Oswestry’s biggest
Cae Glas Park
Park or garden
3.9 ha (10 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Oswestry
5 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: TCExplorer · CC BY-SA 2.0C−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Oswestry · parks, paths & countryside
88% of Oswestry’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape begins 4.0 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Oswestry add up to 1.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 44 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 2.0 for every square kilometre. Oswestry grades C− for the outdoors: #13 of 19 in Shropshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
88%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
44 km
2.0 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley starts 4.0 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Oswestry?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape starts 4.0 mi north.Historic parksBrogyntyn is a registered historic park (Grade II).Less park per person1.3 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Oswestry’s strongest suit is the Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape close by, followed by its historic parks. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Oswestry grades C− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Oswestry, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C−
Better than 19% of UK towns#13 of 19 in Shropshire
Public green space1.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
21out of
100
100
A park within a walk88%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
64out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.0 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
31out 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.
Towns its size
How Oswestry compares with UK towns of 16,300 to 18,800
The 60 UK towns and cities of 16,300 to 18,800 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
Oswestry2.0
Towns its size3.2
Shropshire towns2.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Oswestry1.3
Towns its size2.2
Shropshire towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Oswestry88%
Towns its size86%
Shropshire towns72%
All UK towns83%
Oswestry falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 54 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cirencester Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.3 | 95% | 4.1 | 48% |
| 2 | Prestatyn Clwyd | A+ | 3.3 | 92% | 2.9 | 14% |
| 3 | Dorking Surrey | A | 4.4 | 75% | 7 | 57% |
| 4 | Litherland Merseyside | A | 7.3 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 5 | Clitheroe Lancashire | A | 3 | 98% | 3.1 | 59% |
| 6 | Brixham Devon | A | 3.1 | 76% | 2.5 | 30% |
| 7 | Waltham Abbey Essex | A | 11.9 | 92% | 6.7 | 0% |
| 8 | Shiney Row and Penshaw Tyne and Wear | A | 9.6 | 98% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 9 | Bishop's Cleeve Gloucestershire | A | 1.9 | 100% | 3.9 | 35% |
| 10 | Connah's Quay Clwyd | A | 5.8 | 97% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Northwich Cheshire | A | 8.8 | 92% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 12 | Clifton Greater Manchester | A | 10 | 92% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Abbots Langley and Kings Langley Hertfordshire | A | 3.8 | 88% | 3.6 | 3% |
| 14 | Bredbury and Woodley Greater Manchester | A | 4.8 | 94% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 15 | Euxton Lancashire | A− | 3.7 | 98% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 16 | Alton Hampshire | B+ | 2.6 | 82% | 3 | 27% |
| 17 | Wath upon Dearne South Yorkshire | B+ | 5.5 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Glossop Derbyshire | B+ | 1.5 | 78% | 4.2 | 60% |
| 19 | Walkden Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.4 | 92% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 20 | Wombwell South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 21 | Swanley Kent | B+ | 1.8 | 78% | 4.2 | 20% |
| 22 | Warminster Wiltshire | B+ | 1.7 | 86% | 3 | 44% |
| 23 | Liversedge West Yorkshire | B+ | 2 | 98% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 24 | Westbury Wiltshire | B | 1.4 | 97% | 3.3 | 1% |
| 25 | Amersham Buckinghamshire | B | 1.8 | 62% | 3.7 | 64% |
| 26 | Patchway Gloucestershire | B | 2.5 | 80% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Cobham Surrey | B | 3.1 | 49% | 4 | 1% |
| 28 | Wimborne Minster Dorset | B | 2.7 | 51% | 3.6 | 17% |
| 29 | Penrith Cumbria | B | 1.6 | 91% | 2.9 | 9% |
| 30 | Bangor Gwynedd | B | 0.9 | 79% | 2.7 | 11% |
| 31 | Wymondham Norfolk | B | 2.8 | 97% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 32 | Shaw Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 96% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Minster (Swale) Kent | B | 2.5 | 89% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Bramhall Greater Manchester | B− | 4.7 | 71% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 35 | St Ives Cambridgeshire | B− | 1.7 | 95% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Biddulph Staffordshire | B− | 3.3 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 37 | Guisborough North Yorkshire | B− | 1.5 | 80% | 2.6 | 35% |
| 38 | Baildon West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 71% | 7.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Heysham Lancashire | B− | 1.4 | 83% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Carterton Oxfordshire | B− | 2.1 | 82% | 2 | 13% |
