Photo: David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0Ellington is on the coast, on the King Charles III England Coast Path
The sea makes up 31% of the area within 5 km. Footpaths add up to 18 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 2.0 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Ellington add up to 2.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Ellington grades B for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Ellington?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Ellington’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by the King Charles III England Coast Path.
Ellington grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Ellington, 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.
Ellington is 24th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,000 to 2,200 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Ellington stands out most for park space per resident: only 25 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 37 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mullion Cornwall | A+ | 3.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 64% |
| 2 | Broughton Buckinghamshire | A+ | 8 | 100% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 3 | Crickhowell Powys | A+ | 4.3 | 100% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 4 | Charlton Hampshire | A+ | 5.6 | 87% | 5.2 | 19% |
| 5 | Bestwood Village Nottinghamshire | A | 43.8 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 6 | Deepcut Surrey | A | 8.4 | 100% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 7 | Chigwell Row Essex | A | 30.3 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 8 | Springwell Tyne and Wear | A | 5 | 100% | 6.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Eton Wick Berkshire | A | 17.4 | 100% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 10 | Carlton South Yorkshire | A | 23.1 | 87% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 11 | Streethay Staffordshire | A− | 10.1 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 12 | Chipping Campden Gloucestershire | A− | 2.1 | 100% | 2 | 74% |
| 13 | Church Warsop Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.1 | 85% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 14 | Hanslope Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 100% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Chiddingfold Surrey | B+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.5 | 68% |
| 16 | Wells-next-the-Sea Norfolk | B+ | 2 | 70% | 1.9 | 65% |
| 17 | Charing Kent | B+ | 2.7 | 85% | 2.1 | 56% |
| 18 | Sharlston West Yorkshire | B+ | 4.9 | 93% | 3 | 0% |
| 19 | Holbrook Suffolk | B+ | 1.1 | 74% | 2.7 | 52% |
| 20 | Carnon Downs and Devoran Cornwall | B+ | 0.3 | 87% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 21 | Yarnfield Staffordshire | B | 6.6 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Bickington Devon | B | 1.4 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 23 | Wheelock Cheshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Ellington Northumberland | B | 2.5 | 86% | 2 | 0% |
| 25 | Trowell Nottinghamshire | B | 7.7 | 56% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Evercreech Somerset | B | 3.5 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 27 | Rayne Essex | B− | 4.3 | 64% | 4 | 0% |
| 28 | Resolven West Glamorgan | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 29 | East Peckham Kent | B− | 14.5 | 66% | 2 | 1% |
| 30 | Hutton Lancashire | B− | 6.6 | 90% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Wardle Greater Manchester | B− | 1 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 32 | Westoning Bedfordshire | B− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 33 | Aspley Guise Bedfordshire | B− | 2.2 | 69% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Pembrey Dyfed | C+ | 0.3 | 48% | 2.6 | 11% |
| 35 | Burgh le Marsh Lincolnshire | C+ | 3.2 | 74% | 1.3 | 7% |
| 36 | Luddenden Foot West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.2 | 68% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Machynlleth Powys | C+ | 2.6 | 45% | 2 | 29% |
| 38 | Huncote Leicestershire | C+ | 0.8 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Market Bosworth Leicestershire | C | 10.9 | 25% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Linton Derbyshire | C | 1.8 | 76% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 41 | Mitcheldean Gloucestershire | C | 1.5 | 80% | 1.9 | 1% |
| 42 | Aspatria Cumbria | C− | 3.1 | 60% | 0.8 | 1% |
| 43 | Maesycwmmer Gwent | C− | 1.9 | 73% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Rudgwick West Sussex | C− | 2.5 | 16% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Seamer (Scarborough) North Yorkshire | C− | 2.2 | 58% | 1 | 18% |
| 46 | Lanner Cornwall | C− | 1.3 | 65% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Stainburn Cumbria | C− | 0.1 | 72% | 2 | 0% |
| 48 | Long Bennington Lincolnshire | C− | 1.6 | 82% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Underwood Gwent | C− | 1.9 | 87% | 1 | 0% |
| 50 | Scholar Green Cheshire | C− | 0.7 | 65% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Wickham Hampshire | D | 0.8 | 26% | 2 | 13% |
| 52 | Hersden Kent | D | 2 | 63% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 53 | Meden Vale Nottinghamshire | D | 0.3 | 58% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Thurlby Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 54% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Preston East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 52% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 56 | West Hill Devon | D | 0 | 0% | 1.2 | 27% |
| 57 | Wymott Lancashire | D− | 0.3 | 10% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Keelby Lincolnshire | D− | 1 | 71% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Bozeat Northamptonshire | D− | 1.3 | 13% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Ipplepen Devon | D− | 0.8 | 42% | 1.1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ellington’s built-up area.
9 in 10 Ellington 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).
About 300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 9 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 237 residents.
The Northumberland Coast National Landscape is 7.4 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.
Northumberland National Park covers 1,051 km² and has been a National Park since 1957.
Ellington is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
18 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Ellington and the kilometre around it, 2.0 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Ellington. The regional route here is the Northumberland Coast Path.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in Ellington: June, August and 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 | 16.9 | 15.0 | 12.6 | 10.3 | 8.2 | 7.1 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 56 | 50 | 45 | 52 | 48 | 69 | 71 | 68 | 57 | 70 | 82 | 64 |
March is the driest month (45 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 82 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 19 nights a year. The climate in Ellington →
The coast and beaches near Ellington
31% of the area within 5 km of Ellington is sea. 5 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 2 with a name.
The King Charles III England Coast Path passes the town.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
9 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 3
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 9
Plus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellington | B | 2.5 | 86% | 0% |
| Lynemouth 1.0 mi | A− | 3.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Widdrington Station 2.3 mi | C+ | 1.0 | 88% | 0% |
| Ashington 3.0 mi | A | 5.6 | 83% | 0% |
| Newbiggin-by-the-Sea 3.1 mi | B | 2.2 | 77% | 0% |
| Stakeford 4.3 mi | A+ | 10.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Pegswood 4.6 mi | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 0% |
Stakeford, 4.3 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Ashington and Stakeford have at least twice Ellington’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Ellington
Is Ellington near a National Park?
Yes. Northumberland National Park begins 13 mi west of the village’s edge. It covers 1,051 km² and has been a National Park since 1957. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Northumberland Coast National Landscape, 7.4 mi away.
What are the best walks near Ellington?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: South Bents to Amble and Northumberland Coast Path.
How many people in Ellington live near a park?
86% 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 Ellington?
June, August and September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Ellington good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.0 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 31% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 60% (2.5 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 Ellington’s overall grade.
Where Ellington’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.