Giggleswick’s biggest
Harrison
Playing field
4.2 ha (10 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Giggleswick
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: RHaworth · CC BY 2.5A+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Giggleswick · parks, paths & countryside
75% of the land within 5 km of Giggleswick is National Park or National Landscape
The Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Forest Of Bowland National Landscape both begin about a mile from the village’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Giggleswick add up to 14.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 37 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 4.1 for every square kilometre. Giggleswick grades A+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
14.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
37 km
4.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
75%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Yorkshire Dales National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Giggleswick?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside75% of the land within 5 km is Yorkshire Dales National Park.Room to roam14.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 97% of UK towns.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.A village of footpaths4.1 km of path per km², more than 82% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.
Giggleswick’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Giggleswick grades A+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Giggleswick, 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 almost every UK town1st of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space14.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
98out 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 Landscape75%of the land within 5 km
97out of
100
100
Footpaths4.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
82out 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.
Villages its size
Giggleswick is 1st of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,000 to 1,100 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
Giggleswick4.1
Villages its size2.3
North Yorkshire towns2.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Giggleswick14.2
Villages its size2.3
North Yorkshire towns1.7
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Giggleswick100%
Villages its size76%
North Yorkshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Giggleswick stands out most for park space per resident: only 1 of the other 59 has more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giggleswick North Yorkshire | A+ | 14.2 | 100% | 4.1 | 75% |
| 2 | Lympne Kent | A+ | 4 | 100% | 2.7 | 34% |
| 3 | Frampton on Severn Gloucestershire | A+ | 11 | 100% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 4 | Bromham Wiltshire | A+ | 5.8 | 100% | 3.3 | 13% |
| 5 | Colney Heath Hertfordshire | A | 8.7 | 100% | 7.4 | 0% |
| 6 | Alston Cumbria | A | 5.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 100% |
| 7 | Heather Leicestershire | A | 16.9 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 8 | Blockley Gloucestershire | A | 2.9 | 100% | 2.5 | 86% |
| 9 | Silverdale Lancashire | A | 2.3 | 46% | 3.9 | 76% |
| 10 | North Curry Somerset | A | 6.2 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 11 | Furness Vale Derbyshire | A− | 2 | 78% | 5 | 36% |
| 12 | Old Langho Lancashire | A− | 7.6 | 73% | 2.9 | 20% |
| 13 | Plumpton Green East Sussex | A− | 4.6 | 54% | 3.6 | 37% |
| 14 | Winford Isle of Wight | A− | 1.7 | 0% | 4.4 | 39% |
| 15 | Cwmgwrach West Glamorgan | B+ | 3.2 | 100% | 1.7 | 6% |
| 16 | Calver Derbyshire | B+ | 2.2 | 44% | 4.8 | 99% |
| 17 | North Thoresby Lincolnshire | B+ | 3.7 | 100% | 0.8 | 21% |
| 18 | Bethel Gwynedd | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 1.4 | 10% |
| 19 | Groombridge East Sussex | B+ | 2.3 | 77% | 2.8 | 92% |
| 20 | Blackfordby Leicestershire | B+ | 3.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 21 | Five Ash Down East Sussex | B+ | 2.8 | 0% | 4.1 | 43% |
| 22 | Upperthong West Yorkshire | B | 1.7 | 65% | 4.7 | 26% |
| 23 | Fishtoft Lincolnshire | B | 2.3 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 24 | Holt Clwyd | B | 0.9 | 100% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 25 | Milborne St Andrew Dorset | B | 3.3 | 71% | 2.1 | 33% |
| 26 | Pentre Halkyn Clwyd | B | 1.3 | 59% | 3.6 | 3% |
| 27 | Nanpean Cornwall | B | 4.4 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Sharnford Leicestershire | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 29 | Challock Kent | B− | 3 | 62% | 2 | 88% |
| 30 | Tackley Oxfordshire | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Twyning Gloucestershire | B− | 1 | 100% | 2.5 | 10% |
| 32 | Ettington Warwickshire | B− | 3.3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 33 | South Wingfield Derbyshire | B− | 5.4 | 75% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Coopersale Essex | B− | 1.1 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Beeford East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 3.9 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Carleton-in-Craven North Yorkshire | C+ | 0.4 | 100% | 2.3 | 10% |
| 37 | Chillington Devon | C+ | 0.6 | 78% | 1.3 | 55% |
| 38 | Milford Derbyshire | C+ | 1.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Draycott Somerset | C+ | 2.1 | 68% | 2.1 | 46% |
| 40 | Sutterton Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Upper Basildon Berkshire | C+ | 2.3 | 0% | 2 | 97% |
| 42 | Lower Shiplake Oxfordshire | C+ | 3 | 0% | 2 | 28% |
| 43 | Woodhouses Greater Manchester | C | 2.6 | 40% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Charlton Marshall Dorset | C | 0.5 | 78% | 2 | 50% |
