Downpatrick’s biggest
Dunleath Park
Playing field
9.9 ha (24 acres)2.1 km of path
25 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the park
Photo: Suzanne Mischyshyn · CC BY-SA 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Downpatrick · parks, paths & countryside
Downpatrick is inside the Strangford and Lecale AONB
28 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 1.3 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Downpatrick add up to 2.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical town in England and Wales has 2.1. Downpatrick has no Outdoors Grade: Northern Ireland’s towns aren’t graded on the outdoors yet.
Green space
2.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical town in England and Wales 2.1
Near a park
77%
of residents within 400 m
Typical town in England and Wales 83%
Footpaths
28 km
1.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical town in England and Wales 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
65%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Strangford and Lecale AONB
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Downpatrick’s settlement.
Green space: parks, gardens, playing fields and play spaces, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · DAERA
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Downpatrick
The biggest is Dunleath Park, 9.9 ha (24 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 18 named parks by size: 20 ha (49 acres) and 3 km of path
Parks & gardens 2.4 haPlaying fields 17 haPlay spaces 0.6 ha
The two biggest, Dunleath Park and The Grove Recreation Area, are 56% of the named green space and carry 3 km of path between them. 17 of the 18 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
The Grove Recreation Area
Park or garden
1.3 ha (3 acres)0.4 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the park
Roughal Park Recreation Area
Park or garden
1.1 ha (3 acres)0.3 km of path
0.8 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the park
Gallows Hill Recreation Ground
Playing field
1.3 ha (3 acres)0.3 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Downpatrick
Directionsto the park
Quoile Recreation Area
Playing field · 0 m outside town
1.2 ha (3 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the park
Meadowlands Recreation Ground
Playing field
1.6 ha (4 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi north-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the park
Downpatrick Cricket Club
Playing field
1.3 ha (3 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the park
Knocknashinna Recreation Area
Playing field
0.7 ha (2 acres)
Centralin the middle of Downpatrick
Playground
Directionsto the park
All 18 named parks and green spaces
Dunleath ParkPlaying field · 9.9 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsThe Grove Recreation AreaPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsRoughal Park Recreation AreaPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsGallows Hill Recreation GroundPlaying field · 1.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsQuoile Recreation AreaPlaying field · 1.2 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMeadowlands Recreation GroundPlaying field · 1.6 ha
DirectionsDownpatrick Cricket ClubPlaying field · 1.3 ha
DirectionsKnocknashinna Recreation AreaPlaying field · 0.7 ha
DirectionsMalone Park Hockey PitchPlaying field · 0.6 ha
DirectionsModel Farm Recreation GroundPlaying field · 0.5 ha
DirectionsModel Farm Play ParkPlay space · 0.2 ha
DirectionsBallymote Centre Play ParkPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsKnocknashinna Play ParkPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsMeadowlands Play ParkPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsBridge Street Play ParkPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsMarian Park Recreation AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsSt Dympna's Play ParkPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsArdmore Avenue PlayparkPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Downpatrick 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 (NISRA Census 2021 data zones against OpenStreetMap’s parks).
Within 400 m (77%)Further (23%)
Downpatrick77%
Newry, Mourne and Down towns81%
Towns in England and Wales83%
About 2,700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 9 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,283 residents.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty around Downpatrick
Protected landscapes within 30 km, by direction and distance from the edge of the settlement; circle size shows each one’s area. Northern Ireland has no National Parks.
AONBThe 5 km the grade counts
AONB
Strangford and Lecale
Downpatrick is inside it525 km²since 201065% of the land within 5 km
Official site65% of the land within 5 km of Downpatrick is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
6 waymarked walks pass through or near Downpatrick
28 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Downpatrick and the kilometre around it, 1.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical town in England and Wales has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
Lecale Way7.9 km
St Patrick's Way: The Pilgrim Walk5.2 km
Downshire Hospital Highway to Health1.1 km
St Patrick's Way1.0 km
Harry's Loney0.7 km
Sampson's Lane0.4 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the Lecale Way and St Patrick's Way: The Pilgrim Walk.
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 Downpatrick: 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) | 7.9 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 17.2 | 16.7 | 14.9 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.4 | 7.3 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 90 | 55 | 76 | 63 | 60 | 63 | 67 | 80 | 67 | 103 | 91 | 88 |
February is the driest month (55 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 103 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 24 nights a year. The climate in Downpatrick →
Things to do
9 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the town in OpenStreetMap. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Downpatrick is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Seapark Beach22 mi from Downpatrick’s edge
DirectionsSkippingstone Beach22 mi from Downpatrick’s edge
DirectionsBrompton Bay22 mi from Downpatrick’s edge
DirectionsNewtownabbey Bay (Hazelbank) Beach23 mi from Downpatrick’s edge
DirectionsBeach - Costa del Ceanfield24 mi from Downpatrick’s edge
DirectionsGood to know
Check the water before you swim. DAERA 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 2
Quoile Pondage Basin nature reserve163 ha · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsHollymount Forest nature reserve19 ha · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Inch Abbey Station Picnic Area0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 9
Ardmore Avenue Playparkin town
DirectionsBallymote Centre Play Parkin town
DirectionsBridge Street Play Parkin town
DirectionsKnocknashinna Play Parkin town
DirectionsMarian Park Recreation Areain town
DirectionsMeadowlands Play Parkin town
DirectionsModel Farm Play Parkin town
DirectionsSt Dympna's Play Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 1 playground 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.
KillyleaghBallynahinchSaintfieldNewcastleDownpatrick
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downpatrick | – | 2.5 | 77% | 65% |
| Killyleagh 5.5 mi | – | 1.9 | 69% | 82% |
| Ballynahinch 9.3 mi | – | 14.5 | 88% | 2% |
| Saintfield 10.4 mi | – | 5.0 | 85% | 0% |
| Newcastle 10.8 mi | – | 3.9 | 72% | 68% |
Ballynahinch has at least twice Downpatrick’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Downpatrick
What is the biggest park in Downpatrick?
Dunleath Park, 9.9 ha (24 acres), with 2.1 km of path. The Grove Recreation Area (1.3 ha) is second. 18 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
What are the best walks near Downpatrick?
6 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Lecale Way, St Patrick's Way: The Pilgrim Walk and Downshire Hospital Highway to Health. Dunleath Park alone has 2.1 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Downpatrick?
Seapark Beach, 22 mi from the edge of the town, then Skippingstone Beach (22 mi). Downpatrick itself is inland.
How many people in Downpatrick live near a park?
77% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a public park, garden or playing field (NISRA Census 2021 data zones against OpenStreetMap’s parks). The typical town in England and Wales is 83%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Downpatrick?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
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, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty within 5 km, footpaths per square kilometre, and the sea within 5 km. It is a character grade and isn’t part of Downpatrick’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Downpatrick’s outdoors figures come from
- Parks and green space: © OpenStreetMap contributors (parks, public gardens, pitches and recreation grounds, playgrounds), Open Database License (ODbL), via Geofabrik’s Ireland and Northern Ireland extract. Ordnance Survey’s OpenStreetMap covers Great Britain only.
- Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: DAERA (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) boundaries, areas and designation dates, via Open Data NI, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Footpaths, walking routes, beaches and things to do: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License (ODbL), via Geofabrik, October 2026. Places over the border are marked Republic of Ireland.
- Historic parks, listed buildings and monuments: Department for Communities, Historic Environment Division, via Open Data NI, 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) and Tailte Éireann provinces (CC BY 4.0, © Tailte Éireann) as land. Residents near a park: NISRA Census 2021 data zones.
- Grade: Northern Ireland towns have no Outdoors Grade yet.
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.