Earls Barton’s biggest
The Grange Sportsfield
Playing field
5.3 ha (13 acres)
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0DOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Earls Barton · parks, paths & countryside
Parks and walks in Earls Barton
14 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 1.2 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Earls Barton add up to 1.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 71% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Earls Barton grades D for the outdoors: #29 of 31 in Northamptonshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
71%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
14 km
1.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Outdoors grade
Earls Barton grades D for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Earls Barton, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
D
Better than 6% of UK towns#29 of 31 in Northamptonshire
Public green space1.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
27out of
100
100
A park within a walk71%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
32out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths1.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
10out 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
How Earls Barton compares with UK towns of 5,800 to 6,300
The 60 UK towns and cities of 5,800 to 6,300 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
Earls Barton1.2
Towns its size2.7
Northamptonshire towns2.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Earls Barton1.5
Towns its size2.0
Northamptonshire towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Earls Barton71%
Towns its size81%
Northamptonshire towns83%
All UK towns83%
Earls Barton falls furthest behind on path per km², where 59 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saltburn-by-the-Sea North Yorkshire | A | 4.7 | 92% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 2 | Bagshot Surrey | A | 10.5 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Barrowford Lancashire | A | 4.2 | 82% | 5 | 22% |
| 4 | Wareham Dorset | A | 1.9 | 83% | 3.4 | 56% |
| 5 | Leiston Suffolk | A | 1.7 | 95% | 2.7 | 35% |
| 6 | Amble Northumberland | A | 2 | 100% | 2.2 | 5% |
| 7 | West Hallam Derbyshire | A | 4.8 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 8 | Boldon Colliery Tyne and Wear | A | 5.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Menston West Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 90% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 10 | Shepperton Surrey | A | 8.7 | 89% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 11 | Carnforth Lancashire | A− | 1.2 | 89% | 3 | 39% |
| 12 | Barnton Cheshire | A− | 10 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 13 | Ackworth Moor Top West Yorkshire | A− | 4.6 | 91% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 14 | Botley Hampshire | A− | 14.6 | 70% | 3.6 | 2% |
| 15 | Burghfield Common Berkshire | A− | 2.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 8% |
| 16 | Dodworth South Yorkshire | A− | 2.3 | 97% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Moor Park Hertfordshire | B+ | 4.5 | 46% | 4.5 | 1% |
| 18 | Thrybergh and Dalton South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.6 | 95% | 4 | 0% |
| 19 | Crofton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 20 | Axminster Devon | B | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 66% |
| 21 | Throckley Tyne and Wear | B | 3.1 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Wixams Bedfordshire | B | 5.3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 23 | Shipston-on-Stour Warwickshire | B | 2.3 | 94% | 1.6 | 20% |
| 24 | Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Northumberland | B | 2.2 | 77% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 25 | East Wittering West Sussex | B | 1.1 | 78% | 1.9 | 27% |
| 26 | Oundle Northamptonshire | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Bovey Tracey Devon | B− | 2.2 | 66% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 28 | Thirsk North Yorkshire | B− | 1.8 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Great Torrington Devon | B− | 2.6 | 88% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Danbury Essex | B− | 3.9 | 34% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 31 | South Molton Devon | C+ | 2.2 | 96% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Annesley Woodhouse Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.1 | 96% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Kirby Cross Essex | C+ | 2.4 | 44% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Waltham Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.2 | 84% | 1.3 | 19% |
| 35 | Oakdale Gwent | C+ | 5.2 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Lower Willingdon East Sussex | C+ | 0.8 | 57% | 4.2 | 33% |
| 37 | Bagillt Clwyd | C+ | 1.3 | 87% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Strensall North Yorkshire | C | 1.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 39 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Ilminster Somerset | C− | 2.3 | 61% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Ottery St Mary Devon | C− | 1.2 | 71% | 1.7 | 34% |
| 42 | Gildersome West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 81% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Studley Warwickshire | C− | 1.6 | 63% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Great Shelford and Stapleford Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.6 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Weaverham Cheshire | C− | 0.7 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 46 | Stainforth South Yorkshire | C− | 2.2 | 80% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Purfleet-on-Thames Essex | C− | 0.9 | 64% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Cuddington Cheshire | C− | 1.5 | 66% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Cottenham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 86% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Staplehurst Kent | D | 1.3 | 70% | 1.4 | 1% |
| 51 | Arlesey Bedfordshire | D | 0.9 | 51% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 52 | Finningley South Yorkshire | D | 2 | 65% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Werrington Staffordshire | D | 1.1 | 42% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 54 | Wem Shropshire | D | 1.2 | 77% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Aintree Merseyside | D | 1.3 | 43% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Selston Nottinghamshire | D | 0.9 | 61% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Earls Barton Northamptonshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Sawtry Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 40% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 59 | Burwell Cambridgeshire | D− | 1.5 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Thurcroft South Yorkshire | D− | 0.5 | 56% | 2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Earls Barton’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 Earls Barton
The biggest is The Grange Sportsfield, 5.3 ha (13 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
7 in 10 Earls Barton 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 (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace).
Within 400 m (71%)Further (29%)
Earls Barton71%
Towns its size81%
Northamptonshire towns83%
All UK towns83%
About 1,800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 7 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 867 residents.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Earls Barton
14 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Earls Barton and the kilometre around it, 1.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalOther waymarked
Nene Way6.8 km
Northamptonshire Round4.2 km
The regional route here is the Nene Way.
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 Earls Barton: 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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.7 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 57 | 46 | 40 | 45 | 53 | 56 | 55 | 66 | 55 | 68 | 63 | 64 |
March is the driest month (40 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 68 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 44 nights a year. The climate in Earls Barton →
Things to do
7 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
Earls Barton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
The Beach19 mi from Earls Barton’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
Playgrounds 7
Plus 7 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.
Great DoddingtonCogenhoeSywell and OverstoneWellingboroughWollastonBozeatEarls Barton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earls Barton | D | 1.5 | 71% | 0% |
| Great Doddington 1.6 mi | D | 1.3 | 69% | 0% |
| Cogenhoe 2.5 mi | C− | 1.5 | 78% | 0% |
| Sywell and Overstone 3.0 mi | D | 3.1 | 62% | 0% |
| Wellingborough 3.3 mi | C+ | 2.7 | 95% | 0% |
| Wollaston 3.5 mi | D− | 1.2 | 11% | 0% |
| Bozeat 4.5 mi | D− | 1.3 | 13% | 0% |
Wellingborough, 3.3 miles away, grades C+, the best next door: 95% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Sywell and Overstone has at least twice Earls Barton’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Earls Barton
What is the biggest park in Earls Barton?
The Grange Sportsfield, 5.3 ha (13 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Earls Barton near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Earls Barton.
What are the best walks near Earls Barton?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Nene Way and Northamptonshire Round.
What is the nearest beach to Earls Barton?
The Beach, 19 mi from the edge of the town. Earls Barton itself is inland.
How many people in Earls Barton live near a park?
71% 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 Earls Barton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Earls Barton good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 10% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 27% (1.5 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 Earls Barton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Earls Barton’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.