Photo: Colin Grice · CC BY-SA 2.0Almost everyone in Stokesley lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
The North York Moors National Park begins 1.7 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Stokesley add up to 0.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 26 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 1.7 for every square kilometre. Stokesley grades C+ for the outdoors: #27 of 54 in North Yorkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Stokesley?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Stokesley’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by the North York Moors National Park close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Stokesley grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Stokesley, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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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.
Stokesley is 35th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 4,700 to 5,100 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Stokesley stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 50 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rye East Sussex | A+ | 3.5 | 89% | 3.5 | 46% |
| 2 | Pill Somerset | A+ | 5.2 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 3 | Frinton-on-Sea Essex | A+ | 7.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 4 | Windermere Cumbria | A+ | 3 | 94% | 3.6 | 100% |
| 5 | Burry Port Dyfed | A+ | 11.8 | 75% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 6 | Rownhams and Nursling Hampshire | A+ | 4.9 | 86% | 6.7 | 12% |
| 7 | Wilford Nottinghamshire | A | 7.7 | 93% | 9.6 | 0% |
| 8 | Moreton-in-Marsh Gloucestershire | A | 5 | 100% | 1.8 | 55% |
| 9 | Wirksworth Derbyshire | A | 2 | 100% | 4.6 | 8% |
| 10 | Rhymney Gwent | A | 2.9 | 97% | 3.8 | 6% |
| 11 | Meols Merseyside | A | 3.1 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 12 | Holmfirth West Yorkshire | A | 2.2 | 88% | 4.6 | 27% |
| 13 | Carleton Lancashire | A | 3 | 86% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Rudheath Cheshire | A | 5.5 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 15 | Fitzwilliam and Kinsley West Yorkshire | A− | 11.5 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 16 | Joyden's Wood Kent | A− | 2.7 | 82% | 5.6 | 4% |
| 17 | Fordingbridge Hampshire | A− | 3.6 | 92% | 2 | 56% |
| 18 | Coleford Gloucestershire | A− | 2.8 | 66% | 4.3 | 48% |
| 19 | Elvetham Heath Hampshire | A− | 8.7 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Binfield Berkshire | A− | 8.5 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 21 | Saxmundham Suffolk | B+ | 3.3 | 100% | 1.9 | 3% |
| 22 | Cranbrook Devon | B+ | 6.4 | 87% | 1.9 | 1% |
| 23 | Hildenborough Kent | B+ | 6.5 | 40% | 2.8 | 46% |
| 24 | Sturry Kent | B+ | 2.7 | 80% | 3.4 | 1% |
| 25 | Stone Cross East Sussex | B+ | 1.4 | 86% | 2.3 | 9% |
| 26 | Aspull Greater Manchester | B | 7.6 | 92% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Easingwold North Yorkshire | B | 4.3 | 86% | 1.5 | 14% |
| 28 | Market Rasen Lincolnshire | B | 2.6 | 94% | 1.6 | 16% |
| 29 | Sedgefield County Durham | B | 6.2 | 81% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 30 | Headley Down and Headley Hampshire | B | 2.1 | 55% | 3.4 | 44% |
| 31 | Handsacre and Armitage Staffordshire | B− | 1.8 | 89% | 2.1 | 12% |
| 32 | Dudley Tyne and Wear | C+ | 2.6 | 69% | 4 | 0% |
| 33 | Dickens Heath West Midlands | C+ | 3.2 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Wotton-under-Edge Gloucestershire | C+ | 0.4 | 32% | 5.4 | 60% |
| 35 | Stokesley North Yorkshire | C+ | 0.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 16% |
| 36 | Cross Hills North Yorkshire | C+ | 1.9 | 86% | 3 | 0% |
| 37 | Steeton West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 38 | Moulton Northamptonshire | C+ | 3.3 | 88% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 39 | Barton-le-Clay Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.3 | 43% | 3.2 | 38% |
| 40 | Church Lancashire | C | 1.5 | 79% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Shortstown Bedfordshire | C | 2.4 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Billinge Merseyside | C | 0.9 | 94% | 3 | 0% |
| 43 | Datchet Berkshire | C | 8.4 | 72% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Copthorne West Sussex | C | 1.2 | 62% | 2.9 | 13% |
| 45 | Bowburn County Durham | C | 1.5 | 71% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Bungay Suffolk | C | 0.5 | 78% | 2.6 | 12% |
| 47 | Northway Gloucestershire | C | 0.9 | 58% | 3.1 | 13% |
| 48 | Bailrigg Lancashire | C− | 0 | 0% | 3.4 | 18% |
| 49 | Shavington Cheshire | C− | 1.1 | 87% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Melbourne Derbyshire | C− | 1.5 | 67% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Halesworth Suffolk | C− | 1.4 | 55% | 1.9 | 5% |
| 52 | Tickhill South Yorkshire | D | 1.7 | 69% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Gresford Clwyd | D | 1.4 | 76% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 54 | South Cave East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.5 | 43% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Melbourn Cambridgeshire | D | 1.2 | 45% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Fleckney Leicestershire | D | 0.8 | 63% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Lepton West Yorkshire | D− | 0.9 | 36% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Wingate County Durham | D− | 1 | 64% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Bulford Wiltshire | D− | 0.9 | 51% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Shotton Colliery County Durham | D− | 0.9 | 40% | 1.5 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Stokesley’s built-up area.
How close Stokesley’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).
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 4 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,227 residents.
The North York Moors National Park is 1.7 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.
North York Moors
16% of the land within 5 km of Stokesley is National Park or National Landscape, more than 74% of UK towns. North York Moors National Park covers 1,441 km² and has been a National Park since 1952.
Footpaths in and around Stokesley
26 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Stokesley and the kilometre around it, 1.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Stokesley; its footpaths are on the map above.
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 Stokesley: May and July 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) | 7.8 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 17.2 | 16.7 | 14.9 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.4 | 7.3 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 51 | 56 | 51 | 50 | 47 | 72 | 66 | 67 | 60 | 63 | 82 | 73 |
May is the driest month (47 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 82 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 41 nights a year. The climate in Stokesley →
4 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
Stokesley is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
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
Playgrounds 4
Plus 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stokesley | C+ | 0.9 | 100% | 16% |
| Great Ayton 2.6 mi | C− | 0.2 | 48% | 31% |
| Hutton Rudby 3.9 mi | D | 1.6 | 35% | 13% |
| Stainton 4.4 mi | D | 0.5 | 0% | 0% |
| Middlesbrough 5.5 mi | A | 2.6 | 85% | 3% |
| Ingleby Barwick 6.0 mi | B+ | 2.9 | 87% | 0% |
| Thornaby-on-Tees 6.4 mi | A | 5.4 | 92% | 0% |
Thornaby-on-Tees, 6.4 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 92% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Middlesbrough, Ingleby Barwick and Thornaby-on-Tees have at least twice Stokesley’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Stokesley
Is Stokesley near a National Park?
Yes. North York Moors National Park begins 1.7 mi south of the town’s edge. It covers 1,441 km² and has been a National Park since 1952.
What is the nearest beach to Stokesley?
Marske Sands, 11 mi from the edge of the town, then Coatham Sands (11 mi). Stokesley itself is inland.
How many people in Stokesley 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 Stokesley?
May and July to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Stokesley good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 23% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 12% (0.9 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 Stokesley’s overall grade.
Where Stokesley’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.