Rainford’s biggest
Linear Park
Park or garden
2.3 ha (6 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Rainford
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Rept0n1x · CC BY-SA 3.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Rainford · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Rainford lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
21 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 1.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Rainford add up to 2.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Rainford grades C+ for the outdoors: #17 of 25 in Merseyside. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
21 km
1.4 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 Rainford?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Few mapped footpaths1.4 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Rainford’s strongest suit is parks close to every home. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Rainford grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Rainford, 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 37% of UK towns#17 of 25 in Merseyside · 31st of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
54out of
100
100
A park within a walk100%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
89out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths1.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
14out 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
Rainford is 31st of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 5,300 to 5,800 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
Rainford1.4
Towns its size2.3
Merseyside towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Rainford2.3
Towns its size1.8
Merseyside towns3.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Rainford100%
Towns its size81%
Merseyside towns87%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Rainford stands out most for park space per resident: only 22 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 48 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ventnor Isle of Wight | A+ | 4.5 | 61% | 3.7 | 25% |
| 2 | Deepcar South Yorkshire | A | 1.8 | 100% | 6.4 | 21% |
| 3 | Haworth West Yorkshire | A | 4.1 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 4 | Millom Cumbria | A | 2 | 82% | 3.2 | 13% |
| 5 | St Ives Cornwall | A | 0.8 | 89% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 6 | Nailsworth Gloucestershire | A− | 1.3 | 86% | 5.9 | 88% |
| 7 | Barnard Castle County Durham | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 3.4 | 1% |
| 8 | Brotton North Yorkshire | A− | 1.4 | 89% | 3 | 2% |
| 9 | Steyning West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 86% | 3.7 | 58% |
| 10 | Blaenavon Gwent | A− | 1.8 | 100% | 2.3 | 39% |
| 11 | Henfield West Sussex | A− | 3.8 | 51% | 4.4 | 17% |
| 12 | Merley Dorset | B+ | 3.9 | 64% | 4.1 | 6% |
| 13 | Highbridge Somerset | B+ | 2.9 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 14 | Carlton in Lindrick Nottinghamshire | B+ | 9 | 95% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 15 | Kingsbridge Devon | B+ | 1.5 | 91% | 1.6 | 67% |
| 16 | Aston Clinton Buckinghamshire | B+ | 3.1 | 61% | 3.8 | 29% |
| 17 | Marchwood Hampshire | B+ | 2 | 87% | 1.3 | 38% |
| 18 | Cottam Lancashire | B+ | 6.4 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Willington County Durham | B+ | 4.7 | 95% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Askern South Yorkshire | B | 8.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 21 | East Tilbury Essex | B | 2.3 | 92% | 2 | 0% |
| 22 | Brixworth Northamptonshire | B | 3.8 | 94% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Shinfield Berkshire | B | 1.6 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Hemsby Norfolk | B | 2.5 | 51% | 1.4 | 22% |
| 25 | Llandrindod Wells Powys | B− | 4.5 | 88% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 26 | Haddenham Buckinghamshire | B− | 3.1 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Hullbridge Essex | C+ | 5.7 | 59% | 3 | 0% |
| 28 | Midhurst West Sussex | C+ | 0.3 | 28% | 4.3 | 100% |
| 29 | Broseley Shropshire | C+ | 1.2 | 74% | 3.4 | 8% |
| 30 | Quorndon Leicestershire | C+ | 2.7 | 81% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 31 | Rainford Merseyside | C+ | 2.3 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Crawley Down West Sussex | C+ | 1.2 | 80% | 2.2 | 40% |
| 33 | Ruthin Clwyd | C | 2.7 | 51% | 1.5 | 31% |
| 34 | Wadebridge Cornwall | C | 1.8 | 74% | 1.8 | 17% |
| 35 | Four Marks Hampshire | C | 0.9 | 46% | 3 | 31% |
| 36 | Coningsby and Tattershall Lincolnshire | C | 2.7 | 79% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Durrington Wiltshire | C | 1.1 | 90% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 38 | Undy and Magor Gwent | C | 0.9 | 86% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 39 | Red Lodge Suffolk | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Ramsey Cambridgeshire | C | 2.5 | 72% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Waterbeach Cambridgeshire | C | 1.5 | 94% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Welshpool Powys | C− | 2.6 | 82% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Ludgershall Wiltshire | C− | 0.7 | 72% | 1.9 | 32% |
| 44 | Pembury Kent | C− | 1.1 | 45% | 2 | 58% |
| 45 | Ingatestone Essex | C− | 3.2 | 56% | 2 | 0% |
| 46 | Measham Leicestershire | C− | 1.3 | 83% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Abertridwr and Senghenydd Gwent | C− | 1.8 | 87% | 1 | 0% |
| 48 | Long Sutton Lincolnshire | D | 2.2 | 81% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Takeley and Little Canfield Essex | D | 1 | 45% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Withernsea East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 0.9 | 60% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 51 | Wigton Cumbria | D | 2.4 | 65% | 1 | 0% |
| 52 | Thornton West Yorkshire | D | 0.4 | 54% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Pontardawe West Glamorgan | D | 2.3 | 60% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Brigg Lincolnshire | D | 1.7 | 65% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Treherbert Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.2 | 73% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Ruskington Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 70% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Bulkington Warwickshire | D | 0.9 | 76% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Eye Cambridgeshire | D | 1.4 | 77% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Ravenshead Nottinghamshire | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 60 | Kirton Lincolnshire | D− | 0.6 | 58% | 0.5 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Rainford’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 Rainford
The biggest is Linear Park, 2.3 ha (6 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Spring Field
Playing field · 380 m outside town
1.9 ha (5 acres)0.1 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
King George's Field
Playing field
0.2 ha (0 acres)
0.6 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Rainford’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 (100%)Further (0%)
Rainford100%
Towns its size81%
Merseyside towns87%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 5 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,115 residents.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Rainford
21 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Rainford and the kilometre around it, 1.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Other waymarked
Rainford Linear Park3.5 km
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 Rainford: 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) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 81 | 66 | 57 | 59 | 59 | 72 | 76 | 84 | 87 | 102 | 95 | 100 |
March is the driest month (57 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 102 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 34 nights a year. The climate in Rainford →
Things to do
5 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
Rainford is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Crosby Beach10 mi from Rainford’s edge
DirectionsTranmere Beach12 mi from Rainford’s edge
DirectionsBrazil Bank12 mi from Rainford’s edge
DirectionsTaylor's Bank13 mi from Rainford’s edge
DirectionsEast Hoyle Bank18 mi from Rainford’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
Hills and peaks 2
Crank Hill0.9 mi from town
DirectionsWindle Bleak Hill1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 5
Plus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Bridge Farm Rainford0.3 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
BillingeSkelmersdaleOrrellSt HelensKirkbyKnowsleyRainford
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Skelmersdale, 3.5 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 91% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Skelmersdale has at least twice Rainford’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Rainford
What is the biggest park in Rainford?
Linear Park, 2.3 ha (6 acres). Spring Field (1.9 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Rainford near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Rainford.
What are the best walks near Rainford?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Rainford Linear Park.
What is the nearest beach to Rainford?
Crosby Beach, 10 mi from the edge of the town, then Tranmere Beach (12 mi). Rainford itself is inland.
How many people in Rainford live near a park?
100% 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 Rainford?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Rainford good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 14% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 54% (2.3 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 Rainford’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Rainford’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.