Photo: El Pollock · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in Gobowen
The Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape begins 2.1 mi from the town’s edge. Footpaths add up to 14 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 1.2 for every square kilometre. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 50% of residents. Gobowen grades D for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Gobowen?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Gobowen’s strongest suit is the Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Gobowen grades D for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Gobowen, 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.
Gobowen is 53rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,900 to 3,200 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Gobowen falls furthest behind on path per km², where 53 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rowlands Castle Hampshire | A+ | 26.1 | 100% | 5 | 48% |
| 2 | Arundel West Sussex | A+ | 4.4 | 100% | 3.8 | 56% |
| 3 | Theale Berkshire | A+ | 5 | 100% | 3.8 | 39% |
| 4 | Cuxton Kent | A+ | 25.2 | 90% | 4 | 44% |
| 5 | Horton Heath Hampshire | A+ | 10 | 100% | 3.3 | 13% |
| 6 | Beaminster Dorset | A | 4.1 | 89% | 3.4 | 100% |
| 7 | Ebbsfleet Valley Kent | A | 9 | 77% | 8.3 | 0% |
| 8 | Langwith Derbyshire | A | 19.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Ellistown Leicestershire | A | 7.5 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Llangollen Clwyd | A | 3.5 | 91% | 2.5 | 76% |
| 11 | Menai Bridge Gwynedd | A | 1.8 | 100% | 2.4 | 7% |
| 12 | Gamesley Derbyshire | A− | 0.8 | 100% | 5 | 32% |
| 13 | New Marske North Yorkshire | A− | 4.4 | 90% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 14 | Oughtibridge South Yorkshire | A− | 2.2 | 76% | 6 | 19% |
| 15 | Bream Gloucestershire | A− | 2.2 | 82% | 4.7 | 10% |
| 16 | Rhodes Greater Manchester | B+ | 16.6 | 78% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 17 | Wootton Isle of Wight | B+ | 3.7 | 67% | 1.7 | 20% |
| 18 | Porthleven Cornwall | B+ | 1.6 | 78% | 2.5 | 19% |
| 19 | Drayton Oxfordshire | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 3 | 3% |
| 20 | Newton and Blackwell Derbyshire | B | 2.6 | 91% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 21 | Wing Buckinghamshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 22 | Honeybourne Worcestershire | B | 2.9 | 80% | 2.6 | 14% |
| 23 | Camelford Cornwall | B | 2 | 100% | 1.5 | 33% |
| 24 | Upper Beeding West Sussex | B | 0.6 | 83% | 3.9 | 62% |
| 25 | Fleur-de-lis and Pengam Gwent | B | 6 | 54% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Weldon Northamptonshire | B | 8.2 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 27 | Newbold Verdon Leicestershire | B− | 2.3 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Bugbrooke Northamptonshire | B− | 3.7 | 80% | 3 | 0% |
| 29 | Long Hanborough Oxfordshire | B− | 1.3 | 89% | 2.7 | 18% |
| 30 | Harwell Oxfordshire | B− | 1.4 | 85% | 2.3 | 42% |
| 31 | Crumbles East Sussex | B− | 0.3 | 44% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 32 | Henley-in-Arden Warwickshire | C+ | 4.6 | 58% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 33 | Etwall Derbyshire | C+ | 2.3 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Capel St Mary Suffolk | C+ | 1.5 | 59% | 3 | 24% |
| 35 | Dymchurch Kent | C+ | 1.6 | 58% | 1 | 13% |
| 36 | Thaxted Essex | C | 0.8 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 37 | Swillington West Yorkshire | C | 2.2 | 68% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 38 | Hendy and Fforest Dyfed | C | 2.1 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Swanmore Hampshire | C | 1.4 | 69% | 1.9 | 54% |
| 40 | Sutton Courtenay Oxfordshire | C | 1.2 | 23% | 4 | 6% |
| 41 | West Chiltington West Sussex | C | 1.5 | 18% | 2.7 | 38% |
| 42 | Bottesford Leicestershire | C | 3.9 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Haddenham Cambridgeshire | C | 2.2 | 86% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Ogmore Vale Mid Glamorgan | C | 4.3 | 79% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Fenstanton Cambridgeshire | C− | 0.8 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 46 | Cullingworth West Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 47 | Great Leighs Essex | C− | 1.5 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 48 | Lostwithiel Cornwall | C− | 1.6 | 67% | 1.5 | 11% |
| 49 | West Auckland County Durham | C− | 1.1 | 91% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Burnopfield County Durham | C− | 1.5 | 50% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 51 | South Petherton Somerset | C− | 1.1 | 61% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Kelsall Cheshire | D | 1 | 57% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Gobowen Shropshire | D | 1.2 | 50% | 1.2 | 2% |
| 54 | Skellingthorpe Lincolnshire | D | 1.2 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Gilberdyke East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 0.7 | 90% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Thurston Suffolk | D | 1.6 | 39% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 57 | Bampton Oxfordshire | D | 1.1 | 63% | 2 | 0% |
| 58 | Queniborough Leicestershire | D | 1.4 | 48% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 59 | Kirton in Lindsey Lincolnshire | D− | 1.7 | 57% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Boroughbridge North Yorkshire | D− | 0.4 | 60% | 1.6 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Gobowen’s built-up area.
5 in 10 Gobowen 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 1,500 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 town, about one for every 338 residents.
The Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape is 2.1 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.
Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley
Snowdonia
2% of the land within 5 km of Gobowen is National Park or National Landscape, more than 64% of UK towns. Snowdonia National Park covers 2,140 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Gobowen
14 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Gobowen and the kilometre around it, 1.2 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 Llwybr Clawdd Wat.
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 Gobowen: 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) | 8.1 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 85 | 66 | 63 | 62 | 63 | 73 | 73 | 71 | 64 | 114 | 87 | 97 |
April is the driest month (62 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 114 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 39 nights a year. The climate in Gobowen →
9 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.
Hills and peaks 1
Playgrounds 9
Plus 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gobowen | D | 1.2 | 50% | 2% |
| Weston Rhyn 1.9 mi | A− | 3.6 | 100% | 10% |
| Whittington 2.1 mi | B− | 3.7 | 100% | 0% |
| St Martins 2.2 mi | D | 0.6 | 59% | 2% |
| Oswestry 2.6 mi | C− | 1.3 | 88% | 0% |
| Chirk 3.2 mi | B+ | 1.8 | 100% | 15% |
| Morda 3.8 mi | D | 0.7 | 84% | 0% |
Weston Rhyn, 1.9 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Weston Rhyn and Whittington have at least twice Gobowen’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Gobowen
Is Gobowen near a National Park?
Yes. Snowdonia National Park begins 18 mi west of the town’s edge. It covers 2,140 km² and has been a National Park since 1951. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape, 2.1 mi away.
What are the best walks near Gobowen?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Llwybr Clawdd Wat.
How many people in Gobowen live near a park?
50% 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 Gobowen?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Gobowen good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 11% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 18% (1.2 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 Gobowen’s overall grade.
Where Gobowen’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.