Clifton’s biggest
William Pickles Park
Playing field
1.9 ha (5 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Clifton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Brian Young · CC BY 3.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Clifton · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Clifton lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
6 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 0.9 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Clifton add up to 1.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Clifton grades C for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
6 km
0.9 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 village is Clifton?
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.Few mapped footpaths0.9 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Clifton’s strongest suit is parks close to every home. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Clifton grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Clifton, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C
Better than 28% of UK towns33rd of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space1.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
40out 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 Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths0.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
6out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 2.7% sea, under the 5% that counts
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
Clifton is 33rd of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,000 to 1,100 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
Clifton0.9
Villages its size1.7
Lancashire towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Clifton1.8
Villages its size1.9
Lancashire towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Clifton100%
Villages its size72%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Clifton stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 51 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grove Dorset | A+ | 6 | 100% | 8.7 | 0% |
| 2 | Totternhoe Bedfordshire | A+ | 9.6 | 100% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 3 | Winchelsea Beach East Sussex | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 45% |
| 4 | East Challow Oxfordshire | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 5 | Cemaes Gwynedd | A+ | 5 | 100% | 1.3 | 14% |
| 6 | Bellingham Northumberland | A | 8.6 | 100% | 1.8 | 57% |
| 7 | Shorne Kent | A | 28.3 | 23% | 3.4 | 24% |
| 8 | Misterton Somerset | A | 2.5 | 100% | 2.9 | 35% |
| 9 | Godshill Isle of Wight | A | 2.1 | 100% | 2.7 | 53% |
| 10 | Wivelsfield Green East Sussex | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 3 | 11% |
| 11 | North Chailey East Sussex | B+ | 4.5 | 48% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 12 | Langenhoe and Abberton Essex | B+ | 2.3 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 13 | Llangynidr Powys | B+ | 2.4 | 65% | 3.2 | 100% |
| 14 | Loddiswell Devon | B+ | 2.1 | 100% | 1.3 | 53% |
| 15 | Thornwood Common Essex | B+ | 6.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 16 | Clyst Honiton Devon | B+ | 8 | 83% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 17 | Olveston Gloucestershire | B | 0.7 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 18 | Thornton Leicestershire | B | 13.7 | 50% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 19 | Whitwell Hertfordshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Levens Cumbria | B | 0.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 53% |
| 21 | Great Amwell Hertfordshire | B− | 5.7 | 0% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 22 | Winteringham Lincolnshire | B− | 1.7 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 23 | Hooley Surrey | B− | 1.7 | 67% | 3.4 | 18% |
| 24 | King's Bromley Staffordshire | B− | 3.4 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Derry Hill and Studley Wiltshire | C+ | 1.2 | 100% | 1.7 | 1% |
| 26 | St Newlyn East Cornwall | C+ | 3 | 100% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 27 | St Dogmaels Dyfed | C+ | 1.4 | 71% | 1.1 | 23% |
| 28 | Bethersden Kent | C+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Hill Ridware Staffordshire | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 1.2 | 7% |
| 30 | Little Waltham Essex | C+ | 2.3 | 63% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Bempton East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.6 | 100% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Upper Bucklebury Berkshire | C | 0.1 | 0% | 4 | 48% |
| 33 | Clifton Lancashire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Scorton North Yorkshire | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Hurst Berkshire | C− | 5.1 | 68% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Lea Lincolnshire | C− | 4.3 | 76% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Ewyas Harold Herefordshire | C− | 2.1 | 55% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Hoylandswaine South Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 39 | Marchwiel Clwyd | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 40 | Swarthmoor Cumbria | C− | 0.2 | 79% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Scole Norfolk | C− | 2.1 | 51% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Llangeinor Mid Glamorgan | C− | 3.1 | 62% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 43 | Loxwood West Sussex | D | 0 | 0% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Sutton St James Lincolnshire | D | 0.1 | 100% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 45 | Marshland St James Norfolk | D | 3.5 | 0% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Besthorpe Norfolk | D | 1.5 | 72% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Barnack Cambridgeshire | D | 1.6 | 26% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Northop Clwyd | D | 1.6 | 70% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Shadoxhurst Kent | D | 1.8 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Hevingham Norfolk | D | 1.8 | 0% | 2 | 0% |
| 51 | Waltham on the Wolds Leicestershire | D | 2 | 23% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 52 | Overton Lancashire | D | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Sutton Norfolk | D− | 0 | 0% | 1 | 29% |
| 54 | Corby Glen Lincolnshire | D− | 2 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Wawne East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1 | 0% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Foulsham Norfolk | D− | 1.4 | 29% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Mendlesham Suffolk | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Stockton on the Forest North Yorkshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Ranby Nottinghamshire | D− | 0 | 0% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Prees Shropshire | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 0.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Clifton’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 Clifton
The biggest is William Pickles Park, 1.9 ha (5 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Clifton’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%)
Clifton100%
Villages its size72%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 3 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 341 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 8.5 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
Footpaths & waymarked walks
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Clifton
6 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Clifton 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 village.
RegionalLocal
Ribble Way1.9 km
Preston Guild Wheel1.9 km
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 Clifton: May to July
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) | 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) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 76 | 67 | 58 | 53 | 57 | 68 | 74 | 91 | 91 | 108 | 94 | 105 |
April is the driest month (53 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 108 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 39 nights a year. The climate in Clifton →
Things to do
3 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
Clifton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Half Moon Bay19 mi from Clifton’s edge
DirectionsTaylor's Bank20 mi from Clifton’s edge
DirectionsMallows Bay21 mi from Clifton’s edge
DirectionsCrosby Beach22 mi from Clifton’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North24 mi from Clifton’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
Playgrounds 3
Plus 3 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.
Newton-with-ScalesCottamFreckletonKirkhamHuttonLongtonClifton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton | C | 1.8 | 100% | 0% |
| Newton-with-Scales 1.1 mi | D | 1.4 | 76% | 0% |
| Cottam 2.5 mi | B+ | 6.4 | 92% | 0% |
| Freckleton 2.5 mi | D | 0.4 | 73% | 0% |
| Kirkham 2.8 mi | D− | 1.3 | 66% | 0% |
| Hutton 3.2 mi | B− | 6.6 | 90% | 0% |
| Longton 3.3 mi | D | 1.7 | 60% | 0% |
Cottam, 2.5 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 92% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Cottam and Hutton have at least twice Clifton’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Clifton
What is the biggest park in Clifton?
William Pickles Park, 1.9 ha (5 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Clifton near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape, 8.5 mi north-east of the village’s edge. It covers 806 km² and was designated in 1964.
What are the best walks near Clifton?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Ribble Way and Preston Guild Wheel.
What is the nearest beach to Clifton?
Half Moon Bay, 19 mi from the edge of the village, then Taylor's Bank (20 mi). Clifton itself is inland.
How many people in Clifton 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 Clifton?
May to July: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Clifton 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 40% (1.8 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 Clifton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Clifton’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.