Much Wenlock’s biggest
Gaskell Recreation Ground
Playing field
4.2 ha (10 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Much Wenlock
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: TCExplorer · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Much Wenlock · parks, paths & countryside
The Shropshire Hills National Landscape begins 0.0 mi from Much Wenlock
A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 13% of residents. Footpaths add up to 37 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 3.6 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Much Wenlock add up to 2.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Much Wenlock grades B− for the outdoors. 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
13%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
37 km
3.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
20%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Shropshire Hills National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Much Wenlock?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe Shropshire Hills National Landscape starts 0.0 mi north.Historic parksWenlock Abbey is a registered historic park (Grade II).Parks can be a walk away87% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Much Wenlock’s strongest suit is the Shropshire Hills National Landscape close by, followed by its historic parks. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Much Wenlock grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Much Wenlock, 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 49% of UK towns27th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space2.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
56out of
100
100
A park within a walk13%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
4out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape20%of the land within 5 km
78out of
100
100
Footpaths3.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
73out 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
Much Wenlock is 27th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,700 to 1,800 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
Much Wenlock3.6
Villages its size2.2
Shropshire towns2.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Much Wenlock2.4
Villages its size1.9
Shropshire towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Much Wenlock13%
Villages its size81%
Shropshire towns72%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Much Wenlock stands out most for path per km²: only 10 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 58 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Llanbadarn Fawr Dyfed | A+ | 14.7 | 82% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 2 | Rogiet Gwent | A+ | 3.9 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Woodbury Devon | A | 3.3 | 100% | 0.9 | 26% |
| 4 | Malvern Wells Worcestershire | A | 10.8 | 37% | 5.3 | 57% |
| 5 | New Denham Buckinghamshire | A | 8.9 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Elstree Hertfordshire | A | 22 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 7 | Scalby North Yorkshire | A | 5.9 | 70% | 2 | 43% |
| 8 | New Hartley Northumberland | A− | 1.9 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Hamstreet Kent | A− | 2.3 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 10 | Wembdon Somerset | A− | 7.4 | 88% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Heslington North Yorkshire | A− | 6.3 | 80% | 9.2 | 0% |
| 12 | Ingleton North Yorkshire | B+ | 1.5 | 100% | 2.5 | 54% |
| 13 | Compton Berkshire | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.1 | 100% |
| 14 | Pendlebury Greater Manchester | B+ | 18.5 | 74% | 4 | 0% |
| 15 | Trimdon Colliery County Durham | B+ | 4.7 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Eight Ash Green Essex | B+ | 8.2 | 80% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Denby Bottles Derbyshire | B | 1.4 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Rackheath Norfolk | B | 2.6 | 100% | 1 | 14% |
| 19 | South Hiendley West Yorkshire | B | 13.4 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 20 | North Benfleet Essex | B | 11 | 56% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | East Bridgford Nottinghamshire | B− | 1.4 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Great Bentley Essex | B− | 6.4 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Llandeilo Dyfed | B− | 1.8 | 88% | 2.3 | 22% |
| 24 | Delabole Cornwall | B− | 1.1 | 76% | 2 | 35% |
| 25 | Blaengarw Mid Glamorgan | B− | 5 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Winkfield Row Berkshire | B− | 11 | 80% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Much Wenlock Shropshire | B− | 2.4 | 13% | 3.6 | 20% |
| 28 | Copford Essex | B− | 4 | 70% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 29 | North Tawton Devon | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Great Chesterford Essex | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 31 | Cheddington Buckinghamshire | C+ | 2.2 | 35% | 3.1 | 16% |
| 32 | Sharnbrook Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.6 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 33 | Kedington Suffolk | C+ | 3.3 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Bury Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.1 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 35 | Duckmanton Derbyshire | C | 1.2 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Great Broughton and Little Broughton Cumbria | C | 1.2 | 85% | 2.3 | 1% |
| 37 | Doveridge Derbyshire | C | 1.7 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 38 | Bodelwyddan Clwyd | C | 1.9 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Shireoaks Nottinghamshire | C | 1.5 | 78% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Penygroes Gwynedd | C− | 0.7 | 66% | 0.6 | 26% |