| 41 | Ramsbottom Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.1 | 74% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Maesteg Mid Glamorgan | C+ | 2 | 94% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Melksham Wiltshire | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Royston Hertfordshire | C+ | 1.3 | 83% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Adwick le Street South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.8 | 89% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Bodmin Cornwall | C+ | 1.1 | 87% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 47 | Nantwich Cheshire | C | 2.2 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Streetly West Midlands | C | 7.5 | 58% | 2 | 0% |
| 49 | Bourne Lincolnshire | C | 1.3 | 70% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 50 | Ripon North Yorkshire | C | 1 | 75% | 2.4 | 17% |
| 51 | Sleaford Lincolnshire | C | 1.7 | 93% | 2 | 0% |
| 52 | Tonypandy Mid Glamorgan | C | 1.5 | 85% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 53 | Hale Greater Manchester | C− | 2.4 | 50% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Stone Staffordshire | C− | 1.5 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 55 | North Hykeham Lincolnshire | C− | 2.4 | 60% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Saffron Walden Essex | C− | 1.1 | 63% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Louth Lincolnshire | C− | 0.6 | 76% | 1.3 | 47% |
| 58 | Oswestry Shropshire | C− | 1.3 | 88% | 2 | 0% |
| 59 | Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay Staffordshire | C− | 1.5 | 60% | 1.6 | 3% |
| 60 | Carmarthen Dyfed | D | 1.6 | 76% | 1.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Oswestry’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 Oswestry
The biggest is Cae Glas Park, 3.9 ha (10 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
The Green
Park or garden
0.2 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Oswestry
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Oswestry’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).
Within 400 m (88%)Further (12%)
Oswestry88%
Towns its size86%
Shropshire towns72%
All UK towns83%
About 2,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 19 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 921 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape is 4.0 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.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
National Landscape
Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley
4.0 mi north389 km²since 2011
National Park
Snowdonia
17 mi west2,140 km²since 1951
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Oswestry scores 0% on it even though the Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape is 4.0 mi away. Snowdonia National Park covers 2,140 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Oswestry
44 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Oswestry 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 town.
Regional
Llwybr Clawdd Wat8.8 km
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.
History along the way
A historic park in the middle of Oswestry
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Oswestry’s named parks.
Park with listed buildings
Cae Glas Park
3.9 ha. 5 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
IIGate pier attached to north-east corner of Bellan House School, 38, Church StreetIIGate pier attached to south-east corner of 36, Church StreetIIWar MemorialIIWar Memorial to the Staff of the Cambrian Railways
Registered · Grade IIBrogyntyn0.6 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 Oswestry: 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) | 93 | 67 | 63 | 63 | 66 | 72 | 65 | 67 | 69 | 90 | 85 | 98 |
March is the driest month (63 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 98 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in Oswestry →
Things to do
2 viewpoints and 19 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 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Old Oswestry150 m (492 ft) · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Shelf Bank3.3 ha · in town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 19
Plus 19 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
MordaWhittingtonGobowenWeston RhynPantSt MartinsOswestry
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oswestry | C− | 1.3 | 88% | 0% |
| Morda 1.2 mi | D | 0.7 | 84% | 0% |
| Whittington 2.0 mi | B− | 3.7 | 100% | 0% |
| Gobowen 2.6 mi | D | 1.2 | 50% | 2% |
| Weston Rhyn 4.0 mi | A− | 3.6 | 100% | 10% |
| Pant 4.6 mi | D | 0.3 | 0% | 0% |
| St Martins 4.7 mi | D | 0.6 | 59% | 2% |
Weston Rhyn, 4 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Whittington and Weston Rhyn have at least twice Oswestry’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Oswestry
What is the biggest park in Oswestry?
Cae Glas Park, 3.9 ha (10 acres), with 1 km of path. The Green (0.2 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Oswestry near a National Park?
Yes. Snowdonia National Park begins 17 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, 4.0 mi away.
What are the best walks near Oswestry?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Llwybr Clawdd Wat.
How many people in Oswestry live near a park?
88% 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 Oswestry?
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 Oswestry are historic?
Brogyntyn (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Oswestry 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 21% (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 Oswestry’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Oswestry’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.