Higher Walton’s biggest
King George V Playing Fields
Playing field
3.5 ha (9 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Higher Walton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Galatas · CC BY-SA 2.0C−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Higher Walton · parks, paths & countryside
Parks and walks in Higher Walton
61% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Footpaths add up to 21 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 2.7 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Higher Walton add up to 2.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Higher Walton grades C− for the outdoors. 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
61%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
21 km
2.7 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
Outdoors grade
Higher Walton grades C− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Higher Walton, 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 23% of UK towns44th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space2.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
50out of
100
100
A park within a walk61%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
22out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
53out 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
Higher Walton is 44th 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.
Outdoors score: the share of UK towns each one beats
Footpath, km per km²
Higher Walton2.7
Villages its size2.5
Lancashire towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Higher Walton2.2
Villages its size2.1
Lancashire towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Higher Walton61%
Villages its size80%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
Higher Walton falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 47 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portskewett Gwent | A+ | 10 | 100% | 2.9 | 3% |
| 2 | Stanhope County Durham | A+ | 7.7 | 100% | 3.5 | 86% |
| 3 | Melton Suffolk | A+ | 6.5 | 100% | 4.1 | 33% |
| 4 | Salcombe Devon | A+ | 2 | 100% | 3.3 | 65% |
| 5 | Wood Street Village Surrey | A+ | 25.7 | 81% | 4.9 | 18% |
| 6 | Ducklington Oxfordshire | A | 10.1 | 79% | 4.8 | 4% |
| 7 | Roydon Essex | A | 3.5 | 100% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 8 | St Athan South Glamorgan | A | 2.2 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 9 | Sabden Lancashire | A− | 0.8 | 100% | 5 | 38% |
| 10 | Hale Bank Cheshire | A− | 9.1 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 11 | West Wellow Hampshire | A− | 3.6 | 82% | 2.7 | 51% |
| 12 | Shillington Bedfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 83% | 3.2 | 14% |
| 13 | Bean Kent | A− | 17 | 72% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 14 | Woodhouse Eaves Leicestershire | A− | 35.7 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 15 | Kewstoke Somerset | A− | 1.3 | 74% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 16 | Hampton Magna Warwickshire | A− | 6.8 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 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 | Staining Lancashire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 22 | King's Cliffe Northamptonshire | B+ | 3.3 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 23 | Seal Kent | B+ | 3.3 | 78% | 2.1 | 77% |
| 24 | Littlebourne Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 3 | 9% |
| 25 | Farcet Cambridgeshire | B+ | 13.8 | 77% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Mount Hawke Cornwall | B | 1.4 | 85% | 2 | 6% |
| 27 | Fence Lancashire | B | 1.3 | 62% | 6.2 | 32% |
| 28 | Wick Gloucestershire | B− | 1.8 | 56% | 3.6 | 39% |
| 29 | Sibertswold Kent | B− | 1.9 | 79% | 2.2 | 38% |
| 30 | Whittington Shropshire | B− | 3.7 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 31 | South Witham Lincolnshire | B− | 2.5 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 32 | High Harrington Cumbria | C+ | 0.5 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 33 | Evenwood County Durham | C+ | 3.4 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Everton Hampshire | C+ | 1.3 | 58% | 1.5 | 37% |
| 35 | Norton (Norton Juxta Kempsey) Worcestershire | C+ | 0.9 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 36 | Clutton Somerset | C+ | 0.9 | 74% | 3.3 | 11% |
| 37 | Four Lanes Cornwall | C | 0.6 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Potterspury Northamptonshire | C | 1.4 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Blisworth Northamptonshire | C | 2.2 | 81% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Buxted East Sussex | C | 1.1 | 63% | 2.4 | 52% |
| 41 | Stock Essex | C | 2.2 | 62% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 42 | Harden West Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 40% | 5 | 0% |
| 43 | Scawby Lincolnshire | C− | 25.7 | 68% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Higher Walton Lancashire | C− | 2.2 | 61% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 45 | Arksey South Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 88% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Rawcliffe East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Horsmonden Kent | C− | 0.5 | 79% | 0.9 | 50% |
| 48 | Baston Lincolnshire | C− | 2.3 | 78% | 1 | 0% |
| 49 | Sywell and Overstone Northamptonshire | D | 3.1 | 62% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Ainsworth Greater Manchester | D | 0.4 | 64% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Whittlesford Cambridgeshire | D | 2.3 | 57% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Henstridge Somerset | D | 1.8 | 47% | 2 | 0% |
| 53 | Moulton Lincolnshire | D | 1.9 | 75% | 0.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Ketton Rutland | D | 2.1 | 56% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Balsham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.7 | 57% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 56 | St Erme and Trispen Cornwall | D | 0.3 | 69% | 1.2 | 2% |
| 57 | Findern Derbyshire | D | 1.8 | 40% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 58 | Scarcroft West Yorkshire | D− | 0.5 | 15% | 2.4 | 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% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Higher Walton’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 Higher Walton
The biggest is King George V Playing Fields, 3.5 ha (9 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
6 in 10 Higher Walton 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 (61%)Further (39%)
Higher Walton61%
Villages its size80%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 18 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 89 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 6.9 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 Higher Walton
21 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Higher Walton and the kilometre around it, 2.7 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 Way3.9 km
Preston Guild Wheel3.4 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 Higher Walton: 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) | 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 | 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 37 nights a year. The climate in Higher Walton →
Things to do
18 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
Higher Walton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Creek Beach North17 mi from Higher Walton’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South17 mi from Higher Walton’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach17 mi from Higher Walton’s edge
DirectionsWader Point17 mi from Higher Walton’s edge
DirectionsStone Beach17 mi from Higher Walton’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
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 18
Rascals Party and Play Centre1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 17 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.
Coup GreenGregson LaneBamber BridgePrestonPenworthamFarington MossHigher Walton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higher Walton | C− | 2.2 | 61% | 0% |
| Coup Green 1.0 mi | D | 0.6 | 70% | 0% |
| Gregson Lane 1.1 mi | C+ | 1.7 | 86% | 0% |
| Bamber Bridge 1.4 mi | A− | 6.4 | 88% | 0% |
| Preston 2.9 mi | B | 3.0 | 80% | 0% |
| Penwortham 3.4 mi | B | 2.9 | 91% | 0% |
| Farington Moss 3.4 mi | B | 5.9 | 93% | 0% |
Bamber Bridge, 1.4 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 88% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Bamber Bridge and Farington Moss have at least twice Higher Walton’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Higher Walton
What is the biggest park in Higher Walton?
King George V Playing Fields, 3.5 ha (9 acres), with 0.8 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Higher Walton near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape, 6.9 mi north-east of the village’s edge. It covers 806 km² and was designated in 1964.
What are the best walks near Higher Walton?
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 Higher Walton?
Creek Beach North, 17 mi from the edge of the village, then Creek Beach South (17 mi). Higher Walton itself is inland.
How many people in Higher Walton live near a park?
61% 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 Higher Walton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Higher Walton good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 53% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 50% (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 Higher Walton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Higher Walton’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.