Chard’s biggest
Snowden Park
Park or garden
5.7 ha (14 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Vieve Forward · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Chard · parks, paths & countryside
34% of the land within 5 km of Chard is National Park or National Landscape
The Blackdown Hills National Landscape begins 0.3 mi from the town’s edge. 94% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. 31 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 1.9 for every square kilometre. Chard grades B− for the outdoors: #26 of 49 in Somerset. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
94%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
31 km
1.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
34%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Blackdown Hills National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Chard?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside34% of the land within 5 km is Blackdown Hills National Landscape.Less park per person1.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Chard’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Chard grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Chard, 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 54% of UK towns#26 of 49 in Somerset · 35th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
32out of
100
100
A park within a walk94%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
73out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape34%of the land within 5 km
85out of
100
100
Footpaths1.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
28out 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
Chard is 35th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 13,600 to 15,000 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
Chard1.9
Towns its size3.5
Somerset towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Chard1.6
Towns its size2.4
Somerset towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Chard94%
Towns its size80%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Chard stands out most for homes near a park: only 9 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 49 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lymington Hampshire | A+ | 2.8 | 89% | 3.3 | 56% |
| 2 | Hythe Kent | A+ | 3.7 | 76% | 4 | 31% |
| 3 | Otley West Yorkshire | A+ | 5.8 | 93% | 4.4 | 26% |
| 4 | Tadley Hampshire | A+ | 11.4 | 96% | 4.2 | 9% |
| 5 | Llandudno Clwyd | A+ | 2.1 | 83% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 6 | Kesgrave Suffolk | A | 3.3 | 97% | 4.7 | 14% |
| 7 | Yeadon West Yorkshire | A | 3.5 | 94% | 4.6 | 2% |
| 8 | Cheadle Greater Manchester | A | 6.5 | 96% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 9 | Abergavenny Gwent | A | 3.2 | 83% | 3.1 | 60% |
| 10 | Wellington Somerset | A | 2.2 | 99% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 11 | Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint West Sussex | A− | 1.9 | 84% | 4.7 | 42% |
| 12 | Yateley Hampshire | A− | 14.9 | 85% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 13 | Addlestone Surrey | A− | 4.3 | 90% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Honley West Yorkshire | A− | 2.1 | 87% | 5.1 | 8% |
| 15 | Blaydon Tyne and Wear | A− | 7.9 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 16 | Tredegar Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 78% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 17 | Thornbury Gloucestershire | A− | 2.5 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Chertsey Surrey | A− | 6.2 | 84% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Birstall Leicestershire | A− | 6 | 80% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Tewkesbury Gloucestershire | B+ | 2.2 | 84% | 4 | 6% |
| 21 | Ilkley West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.6 | 76% | 5.7 | 37% |
| 22 | Verwood Dorset | B+ | 5.7 | 41% | 3.9 | 13% |
| 23 | Buckingham Buckinghamshire | B+ | 3.4 | 96% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 24 | Chalfont St Peter Buckinghamshire | B+ | 2.2 | 80% | 3.5 | 18% |
| 25 | Marlow Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 39% |
| 26 | Ashtead Surrey | B+ | 2.7 | 62% | 4.3 | 13% |
| 27 | Armthorpe South Yorkshire | B+ | 6.4 | 92% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 28 | Humberston and New Waltham Lincolnshire | B+ | 4.1 | 44% | 2.2 | 1% |
| 29 | Tilbury Essex | B | 1.4 | 98% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 30 | Morpeth Northumberland | B | 3.7 | 80% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 31 | Gomersal and Birkenshaw West Yorkshire | B | 3.2 | 83% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Blaby and Whetstone Leicestershire | B | 3 | 79% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Catterick Garrison North Yorkshire | B− | 4.9 | 78% | 1.8 | 6% |
| 34 | Newport Shropshire | B− | 3.3 | 95% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 35 | Chard Somerset | B− | 1.6 | 94% | 1.9 | 34% |
| 36 | Hawarden Clwyd | B− | 3.7 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 37 | Gorseinon West Glamorgan | B− | 3.7 | 83% | 1.3 | 2% |
| 38 | Midsomer Norton Somerset | B− | 1.9 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 39 | Leicester Forest East and Kirby Muxloe Leicestershire | B− | 3.4 | 73% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Davenham Cheshire | B− | 1.3 | 88% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Aberystwyth Dyfed | B− | 1.8 | 51% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Cowes Isle of Wight | C+ | 1.1 | 50% | 2.2 | 15% |
