Oundle’s biggest
Barnwell Country Park
Park or garden · 190 m outside town
15 ha (38 acres)2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
21 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Oundle · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Oundle lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Footpaths add up to 31 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Oundle add up to 2.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Oundle grades B− for the outdoors: #10 of 31 in Northamptonshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
31 km
2.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Outdoors grade
Oundle grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Oundle, 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 54% of UK towns#10 of 31 in Northamptonshire · 25th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
57out 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 Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
42out 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
Oundle is 25th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 6,000 to 6,600 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
Oundle2.4
Towns its size2.9
Northamptonshire towns2.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Oundle2.4
Towns its size2.0
Northamptonshire towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Oundle100%
Towns its size81%
Northamptonshire towns83%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Oundle stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 38 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netley Hampshire | A+ | 16.3 | 100% | 4.1 | 4% |
| 2 | Stone Kent | A+ | 3.1 | 100% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Wingerworth Derbyshire | A | 9 | 86% | 4 | 0% |
| 4 | Shotton Clwyd | A | 4.5 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 5 | Boldon Colliery Tyne and Wear | A | 5.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 6 | Bedwas Gwent | A | 4.4 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 7 | Broad Blunsdon Wiltshire | A− | 5.2 | 93% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 8 | Barnton Cheshire | A− | 10 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 9 | Marston Moretaine Bedfordshire | A− | 17.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 10 | Alcester Warwickshire | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 11 | Ackworth Moor Top West Yorkshire | A− | 4.6 | 91% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 12 | Paulton Somerset | A− | 2.1 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 13 | Burghfield Common Berkshire | A− | 2.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 8% |
| 14 | Broadbridge Heath West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 95% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 15 | Milford and Witley Surrey | B+ | 2.6 | 54% | 3.7 | 78% |
| 16 | Cawston Warwickshire | B+ | 3.6 | 98% | 3 | 0% |
| 17 | Little Chalfont Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.5 | 83% | 3.6 | 45% |
| 18 | Crofton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 19 | Axminster Devon | B | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 66% |
| 20 | Hindhead Surrey | B | 1.7 | 37% | 5.9 | 66% |
| 21 | Galleywood Essex | B | 10.3 | 61% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Throckley Tyne and Wear | B | 3.1 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 23 | Wixams Bedfordshire | B | 5.3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 24 | East Wittering West Sussex | B | 1.1 | 78% | 1.9 | 27% |
| 25 | Oundle Northamptonshire | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 26 | Bovey Tracey Devon | B− | 2.2 | 66% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 27 | Yapton West Sussex | B− | 1.8 | 63% | 2 | 15% |
| 28 | Upton West Yorkshire | B− | 2.2 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Danbury Essex | B− | 3.9 | 34% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 30 | Ushaw Moor and Bearpark County Durham | C+ | 1.6 | 82% | 4.6 | 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 | Tetbury Gloucestershire | C+ | 1.2 | 66% | 2.6 | 88% |
| 38 | Malton North Yorkshire | C+ | 2.3 | 43% | 2.4 | 24% |
| 39 | Strensall North Yorkshire | C | 1.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 41 | Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes Dyfed | C | 9.7 | 70% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Ottery St Mary Devon | C− | 1.2 | 71% | 1.7 | 34% |
| 43 | Gildersome West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 81% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Studley Warwickshire | C− | 1.6 | 63% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 45 | Ashingdon Essex | C− | 1.3 | 61% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Great Shelford and Stapleford Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.6 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 47 | Weaverham Cheshire | C− | 0.7 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 48 | Boston Spa West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 86% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Cottenham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 86% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Washingborough and Heighington Lincolnshire | D | 1.8 | 66% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Staplehurst Kent | D | 1.3 | 70% | 1.4 | 1% |
| 52 | Arlesey Bedfordshire | D | 0.9 | 51% | 3.2 | 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 | Thurcroft South Yorkshire | D− | 0.5 | 56% | 2 | 0% |
| 59 | Abercynon Mid Glamorgan | D− | 1.1 | 55% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Tadcaster North Yorkshire | D− | 0.6 | 58% | 1.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Oundle’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 Oundle
The biggest is Barnwell Country Park, 15 ha (38 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Oundle Town War Memorial Playing Field
Playing field
1.3 ha (3 acres)0.3 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Oundle
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Oundle’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 (100%)Further (0%)
Oundle100%
Towns its size81%
Northamptonshire towns83%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 8 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 782 residents.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Oundle
31 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Oundle and the kilometre around it, 2.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Regional
Nene Way8.7 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 Oundle: 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 | 13.9 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 52 | 38 | 36 | 43 | 49 | 46 | 52 | 59 | 46 | 60 | 57 | 52 |
March is the driest month (36 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 60 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 48 nights a year. The climate in Oundle →
Things to do
8 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
Playgrounds 8
Laxton Gardens Play Areain town
DirectionsPocket Park and Play Areain town
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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.
WarmingtonKing's CliffeBrigstockThrapstonWeldonStiltonOundle
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oundle | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 0% |
| Warmington 3.0 mi | C | 1.6 | 100% | 0% |
| King's Cliffe 5.9 mi | B+ | 3.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Brigstock 6.0 mi | B− | 8.2 | 84% | 0% |
| Thrapston 6.7 mi | C | 1.2 | 100% | 0% |
| Weldon 6.8 mi | B | 8.2 | 100% | 0% |
| Stilton 7.6 mi | C− | 0.8 | 100% | 0% |
King's Cliffe, 5.9 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Brigstock and Weldon have at least twice Oundle’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Oundle
What is the biggest park in Oundle?
Barnwell Country Park, 15 ha (38 acres), with 2.9 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Oundle Town War Memorial Playing Field (1.3 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Oundle near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Oundle.
What are the best walks near Oundle?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Nene Way. Barnwell Country Park alone has 2.9 km of path.
How many people in Oundle 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 Oundle?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Oundle good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 42% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 57% (2.4 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 Oundle’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Oundle’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.