| 45 | Glazebury Cheshire | C− | 5.1 | 58% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Pattishall and Astcote Northamptonshire | C− | 2.9 | 39% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Stebbing Essex | C− | 2.4 | 70% | 2 | 0% |
| 48 | North Leverton with Habblesthorpe Nottinghamshire | C− | 0.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Tolleshunt Knights Essex | C− | 3.4 | 41% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Gorefield Cambridgeshire | D | 2.9 | 67% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Crundale Dyfed | D | 1.5 | 57% | 0.5 | 5% |
| 52 | Napton on the Hill Warwickshire | D | 0.4 | 69% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 53 | Aberporth Dyfed | D | 0.6 | 38% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Wisbech St Mary Cambridgeshire | D | 1.8 | 69% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Hockliffe Bedfordshire | D− | 1.2 | 49% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Berryfield Wiltshire | D− | 0.4 | 53% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 57 | South Hykeham Lincolnshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Pencader Dyfed | D− | 1.2 | 30% | 0.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Netheravon Wiltshire | D− | 0.4 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Leeming Bar North Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 0% | 0.9 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Giggleswick’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 Giggleswick
The biggest is Harrison, 4.2 ha (10 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
Everyone in Giggleswick lives 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 (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace).
Within 400 m (100%)Further (0%)
Giggleswick100%
Villages its size76%
North Yorkshire towns80%
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 village, about one for every 215 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Giggleswick
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
National Park
Yorkshire Dales
At the edge north-east2,185 km²since 195457% of the land within 5 km
Official siteNational Landscape
Forest Of Bowland
At the edge north-west806 km²since 196417% of the land within 5 km
Official site75% of the land within 5 km of Giggleswick is National Park or National Landscape, more than 96% of UK towns. Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
5 waymarked walks pass through or near Giggleswick
37 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Giggleswick and the kilometre around it, 4.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
RegionalLocal
Ribble Way7.0 km
Dales High Way6.2 km
Settle Loop4.8 km
A Pennine Journey1.4 km
Craven Lime Works Trail (Southern Loop)0.4 km
4 regional routes pass through, including the Ribble Way, Dales High Way, Settle Loop and A Pennine Journey.
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 Giggleswick: June to September
The village’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 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 17.1 | 16.6 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.4 | 7.4 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 122 | 103 | 79 | 62 | 68 | 75 | 90 | 98 | 93 | 120 | 124 | 137 |
April is the driest month (62 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °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 49 nights a year. The climate in Giggleswick →
Things to do
5 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Giggleswick is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Treasure Beach15 mi from Giggleswick’s edge
DirectionsMallows Bay23 mi from Giggleswick’s edge
DirectionsHalf Moon Bay25 mi from Giggleswick’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
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 7
Low High Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsMiddle High Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsHigh Hill1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Pinfold0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 5
Settle Playground0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 playgrounds 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.
SettleHellifieldIngletonHigh BenthamGargraveBarnoldswickGiggleswick
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giggleswick | A+ | 14.2 | 100% | 75% |
| Settle 0.5 mi | A+ | 6.4 | 100% | 73% |
| Hellifield 5.2 mi | B | 1.3 | 100% | 38% |
| Ingleton 9.0 mi | B+ | 1.5 | 100% | 54% |
| High Bentham 9.5 mi | C− | 0.1 | 0% | 45% |
| Gargrave 9.7 mi | A | 5.2 | 100% | 41% |
| Barnoldswick 11.3 mi | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 2% |
Giggleswick grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table.
Questions about the outdoors in Giggleswick
What is the biggest park in Giggleswick?
Harrison, 4.2 ha (10 acres), with 0.9 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Giggleswick near a National Park?
Yorkshire Dales National Park reaches the edge of Giggleswick. It covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
What are the best walks near Giggleswick?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Ribble Way, Dales High Way and Settle Loop.
What is the nearest beach to Giggleswick?
Treasure Beach, 15 mi from the edge of the village, then Mallows Bay (23 mi). Giggleswick itself is inland.
How many people in Giggleswick 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 Giggleswick?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Giggleswick good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 82% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 98% (14.2 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 Giggleswick’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Giggleswick’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.