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK city its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
3Viewpointsabout the same as cities its size5Hills and peaks2.3× cities its size1Waterfalls1Nature reserves108Playgroundsabout the same as cities its size1Campsites2Slipways
The nearest beaches
Blackburn is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the city.
Car Park Beach11 mi from Blackburn’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North11 mi from Blackburn’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South11 mi from Blackburn’s edge
DirectionsWader Point11 mi from Blackburn’s edge
DirectionsStone Beach11 mi from Blackburn’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 3
Colourfields Panopticonin town
DirectionsThe Tank Toposcopein town
DirectionsPlus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 5
Yellow Hill0.2 mi from town
DirectionsBog Heights231 m (758 ft) · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsWilpshire Moor0.5 mi from town
DirectionsWinter Hill276 m (906 ft) · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Biological Heritage Site3.6 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 108
Tockholes Playground1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 107 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.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
Myerscough SmithyRishtonDarwenOswaldtwistleHoddlesdenLanghoBlackburn
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn | B− | 2.2 | 71% | 1% |
| Myerscough Smithy 2.7 mi | D | 0.5 | 45% | 0% |
| Rishton 3.3 mi | B− | 2.2 | 94% | 0% |
| Darwen 3.5 mi | B | 2.2 | 89% | 0% |
| Oswaldtwistle 3.6 mi | B− | 1.1 | 94% | 0% |
| Hoddlesden 4.2 mi | A | 11.4 | 100% | 0% |
| Langho 4.2 mi | C+ | 1.6 | 74% | 7% |
Hoddlesden, 4.2 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Hoddlesden has at least twice Blackburn’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Blackburn
What is the biggest park in Blackburn?
Witton Country Park, 160 ha (395 acres), with 7.8 km of path. Witton Park (43 ha) is second. 24 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the city or within 400 m of it.
Is Blackburn near a National Park?
Yes. Yorkshire Dales National Park begins 18 mi north-east of the city’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, 2.6 mi away.
What are the best walks near Blackburn?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the city, including the The Ribble Valley Jubilee Trail, Reelers Trail - Witton Weavers Way and Beamers Trail - Witton Weavers Way. Witton Country Park alone has 7.8 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Blackburn?
Car Park Beach, 11 mi from the edge of the city, then Creek Beach North (11 mi). Blackburn itself is inland.
How many people in Blackburn live near a park?
71% 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 Blackburn?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Blackburn are historic?
Queen's Park (Grade II) and Corporation Park (Grade II*) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Blackburn good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 62% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 52% (2.2 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 Blackburn’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Blackburn’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.