| 41 | Billington Lancashire | C− | 0.5 | 0% | 3.9 | 14% |
| 42 | Deddington Oxfordshire | C− | 3.6 | 53% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Middle Barton Oxfordshire | C− | 1.9 | 81% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Shilbottle Northumberland | C− | 1.8 | 49% | 1.9 | 7% |
| 45 | Elmstead Market Essex | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Pattingham Staffordshire | C− | 2 | 80% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Sudbrooke Lincolnshire | C− | 1.5 | 82% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Croft Leicestershire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Hatfield Heath Essex | D | 1.3 | 76% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Glinton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 79% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 51 | Frizington Cumbria | D | 1.4 | 52% | 0.9 | 15% |
| 52 | Aiskew North Yorkshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Richings Park Buckinghamshire | D | 1 | 72% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Houghton on the Hill Leicestershire | D | 1.8 | 60% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Thorp Arch West Yorkshire | D | 2.6 | 29% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Johnston Dyfed | D | 1.4 | 55% | 0.6 | 5% |
| 57 | St Clears Dyfed | D− | 2 | 31% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Bramham West Yorkshire | D− | 1.4 | 47% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Necton Norfolk | D− | 1.5 | 17% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Tockwith North Yorkshire | D− | 0.4 | 14% | 1.1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Much Wenlock’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 Much Wenlock
The biggest is Gaskell Recreation Ground, 4.2 ha (10 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
1 in 10 Much Wenlock 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).
Within 400 m (13%)Further (87%)
Much Wenlock13%
Villages its size81%
Shropshire towns72%
All UK towns83%
About 1,500 people live further than that. 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 Much Wenlock
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
National Landscape
Shropshire Hills
0.0 mi north808 km²since 195920% of the land within 5 km
Official site20% of the land within 5 km of Much Wenlock is National Park or National Landscape, more than 77% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Much Wenlock
37 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Much Wenlock 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 village.
Local
Shropshire Way - stage 086.9 km
Major's Leap Walk, Wenlock Edge5.3 km
Jenny Wind Walk, Wenlock Edge3.5 km
Close to home, the Shropshire Way - stage 08 has 7 km of local walk within 2 km of the village.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A registered historic park in Much Wenlock
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Much Wenlock’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIWenlock Abbey1.4 ha
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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Much Wenlock: May 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) | 8.1 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 66 | 57 | 53 | 58 | 60 | 73 | 66 | 73 | 66 | 82 | 76 | 80 |
March is the driest month (53 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 82 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 62 nights a year. The climate in Much Wenlock →
Things to do
2 viewpoints
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
Viewpoints 2
Old Windmill0.0 mi from town
DirectionsMajor's Leap0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 1
Plus 1 playground without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Sytche Camping and Caravan Park0.1 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.
BroseleyBridgnorthTelfordShifnalBayston HillChurch StrettonMuch Wenlock
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Much Wenlock | B− | 2.4 | 13% | 20% |
| Broseley 3.5 mi | C+ | 1.2 | 74% | 8% |
| Bridgnorth 7.0 mi | C− | 2.4 | 66% | 0% |
| Telford 7.2 mi | A | 3.2 | 96% | 6% |
| Shifnal 9.5 mi | D | 1.0 | 89% | 0% |
| Bayston Hill 10.4 mi | C− | 1.8 | 70% | 0% |
| Church Stretton 11.1 mi | A− | 2.2 | 68% | 92% |
Telford, 7.2 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 96% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Much Wenlock
What is the biggest park in Much Wenlock?
Gaskell Recreation Ground, 4.2 ha (10 acres), with 1.1 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Much Wenlock near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Shropshire Hills National Landscape, 0.0 mi north of the village’s edge. It covers 808 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near Much Wenlock?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Shropshire Way - stage 08, Major's Leap Walk, Wenlock Edge and Jenny Wind Walk, Wenlock Edge.
How many people in Much Wenlock live near a park?
13% 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 Much Wenlock?
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 Much Wenlock are historic?
Wenlock Abbey (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Much Wenlock good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 73% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 56% (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 Much Wenlock’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Much Wenlock’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.