Whitchurch’s biggest
Jubilee Park
Park or garden
6.1 ha (15 acres)1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Whitchurch
Darwin Court
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Noisar · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Whitchurch · parks, paths & countryside
86% of Whitchurch’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Whitchurch add up to 2.7 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, 2.6 for every square kilometre. Whitchurch grades B− for the outdoors: #6 of 19 in Shropshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
86%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
44 km
2.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape
Outdoors grade
Whitchurch grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Whitchurch, 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 45% of UK towns#6 of 19 in Shropshire · 39th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
64out of
100
100
A park within a walk86%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
60out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
49out 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
Whitchurch is 39th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 9,300 to 10,500 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
Whitchurch2.6
Towns its size3.1
Shropshire towns2.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Whitchurch2.7
Towns its size2.4
Shropshire towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Whitchurch86%
Towns its size84%
Shropshire towns72%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Whitchurch stands out most for park space per resident: only 21 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 42 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caldicot Gwent | A+ | 4.2 | 92% | 3 | 2% |
| 2 | Bordon Hampshire | A | 8.6 | 54% | 6.7 | 49% |
| 3 | Beccles Suffolk | A | 4.5 | 87% | 3.2 | 20% |
| 4 | South Merstham Surrey | A | 3.7 | 84% | 3.7 | 20% |
| 5 | Nuthall and Watnall Nottinghamshire | A | 6.3 | 97% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 6 | Bradford-on-Avon Wiltshire | A | 2.8 | 88% | 3.7 | 21% |
| 7 | Southborough Kent | A− | 2.8 | 94% | 2.5 | 57% |
| 8 | Whiteley Hampshire | A− | 3 | 52% | 4.4 | 2% |
| 9 | Thurmaston Leicestershire | A− | 10.4 | 89% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 10 | Esher Surrey | A− | 6.9 | 86% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Kings Hill Kent | A− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 7% |
| 12 | Padiham Lancashire | A− | 1.5 | 95% | 4.5 | 18% |
| 13 | Bingham Nottinghamshire | A− | 3.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 14 | Egglescliffe County Durham | A− | 4.9 | 94% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 15 | Aveley Essex | A− | 3.4 | 84% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 16 | Irthlingborough Northamptonshire | A− | 4.7 | 94% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Yarm North Yorkshire | A− | 3.3 | 96% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Corfe Mullen Dorset | B+ | 3.1 | 72% | 3.5 | 13% |
| 19 | Woodbridge Suffolk | B+ | 1.7 | 80% | 3.9 | 30% |
| 20 | Sandiacre Derbyshire | B+ | 2.6 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 21 | Cranleigh Surrey | B | 2.5 | 20% | 4.3 | 38% |
| 22 | Shildon County Durham | B | 2.8 | 93% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Pontllanfraith Gwent | B | 3.7 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Ludlow Shropshire | B | 2.3 | 92% | 2.1 | 16% |
| 25 | North Wingfield and Holmewood Derbyshire | B | 2.7 | 84% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Great Dunmow Essex | B | 2 | 92% | 4 | 0% |
| 27 | Queensbury West Yorkshire | B | 2.6 | 91% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Tiptree Essex | B | 2.7 | 90% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Immingham Lincolnshire | B | 2 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Perton Staffordshire | B | 2.4 | 93% | 3 | 0% |
| 31 | Pembroke Dock Dyfed | B− | 1.7 | 80% | 1.1 | 25% |
| 32 | Yaxley Cambridgeshire | B− | 2.6 | 90% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 33 | Caernarfon Gwynedd | B− | 1.7 | 83% | 1.4 | 14% |
| 34 | Horbury West Yorkshire | B− | 2.5 | 75% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Mildenhall Suffolk | B− | 2.1 | 91% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 36 | Monmouth Gwent | B− | 1.5 | 69% | 3.1 | 45% |
| 37 | Radstock Somerset | B− | 1.1 | 93% | 2.9 | 1% |
| 38 | Knottingley West Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 88% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Whitchurch Shropshire | B− | 2.7 | 86% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Mold Clwyd | C+ | 1.9 | 86% | 1.6 | 17% |
