Frome’s biggest
Victoria Park
Park or garden
2.4 ha (6 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Frome
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Mr Eugene Birchall · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Frome · parks, paths & countryside
78% of Frome’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape begins 1.4 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Frome add up to 1.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 58 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.4 for every square kilometre. Frome grades C for the outdoors: #42 of 49 in Somerset. 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
78%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
58 km
2.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
9%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Frome?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside both waysCranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs starts 1.4 mi south, Cotswolds 4.7 mi north.Less park per person1.3 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Frome’s strongest suit is two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Frome grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Frome, 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 32% of UK towns#42 of 49 in Somerset · 53rd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
20out of
100
100
A park within a walk78%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
43out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape9%of the land within 5 km
70out of
100
100
Footpaths2.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
42out 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
Frome is 53rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 25,800 to 30,100 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
Frome2.4
Towns its size3.4
Somerset towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Frome1.3
Towns its size2.5
Somerset towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Frome78%
Towns its size83%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
Frome falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 52 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yate Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.3 | 99% | 6.8 | 11% |
| 2 | Jarrow Tyne and Wear | A+ | 5.3 | 90% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 3 | Stroud Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.6 | 79% | 5.8 | 70% |
| 4 | Northfleet Kent | A | 2 | 85% | 7.7 | 4% |
| 5 | Sevenoaks Kent | A | 8.1 | 76% | 3.8 | 70% |
| 6 | Stalybridge Greater Manchester | A | 5 | 82% | 4.8 | 12% |
| 7 | Ashington Northumberland | A | 5.6 | 83% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 8 | Penarth South Glamorgan | A | 3.5 | 83% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 9 | Woodley Berkshire | A | 5 | 81% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 10 | Lancing and Sompting West Sussex | A | 1.8 | 80% | 3 | 37% |
| 11 | Totton Hampshire | A | 1.6 | 94% | 4.4 | 50% |
| 12 | Burntwood Staffordshire | A− | 5.3 | 81% | 3.4 | 12% |
| 13 | Larkfield Kent | A− | 5.6 | 75% | 3.4 | 27% |
| 14 | Ewell Surrey | A− | 7.5 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Rickmansworth Hertfordshire | A− | 2.9 | 81% | 4.4 | 11% |
| 16 | Stretford Greater Manchester | A− | 3.7 | 92% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 17 | Tadworth and Epsom Downs Surrey | A− | 3.4 | 65% | 5.3 | 16% |
| 18 | Great Yarmouth Norfolk | A− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.2 | 18% |
| 19 | Little Hulton Greater Manchester | A− | 8.6 | 87% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 20 | East Grinstead West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 87% | 3.7 | 58% |
| 21 | Cleethorpes Lincolnshire | A− | 3 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Daventry Northamptonshire | A− | 4.1 | 99% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Eston North Yorkshire | B+ | 2.9 | 93% | 2.8 | 2% |
| 24 | Cramlington Northumberland | B+ | 2.3 | 91% | 6.6 | 0% |
| 25 | Portishead Somerset | B+ | 2 | 82% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 26 | Haverhill Suffolk | B+ | 2.4 | 91% | 5 | 0% |
| 27 | Longbenton Tyne and Wear | B+ | 3.3 | 80% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Fleetwood Lancashire | B+ | 2.7 | 92% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Deal Kent | B+ | 1 | 86% | 2.7 | 6% |
| 30 | Farnworth Greater Manchester | B+ | 3 | 85% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Pontypool Gwent | B+ | 3.6 | 93% | 1.8 | 7% |
| 32 | Colwyn Bay Clwyd | B+ | 1.9 | 77% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Shipley West Yorkshire | B | 2.1 | 87% | 6 | 0% |
| 34 | Consett County Durham | B | 1.7 | 87% | 3.1 | 19% |
| 35 | Darwen Lancashire | B | 2.2 | 89% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Rugeley Staffordshire | B | 1.2 | 94% | 2.7 | 37% |
| 37 | Witham Essex | B | 1.9 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Egham Surrey | B | 4.1 | 63% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Atherton Greater Manchester | B | 3.8 | 83% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Bushey Hertfordshire | B | 3.1 | 77% | 4 | 0% |
