Photo: Cj1340 at English Wikipedia · Public domain77% of Towcester’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Footpaths add up to 73 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.6 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Towcester add up to 1.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Towcester grades C for the outdoors: #22 of 31 in Northamptonshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Towcester?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Towcester’s strongest suit is its historic parks. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Towcester grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Towcester, 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.
Towcester is 44th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 10,800 to 11,900 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Towcester stands out most for path per km²: only 22 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 45 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snodland Kent | A+ | 7.7 | 97% | 4.4 | 44% |
| 2 | Minehead Somerset | A+ | 1.4 | 95% | 4.3 | 47% |
| 3 | Weybourne Surrey | A+ | 7.1 | 86% | 6.1 | 14% |
| 4 | West End Hampshire | A | 9.1 | 100% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 5 | Holyhead Gwynedd | A | 3.4 | 78% | 2.3 | 31% |
| 6 | Penryn Cornwall | A | 1.9 | 91% | 2.6 | 31% |
| 7 | Emsworth Hampshire | A | 2.3 | 56% | 3.7 | 51% |
| 8 | Sandown Isle of Wight | A | 1.4 | 74% | 4.5 | 28% |
| 9 | Great Harwood Lancashire | A | 2.2 | 97% | 4.3 | 4% |
| 10 | Dawlish Devon | A | 2.1 | 93% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 11 | Bradwell Norfolk | A− | 2 | 80% | 2.7 | 31% |
| 12 | Conisbrough South Yorkshire | A− | 5.3 | 99% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 13 | Romiley Greater Manchester | A− | 3.9 | 80% | 3.8 | 1% |
| 14 | Southwater West Sussex | A− | 3.4 | 82% | 3.7 | 3% |
| 15 | Uppermill Greater Manchester | A− | 2.4 | 70% | 4.8 | 27% |
| 16 | Kearsley Greater Manchester | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 17 | Cleckheaton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 98% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 18 | Blandford Forum Dorset | B+ | 2.1 | 90% | 2.2 | 72% |
| 19 | Ross-on-Wye Herefordshire | B+ | 1.9 | 76% | 3.4 | 56% |
| 20 | Barnoldswick Lancashire | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 4 | 2% |
| 21 | South Elmsall West Yorkshire | B+ | 9 | 92% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 22 | Oxted Surrey | B | 2.1 | 84% | 2.8 | 28% |
| 23 | Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire | B | 2.4 | 70% | 2.9 | 53% |
| 24 | Buckhurst Hill Essex | B | 4.5 | 64% | 6.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Corsham Wiltshire | B | 1.9 | 81% | 3 | 31% |
| 26 | Warmsworth South Yorkshire | B | 2.7 | 79% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Gillingham Dorset | B | 1.9 | 91% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 28 | Shirebrook Derbyshire | B | 1.8 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Sandbach Cheshire | B− | 2.5 | 87% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 30 | Helston Cornwall | B− | 1.3 | 61% | 2.7 | 21% |
| 31 | Ystrad Mynach Gwent | B− | 5.4 | 85% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Mossley Greater Manchester | B− | 0.9 | 74% | 4.5 | 14% |
| 33 | Lymm Cheshire | B− | 3.6 | 89% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Leatherhead Surrey | B− | 1 | 72% | 3.9 | 24% |
| 35 | Filton Gloucestershire | B− | 3.3 | 40% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 36 | Cambourne Cambridgeshire | B− | 0.7 | 91% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Liskeard Cornwall | C+ | 0.8 | 89% | 2.7 | 6% |
| 38 | Bolsover Derbyshire | C+ | 1.9 | 85% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Stanwell Surrey | C+ | 1.4 | 93% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Earl Shilton Leicestershire | C | 1.5 | 98% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Sandy Bedfordshire | C | 0.9 | 76% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Brimington Derbyshire | C | 1.2 | 72% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Ulverston Cumbria | C | 0.7 | 60% | 1.8 | 8% |
| 44 | Towcester Northamptonshire | C | 1.3 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 45 | Featherstone West Yorkshire | C | 2 | 77% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Attleborough Norfolk | C− | 1.8 | 93% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Hexham Northumberland | C− | 1.5 | 64% | 2 | 9% |
| 48 | Cleveleys Lancashire | C− | 0.8 | 71% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Downham Market Norfolk | C− | 1.5 | 77% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Chatteris Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.4 | 94% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Cheadle Staffordshire | C− | 1.7 | 90% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Dinnington South Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 81% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 53 | New Ollerton and Ollerton Nottinghamshire | C− | 0.8 | 80% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Codsall Staffordshire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Leominster Herefordshire | C− | 1.1 | 72% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Newtown Powys | D | 2.3 | 65% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Longton Lancashire | D | 1.7 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Wetherby West Yorkshire | D | 0.5 | 14% | 3 | 0% |
| 59 | Tonyrefail Mid Glamorgan | D− | 0.7 | 48% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Watton Norfolk | D− | 0.5 | 28% | 1.4 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Towcester’s built-up area.
How close Towcester’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).
About 2,600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 23 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 493 residents.
The Cotswolds National Landscape is 16 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.
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Towcester
73 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Towcester 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.
The regional route here is the Grafton Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
A registered historic park in Towcester
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Towcester’s named parks.
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.
The best walking months in Towcester: 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 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 64 | 49 | 46 | 57 | 72 | 53 | 50 | 65 | 69 | 76 | 71 | 65 |
March is the driest month (46 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 76 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 50 nights a year. The climate in Towcester →
23 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
Towcester 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
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 23
Plus 21 playgrounds without a name on the map.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Towcester | C | 1.3 | 77% | 0% |
| Greens Norton 1.7 mi | C− | 1.2 | 66% | 0% |
| Silverstone 3.1 mi | D | 1.1 | 0% | 0% |
| Blisworth 3.8 mi | C | 2.2 | 81% | 0% |
| Pattishall and Astcote 3.9 mi | C− | 2.9 | 39% | 0% |
| Roade 4.5 mi | B | 2.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Yardley Gobion 4.9 mi | D | 1.2 | 47% | 0% |
Roade, 4.5 miles away, grades B, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Pattishall and Astcote and Roade have at least twice Towcester’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Towcester
Is Towcester near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Cotswolds National Landscape, 16 mi west of the town’s edge. It covers 2,041 km² and was designated in 1966.
What are the best walks near Towcester?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Grafton Way.
What is the nearest beach to Towcester?
The Beach, 19 mi from the edge of the town, then The Leys Park (31 mi). Towcester itself is inland.
How many people in Towcester live near a park?
77% 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 Towcester?
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 Towcester are historic?
Easton Neston (Grade II*) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Towcester good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 74% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 20% (1.3 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 Towcester’s overall grade.
Where Towcester’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.