Newton-le-Willows’ biggest
Lyme and Wood Pits Country Park
Park or garden
100 ha (246 acres)18.5 km of path
4 h 5 minto walk all 18.5 km of path
140 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Rodhullandemu · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Newton-le-Willows · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Newton-le-Willows lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
99% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Parks and playing fields in Newton-le-Willows add up to 5.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 64 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.1 for every square kilometre. Newton-le-Willows grades A− for the outdoors: #7 of 25 in Merseyside. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
5.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
99%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
64 km
3.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Newton-le-Willows?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep99% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Room to roam5.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 87% of UK towns.
Newton-le-Willows’ strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Newton-le-Willows grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Newton-le-Willows, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 76% of UK towns#7 of 25 in Merseyside · 20th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space5.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
88out of
100
100
A park within a walk99%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
78out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
63out 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
Newton-le-Willows is 20th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 22,800 to 26,500 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
Newton-le-Willows3.1
Towns its size3.5
Merseyside towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Newton-le-Willows5.2
Towns its size2.4
Merseyside towns3.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Newton-le-Willows99%
Towns its size82%
Merseyside towns87%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Newton-le-Willows stands out most for park space per resident: only 8 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 38 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 | Stroud Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.6 | 79% | 5.8 | 70% |
| 3 | Falmouth Cornwall | A | 1.3 | 96% | 3.5 | 41% |
| 4 | Sevenoaks Kent | A | 8.1 | 76% | 3.8 | 70% |
| 5 | Newport Isle of Wight | A | 1.8 | 80% | 3.8 | 37% |
| 6 | Ash and Ash Vale Surrey | A | 4.3 | 72% | 5.4 | 20% |
| 7 | Huntingdon Cambridgeshire | A | 5.7 | 99% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 8 | Thornaby-on-Tees North Yorkshire | A | 5.4 | 92% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 9 | Larkfield Kent | A− | 5.6 | 75% | 3.4 | 27% |
| 10 | Rickmansworth Hertfordshire | A− | 2.9 | 81% | 4.4 | 11% |
| 11 | Droylsden Greater Manchester | A− | 5.2 | 95% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 12 | Reigate Surrey | A− | 5.5 | 58% | 4.7 | 20% |
| 13 | Felixstowe Suffolk | A− | 2 | 88% | 1.9 | 28% |
| 14 | Heanor Derbyshire | A− | 4.2 | 92% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Gorleston-on-Sea Norfolk | A− | 1.4 | 81% | 3.2 | 17% |
| 16 | Hedge End Hampshire | A− | 5.5 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Little Hulton Greater Manchester | A− | 8.6 | 87% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 18 | East Grinstead West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 87% | 3.7 | 58% |
| 19 | Wilmslow Cheshire | A− | 4.4 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 20 | Newton-le-Willows Merseyside | A− | 5.2 | 99% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 21 | Ryde Isle of Wight | A− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.6 | 19% |
| 22 | Shoreham-by-Sea West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 74% | 2.7 | 35% |
| 23 | Ingleby Barwick North Yorkshire | B+ | 2.9 | 87% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 24 | Maldon Essex | B+ | 2.8 | 82% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Whitehaven Cumbria | B+ | 1.8 | 91% | 2 | 1% |
| 26 | Chesham Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 64% |
| 27 | Herne Bay Kent | B+ | 2.3 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Portishead Somerset | B+ | 2 | 82% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Thatcham Berkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 87% | 3.1 | 27% |
| 30 | Fleetwood Lancashire | B+ | 2.7 | 92% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Cheadle Hulme Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.9 | 80% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock Essex | B+ | 2.2 | 97% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Bradley Stoke Gloucestershire | B+ | 2 | 93% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 34 | Oadby Leicestershire | B+ | 3.7 | 92% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Seaford East Sussex | B+ | 0.8 | 73% | 2.8 | 52% |
| 36 | Orrell Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.1 | 77% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 37 | Newton Aycliffe County Durham | B | 2.1 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Rugeley Staffordshire | B | 1.2 | 94% | 2.7 | 37% |
| 39 | Broadstairs Kent | B | 1.7 | 76% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Sudbury Suffolk | B | 3.8 | 77% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Truro Cornwall | B | 1.6 | 84% | 2.9 | 21% |
| 42 | Rawtenstall Lancashire | B | 1.9 | 83% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 43 | Droitwich Spa Worcestershire | B | 2.5 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Royton Greater Manchester | B− | 2.8 | 71% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Thetford Norfolk | B− | 2.9 | 65% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 46 | St Austell Cornwall | B− | 1.2 | 71% | 2.5 | 7% |
