Ashlar House and Ashlar Cottage · Photo: Trappedinburnley · CC BY-SA 4.0Fence has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
60 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 6.2 for every square kilometre. The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape reaches the edge of Fence. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 62% of residents. Fence grades B for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Fence?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Fence’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Fence grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Fence, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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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.
Fence is 26th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,500 to 1,700 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Fence stands out most for path per km²: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 43 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanhope County Durham | A+ | 7.7 | 100% | 3.5 | 86% |
| 2 | Melton Suffolk | A+ | 6.5 | 100% | 4.1 | 33% |
| 3 | Salcombe Devon | A+ | 2 | 100% | 3.3 | 65% |
| 4 | Finberry Kent | A+ | 4 | 100% | 5.1 | 2% |
| 5 | Dobcross Greater Manchester | A+ | 2.8 | 100% | 4.8 | 22% |
| 6 | Fairlight East Sussex | A+ | 39.6 | 50% | 3.3 | 42% |
| 7 | Crockenhill Kent | A+ | 5.2 | 100% | 3.1 | 27% |
| 8 | Wood Street Village Surrey | A+ | 25.7 | 81% | 4.9 | 18% |
| 9 | Ducklington Oxfordshire | A | 10.1 | 79% | 4.8 | 4% |
| 10 | Roydon Essex | A | 3.5 | 100% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 11 | Middle Winterslow Wiltshire | A | 7 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 12 | St Athan South Glamorgan | A | 2.2 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 13 | Sabden Lancashire | A− | 0.8 | 100% | 5 | 38% |
| 14 | Oakenshaw West Yorkshire | A− | 7.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 15 | West Wellow Hampshire | A− | 3.6 | 82% | 2.7 | 51% |
| 16 | Kewstoke Somerset | A− | 1.3 | 74% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 17 | Sonning Berkshire | A− | 11.1 | 80% | 2.5 | 7% |
| 18 | Thorpe-le-Soken Essex | A− | 4.2 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 19 | East Dean and Friston East Sussex | B+ | 1.2 | 18% | 4.6 | 58% |
| 20 | Stithians Cornwall | B+ | 3.2 | 80% | 3.4 | 3% |
| 21 | King's Cliffe Northamptonshire | B+ | 3.3 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 22 | Littlebourne Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 3 | 9% |
| 23 | Ambergate Derbyshire | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 24 | Farcet Cambridgeshire | B+ | 13.8 | 77% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 25 | Mount Hawke Cornwall | B | 1.4 | 85% | 2 | 6% |
| 26 | Fence Lancashire | B | 1.3 | 62% | 6.2 | 32% |
| 27 | Wick Gloucestershire | B− | 1.8 | 56% | 3.6 | 39% |
| 28 | Mundford Norfolk | B− | 3.1 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 29 | Gotham Nottinghamshire | B− | 3.9 | 83% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 30 | South Witham Lincolnshire | B− | 2.5 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 31 | High Harrington Cumbria | C+ | 0.5 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 32 | Evenwood County Durham | C+ | 3.4 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Everton Hampshire | C+ | 1.3 | 58% | 1.5 | 37% |
| 34 | Norton (Norton Juxta Kempsey) Worcestershire | C+ | 0.9 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 35 | Bacton and Cotton Suffolk | C+ | 4.4 | 70% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Rufford Lancashire | C | 2.8 | 70% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Anna Valley and Upper Clatford Hampshire | C | 2.2 | 77% | 3 | 0% |
| 38 | Four Lanes Cornwall | C | 0.6 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Blisworth Northamptonshire | C | 2.2 | 81% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Stock Essex | C | 2.2 | 62% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Harden West Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 40% | 5 | 0% |
| 42 | Scawby Lincolnshire | C− | 25.7 | 68% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 43 | Higher Walton Lancashire | C− | 2.2 | 61% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Arksey South Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 88% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Rawcliffe East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 46 | Glapwell Derbyshire | C− | 2.2 | 60% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Horsmonden Kent | C− | 0.5 | 79% | 0.9 | 50% |
| 48 | Baston Lincolnshire | C− | 2.3 | 78% | 1 | 0% |
| 49 | Ainsworth Greater Manchester | D | 0.4 | 64% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Whittlesford Cambridgeshire | D | 2.3 | 57% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Henstridge Somerset | D | 1.8 | 47% | 2 | 0% |
| 52 | Moulton Lincolnshire | D | 1.9 | 75% | 0.1 | 0% |
| 53 | St Erme and Trispen Cornwall | D | 0.3 | 69% | 1.2 | 2% |
| 54 | Findern Derbyshire | D | 1.8 | 40% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Wood End (North Warwickshire) Warwickshire | D | 1.1 | 74% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Camblesforth North Yorkshire | D | 0.3 | 81% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Burton Green Warwickshire | D− | 0 | 0% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 58 | Edgmond Shropshire | D− | 1.7 | 33% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Walpole St Peter and Walpole St Andrew Norfolk | D− | 1.7 | 52% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 60 | School Aycliffe County Durham | D− | 0 | 0% | 2.5 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Fence’s built-up area.
6 in 10 Fence 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).
About 600 people live further than that. 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 176 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Fence
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.
Forest Of Bowland
32% of the land within 5 km of Fence is National Park or National Landscape, more than 84% of UK towns. Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Fence
60 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Fence and the kilometre around it, 6.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
3 regional routes pass through, including the Pendle Way, Bronte Way and Burnley Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in Fence: June 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) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 125 | 117 | 103 | 77 | 80 | 95 | 112 | 116 | 123 | 140 | 145 | 170 |
April is the driest month (77 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 170 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Fence →
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
Fence is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 9
Plus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fence | B | 1.3 | 62% | 32% |
| Brierfield 1.4 mi | A | 2.1 | 92% | 18% |
| Barrowford 1.8 mi | A | 4.2 | 82% | 22% |
| Nelson 2.0 mi | A− | 1.8 | 85% | 15% |
| Burnley 2.8 mi | A+ | 3.4 | 95% | 7% |
| Sabden 3.3 mi | A− | 0.8 | 100% | 38% |
| Padiham 3.4 mi | A− | 1.5 | 95% | 18% |
Burnley, 2.8 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 95% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Barrowford and Burnley have at least twice Fence’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Fence
Is Fence near a National Park?
Yes. Yorkshire Dales National Park begins 11 mi north 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, at the edge of the village.
What are the best walks near Fence?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Pendle Way, Bronte Way and Burnley Way.
What is the nearest beach to Fence?
Treasure Beach, 3.3 mi from the edge of the village, then Car Park Beach (17 mi). Fence itself is inland.
How many people in Fence live near a park?
62% 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 Fence?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Fence good for walking?
For paths, yes: 6.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 98% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 22% (1.3 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 Fence’s overall grade.
Where Fence’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.