| 43 | Herne Kent | C+ | 1.2 | 54% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire | C+ | 1.9 | 57% | 2.6 | 31% |
| 45 | Byfleet Surrey | C+ | 3.1 | 59% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Dunscroft and Hatfield South Yorkshire | C+ | 4 | 91% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Kidlington Oxfordshire | C+ | 0.9 | 81% | 3 | 2% |
| 48 | Milford Haven Dyfed | C | 0.8 | 70% | 0.9 | 30% |
| 49 | Birtley Tyne and Wear | C | 1.4 | 71% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 50 | Flitwick Bedfordshire | C | 0.8 | 59% | 3.9 | 3% |
| 51 | Swallownest and Aston South Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 73% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Pyle Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Uttoxeter Staffordshire | C− | 1.1 | 79% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Cottingham East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 2.1 | 73% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Middlewich Cheshire | D | 1.4 | 81% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Halstead Essex | D | 0.6 | 73% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 57 | New Rossington and Rossington South Yorkshire | D | 0.8 | 50% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Whittlesey Cambridgeshire | D | 1.7 | 73% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Shepshed Leicestershire | D | 1.1 | 69% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 60 | Church Village Mid Glamorgan | D | 0.7 | 72% | 1.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Chard’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 Chard
The biggest is Snowden Park, 5.7 ha (14 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 4 named parks by size: 15 ha (37 acres) and 2 km of path
Parks & gardens 11 haPlaying fields 3.7 ha
The two biggest, Snowden Park and Jocelyn Park, are 59% of the named green space.
Jocelyn Park
Park or garden
3.0 ha (7 acres)0.2 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Chard
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Mitchell Gardens
Park or garden
2.4 ha (6 acres)0.5 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Forton Rangers Football Club
Playing field · 360 m outside town
3.7 ha (9 acres)
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
9 in 10 Chard 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 (94%)Further (6%)
Chard94%
Towns its size80%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
About 900 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 11 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,299 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Chard
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
Blackdown Hills
0.3 mi south-west370 km²since 199128% of the land within 5 km
Official site34% of the land within 5 km of Chard is National Park or National Landscape, more than 85% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Chard
31 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Chard and the kilometre around it, 1.9 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
Monmouth Rebellion Walk7.6 km
The regional route here is the Monmouth Rebellion Walk.
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 Chard: 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) | 8.4 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 117 | 87 | 79 | 73 | 71 | 70 | 60 | 82 | 77 | 124 | 128 | 129 |
July is the driest month (60 mm) and the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 129 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 32 nights a year. The climate in Chard →
Things to do
11 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
Chard is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Church Cliff Beach9.5 mi from Chard’s edge
DirectionsMonmouth Beach9.9 mi from Chard’s edge
DirectionsSeatown Beach11 mi from Chard’s edge
DirectionsSeaton Beach12 mi from Chard’s edge
DirectionsBeer Roads13 mi from Chard’s edge
DirectionsGood to know
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
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 11
Ashcroftin town
DirectionsBampton Avenuein town
DirectionsHalcombein town
DirectionsHenson Parkin town
DirectionsJocelyn Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Alpine Grove0.8 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.
TatworthIlminsterHorton and BroadwayAxminsterCrewkerneMerriottChard
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Axminster, 6.5 miles away, grades B, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Chard
What is the biggest park in Chard?
Snowden Park, 5.7 ha (14 acres), with 0.9 km of path. Jocelyn Park (3.0 ha) is second. 4 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Chard near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Blackdown Hills National Landscape, 0.3 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 370 km² and was designated in 1991.
What are the best walks near Chard?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Monmouth Rebellion Walk.
What is the nearest beach to Chard?
Church Cliff Beach, 9.5 mi from the edge of the town, then Monmouth Beach (9.9 mi). Chard itself is inland.
How many people in Chard live near a park?
94% 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 Chard?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Chard good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 28% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 32% (1.6 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 Chard’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Chard’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.