Settle’s biggest
Harrison
Playing field · 120 m outside town
4.2 ha (10 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Stephen Craven · CC BY-SA 2.0A+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Settle · parks, paths & countryside
73% of the land within 5 km of Settle 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 town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Settle add up to 6.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 30 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.6 for every square kilometre. Settle grades A+ for the outdoors: #2 of 54 in North Yorkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
6.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
30 km
3.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
73%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Yorkshire Dales National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Settle?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside73% of the land within 5 km is Yorkshire Dales National Park.Room to roam6.4 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 91% of UK towns.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.
Settle’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Settle grades A+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Settle, 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 town#2 of 54 in North Yorkshire · 2nd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space6.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
91out 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 Landscape73%of the land within 5 km
96out of
100
100
Footpaths3.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
73out 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
Settle is 2nd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,600 to 2,800 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
Settle3.6
Towns its size2.3
North Yorkshire towns2.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Settle6.4
Towns its size1.8
North Yorkshire towns1.7
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Settle100%
Towns its size78%
North Yorkshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Settle 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 | Lindford Hampshire | A+ | 17.1 | 100% | 4.7 | 42% |
| 2 | Settle North Yorkshire | A+ | 6.4 | 100% | 3.6 | 73% |
| 3 | Hadston Northumberland | A+ | 5.8 | 100% | 2 | 1% |
| 4 | Yorkley and Whitecroft Gloucestershire | A | 3.3 | 74% | 6.4 | 1% |
| 5 | Penmaenmawr Clwyd | A | 1.7 | 78% | 3.4 | 39% |
| 6 | Martlesham Heath Suffolk | A− | 3.5 | 68% | 4.6 | 25% |
| 7 | Jacksdale and Westwood Nottinghamshire | A− | 2.7 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 8 | Newington Kent | A− | 2.3 | 78% | 2.3 | 21% |
| 9 | Combe Martin Devon | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 1.5 | 37% |
| 10 | Newhey Greater Manchester | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 11 | Blofield Norfolk | B+ | 2.9 | 100% | 1.5 | 17% |
| 12 | Perranporth Cornwall | B+ | 1.3 | 75% | 3.4 | 4% |
| 13 | Buckfastleigh Devon | B+ | 2.9 | 89% | 1.3 | 53% |
| 14 | Broadway Worcestershire | B | 2 | 65% | 3.6 | 56% |
| 15 | Farington Moss Lancashire | B | 5.9 | 93% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Boverton South Glamorgan | B | 4.3 | 52% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Ormesby St Margaret Norfolk | B | 2.1 | 79% | 0.8 | 21% |
| 18 | Sutton-in-Craven North Yorkshire | B | 1.8 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 19 | Mancetter and Witherley Warwickshire | B− | 3.1 | 88% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Alltwen West Glamorgan | B− | 4.2 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Cliffe Woods Kent | B− | 1.7 | 62% | 2.5 | 1% |
| 22 | Denby Dale West Yorkshire | B− | 0.7 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 23 | Pucklechurch Gloucestershire | C+ | 1.2 | 64% | 4.2 | 20% |
| 24 | Shevington Moor Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.1 | 90% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Ashington West Sussex | C+ | 1.3 | 86% | 2.3 | 21% |
| 26 | Hurworth-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 4.5 | 93% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Hambrook and Nutbourne West Sussex | C+ | 1.2 | 28% | 2 | 69% |
| 28 | Snettisham Norfolk | C+ | 1.1 | 73% | 1.3 | 32% |
| 29 | Rhostyllen Clwyd | C+ | 1.1 | 68% | 3.7 | 10% |
| 30 | Bosham West Sussex | C+ | 1.2 | 48% | 1.4 | 58% |
| 31 | Lostock Gralam Cheshire | C | 1.2 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Catterick North Yorkshire | C | 3.6 | 89% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Badsey Worcestershire | C | 2.8 | 54% | 1.9 | 5% |
| 34 | Asfordby Leicestershire | C | 4 | 57% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Woolton Hill and Highclere Hampshire | C | 1.2 | 60% | 2.3 | 70% |
| 36 | Kidwelly Dyfed | C | 2.8 | 56% | 1 | 0% |
| 37 | Buckden Cambridgeshire | C | 2.9 | 85% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 38 | Shelley West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 81% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 39 | Wittering Cambridgeshire | C− | 3.1 | 83% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 40 | South Wonston Hampshire | C− | 1.6 | 42% | 2.6 | 7% |
| 41 | Swavesey Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.8 | 80% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Wolston Warwickshire | C− | 1.6 | 89% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Cheswick Green West Midlands | C− | 1 | 77% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Codicote Hertfordshire | C− | 0.4 | 90% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 45 | Newick East Sussex | C− | 1.7 | 35% | 2.1 | 16% |
