Rawtenstall’s biggest
Whitaker Park
Park or garden
8.3 ha (20 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Andy4789 · CC BY 3.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Rawtenstall · parks, paths & countryside
Rawtenstall has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
259 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 6.4 for every square kilometre. The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape begins 5.7 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Rawtenstall add up to 1.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Rawtenstall grades B for the outdoors: #36 of 65 in Lancashire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
83%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
259 km
6.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Forest Of Bowland starts 5.7 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Rawtenstall?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths6.4 km of path per km², more than 98% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Forest Of Bowland National Landscape starts 5.7 mi north-west.
Rawtenstall’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape close by.
Outdoors grade
Rawtenstall grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Rawtenstall, 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 56% of UK towns#36 of 65 in Lancashire · 41st of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
41out of
100
100
A park within a walk83%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
52out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Forest Of Bowland begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths6.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
98out 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.
Towns its size
Rawtenstall is 41st of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 21,900 to 25,600 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
Rawtenstall6.4
Towns its size3.5
Lancashire towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Rawtenstall1.9
Towns its size2.5
Lancashire towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Rawtenstall83%
Towns its size83%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Rawtenstall stands out most for path per km²: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 37 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee-on-the-Solent Hampshire | A+ | 5.7 | 96% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 2 | Chapeltown and High Green South Yorkshire | A+ | 4.9 | 94% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 3 | Falmouth Cornwall | A | 1.3 | 96% | 3.5 | 41% |
| 4 | Reddish Greater Manchester | A | 6.7 | 100% | 5 | 0% |
| 5 | Caterham Surrey | A | 4.3 | 84% | 4.3 | 17% |
| 6 | Newport Isle of Wight | A | 1.8 | 80% | 3.8 | 37% |
| 7 | Ash and Ash Vale Surrey | A | 4.3 | 72% | 5.4 | 20% |
| 8 | Thornaby-on-Tees North Yorkshire | A | 5.4 | 92% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 9 | South Ockendon Essex | A− | 2.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Droylsden Greater Manchester | A− | 5.2 | 95% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Reigate Surrey | A− | 5.5 | 58% | 4.7 | 20% |
| 12 | Felixstowe Suffolk | A− | 2 | 88% | 1.9 | 28% |
| 13 | Heanor Derbyshire | A− | 4.2 | 92% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 14 | Gorleston-on-Sea Norfolk | A− | 1.4 | 81% | 3.2 | 17% |
| 15 | Hedge End Hampshire | A− | 5.5 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Coalville Leicestershire | A− | 3.7 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 17 | Kempston Bedfordshire | A− | 4.9 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 18 | Newton-le-Willows Merseyside | A− | 5.2 | 99% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 19 | Ryde Isle of Wight | A− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.6 | 19% |
| 20 | Shoreham-by-Sea West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 74% | 2.7 | 35% |
| 21 | Whitefield Greater Manchester | A− | 4.7 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 22 | Ingleby Barwick North Yorkshire | B+ | 2.9 | 87% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Maldon Essex | B+ | 2.8 | 82% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Whitehaven Cumbria | B+ | 1.8 | 91% | 2 | 1% |
| 25 | Chesham Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 64% |
| 26 | Herne Bay Kent | B+ | 2.3 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Crowborough East Sussex | B+ | 3.2 | 68% | 2.6 | 91% |
| 28 | Thatcham Berkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 87% | 3.1 | 27% |
| 29 | Cheadle Hulme Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.9 | 80% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 30 | Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock Essex | B+ | 2.2 | 97% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Oadby Leicestershire | B+ | 3.7 | 92% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 32 | Bradley Stoke Gloucestershire | B+ | 2 | 93% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 33 | Seaford East Sussex | B+ | 0.8 | 73% | 2.8 | 52% |
| 34 | Orrell Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.1 | 77% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 35 | Swinton Greater Manchester | B | 3.9 | 81% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Biggleswade Bedfordshire | B | 1.6 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Westhoughton Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 38 | Sudbury Suffolk | B | 3.8 | 77% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Truro Cornwall | B | 1.6 | 84% | 2.9 | 21% |
| 40 | Hailsham East Sussex | B | 1.4 | 87% | 3.2 | 12% |
| 41 | Rawtenstall Lancashire | B | 1.9 | 83% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Royton Greater Manchester | B− | 2.8 | 71% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Thetford Norfolk | B− | 2.9 | 65% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 44 | St Austell Cornwall | B− | 1.2 | 71% | 2.5 | 7% |
| 45 | Bishop Auckland County Durham | B− | 2.7 | 85% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Chester-le-Street County Durham | C+ | 1.7 | 75% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 47 | Hindley Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.5 | 77% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Coseley West Midlands | C+ | 1.4 | 84% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Newquay Cornwall | C+ | 1.6 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 50 | Ashford Surrey | C+ | 3.4 | 73% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Clifton Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.5 | 76% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 52 | Kenilworth Warwickshire | C+ | 2.7 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 53 | Market Harborough Leicestershire | C+ | 1.9 | 94% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 54 | Formby Merseyside | C+ | 1.4 | 63% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Ascot Berkshire | C+ | 3.6 | 56% | 3 | 0% |
