Highbridge’s biggest
Apex Leisure Park
Playing field
19 ha (46 acres)2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
26 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Highbridge
PlaygroundLakeside Track
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Roger Cornfoot · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Highbridge · parks, paths & countryside
83% of Highbridge’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Mendip Hills National Landscape begins 5.2 mi from the town’s edge. The sea makes up 17% of the area within 5 km. Parks and playing fields in Highbridge add up to 2.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Highbridge grades B+ for the outdoors: #13 of 49 in Somerset. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
83%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
39 km
2.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Mendip Hills starts 5.2 mi out, past the 5 km
The sea
17%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Highbridge?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe Mendip Hills National Landscape starts 5.2 mi north-east.On a National TrailThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes through.Historic parksHighbridge Garden of Remembrance is a registered historic park (Grade II).
Highbridge’s strongest suit is the Mendip Hills National Landscape close by, followed by the King Charles III England Coast Path.
Outdoors grade
Highbridge grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Highbridge, 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 74% of UK towns#13 of 49 in Somerset · 11th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
68out of
100
100
A park within a walk83%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
53out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Mendip Hills begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
57out of
100
100
The sea17%of the area within 5 km
88out 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
Highbridge is 11th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 5,200 to 5,600 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
Highbridge2.9
Towns its size2.6
Somerset towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Highbridge2.9
Towns its size2.0
Somerset towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Highbridge83%
Towns its size81%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Highbridge stands out most for park space per resident: only 19 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cookham Berkshire | A+ | 8.3 | 96% | 4.3 | 19% |
| 2 | Weston Dorset | A+ | 2.5 | 95% | 7.6 | 0% |
| 3 | St Ives Cornwall | A | 0.8 | 89% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 4 | Budleigh Salterton Devon | A− | 2.7 | 70% | 2.3 | 38% |
| 5 | Edwinstowe Nottinghamshire | A− | 5.6 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 6 | Hoylake Merseyside | A− | 3.5 | 83% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 7 | Brotton North Yorkshire | A− | 1.4 | 89% | 3 | 2% |
| 8 | Eynsham Oxfordshire | A− | 3 | 94% | 2.8 | 1% |
| 9 | Steyning West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 86% | 3.7 | 58% |
| 10 | Merley Dorset | B+ | 3.9 | 64% | 4.1 | 6% |
| 11 | Highbridge Somerset | B+ | 2.9 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 12 | Carlton in Lindrick Nottinghamshire | B+ | 9 | 95% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 13 | Sonning Common Oxfordshire | B+ | 2.6 | 60% | 3.7 | 74% |
| 14 | Aston Clinton Buckinghamshire | B+ | 3.1 | 61% | 3.8 | 29% |
| 15 | Llantwit Major South Glamorgan | B+ | 3.2 | 83% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Drighlington West Yorkshire | B+ | 4.1 | 92% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 17 | Whitchurch Hampshire | B+ | 2.3 | 75% | 3.3 | 43% |
| 18 | Cottam Lancashire | B+ | 6.4 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 19 | New Alresford Hampshire | B+ | 2 | 94% | 2.3 | 38% |
| 20 | Waverley and Catcliffe South Yorkshire | B+ | 8.8 | 65% | 5 | 0% |
| 21 | Shrivenham and Watchfield Oxfordshire | B+ | 3.5 | 96% | 1.7 | 6% |
| 22 | Dartmouth Devon | B+ | 2.1 | 71% | 1.8 | 45% |
| 23 | Newent Gloucestershire | B+ | 3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Battle East Sussex | B+ | 1.7 | 64% | 4.3 | 84% |
| 25 | Fremington Devon | B+ | 1.4 | 88% | 2.1 | 10% |
| 26 | Benson Oxfordshire | B | 6 | 44% | 2.3 | 50% |
| 27 | Askern South Yorkshire | B | 8.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Longstanton and Northstowe Cambridgeshire | B | 4.3 | 86% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Rowlands Gill Tyne and Wear | B | 4.9 | 84% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 30 | Shinfield Berkshire | B | 1.6 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 31 | Llandrindod Wells Powys | B− | 4.5 | 88% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Hebden Bridge West Yorkshire | B− | 1.6 | 84% | 7.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Midhurst West Sussex | C+ | 0.3 | 28% | 4.3 | 100% |
| 34 | Brynmawr Gwent | C+ | 1.2 | 68% | 2.9 | 45% |
| 35 | Helsby Cheshire | C+ | 1.4 | 66% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 36 | Oakley Hampshire | C | 1.7 | 56% | 2.6 | 21% |
| 37 | Coningsby and Tattershall Lincolnshire | C | 2.7 | 79% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Havercroft and Ryhill West Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 81% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Bovingdon Hertfordshire | C | 1.4 | 55% | 2.3 | 26% |
| 40 | Shevington Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 73% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Waterbeach Cambridgeshire | C | 1.5 | 94% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Looe Cornwall | C− | 0.1 | 47% | 1.7 | 6% |
| 43 | Long Stratton Norfolk | C− | 1 | 89% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Welshpool Powys | C− | 2.6 | 82% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 45 | Bayston Hill Shropshire | C− | 1.8 | 70% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Ludgershall Wiltshire | C− | 0.7 | 72% | 1.9 | 32% |
