Kettering’s biggest
North Park Recreation Ground
Playing field
4.8 ha (12 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Philip Jeffrey · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Kettering · parks, paths & countryside
90% of Kettering’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Footpaths add up to 148 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.3 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Kettering add up to 2.1 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Kettering grades B− for the outdoors: #14 of 31 in Northamptonshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
90%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
148 km
3.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Outdoors grade
Kettering grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Kettering, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B−
Better than 50% of UK towns#14 of 31 in Northamptonshire · 46th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
49out of
100
100
A park within a walk90%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
67out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
66out 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
Kettering is 46th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 52,000 to 76,600 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
Kettering3.3
Towns its size3.5
Northamptonshire towns2.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Kettering2.1
Towns its size2.4
Northamptonshire towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Kettering90%
Towns its size86%
Northamptonshire towns83%
All UK towns83%
Kettering falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 35 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester Kent | A+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.6 | 23% |
| 2 | Lancaster Lancashire | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.5 | 22% |
| 3 | Dartford Kent | A | 3.9 | 72% | 5.1 | 1% |
| 4 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 5 | Cannock Staffordshire | A | 5.5 | 88% | 3.5 | 26% |
| 6 | Scarborough North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 86% | 3.1 | 17% |
| 7 | Gravesend Kent | A | 1.4 | 84% | 6.4 | 14% |
| 8 | Barry South Glamorgan | A | 2.9 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 9 | Weymouth Dorset | A | 2.6 | 55% | 3.5 | 35% |
| 10 | Sittingbourne Kent | A | 1.9 | 93% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 11 | Barnsley South Yorkshire | A | 4.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 12 | Banbury Oxfordshire | A | 2.6 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 13 | Gosport Hampshire | A | 3 | 85% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 14 | South Shields Tyne and Wear | A | 2.4 | 80% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 15 | Farnborough Hampshire | A | 4 | 77% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 16 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 17 | Tynemouth Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.2 | 85% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Chesterfield Derbyshire | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 19 | Hereford Herefordshire | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 20 | Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire | A− | 5.2 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 22 | St Albans Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 95% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 23 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Harrogate North Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 86% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 25 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 26 | Carlton Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.9 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 27 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 28 | Bootle Merseyside | B+ | 2.1 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Canterbury Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 5.7 | 19% |
| 30 | Torquay Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 32 | Bebington Merseyside | B+ | 3 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Huyton with Roby Merseyside | B+ | 3.7 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Ellesmere Port Cheshire | B | 2.8 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Widnes Cheshire | B | 3 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Beeston Nottinghamshire | B | 2.7 | 77% | 6 | 0% |
| 37 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 38 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria | B | 2 | 91% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Macclesfield Cheshire | B | 1.8 | 80% | 3.3 | 18% |
| 41 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 44 | Tamworth Staffordshire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 3 | 0% |
| 45 | Brentwood Essex | B− | 3.9 | 69% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Kettering Northamptonshire | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Stafford Staffordshire | B− | 1.9 | 70% | 3.1 | 11% |
| 48 | Smethwick West Midlands | C+ | 2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Wellingborough Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.7 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Halesowen West Midlands | C+ | 2.1 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Woking Surrey | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Shrewsbury Shropshire | C+ | 1.6 | 87% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Walsall West Midlands | C+ | 2.5 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Clacton-on-Sea Essex | C | 1.7 | 73% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Bognor Regis West Sussex | C | 1.1 | 78% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Loughborough Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 73% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Stourbridge West Midlands | C | 1.9 | 72% | 3 | 0% |
| 58 | Crewe Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 88% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Burton upon Trent Staffordshire | C− | 1.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Kidderminster Worcestershire | D | 1.2 | 72% | 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 Kettering’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 Kettering
The biggest is North Park Recreation Ground, 4.8 ha (12 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 10 named parks by size: 17 ha (41 acres) and 3 km of path
Parks & gardens 6.4 haPlaying fields 10 ha
The two biggest, North Park Recreation Ground and Dog Kennel Spinney, are 43% of the named green space. 6 of the 10 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Dog Kennel Spinney
Park or garden
2.4 ha (6 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Westfield Gardens
Park or garden
2.4 ha (6 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Rockingham Road Pleasure Ground
Playing field
3.0 ha (7 acres)0.3 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi northfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Pocket Park
Park or garden
1.0 ha (3 acres)0.3 km of path
1 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Grays Field
Playing field
1.7 ha (4 acres)0.3 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.4 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Manor House Gardens
Park or garden
0.3 ha (1 acres)0.3 km of path
0.5 mi westfrom the centre
2 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Mill Road Park
Playing field
0.7 ha (2 acres)0.1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Kettering
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 10 named parks and green spaces
North Park Recreation GroundPlaying field · 4.8 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsDog Kennel SpinneyPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsWestfield GardensPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsRockingham Road Pleasure GroundPlaying field · 3.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsPocket ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsGrays FieldPlaying field · 1.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsManor House GardensPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsMill Road ParkPlaying field · 0.7 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsJubilee GardensPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsMill Road Pocket ParkPark or garden · 0.1 ha
DirectionsClose to home
How close Kettering’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 (90%)Further (10%)
Kettering90%
Towns its size86%
Northamptonshire towns83%
All UK towns83%
About 6,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 62 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,019 residents.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Footpaths in and around Kettering
148 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Kettering and the kilometre around it, 3.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Kettering; 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.
History along the way
A registered historic park in Kettering
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Kettering’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIWicksteed Park45 ha
Listed buildings insideManor House GardensAlfred East Art Gallery and Kettering Cenotaph
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Kettering: 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 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 55 | 44 | 42 | 48 | 51 | 54 | 59 | 64 | 54 | 69 | 63 | 62 |
March is the driest month (42 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 69 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 47 nights a year. The climate in Kettering →
Things to do
62 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 62
Millenium Pocket Parkin town
DirectionsRockingham Road Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsSandpitin town
DirectionsWicksteed Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsThe Glebe1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 57 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 4
Plus 4 dog parks without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Wicksteed Park Campingin town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
Burton LatimerGeddingtonBroughtonRothwellMawsley VillageFinedonKettering
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kettering | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 0% |
| Burton Latimer 2.9 mi | D | 0.9 | 62% | 0% |
| Geddington 2.9 mi | C | 3.0 | 82% | 0% |
| Broughton 3.2 mi | D | 2.7 | 70% | 0% |
| Rothwell 3.8 mi | C | 2.2 | 91% | 0% |
| Mawsley Village 4.5 mi | D | 1.5 | 71% | 0% |
| Finedon 5.0 mi | B− | 3.9 | 95% | 0% |
Finedon, 5 miles away, grades B−, the best next door: 95% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Kettering
What is the biggest park in Kettering?
North Park Recreation Ground, 4.8 ha (12 acres), with 0.7 km of path. Dog Kennel Spinney (2.4 ha) is second. 10 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Kettering near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Kettering.
How many people in Kettering live near a park?
90% 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 Kettering?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Kettering are historic?
Wicksteed Park (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Kettering good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 66% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 49% (2.1 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 Kettering’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Kettering’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.