Photo: dbown100 · CC BY 3.0Almost everyone in Banwell lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Mendip Hills National Landscape reaches the edge of Banwell. Parks and playing fields in Banwell add up to 1.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 21 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 2.0 for every square kilometre. Banwell grades B+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Banwell?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Banwell’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Banwell grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Banwell, 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.
Banwell is 21st of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,100 to 2,300 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Banwell stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 41 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mullion Cornwall | A+ | 3.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 64% |
| 2 | Broughton Buckinghamshire | A+ | 8 | 100% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 3 | Brockham Surrey | A+ | 7.4 | 94% | 4.4 | 38% |
| 4 | Bestwood Village Nottinghamshire | A | 43.8 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 5 | Deepcut Surrey | A | 8.4 | 100% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Berry Hill Gloucestershire | A | 2.9 | 79% | 4.7 | 55% |
| 7 | Severn Beach Gloucestershire | A− | 5.8 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 8 | Smalley Derbyshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 9 | Streethay Staffordshire | A− | 10.1 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 10 | Gilwern Gwent | A− | 1.9 | 100% | 2 | 83% |
| 11 | Newstead Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Woodcote Oxfordshire | B+ | 1.6 | 84% | 3.5 | 99% |
| 13 | Hanslope Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 100% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 14 | Chiddingfold Surrey | B+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.5 | 68% |
| 15 | Wells-next-the-Sea Norfolk | B+ | 2 | 70% | 1.9 | 65% |
| 16 | Charing Kent | B+ | 2.7 | 85% | 2.1 | 56% |
| 17 | Brimscombe and Thrupp Gloucestershire | B+ | 2.1 | 12% | 5.9 | 89% |
| 18 | Sharlston West Yorkshire | B+ | 4.9 | 93% | 3 | 0% |
| 19 | Gamston (Rushcliffe) Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 86% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Holbrook Suffolk | B+ | 1.1 | 74% | 2.7 | 52% |
| 21 | Banwell Somerset | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2 | 38% |
| 22 | Steventon Oxfordshire | B+ | 2 | 100% | 2 | 17% |
| 23 | Longtown Cumbria | B | 4.3 | 100% | 0.1 | 0% |
| 24 | Wheelock Cheshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Trowell Nottinghamshire | B | 7.7 | 56% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Evercreech Somerset | B | 3.5 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 27 | Rayne Essex | B− | 4.3 | 64% | 4 | 0% |
| 28 | Resolven West Glamorgan | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Lechlade-on-Thames Gloucestershire | B− | 6.7 | 66% | 1.5 | 6% |
| 30 | Swanton Morley Norfolk | C+ | 3.5 | 94% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 31 | Burgh le Marsh Lincolnshire | C+ | 3.2 | 74% | 1.3 | 7% |
| 32 | Hook Norton Oxfordshire | C+ | 2 | 70% | 2 | 28% |
| 33 | Luddenden Foot West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.2 | 68% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Machynlleth Powys | C+ | 2.6 | 45% | 2 | 29% |
| 35 | Huncote Leicestershire | C+ | 0.8 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 36 | East Bergholt Suffolk | C | 1.9 | 26% | 2.4 | 46% |
| 37 | Trimsaran Dyfed | C | 2.4 | 31% | 1 | 2% |
| 38 | Linton Derbyshire | C | 1.8 | 76% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 39 | Mitcheldean Gloucestershire | C | 1.5 | 80% | 1.9 | 1% |
| 40 | Barwick in Elmet West Yorkshire | C | 1.5 | 87% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Llanidloes Powys | C | 2.4 | 89% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 42 | Eye Suffolk | C | 2 | 66% | 3 | 0% |
| 43 | Aspatria Cumbria | C− | 3.1 | 60% | 0.8 | 1% |
| 44 | Great Blakenham Suffolk | C− | 3.6 | 70% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Rudgwick West Sussex | C− | 2.5 | 16% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Meriden West Midlands | C− | 1.8 | 70% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Lanner Cornwall | C− | 1.3 | 65% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 48 | Hatfield Woodhouse South Yorkshire | C− | 0.6 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Long Bennington Lincolnshire | C− | 1.6 | 82% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Wickham Hampshire | D | 0.8 | 26% | 2 | 13% |
| 51 | Morton Lincolnshire | D | 0.2 | 28% | 3 | 0% |
| 52 | Leconfield East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.6 | 51% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Mattishall Norfolk | D− | 1.4 | 58% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Misterton Nottinghamshire | D− | 1.4 | 47% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Billinghay Lincolnshire | D− | 1.8 | 41% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Bozeat Northamptonshire | D− | 1.3 | 13% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Shenstone Staffordshire | D− | 1 | 55% | 1 | 0% |
| 58 | Cilfrew West Glamorgan | D− | 0.8 | 44% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Aslockton Nottinghamshire | D− | 1 | 11% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Ipplepen Devon | D− | 0.8 | 42% | 1.1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Banwell’s built-up area.
How close Banwell’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).
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 3 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 726 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Banwell
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.
Mendip Hills
38% of the land within 5 km of Banwell is National Park or National Landscape, more than 87% of UK towns.
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Banwell
21 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Banwell 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 village.
2 regional routes pass through, including the The Butcombe Trail and The Mendip Trail.
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 Banwell: May to July and 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) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.6 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 88 | 64 | 58 | 57 | 64 | 61 | 69 | 82 | 72 | 98 | 102 | 102 |
April is the driest month (57 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 102 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 38 nights a year. The climate in Banwell →
3 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
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.
The nearest beaches
Banwell is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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 3
Plus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 3
Plus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Plus 1 campsite 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banwell | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 38% |
| Locking 1.7 mi | B+ | 2.7 | 84% | 23% |
| Winscombe and Sandford 1.7 mi | B+ | 3.5 | 52% | 38% |
| West Wick 2.1 mi | A− | 1.6 | 100% | 16% |
| Hutton 2.5 mi | A | 1.8 | 100% | 22% |
| Shipham 3.4 mi | B− | 1.2 | 63% | 55% |
| Weston-super-Mare 3.5 mi | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 8% |
Hutton, 2.5 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Winscombe and Sandford has at least twice Banwell’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Banwell
Is Banwell near a National Park?
It covers 198 km² and was designated in 1989.
What are the best walks near Banwell?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the The Butcombe Trail and The Mendip Trail.
What is the nearest beach to Banwell?
Berrow Sands, 6.5 mi from the edge of the village, then Clevedon Beach (7.3 mi). Banwell itself is inland.
How many people in Banwell live near a park?
100% 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 Banwell?
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 Banwell good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.0 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 29% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 36% (1.7 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 Banwell’s overall grade.
Where Banwell’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.