| 47 | Llangefni Gwynedd | C− | 1.8 | 95% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Ingatestone Essex | C− | 3.2 | 56% | 2 | 0% |
| 49 | Measham Leicestershire | C− | 1.3 | 83% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Littlestone-on-Sea Kent | C− | 1.4 | 37% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 51 | Long Sutton Lincolnshire | D | 2.2 | 81% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 52 | Potton Bedfordshire | D | 1.3 | 77% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Blackrod Greater Manchester | D | 1 | 83% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 54 | Wigton Cumbria | D | 2.4 | 65% | 1 | 0% |
| 55 | Thornton West Yorkshire | D | 0.4 | 54% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Pontardawe West Glamorgan | D | 2.3 | 60% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Treherbert Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.2 | 73% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Eye Cambridgeshire | D | 1.4 | 77% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Winslow Buckinghamshire | D− | 1.4 | 59% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Ravenshead Nottinghamshire | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.9 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Highbridge’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 Highbridge
The biggest is Apex Leisure Park, 19 ha (46 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Jubilee Gardens
Park or garden
0.1 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Highbridge
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Highbridge’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 (83%)Further (17%)
Highbridge83%
Towns its size81%
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 488 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Mendip Hills National Landscape is 5.2 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Highbridge scores 0% on it even though the Mendip Hills National Landscape is 5.2 mi away. Exmoor National Park covers 693 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Highbridge is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
39 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Highbridge and the kilometre around it, 2.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
National
King Charles III England Coast Path: Brean Down to Minehead7.2 km
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Highbridge.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A registered historic park in Highbridge
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Highbridge’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIHighbridge Garden of Remembrance0.0 ha
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Highbridge: 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) | 8.4 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.6 | 16.1 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 73 | 61 | 57 | 47 | 49 | 56 | 68 | 75 | 53 | 78 | 87 | 77 |
April is the driest month (47 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 87 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 25 nights a year. The climate in Highbridge →
The coast
Highbridge is near the sea
17% of the area within 5 km of Highbridge is sea. 7 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 1 with a name.
Berrow Sands1.0 mi from town
DirectionsThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes the town.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
Things to do
11 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
Playgrounds 11
Apex Playground0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Woof Hall Dog Field0.0 mi from town
DirectionsCampsites 1
Phippins Farm0.9 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 2
Plus 2 slipways 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.
Burnham-on-SeaPuritonBerrow and BreanWoolavingtonCanningtonWembdonHighbridge
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highbridge | B+ | 2.9 | 83% | 0% |
| Burnham-on-Sea 1.2 mi | B+ | 2.1 | 79% | 0% |
| Puriton 3.7 mi | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 0% |
| Berrow and Brean 4.1 mi | A− | 3.6 | 75% | 1% |
| Woolavington 4.2 mi | C | 1.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Cannington 6.2 mi | A− | 2.8 | 88% | 3% |
| Wembdon 6.4 mi | A− | 7.4 | 88% | 0% |
Wembdon, 6.4 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 88% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Wembdon has at least twice Highbridge’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Highbridge
What is the biggest park in Highbridge?
Apex Leisure Park, 19 ha (46 acres), with 2.7 km of path. Jubilee Gardens (0.1 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Highbridge near a National Park?
Yes. Exmoor National Park begins 15 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 693 km² and has been a National Park since 1954. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Mendip Hills National Landscape, 5.2 mi away.
What are the best walks near Highbridge?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: Brean Down to Minehead. Apex Leisure Park alone has 2.7 km of path.
How many people in Highbridge live near a park?
83% 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 Highbridge?
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.
Which parks in Highbridge are historic?
Highbridge Garden of Remembrance (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Highbridge good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 57% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 68% (2.9 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 Highbridge’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Highbridge’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.