| 41 | Rhyl Clwyd | B | 1 | 84% | 2.2 | 7% |
| 42 | Droitwich Spa Worcestershire | B | 2.5 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Evesham Worcestershire | B− | 1.7 | 80% | 3.5 | 4% |
| 44 | Stanford-le-Hope Essex | B− | 2.6 | 84% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Ashton-in-Makerfield Greater Manchester | B− | 2.6 | 93% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Melton Mowbray Leicestershire | B− | 3.3 | 84% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Kendal Cumbria | C+ | 0.9 | 67% | 4 | 33% |
| 48 | Horley Surrey | C+ | 1.9 | 84% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Newton Abbot Devon | C+ | 2.6 | 62% | 2.3 | 6% |
| 50 | Stratford-upon-Avon Warwickshire | C | 1.6 | 84% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Newark-on-Trent Nottinghamshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 2 | 0% |
| 52 | Walton-on-Thames Surrey | C | 1.6 | 81% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Frome Somerset | C | 1.3 | 78% | 2.4 | 9% |
| 54 | Wickford Essex | C | 2.4 | 59% | 3 | 0% |
| 55 | Congleton Cheshire | C | 1.7 | 72% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Hertford Hertfordshire | C | 0.9 | 65% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Heywood Greater Manchester | C− | 1.3 | 80% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Heswall Merseyside | C− | 1.1 | 56% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Ormskirk Lancashire | D | 1.5 | 80% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Wisbech Cambridgeshire | D | 1.2 | 79% | 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 Frome’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 Frome
The biggest is Victoria Park, 2.4 ha (6 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Egford Playing Field
Playing field
1.2 ha (3 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Old Printworks Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Frome’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 (78%)Further (22%)
Frome78%
Towns its size83%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
About 6,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 13 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 2,146 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs and Cotswolds both start about 5 miles from Frome
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
Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
1.4 mi south986 km²since 19839% of the land within 5 km
Official site9% of the land within 5 km of Frome is National Park or National Landscape, more than 70% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Frome
58 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Frome and the kilometre around it, 2.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Regional
East Mendip Way6.6 km
Macmillan Way6.2 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the East Mendip Way and Macmillan Way.
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 Frome: 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 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.6 | 16.1 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 94 | 71 | 61 | 60 | 61 | 58 | 56 | 72 | 65 | 97 | 99 | 97 |
July is the driest month (56 mm) and the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 99 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 43 nights a year. The climate in Frome →
Things to do
13 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
Hills and peaks 1
Plus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Rodden Meadow1.9 ha · in town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 13
Edmund Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsHillside Drive Playgroundin town
DirectionsLocal Play Areain town
DirectionsPlus 10 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.
BeckingtonDilton MarshNorton St PhilipColefordSouthwickWestburyFrome
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frome | C | 1.3 | 78% | 9% |
| Beckington 3.0 mi | B− | 2.7 | 100% | 0% |
| Dilton Marsh 4.5 mi | B− | 2.1 | 67% | 4% |
| Norton St Philip 5.0 mi | B+ | 1.8 | 100% | 21% |
| Coleford 5.5 mi | C− | 1.2 | 51% | 0% |
| Southwick 6.0 mi | A+ | 22.2 | 100% | 1% |
| Westbury 6.1 mi | B | 1.4 | 97% | 1% |
Southwick, 6 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Beckington and Southwick have at least twice Frome’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Frome
What is the biggest park in Frome?
Victoria Park, 2.4 ha (6 acres). Egford Playing Field (1.2 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Frome near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape, 1.4 mi south of the town’s edge. It covers 986 km² and was designated in 1983.
What are the best walks near Frome?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the East Mendip Way and Macmillan Way.
How many people in Frome live near a park?
78% 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 Frome?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Frome good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 42% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 20% (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 Frome’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Frome’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.