Photo: The original uploader was Edward at English Wikipedia . · Public domainBackwell has more footpath per square kilometre than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
60 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.4 for every square kilometre. The Mendip Hills National Landscape begins 4.3 mi from the town’s edge. 57% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Backwell grades C+ for the outdoors: #40 of 49 in Somerset. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Backwell?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Backwell’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Mendip Hills National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Backwell grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Backwell, 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.
Backwell is 29th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 4,200 to 4,500 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Backwell stands out most for path per km²: only 6 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 47 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keswick Cumbria | A+ | 9.1 | 100% | 4.1 | 100% |
| 2 | West Malling Kent | A+ | 8.7 | 100% | 3.4 | 21% |
| 3 | Telscombe Cliffs East Sussex | A+ | 3 | 58% | 5.1 | 42% |
| 4 | Great Denham Bedfordshire | A | 14.7 | 100% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 5 | Aberbargoed Gwent | A | 22.8 | 95% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 6 | Denaby Main South Yorkshire | A | 10.4 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 7 | Overton Hampshire | A | 3.7 | 92% | 2.5 | 45% |
| 8 | Kimberley Nottinghamshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 9 | Whittle-le-Woods Lancashire | A− | 7.7 | 91% | 4 | 0% |
| 10 | Loftus North Yorkshire | A− | 1.9 | 90% | 2 | 31% |
| 11 | Exminster Devon | A− | 2.5 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Arborfield Garrison Berkshire | A− | 10.4 | 95% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 13 | Stokenchurch Buckinghamshire | A− | 2.3 | 90% | 2.6 | 86% |
| 14 | Fairford Gloucestershire | A− | 3.4 | 100% | 1.8 | 17% |
| 15 | Horsford Norfolk | B+ | 6.5 | 97% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Ratby Leicestershire | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 17 | Girton Cambridgeshire | B+ | 2.8 | 92% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Elmswell Suffolk | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 19 | Clayton West and Scissett West Yorkshire | B | 1.4 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Winchcombe Gloucestershire | B | 2.2 | 60% | 3 | 81% |
| 21 | Earby Lancashire | B− | 1.4 | 93% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Woodford Halse Northamptonshire | B− | 3.6 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 23 | Wilton Wiltshire | B− | 1.4 | 94% | 1.6 | 45% |
| 24 | Tibshelf Derbyshire | B− | 1.4 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Ferndale Mid Glamorgan | B− | 3.6 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Woburn Sands Buckinghamshire | C+ | 1.1 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 27 | Milford on Sea Hampshire | C+ | 1.2 | 50% | 2.1 | 21% |
| 28 | Kessingland Suffolk | C+ | 0.9 | 70% | 1.9 | 19% |
| 29 | Backwell Somerset | C+ | 2.3 | 57% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 30 | Sandwich Kent | C+ | 2.1 | 51% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 31 | Sible Hedingham Essex | C+ | 0.9 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 32 | Halfway Houses Kent | C | 1.8 | 71% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Queen's Hills Norfolk | C | 0.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 34 | Hope Clwyd | C | 8.5 | 64% | 2 | 0% |
| 35 | Kilburn and Horsley Woodhouse Derbyshire | C | 1.6 | 75% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 36 | Skelmanthorpe West Yorkshire | C | 1 | 88% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Brundall Norfolk | C | 1.6 | 62% | 2.3 | 20% |
| 38 | Meopham Kent | C | 1.3 | 53% | 2.5 | 35% |
| 39 | Uppingham Rutland | C | 2.2 | 89% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Long Lawford Warwickshire | C | 1.2 | 91% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 41 | Branston Lincolnshire | C | 2.1 | 86% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Llangennech Dyfed | C | 1.6 | 82% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Nelson Gwent | C | 2.1 | 88% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Cuffley Hertfordshire | C− | 13.6 | 19% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Ellesmere Shropshire | C− | 12.5 | 54% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Chudleigh Devon | C− | 0.3 | 83% | 1.4 | 15% |
| 47 | Saxilby Lincolnshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 48 | Epworth Lincolnshire | C− | 1.6 | 75% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Doddington and Wimblington Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.5 | 73% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Great Ayton North Yorkshire | C− | 0.2 | 48% | 2.2 | 31% |
| 51 | West Kingsdown Kent | D | 0.8 | 28% | 1.6 | 52% |
| 52 | North Weald Bassett Essex | D | 1.4 | 67% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Linton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.1 | 67% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Shepperton Green Surrey | D | 1.4 | 73% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Banks Lancashire | D | 0.3 | 33% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Blidworth Nottinghamshire | D | 0.5 | 23% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Kegworth Leicestershire | D | 0.4 | 54% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Wheatley Oxfordshire | D− | 0.2 | 34% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Warboys Cambridgeshire | D− | 0.4 | 67% | 1 | 0% |
| 60 | Pinchbeck Lincolnshire | D− | 1 | 49% | 1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Backwell’s built-up area.
6 in 10 Backwell 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 1,900 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 15 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 290 residents.
The Mendip Hills National Landscape is 4.3 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.
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Backwell scores 0% on it even though the Mendip Hills National Landscape is 4.3 mi away.
5 waymarked walks pass through or near Backwell
60 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Backwell and the kilometre around it, 4.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Close to home, the Nailsea Round has 6 km of local walk within 2 km of the town.
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 Backwell: May to July and 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) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.6 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 97 | 69 | 65 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 78 | 90 | 76 | 100 | 108 | 107 |
April is the driest month (64 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 108 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 34 nights a year. The climate in Backwell →
2 viewpoints, 15 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
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.
The nearest beaches
Backwell is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Check the water before you swim. The Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Plus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
Picnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 15
Plus 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backwell | C+ | 2.3 | 57% | 0% |
| Nailsea 1.4 mi | C | 1.1 | 65% | 0% |
| Long Ashton 3.5 mi | B+ | 10.2 | 66% | 0% |
| Yatton 3.9 mi | B− | 3.7 | 40% | 0% |
| Wrington 3.9 mi | A | 3.2 | 100% | 20% |
| Congresbury 4.3 mi | A− | 8.5 | 67% | 10% |
| Portishead 5.0 mi | B+ | 2.0 | 82% | 0% |
Wrington, 3.9 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Long Ashton and Congresbury have at least twice Backwell’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Backwell
Is Backwell near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Mendip Hills National Landscape, 4.3 mi south of the town’s edge. It covers 198 km² and was designated in 1989.
What are the best walks near Backwell?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Nailsea Round, Tyntesfield Tynings Walk, Tyntesfield and Tyntesfield Sidelands Walk, Tyntesfield.
What is the nearest beach to Backwell?
Ladye Bay, 4.8 mi from the edge of the town, then Sugar Loaf Beach (4.8 mi). Backwell itself is inland.
How many people in Backwell live near a park?
57% 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 Backwell?
May to July and September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Backwell good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 87% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 53% (2.3 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 Backwell’s overall grade.
Where Backwell’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.