Bellingham’s biggest
Jubilee Park
Park or garden
1.0 ha (2 acres)0.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Bellingham
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Les Hull · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Bellingham · parks, paths & countryside
57% of the land within 5 km of Bellingham is National Park or National Landscape
Northumberland National Park begins 0.1 mi from the village’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Bellingham add up to 8.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 14 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 1.8 for every square kilometre. Bellingham grades A for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
8.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
14 km
1.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
57%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Northumberland National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Bellingham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside57% of the land within 5 km is Northumberland National Park.Room to roam8.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 94% of UK towns.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.On a National TrailThe Pennine Way passes through.
Bellingham’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Bellingham grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bellingham, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A
Better than 92% of UK towns8th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space8.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
95out 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 Landscape57%of the land within 5 km
94out of
100
100
Footpaths1.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
24out 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.
Villages its size
Bellingham is 8th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,000 to 1,100 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
Bellingham1.8
Villages its size2.0
Northumberland towns2.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Bellingham8.6
Villages its size2.1
Northumberland towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Bellingham100%
Villages its size74%
Northumberland towns80%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Bellingham stands out most for park space per resident: only 3 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grove Dorset | A+ | 6 | 100% | 8.7 | 0% |
| 2 | Totternhoe Bedfordshire | A+ | 9.6 | 100% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 3 | Lizard Cornwall | A+ | 2.3 | 100% | 3.3 | 30% |
| 4 | Winchelsea Beach East Sussex | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 45% |
| 5 | East Challow Oxfordshire | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 6 | Cemaes Gwynedd | A+ | 5 | 100% | 1.3 | 14% |
| 7 | Abingworth West Sussex | A | 6.1 | 100% | 2.7 | 27% |
| 8 | Bellingham Northumberland | A | 8.6 | 100% | 1.8 | 57% |
| 9 | Aberaeron Dyfed | A | 6.1 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 10 | Shorne Kent | A | 28.3 | 23% | 3.4 | 24% |
| 11 | Misterton Somerset | A | 2.5 | 100% | 2.9 | 35% |
| 12 | Godshill Isle of Wight | A | 2.1 | 100% | 2.7 | 53% |
| 13 | Ardleigh Essex | A− | 3.2 | 100% | 1.5 | 21% |
| 14 | Llangynidr Powys | B+ | 2.4 | 65% | 3.2 | 100% |
| 15 | Loddiswell Devon | B+ | 2.1 | 100% | 1.3 | 53% |
| 16 | Thornwood Common Essex | B+ | 6.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 17 | Clyst Honiton Devon | B+ | 8 | 83% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 18 | Morchard Bishop Devon | B | 2.6 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Thornton Leicestershire | B | 13.7 | 50% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 20 | Whitwell Hertfordshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 21 | Levens Cumbria | B | 0.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 53% |
| 22 | Llanymynech Shropshire | B | 2 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 23 | Minley Hampshire | B− | 5.7 | 0% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Great Amwell Hertfordshire | B− | 5.7 | 0% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 25 | High Shincliffe County Durham | B− | 0.5 | 100% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 26 | King's Bromley Staffordshire | B− | 3.4 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Derry Hill and Studley Wiltshire | C+ | 1.2 | 100% | 1.7 | 1% |
| 28 | St Newlyn East Cornwall | C+ | 3 | 100% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Little Waltham Essex | C+ | 2.3 | 63% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 30 | Warmington Northamptonshire | C | 1.6 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 31 | Bempton East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.6 | 100% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Upper Bucklebury Berkshire | C | 0.1 | 0% | 4 | 48% |
| 33 | Clifton Lancashire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Elswick Lancashire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Ansley Warwickshire | C− | 1.8 | 64% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 36 | Ewyas Harold Herefordshire | C− | 2.1 | 55% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Hoylandswaine South Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 38 | Marchwiel Clwyd | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 39 | Castle Hedingham Essex | C− | 1.7 | 52% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Swarthmoor Cumbria | C− | 0.2 | 79% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Surfleet Lincolnshire | C− | 4.2 | 0% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Scole Norfolk | C− | 2.1 | 51% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Llangeinor Mid Glamorgan | C− | 3.1 | 62% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Loxwood West Sussex | D | 0 | 0% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 45 | New Quay Dyfed | D | 1.2 | 30% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Sutton St James Lincolnshire | D | 0.1 | 100% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Marshland St James Norfolk | D | 3.5 | 0% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Northop Clwyd | D | 1.6 | 70% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Hevingham Norfolk | D | 1.8 | 0% | 2 | 0% |
| 50 | Waltham on the Wolds Leicestershire | D | 2 | 23% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Overton Lancashire | D | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Henham Essex | D | 0 | 0% | 3 | 0% |
| 53 | Sutton Norfolk | D− | 0 | 0% | 1 | 29% |
| 54 | Methwold Norfolk | D− | 1.8 | 61% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Wawne East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1 | 0% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Foulsham Norfolk | D− | 1.4 | 29% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Mendlesham Suffolk | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Wainfleet St Mary Lincolnshire | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Stockton on the Forest North Yorkshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Ranby Nottinghamshire | D− | 0 | 0% | 0.8 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bellingham’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 Bellingham
The biggest is Jubilee Park, 1.0 ha (2 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
Everyone in Bellingham lives 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 (100%)Further (0%)
Bellingham100%
Villages its size74%
Northumberland towns80%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Bellingham
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.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
57% of the land within 5 km of Bellingham is National Park or National Landscape, more than 93% of UK towns. Northumberland National Park covers 1,051 km² and has been a National Park since 1957.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Bellingham is on the Pennine Way
14 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bellingham and the kilometre around it, 1.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
NationalRegional
Pennine Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Kirk Yetholm)7.2 km
St Cuthbert's Three Church Trail4.5 km
The Pennine Way, a national route, passes Bellingham. The regional route here is the St Cuthbert's Three Church Trail.
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 Bellingham: June to September
The village’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) | 7.7 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.1 | 17.4 | 16.8 | 15.0 | 12.6 | 10.3 | 8.2 | 7.2 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 101 | 80 | 69 | 55 | 57 | 80 | 75 | 90 | 72 | 81 | 89 | 102 |
April is the driest month (55 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 102 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 63 nights a year. The climate in Bellingham →
Things to do
2 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Bellingham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Shingle Beach22 mi from Bellingham’s edge
DirectionsShingles22 mi from Bellingham’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
Waterfalls 1
Hareshaw Linn1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Demesne Farm Campsite & Granary Cottage0.0 mi from town
DirectionsBellingham Camping & Caravaning Club Site0.3 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
Haydon BridgeAcombBellingham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham | A | 8.6 | 100% | 57% |
| Haydon Bridge 11.8 mi | A | 7.2 | 100% | 26% |
| Acomb 12.0 mi | B | 2.0 | 100% | 0% |
Bellingham grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table.
Questions about the outdoors in Bellingham
What is the biggest park in Bellingham?
Jubilee Park, 1.0 ha (2 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Bellingham near a National Park?
Yes. Northumberland National Park begins 0.1 mi west of the village’s edge. It covers 1,051 km² and has been a National Park since 1957.
What are the best walks near Bellingham?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Pennine Way (Middleton in Teesdale to Kirk Yetholm) and St Cuthbert's Three Church Trail.
What is the nearest beach to Bellingham?
Shingle Beach, 22 mi from the edge of the village, then Shingles (22 mi). Bellingham itself is inland.
How many people in Bellingham 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 Bellingham?
June to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Bellingham good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 24% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 95% (8.6 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 Bellingham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Bellingham’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.