Photo: Neil Owen · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in Ilminster
The Blackdown Hills National Landscape begins 3.1 mi from the town’s edge. 61% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Parks and playing fields in Ilminster add up to 2.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Ilminster grades C− for the outdoors: #46 of 49 in Somerset. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Ilminster?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Ilminster’s strongest suit is two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Ilminster grades C− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Ilminster, 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.
Ilminster is 45th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 5,700 to 6,200 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Ilminster falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 48 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackfield and Langley Hampshire | A+ | 28.1 | 95% | 4.2 | 48% |
| 2 | Saltburn-by-the-Sea North Yorkshire | A | 4.7 | 92% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 3 | Bagshot Surrey | A | 10.5 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 4 | Barrowford Lancashire | A | 4.2 | 82% | 5 | 22% |
| 5 | Wareham Dorset | A | 1.9 | 83% | 3.4 | 56% |
| 6 | Leiston Suffolk | A | 1.7 | 95% | 2.7 | 35% |
| 7 | Amble Northumberland | A | 2 | 100% | 2.2 | 5% |
| 8 | West Hallam Derbyshire | A | 4.8 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 9 | Boldon Colliery Tyne and Wear | A | 5.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 10 | Menston West Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 90% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 11 | Shepperton Surrey | A | 8.7 | 89% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 12 | Carnforth Lancashire | A− | 1.2 | 89% | 3 | 39% |
| 13 | Barnard Castle County Durham | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 3.4 | 1% |
| 14 | Botley Hampshire | A− | 14.6 | 70% | 3.6 | 2% |
| 15 | East Horsley Surrey | A− | 3.5 | 55% | 4.5 | 33% |
| 16 | Dodworth South Yorkshire | A− | 2.3 | 97% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Marchwood Hampshire | B+ | 2 | 87% | 1.3 | 38% |
| 18 | Moor Park Hertfordshire | B+ | 4.5 | 46% | 4.5 | 1% |
| 19 | Creswell Derbyshire | B+ | 2.7 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Thrybergh and Dalton South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.6 | 95% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Crofton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 22 | Axminster Devon | B | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 66% |
| 23 | Garstang Lancashire | B | 2.4 | 89% | 2.3 | 15% |
| 24 | Wixams Bedfordshire | B | 5.3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 25 | Shipston-on-Stour Warwickshire | B | 2.3 | 94% | 1.6 | 20% |
| 26 | Brixworth Northamptonshire | B | 3.8 | 94% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 27 | Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Northumberland | B | 2.2 | 77% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 28 | East Wittering West Sussex | B | 1.1 | 78% | 1.9 | 27% |
| 29 | Bidford-on-Avon Warwickshire | B | 3.4 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 30 | Cheddar Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 41% | 3 | 56% |
| 31 | Thirsk North Yorkshire | B− | 1.8 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Great Torrington Devon | B− | 2.6 | 88% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Kirby Cross Essex | C+ | 2.4 | 44% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Oakdale Gwent | C+ | 5.2 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Aylesham Kent | C+ | 0.3 | 76% | 3.4 | 33% |
| 36 | Lower Willingdon East Sussex | C+ | 0.8 | 57% | 4.2 | 33% |
| 37 | Bagillt Clwyd | C+ | 1.3 | 87% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Crawley Down West Sussex | C+ | 1.2 | 80% | 2.2 | 40% |
| 39 | Strensall North Yorkshire | C | 1.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Pontyclun Mid Glamorgan | C | 2.4 | 79% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 41 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 42 | Egremont Cumbria | C | 1.1 | 63% | 1.8 | 11% |
| 43 | Bracebridge Heath Lincolnshire | C | 1.1 | 81% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Red Lodge Suffolk | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Ilminster Somerset | C− | 2.3 | 61% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Ottery St Mary Devon | C− | 1.2 | 71% | 1.7 | 34% |
| 47 | Studley Warwickshire | C− | 1.6 | 63% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Great Shelford and Stapleford Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.6 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Pembury Kent | C− | 1.1 | 45% | 2 | 58% |
| 50 | Stainforth South Yorkshire | C− | 2.2 | 80% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Purfleet-on-Thames Essex | C− | 0.9 | 64% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Cuddington Cheshire | C− | 1.5 | 66% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Cottenham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 86% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 54 | Arlesey Bedfordshire | D | 0.9 | 51% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Finningley South Yorkshire | D | 2 | 65% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Werrington Staffordshire | D | 1.1 | 42% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Earls Barton Northamptonshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Sawtry Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 40% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 59 | Burwell Cambridgeshire | D− | 1.5 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Thurcroft South Yorkshire | D− | 0.5 | 56% | 2 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ilminster’s built-up area.
6 in 10 Ilminster 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 2,300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 5 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,192 residents.
Blackdown Hills and Dorset both start about 5 miles from Ilminster
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 Ilminster scores 0% on it even though the Blackdown Hills National Landscape is 3.1 mi away.
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Ilminster
35 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Ilminster and the kilometre around it, 2.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
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.
The best walking months in Ilminster: 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 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 99 | 68 | 63 | 60 | 57 | 65 | 49 | 64 | 62 | 99 | 100 | 102 |
July is the driest month (49 mm) and 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 30 nights a year. The climate in Ilminster →
3 viewpoints, 5 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
Ilminster 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.
Up high. Herne Hill, at 92 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Ilminster.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Playgrounds 5
Plus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilminster | C− | 2.3 | 61% | 0% |
| Horton and Broadway 2.3 mi | D | 0.5 | 45% | 14% |
| Chard 3.9 mi | B− | 1.6 | 94% | 34% |
| South Petherton 5.0 mi | C− | 1.1 | 61% | 0% |
| Merriott 5.5 mi | D | 1.1 | 39% | 0% |
| Tatworth 5.8 mi | C | 1.3 | 71% | 44% |
| Crewkerne 6.1 mi | C | 0.5 | 66% | 21% |
Chard, 3.9 miles away, grades B−, the best next door: 94% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Ilminster
Is Ilminster near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Blackdown Hills National Landscape, 3.1 mi west of the town’s edge. It covers 370 km² and was designated in 1991.
What are the best walks near Ilminster?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Monmouth Rebellion Walk.
What is the nearest beach to Ilminster?
Church Cliff Beach, 13 mi from the edge of the town, then Monmouth Beach (14 mi). Ilminster itself is inland.
How many people in Ilminster live near a park?
61% 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 Ilminster?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Ilminster good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 53% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 54% (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 Ilminster’s overall grade.
Where Ilminster’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.