Church of St Mary Magdalen, Pyle with Kenfig. · Photo: FruitMonkey · CC BY-SA 3.078% of Pyle’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
23 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 1.2 for every square kilometre. The sea makes up 18% of the area within 5 km. Parks and playing fields in Pyle add up to 1.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Pyle grades C− for the outdoors: #17 of 32 in Mid Glamorgan. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Pyle?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Pyle’s strongest suit is the Wales Coast Path. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Pyle grades C− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Pyle, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
100
100
100
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.
Pyle is 53rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 13,300 to 14,800 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Pyle falls furthest behind on path per km², where 57 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hythe Kent | A+ | 3.7 | 76% | 4 | 31% |
| 2 | Otley West Yorkshire | A+ | 5.8 | 93% | 4.4 | 26% |
| 3 | Tadley Hampshire | A+ | 11.4 | 96% | 4.2 | 9% |
| 4 | Llandudno Clwyd | A+ | 2.1 | 83% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 5 | Yeadon West Yorkshire | A | 3.5 | 94% | 4.6 | 2% |
| 6 | Cheadle Greater Manchester | A | 6.5 | 96% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 7 | Abergavenny Gwent | A | 3.2 | 83% | 3.1 | 60% |
| 8 | Wellington Somerset | A | 2.2 | 99% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 9 | Stoke Gifford Gloucestershire | A− | 5.7 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 10 | Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint West Sussex | A− | 1.9 | 84% | 4.7 | 42% |
| 11 | Yateley Hampshire | A− | 14.9 | 85% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 12 | Addlestone Surrey | A− | 4.3 | 90% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 13 | Heckmondwike West Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 14 | Honley West Yorkshire | A− | 2.1 | 87% | 5.1 | 8% |
| 15 | Blaydon Tyne and Wear | A− | 7.9 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 16 | Tredegar Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 78% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 17 | Churchdown Gloucestershire | A− | 2.2 | 92% | 3.7 | 11% |
| 18 | Thornbury Gloucestershire | A− | 2.5 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Chertsey Surrey | A− | 6.2 | 84% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Bacup Lancashire | A− | 2.5 | 94% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 21 | Birstall Leicestershire | A− | 6 | 80% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Tewkesbury Gloucestershire | B+ | 2.2 | 84% | 4 | 6% |
| 23 | Audenshaw Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.6 | 93% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 24 | Verwood Dorset | B+ | 5.7 | 41% | 3.9 | 13% |
| 25 | Buckingham Buckinghamshire | B+ | 3.4 | 96% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 26 | Chalfont St Peter Buckinghamshire | B+ | 2.2 | 80% | 3.5 | 18% |
| 27 | Marlow Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 39% |
| 28 | Armthorpe South Yorkshire | B+ | 6.4 | 92% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Tilbury Essex | B | 1.4 | 98% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 30 | Morpeth Northumberland | B | 3.7 | 80% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 31 | Gomersal and Birkenshaw West Yorkshire | B | 3.2 | 83% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 32 | West Kirby Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 68% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Blaby and Whetstone Leicestershire | B | 3 | 79% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 34 | Catterick Garrison North Yorkshire | B− | 4.9 | 78% | 1.8 | 6% |
| 35 | Newport Shropshire | B− | 3.3 | 95% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 36 | Hawarden Clwyd | B− | 3.7 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 37 | Chard Somerset | B− | 1.6 | 94% | 1.9 | 34% |
| 38 | Gorseinon West Glamorgan | B− | 3.7 | 83% | 1.3 | 2% |
| 39 | Midsomer Norton Somerset | B− | 1.9 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Leicester Forest East and Kirby Muxloe Leicestershire | B− | 3.4 | 73% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 41 | Davenham Cheshire | B− | 1.3 | 88% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Aberystwyth Dyfed | B− | 1.8 | 51% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 43 | Cowes Isle of Wight | C+ | 1.1 | 50% | 2.2 | 15% |
| 44 | Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire | C+ | 1.9 | 57% | 2.6 | 31% |
| 45 | Byfleet Surrey | C+ | 3.1 | 59% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Buckley Clwyd | C+ | 2.6 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Dunscroft and Hatfield South Yorkshire | C+ | 4 | 91% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 48 | Kidlington Oxfordshire | C+ | 0.9 | 81% | 3 | 2% |
| 49 | Milford Haven Dyfed | C | 0.8 | 70% | 0.9 | 30% |
| 50 | Birtley Tyne and Wear | C | 1.4 | 71% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Flitwick Bedfordshire | C | 0.8 | 59% | 3.9 | 3% |
| 52 | Syston Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 53 | Pyle Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Uttoxeter Staffordshire | C− | 1.1 | 79% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Cottingham East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 2.1 | 73% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Middlewich Cheshire | D | 1.4 | 81% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Halstead Essex | D | 0.6 | 73% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 58 | New Rossington and Rossington South Yorkshire | D | 0.8 | 50% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Whittlesey Cambridgeshire | D | 1.7 | 73% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Church Village Mid Glamorgan | D | 0.7 | 72% | 1.7 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Pyle’s built-up area.
How close Pyle’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).
About 3,100 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 town, about one for every 782 residents.
The Gower National Landscape is 11 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.
Gower
Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons National Park covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
Pyle is on the Wales Coast Path
23 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Pyle and the kilometre around it, 1.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
The Wales Coast Path, a national route, passes Pyle.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in Pyle: 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) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.6 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.8 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 121 | 97 | 89 | 77 | 77 | 83 | 105 | 116 | 104 | 149 | 148 | 145 |
April is the driest month (77 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 149 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 24 nights a year. The climate in Pyle →
Pyle is near the sea
18% of the area within 5 km of Pyle is sea. 12 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 8 with a name.
The Wales Coast Path passes the town.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
2 viewpoints and 18 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Nature reserves 1
Playgrounds 18
Plus 18 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyle | C− | 1.0 | 78% | 0% |
| Coedhirwaun 1.5 mi | C | 2.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Cefn Cribwr 2.0 mi | B | 6.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Porthcawl 2.9 mi | A− | 3.5 | 82% | 0% |
| Pen-y-fai 4.5 mi | B | 3.8 | 100% | 0% |
| Pont Rhyd-y-cyff 4.9 mi | B | 4.9 | 100% | 0% |
| Sarn 4.9 mi | D | 1.8 | 75% | 0% |
Porthcawl, 2.9 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 82% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Coedhirwaun, Cefn Cribwr and Porthcawl have at least twice Pyle’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Pyle
Is Pyle near a National Park?
Yes. Brecon Beacons National Park begins 15 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Gower National Landscape, 11 mi away.
What are the best walks near Pyle?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Wales Coast Path (South Wales).
How many people in Pyle live near a park?
78% 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 Pyle?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Pyle good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 11% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 12% (1.0 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 Pyle’s overall grade.
Where Pyle’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.