| 56 | Potters Bar Hertfordshire | C | 1.6 | 71% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Golborne Greater Manchester | C | 3 | 66% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Normanton West Yorkshire | C | 1.2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Wickersley and Bramley South Yorkshire | C | 1.7 | 77% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Retford Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.3 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Rawtenstall’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 Rawtenstall
The biggest is Whitaker Park, 8.3 ha (20 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 7 named parks by size: 18 ha (45 acres) and 4 km of path
Parks & gardens 16 haPlaying fields 2.1 haPlay spaces 0.1 ha
The two biggest, Whitaker Park and Edgeside Park, are 86% of the named green space and carry 3 km of path between them. 5 of the 7 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Edgeside Park
Park or garden
7.3 ha (18 acres)1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.4 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Worswick Memorial Cricket Ground
Playing field
1.4 ha (4 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Rawtenstall
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Loveclough Sports Pitch
Playing field
0.7 ha (2 acres)0.1 km of path
2.3 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Library Gardens
Park or garden
0.2 ha (0 acres)0.2 km of path
0.4 mi south-westfrom the centre
Rawtenstall Cenotaph Grade II*
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Hall Carr Childrens Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Old Fold Garden
Park or garden
0.0 ha (0 acres)
0.4 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
8 in 10 Rawtenstall 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 (83%)Further (17%)
Rawtenstall83%
Towns its size83%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 4,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 29 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 817 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 5.7 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Rawtenstall scores 0% on it even though the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 5.7 mi away. Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Rawtenstall
259 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Rawtenstall and the kilometre around it, 6.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Regional
Rossendale Way17.9 km
Mary Towneley Loop12.0 km
Irwell Sculpture Trail11.1 km
Burnley Way4.0 km
4 regional routes pass through, including the Rossendale Way, Mary Towneley Loop, Irwell Sculpture Trail and Burnley 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 Rawtenstall: June to September
The town’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 | 17.0 | 16.6 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 142 | 121 | 102 | 79 | 81 | 97 | 96 | 114 | 115 | 135 | 148 | 164 |
April is the driest month (79 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 164 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Rawtenstall →
Things to do
29 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the town in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK town its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Rawtenstall is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Car Park Beach7.2 mi from Rawtenstall’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North7.3 mi from Rawtenstall’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South7.4 mi from Rawtenstall’s edge
DirectionsStone Beach7.5 mi from Rawtenstall’s edge
DirectionsWader Point7.6 mi from Rawtenstall’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 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 10
Dearden Moor0.3 mi from town
DirectionsCribden Hill401 m (1,316 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsTop o'Slate0.6 mi from town
DirectionsCowpe Lowe438 m (1,437 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsHameldon Hill399 m (1,309 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsHail Storm Hill477 m (1,565 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsBlack Hill377 m (1,237 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsNutshaw Hill384 m (1,260 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 29
Fall Barn play areain town
DirectionsHill St Playgroundin town
DirectionsGround work bamboo tunnel.0.0 mi from town
DirectionsClod Lane Children's Play Area0.4 mi from town
DirectionsSnig Hole Play Area1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 24 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.
HaslingdenEdenfieldBacupWeirAccringtonRamsbottomRawtenstall
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rawtenstall | B | 1.9 | 83% | 0% |
| Haslingden 2.0 mi | B | 1.8 | 89% | 0% |
| Edenfield 2.7 mi | B− | 2.7 | 69% | 0% |
| Bacup 3.3 mi | A− | 2.5 | 94% | 0% |
| Weir 3.7 mi | B | 0.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Accrington 4.8 mi | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 0% |
| Ramsbottom 5.0 mi | C+ | 2.1 | 74% | 0% |
Accrington, 4.8 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 79% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Rawtenstall
What is the biggest park in Rawtenstall?
Whitaker Park, 8.3 ha (20 acres), with 2 km of path. Edgeside Park (7.3 ha) is second. 7 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Rawtenstall near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 13 mi south-east of the town’s edge. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape, 5.7 mi away.
What are the best walks near Rawtenstall?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Rossendale Way, Mary Towneley Loop and Irwell Sculpture Trail. Whitaker Park alone has 2 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Rawtenstall?
Car Park Beach, 7.2 mi from the edge of the town, then Creek Beach North (7.3 mi). Rawtenstall itself is inland.
How many people in Rawtenstall live near a park?
83% 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 Rawtenstall?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Rawtenstall good for walking?
For paths, yes: 6.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 98% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 41% (1.9 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 Rawtenstall’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Rawtenstall’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.