| 47 | Ashton-in-Makerfield Greater Manchester | B− | 2.6 | 93% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Bishop Auckland County Durham | B− | 2.7 | 85% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Chester-le-Street County Durham | C+ | 1.7 | 75% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Hindley Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.5 | 77% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Coseley West Midlands | C+ | 1.4 | 84% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 52 | Newquay Cornwall | C+ | 1.6 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Clifton Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.5 | 76% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Market Harborough Leicestershire | C+ | 1.9 | 94% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Formby Merseyside | C+ | 1.4 | 63% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Ascot Berkshire | C+ | 3.6 | 56% | 3 | 0% |
| 57 | Potters Bar Hertfordshire | C | 1.6 | 71% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Golborne Greater Manchester | C | 3 | 66% | 2.7 | 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 Newton-le-Willows’ 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 Newton-le-Willows
The biggest is Lyme and Wood Pits Country Park, 100 ha (246 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 6 named parks by size: 176 ha (436 acres) and 25 km of path
Parks & gardens 172 haPlaying fields 4.8 ha
The two biggest, Lyme and Wood Pits Country Park and Sankey Valley Park, are 88% of the named green space and carry 21 km of path between them.
Sankey Valley Park
Park or garden
56 ha (139 acres)2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
79 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi westfrom the centre
Wagon Lane
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Mesnes Park
Park or garden
12 ha (31 acres)3.9 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.9 km of path
17 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Newton-le-Willows
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Willow Park
Park or garden
3.3 ha (8 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
King George V Field
Playing field
3.8 ha (9 acres)
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
St John's Playground
Playing field
1.0 ha (3 acres)
0.5 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Newton-le-Willows’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 (99%)Further (1%)
Newton-le-Willows99%
Towns its size82%
Merseyside towns87%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 33 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 747 residents.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Footpaths in and around Newton-le-Willows
64 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Newton-le-Willows and the kilometre around it, 3.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Newton-le-Willows; 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 Newton-le-Willows: 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 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 80 | 69 | 60 | 56 | 63 | 74 | 88 | 88 | 84 | 92 | 93 | 96 |
April is the driest month (56 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 96 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 36 nights a year. The climate in Newton-le-Willows →
Things to do
33 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
Newton-le-Willows is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Wader Point14 mi from Newton-le-Willows’ edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South14 mi from Newton-le-Willows’ edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North14 mi from Newton-le-Willows’ edge
DirectionsStone Beach14 mi from Newton-le-Willows’ edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach14 mi from Newton-le-Willows’ 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.
Nature reserves 1
Heylock Sankey Valley Trail0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 33
Raleigh Close Parkin town
DirectionsLegh Street Park0.9 mi from town
DirectionsThe Duckeries Children's Play Area1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 30 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park 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.
BurtonwoodHaydockWinwickAshton-in-MakerfieldGolborneCroftNewton-le-Willows
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton-le-Willows | A− | 5.2 | 99% | 0% |
| Burtonwood 1.6 mi | B− | 3.3 | 93% | 0% |
| Haydock 1.9 mi | B | 6.8 | 86% | 0% |
| Winwick 2.1 mi | C− | 3.2 | 48% | 0% |
| Ashton-in-Makerfield 2.8 mi | B− | 2.6 | 93% | 0% |
| Golborne 2.8 mi | C | 3.0 | 66% | 0% |
| Croft 3.6 mi | D | 1.1 | 79% | 0% |
Newton-le-Willows grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Newton-le-Willows
What is the biggest park in Newton-le-Willows?
Lyme and Wood Pits Country Park, 100 ha (246 acres), with 18.5 km of path. Sankey Valley Park (56 ha) is second. 6 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Newton-le-Willows near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Newton-le-Willows.
What is the nearest beach to Newton-le-Willows?
Wader Point, 14 mi from the edge of the town, then Creek Beach South (14 mi). Newton-le-Willows itself is inland.
How many people in Newton-le-Willows live near a park?
99% 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 Newton-le-Willows?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Newton-le-Willows good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 63% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 88% (5.2 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 Newton-le-Willows’ overall grade.
Sources
Where Newton-le-Willows’ 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.