Selby’s biggest
Bondgate Community Woodland
Park or garden
3.1 ha (8 acres)1.3 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Stephen Craven · CC BY-SA 2.0C−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Selby · parks, paths & countryside
81% of Selby’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Footpaths add up to 46 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 1.9 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Selby add up to 1.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Selby grades C− for the outdoors: #43 of 54 in North Yorkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
81%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
46 km
1.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Outdoors grade
Selby grades C− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Selby, 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 16% of UK towns#43 of 54 in North Yorkshire
Public green space1.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
30out of
100
100
A park within a walk81%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
49out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths1.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
26out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 0.9% sea, under the 5% that counts
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
How Selby compares with UK towns of 18,200 to 21,000
The 60 UK towns and cities of 18,200 to 21,000 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
Selby1.9
Towns its size3.5
North Yorkshire towns2.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Selby1.6
Towns its size2.2
North Yorkshire towns1.7
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Selby81%
Towns its size87%
North Yorkshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Selby falls furthest behind on path per km², where 54 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camborne Cornwall | A+ | 2.2 | 93% | 4 | 8% |
| 2 | Littlehampton West Sussex | A+ | 2.1 | 99% | 3.1 | 18% |
| 3 | Litherland Merseyside | A | 7.3 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 4 | Buxton Derbyshire | A | 3.5 | 86% | 3.8 | 61% |
| 5 | Faversham Kent | A | 2 | 88% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 6 | Houghton Regis Bedfordshire | A | 3.5 | 81% | 8 | 20% |
| 7 | Colne Lancashire | A | 3.2 | 86% | 5.3 | 8% |
| 8 | Waltham Abbey Essex | A | 11.9 | 92% | 6.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Farnham Surrey | A | 5.1 | 73% | 4.3 | 35% |
| 10 | Hazlemere Buckinghamshire | A | 2.5 | 81% | 4.7 | 68% |
| 11 | Forest Town Nottinghamshire | A | 6.4 | 94% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Northwich Cheshire | A | 8.8 | 92% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 13 | Leek Staffordshire | A | 4.2 | 83% | 3.6 | 19% |
| 14 | Stratton St Margaret Wiltshire | A | 3.3 | 82% | 5.1 | 5% |
| 15 | Keynsham Somerset | A | 2.1 | 95% | 4.6 | 11% |
| 16 | Abbots Langley and Kings Langley Hertfordshire | A | 3.8 | 88% | 3.6 | 3% |
| 17 | Harwich Essex | A− | 1.7 | 95% | 2.1 | 20% |
| 18 | Peterlee County Durham | A− | 2.3 | 85% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Ebbw Vale Gwent | A− | 2 | 92% | 3.3 | 29% |
| 20 | Mansfield Woodhouse Nottinghamshire | A− | 2.8 | 94% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Devizes Wiltshire | A− | 1.8 | 91% | 3.2 | 38% |
| 22 | Walkden Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.4 | 92% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Belper Derbyshire | B+ | 2.4 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 24 | Eastwood Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 93% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Hythe and Dibden Purlieu Hampshire | B+ | 0.8 | 49% | 4.4 | 44% |
| 26 | Sandhurst Berkshire | B+ | 5.1 | 79% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Hazel Grove Greater Manchester | B+ | 2.9 | 62% | 4.2 | 3% |
| 28 | Mirfield West Yorkshire | B | 2.5 | 90% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Ripley Derbyshire | B | 2.4 | 91% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Irlam Greater Manchester | B | 3.1 | 95% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Cradley Heath West Midlands | B | 3.3 | 76% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Penwortham Lancashire | B | 2.9 | 91% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 33 | Ely Cambridgeshire | B | 2.7 | 88% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 34 | Stanley County Durham | B | 1.7 | 88% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Shaw Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 96% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Stourport-on-Severn Worcestershire | B | 3.1 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Romsey Hampshire | B− | 1.2 | 82% | 4.5 | 2% |
| 38 | Ware Hertfordshire | B− | 2 | 81% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Calne Wiltshire | B− | 1.3 | 88% | 2.4 | 33% |
| 40 | Wednesbury West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 93% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Dereham Norfolk | B− | 1.8 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Failsworth Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.8 | 77% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Rawmarsh South Yorkshire | C+ | 2 | 84% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Maesteg Mid Glamorgan | C+ | 2 | 94% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Melksham Wiltshire | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Bideford Devon | C+ | 0.9 | 83% | 1 | 11% |
| 47 | Newmarket Suffolk | C+ | 1.9 | 91% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 48 | Knowle and Dorridge West Midlands | C+ | 2.7 | 82% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Adwick le Street South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.8 | 89% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Spennymoor County Durham | C+ | 2.1 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Thornton Lancashire | C | 2.1 | 71% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Nantwich Cheshire | C | 2.2 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Horwich Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 67% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Maghull Merseyside | C− | 1.6 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Skegness Lincolnshire | C− | 0.9 | 58% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Willerby and Anlaby East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.6 | 46% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Selby North Yorkshire | C− | 1.6 | 81% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 58 | Goole East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.7 | 81% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Stamford Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 64% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Tiverton Devon | D | 1.5 | 59% | 2.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Selby’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 Selby
The biggest is Bondgate Community Woodland, 3.1 ha (8 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 4 named parks by size: 6 ha (15 acres) and 3 km of path
Parks & gardens 6.1 ha
The two biggest, Bondgate Community Woodland and Selby Park, are 86% of the named green space and carry 2 km of path between them.