| 41 | Brandon County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Raunds Northamptonshire | C+ | 4.7 | 74% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Crook County Durham | C+ | 1.5 | 85% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Lydney Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.1 | 52% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Abertillery Gwent | C | 2.4 | 69% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Diss Norfolk | C | 1.5 | 80% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Barnham West Sussex | C | 1.3 | 70% | 2.3 | 32% |
| 48 | Kippax West Yorkshire | C | 1.4 | 80% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Shepton Mallet Somerset | C | 1.2 | 70% | 2.8 | 1% |
| 50 | Catshill Worcestershire | C | 1.4 | 82% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Prudhoe Northumberland | C− | 1.7 | 37% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Polegate East Sussex | C− | 0.8 | 64% | 2.2 | 24% |
| 53 | West Moors Dorset | C− | 0.9 | 33% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Haxby North Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 59% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Sherborne Dorset | D | 1.2 | 76% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Broughton Astley Leicestershire | D | 1 | 82% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Burton Latimer Northamptonshire | D | 0.9 | 62% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Pocklington East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.6 | 65% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Pheasey West Midlands | D− | 0.9 | 40% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Ponteland Northumberland | D− | 1.1 | 36% | 1.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Whitchurch’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 Whitchurch
The biggest is Jubilee Park, 6.1 ha (15 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Whitchurch’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 (86%)Further (14%)
Whitchurch86%
Towns its size84%
Shropshire towns72%
All UK towns83%
About 1,300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 14 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 704 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape is 15 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
15 mi west389 km²since 2011
Footpaths & waymarked walks
8 waymarked walks pass through or near Whitchurch
44 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Whitchurch and the kilometre around it, 2.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Whitchurch Wheel16.7 km
Cheshire Circuit9.8 km
Marches Way9.5 km
Shropshire Way - Whitchurch to Ellesmere7.6 km
Shropshire Way - Wem to Whitchurch7.6 km
Sandstone Trail5.1 km
South Cheshire Way4.3 km
Maelor Way2.0 km
Close to home, the Whitchurch Wheel has 17 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 6 regional routes pass through, including the Cheshire Circuit, Shropshire Way - Whitchurch to Ellesmere, Shropshire Way - Wem to Whitchurch and Sandstone 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 Whitchurch: 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) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 60 | 45 | 46 | 49 | 55 | 60 | 58 | 61 | 56 | 79 | 71 | 70 |
February is the driest month (45 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 79 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 39 nights a year. The climate in Whitchurch →
Things to do
14 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.
Nature reserves 2
Greenfields Nature Reserve3.6 ha · in town
DirectionsBrown Moss32 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 14
Plus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Hadley Park0.5 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.
Prees Higher HeathMalpasPreesAudlemWemMarket DraytonWhitchurch
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitchurch | B− | 2.7 | 86% | 0% |
| Prees Higher Heath 3.8 mi | D− | 0.7 | 26% | 0% |
| Malpas 4.9 mi | D | 1.6 | 61% | 0% |
| Prees 5.0 mi | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 0% |
| Audlem 7.6 mi | D− | 0.6 | 50% | 0% |
| Wem 7.9 mi | D | 1.2 | 77% | 0% |
| Market Drayton 9.2 mi | C− | 1.5 | 88% | 0% |
Whitchurch grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Whitchurch
What is the biggest park in Whitchurch?
Jubilee Park, 6.1 ha (15 acres), with 1.9 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Whitchurch near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Bryniau Clwyd A Dyffryn Dyfrdwy/clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape, 15 mi west of the town’s edge. It covers 389 km² and was designated in 2011.
What are the best walks near Whitchurch?
8 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Whitchurch Wheel, Cheshire Circuit and Marches Way.
How many people in Whitchurch 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 Whitchurch?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Whitchurch good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 49% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 64% (2.7 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 Whitchurch’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Whitchurch’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.