Rishton’s biggest
Cut Wood Park
Playing field
4.8 ha (12 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: John Slater · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Rishton · parks, paths & countryside
94% of Rishton’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape begins 3.1 mi from the town’s edge. 28 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.0 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Rishton add up to 2.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Rishton grades B− for the outdoors: #39 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
94%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
28 km
3.0 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 3.1 mi out, past the 5 km
Outdoors grade
Rishton grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Rishton, 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 52% of UK towns#39 of 65 in Lancashire · 34th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
51out of
100
100
A park within a walk94%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
74out 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
Footpaths3.0 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
59out 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
Rishton is 34th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 6,300 to 7,000 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
Rishton3.0
Towns its size3.0
Lancashire towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Rishton2.2
Towns its size2.1
Lancashire towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Rishton94%
Towns its size81%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Rishton stands out most for homes near a park: only 16 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stone Kent | A+ | 3.1 | 100% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 2 | Acrefair and Cefn-mawr Clwyd | A | 6.5 | 96% | 2.9 | 36% |
| 3 | Filey North Yorkshire | A | 5.9 | 89% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 4 | Chalford Gloucestershire | A | 1.6 | 96% | 4.7 | 94% |
| 5 | East Boldon and West Boldon Tyne and Wear | A | 3.4 | 96% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 6 | Wingerworth Derbyshire | A | 9 | 86% | 4 | 0% |
| 7 | Shotton Clwyd | A | 4.5 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 8 | Ibstock Leicestershire | A | 8.5 | 96% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 9 | Barton on Sea Hampshire | A | 4.9 | 50% | 2.8 | 22% |
| 10 | Bedwas Gwent | A | 4.4 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 11 | Broad Blunsdon Wiltshire | A− | 5.2 | 93% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 12 | St Blazey Cornwall | A− | 2.4 | 78% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 13 | Olney Buckinghamshire | A− | 6.3 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 14 | Alcester Warwickshire | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Whitfield Kent | A− | 2.3 | 79% | 2.5 | 32% |
| 16 | Horden County Durham | A− | 2.1 | 82% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 17 | Paulton Somerset | A− | 2.1 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 18 | Whitworth Lancashire | B+ | 2.5 | 96% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Lightwater Surrey | B+ | 9.2 | 72% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 20 | Milford and Witley Surrey | B+ | 2.6 | 54% | 3.7 | 78% |
| 21 | Cawston Warwickshire | B+ | 3.6 | 98% | 3 | 0% |
| 22 | North Anston South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Cleator Moor Cumbria | B+ | 3.5 | 91% | 1.9 | 11% |
| 24 | Little Chalfont Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.5 | 83% | 3.6 | 45% |
| 25 | Groby Leicestershire | B+ | 2.1 | 96% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Peasedown St John Somerset | B+ | 1.5 | 88% | 4 | 9% |
| 27 | Skelton (Redcar and Cleveland) North Yorkshire | B+ | 1.7 | 82% | 2.2 | 9% |
| 28 | Burley in Wharfedale West Yorkshire | B | 1.6 | 81% | 3.5 | 35% |
| 29 | Hindhead Surrey | B | 1.7 | 37% | 5.9 | 66% |
| 30 | Braunton Devon | B | 1.6 | 78% | 2.1 | 24% |
| 31 | Galleywood Essex | B | 10.3 | 61% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Hartford Cheshire | B | 2.2 | 95% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Barrow upon Soar Leicestershire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Rishton Lancashire | B− | 2.2 | 94% | 3 | 0% |
| 35 | Wincanton Somerset | B− | 1.4 | 88% | 2.8 | 7% |
| 36 | Crigglestone and Durkar West Yorkshire | B− | 4.4 | 45% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Ushaw Moor and Bearpark County Durham | C+ | 1.6 | 82% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 38 | Chiswell Green Hertfordshire | C+ | 4 | 54% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Denmead Hampshire | C+ | 1.4 | 72% | 2.8 | 35% |
| 40 | Tetbury Gloucestershire | C+ | 1.2 | 66% | 2.6 | 88% |
| 41 | Rawdon West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Bolton-le-Sands Lancashire | C+ | 1.1 | 58% | 1.6 | 23% |
| 43 | Brampton Cambridgeshire | C | 3.2 | 61% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Market Deeping Lincolnshire | C | 1.5 | 96% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Farnham Common and Farnham Royal Buckinghamshire | C | 1 | 55% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Waddington Lincolnshire | C | 2.3 | 87% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Rhoose South Glamorgan | C | 2 | 43% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 48 | Great Wakering Essex | C | 1.1 | 47% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Lydiate Merseyside | C− | 1.5 | 90% | 2 | 0% |