Selby Park
Park or garden
2.2 ha (5 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Selby
2 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Green
Park or garden · 390 m outside town
0.7 ha (2 acres)
1.2 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Waterfront Gardens
Park or garden
0.2 ha (0 acres)0.1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Selby
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Selby’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 (81%)Further (19%)
Selby81%
Towns its size87%
North Yorkshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
About 3,700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 34 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 573 residents.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
5 waymarked walks pass through or near Selby
46 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Selby and the kilometre around it, 1.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
Trans-Pennine Trail (Selby to Hull)5.7 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Selby)5.4 km
Camino Ingles to Santiago4.1 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Selby to York)4.1 km
Selby Horseshoe0.7 km
4 regional routes pass through, including the Trans-Pennine Trail (Selby to Hull), Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Selby), Camino Ingles to Santiago and Trans-Pennine Trail (Selby to York).
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 Selby: 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 | 17.1 | 16.6 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.4 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 46 | 40 | 38 | 40 | 44 | 54 | 50 | 58 | 54 | 56 | 58 | 51 |
March is the driest month (38 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 58 mm of rain falls in August, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 43 nights a year. The climate in Selby →
Things to do
34 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
Selby is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
York Beach11 mi from Selby’s edge
DirectionsDoncaster Lakeside Beach18 mi from Selby’s edge
DirectionsBeach at Doncaster Lakeside18 mi from Selby’s edge
DirectionsSea Lions19 mi from Selby’s edge
DirectionsPebble Beach31 mi from Selby’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.
Up high. Brayton Barff, at 55 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Selby.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Brayton Barff55 m (180 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Burr Closes SSSI1.2 ha · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 34
Monk Parkin town
DirectionsThorpe Willoughby Playground1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 32 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.
BraytonBarlbyThorpe WilloughbyRiccallHambletonHemingbroughSelby
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selby | C− | 1.6 | 81% | 0% |
| Brayton 1.2 mi | C | 0.8 | 100% | 0% |
| Barlby 1.9 mi | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 0% |
| Thorpe Willoughby 2.3 mi | C | 0.4 | 92% | 0% |
| Riccall 3.6 mi | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 0% |
| Hambleton 4.0 mi | D− | 0.1 | 52% | 0% |
| Hemingbrough 4.1 mi | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 0% |
Riccall, 3.6 miles away, grades B−, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Selby
What is the biggest park in Selby?
Bondgate Community Woodland, 3.1 ha (8 acres), with 1.3 km of path. Selby Park (2.2 ha) is second. 4 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Selby near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Selby.
What are the best walks near Selby?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Trans-Pennine Trail (Selby to Hull), Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Selby) and Camino Ingles to Santiago.
What is the nearest beach to Selby?
York Beach, 11 mi from the edge of the town, then Doncaster Lakeside Beach (18 mi). Selby itself is inland.
How many people in Selby live near a park?
81% 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 Selby?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Selby good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 26% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 30% (1.6 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 Selby’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Selby’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.