| 46 | Hardwick Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.5 | 82% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen West Glamorgan | C− | 1.1 | 80% | 0.8 | 26% |
| 48 | Tarvin Cheshire | C− | 1.2 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | West Clyst Devon | C− | 0.6 | 59% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Kirkbymoorside North Yorkshire | C− | 0.4 | 55% | 1.9 | 37% |
| 51 | Saughall Cheshire | D | 2.5 | 27% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 52 | Christleton and Waverton Cheshire | D | 2.4 | 55% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 53 | Tonna West Glamorgan | D | 2.1 | 36% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 54 | Willington Derbyshire | D | 1.8 | 67% | 2 | 0% |
| 55 | Brierley South Yorkshire | D | 0.7 | 82% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Harbury Warwickshire | D | 1.6 | 73% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Larkhill Wiltshire | D | 1.1 | 68% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Ambrosden Oxfordshire | D | 1 | 78% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Repton Derbyshire | D | 0.8 | 36% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 60 | St Martins Shropshire | D | 0.6 | 59% | 0.8 | 2% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Settle’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 Settle
The biggest is Harrison, 4.2 ha (10 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
North Ribblesdale Rugby Union Football Club
Playing field
2.3 ha (6 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Settle
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Pinfold
Park or garden · 0 m outside town
0.0 ha (0 acres)
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Picnic site
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
Everyone in Settle 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%)
Settle100%
Towns its size78%
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 town, about one for every 542 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Settle
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 east2,185 km²since 195461% of the land within 5 km
Official siteNational Landscape
Forest Of Bowland
0.3 mi west806 km²since 196412% of the land within 5 km
Official site73% of the land within 5 km of Settle 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 Settle
30 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Settle and the kilometre around it, 3.6 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
Settle Loop6.7 km
Ribble Way6.6 km
Dales High Way6.4 km
A Pennine Journey0.4 km
Craven Lime Works Trail (Southern Loop)0.4 km
4 regional routes pass through, including the Settle Loop, Ribble Way, Dales High Way 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 Settle: June 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 | 9.7 | 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 Settle →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 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
Settle is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Treasure Beach15 mi from Settle’s edge
DirectionsMallows Bay24 mi from Settle’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 2
Scaleber Force Waterfall1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 9
Low High Hill0.2 mi from town
DirectionsMiddle High Hill0.3 mi from town
DirectionsHigh Hill0.5 mi from town
DirectionsSugar Loaf Hill366 m (1,201 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 5 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Cleatop Park14 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Pinfold0.0 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.
GiggleswickHellifieldGargraveIngletonHigh BenthamBarnoldswickSettle
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Settle | A+ | 6.4 | 100% | 73% |
| Giggleswick 0.5 mi | A+ | 14.2 | 100% | 75% |
| Hellifield 4.8 mi | B | 1.3 | 100% | 38% |
| Gargrave 9.2 mi | A | 5.2 | 100% | 41% |
| Ingleton 9.5 mi | B+ | 1.5 | 100% | 54% |
| High Bentham 10.0 mi | C− | 0.1 | 0% | 45% |
| Barnoldswick 11.0 mi | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 2% |
Giggleswick, 0.5 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Giggleswick has at least twice Settle’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Settle
What is the biggest park in Settle?
Harrison, 4.2 ha (10 acres), with 0.9 km of path, just outside the built-up area. North Ribblesdale Rugby Union Football Club (2.3 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Settle near a National Park?
Yorkshire Dales National Park reaches the edge of Settle. It covers 2,185 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
What are the best walks near Settle?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Settle Loop, Ribble Way and Dales High Way.
What is the nearest beach to Settle?
Treasure Beach, 15 mi from the edge of the town, then Mallows Bay (24 mi). Settle itself is inland.
How many people in Settle 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 Settle?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Settle good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 73% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 91% (6.4 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 Settle’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Settle’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.