| 50 | Ashingdon Essex | C− | 1.3 | 61% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Hollywood Worcestershire | C− | 2.4 | 54% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Culcheth Cheshire | C− | 1.7 | 67% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Washingborough and Heighington Lincolnshire | D | 1.8 | 66% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Holmes Chapel Cheshire | D | 0.8 | 72% | 2 | 0% |
| 55 | Pontarddulais West Glamorgan | D | 1.9 | 67% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Coleshill Warwickshire | D | 1.3 | 69% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Broughton Clwyd | D− | 0.8 | 80% | 1 | 0% |
| 58 | Keyworth Nottinghamshire | D− | 1.3 | 58% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Blythe Bridge and Forsbrook Staffordshire | D− | 1.6 | 49% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Abercynon Mid Glamorgan | D− | 1.1 | 55% | 1.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Rishton’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 Rishton
The biggest is Cut Wood Park, 4.8 ha (12 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 5 named parks by size: 8 ha (21 acres) and 1 km of path
Parks & gardens 0.3 haPlaying fields 8.1 ha
The two biggest, Cut Wood Park and Holt Street Recreation Ground, are 86% of the named green space. 3 of the 5 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Holt Street Recreation Ground
Playing field
2.3 ha (6 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Rishton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Harwood Road Recreation Ground
Playing field
0.9 ha (2 acres)
Centralin the middle of Rishton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Piggy Park Community Garden
Park or garden
0.2 ha (1 acres)
Centralin the middle of Rishton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Ladybird Garden
Park or garden
0.1 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Rishton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Rishton’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 (94%)Further (6%)
Rishton94%
Towns its size81%
Lancashire towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 400 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 19 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 350 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 3.1 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 Rishton scores 0% on it even though the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape is 3.1 mi away. Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Footpaths in and around Rishton
28 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Rishton and the kilometre around it, 3.0 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Rishton; its footpaths are on the map above.
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 Rishton: May 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 | 17.1 | 16.6 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.4 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 109 | 92 | 77 | 66 | 68 | 76 | 90 | 91 | 96 | 117 | 114 | 137 |
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 137 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 37 nights a year. The climate in Rishton →
Things to do
19 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
Rishton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Treasure Beach11 mi from Rishton’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach13 mi from Rishton’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North13 mi from Rishton’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South13 mi from Rishton’s edge
DirectionsStone Beach13 mi from Rishton’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
Picnic sites 1
Donkey Bank Picnic Site0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 19
Plus 19 playgrounds 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.
Great HarwoodClayton-le-MoorsChurchOswaldtwistleAccringtonLanghoRishton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rishton | B− | 2.2 | 94% | 0% |
| Great Harwood 1.3 mi | A | 2.2 | 97% | 4% |
| Clayton-le-Moors 1.5 mi | B | 1.1 | 86% | 2% |
| Church 1.5 mi | C | 1.5 | 79% | 0% |
| Oswaldtwistle 1.8 mi | B− | 1.1 | 94% | 0% |
| Accrington 2.3 mi | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 0% |
| Langho 2.8 mi | C+ | 1.6 | 74% | 7% |
Great Harwood, 1.3 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 97% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Rishton
What is the biggest park in Rishton?
Cut Wood Park, 4.8 ha (12 acres), with 1.1 km of path. Holt Street Recreation Ground (2.3 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Rishton near a National Park?
Yes. Yorkshire Dales National Park begins 18 mi north of the town’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, 3.1 mi away.
What is the nearest beach to Rishton?
Treasure Beach, 11 mi from the edge of the town, then Car Park Beach (13 mi). Rishton itself is inland.
How many people in Rishton live near a park?
94% 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 Rishton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Rishton good for walking?
About average for paths: 3.0 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 59% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 51% (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 Rishton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Rishton’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.