Shepton Mallet’s biggest
Collett Park
Park or garden
7.6 ha (19 acres)1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Shepton Mallet
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Shepton Mallet · parks, paths & countryside
Parks and walks in Shepton Mallet
The Mendip Hills National Landscape begins 2.8 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Shepton Mallet add up to 1.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 70% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Shepton Mallet grades C for the outdoors: #43 of 49 in Somerset. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
70%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
42 km
2.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
1%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Mendip Hills National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Shepton Mallet?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe Mendip Hills National Landscape starts 2.8 mi north-west.Less park per person1.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Shepton Mallet’s strongest suit is the Mendip Hills National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Shepton Mallet grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Shepton Mallet, 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 28% of UK towns#43 of 49 in Somerset · 52nd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
19out of
100
100
A park within a walk70%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
30out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape1%of the land within 5 km
64out of
100
100
Footpaths2.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
55out 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
Shepton Mallet is 52nd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 9,100 to 10,200 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
Shepton Mallet2.8
Towns its size3.2
Somerset towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Shepton Mallet1.2
Towns its size2.5
Somerset towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Shepton Mallet70%
Towns its size86%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
Shepton Mallet falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 51 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caldicot Gwent | A+ | 4.2 | 92% | 3 | 2% |
| 2 | Brynteg Clwyd | A | 8.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 7% |
| 3 | Ilfracombe Devon | A | 2 | 86% | 3 | 28% |
| 4 | Bordon Hampshire | A | 8.6 | 54% | 6.7 | 49% |
| 5 | Linthwaite and Slaithwaite West Yorkshire | A | 2.2 | 97% | 4.8 | 12% |
| 6 | New Mills Derbyshire | A | 2.4 | 84% | 5.1 | 34% |
| 7 | Beccles Suffolk | A | 4.5 | 87% | 3.2 | 20% |
| 8 | South Merstham Surrey | A | 3.7 | 84% | 3.7 | 20% |
| 9 | Nuthall and Watnall Nottinghamshire | A | 6.3 | 97% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Bradford-on-Avon Wiltshire | A | 2.8 | 88% | 3.7 | 21% |
| 11 | Greasby Merseyside | A | 5.9 | 74% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 12 | Southborough Kent | A− | 2.8 | 94% | 2.5 | 57% |
| 13 | Whiteley Hampshire | A− | 3 | 52% | 4.4 | 2% |
| 14 | Thurmaston Leicestershire | A− | 10.4 | 89% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 15 | Esher Surrey | A− | 6.9 | 86% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Shelf and Northowram West Yorkshire | A− | 5.3 | 88% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 17 | Kings Hill Kent | A− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 7% |
| 18 | Padiham Lancashire | A− | 1.5 | 95% | 4.5 | 18% |
| 19 | Shaftesbury Dorset | A− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.3 | 44% |
| 20 | Bingham Nottinghamshire | A− | 3.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 21 | Aveley Essex | A− | 3.4 | 84% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 22 | Irthlingborough Northamptonshire | A− | 4.7 | 94% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Yarm North Yorkshire | A− | 3.3 | 96% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Corfe Mullen Dorset | B+ | 3.1 | 72% | 3.5 | 13% |
| 25 | Woodbridge Suffolk | B+ | 1.7 | 80% | 3.9 | 30% |
| 26 | Sandiacre Derbyshire | B+ | 2.6 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 27 | Shildon County Durham | B | 2.8 | 93% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 28 | Pontllanfraith Gwent | B | 3.7 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Hemsworth West Yorkshire | B | 3.6 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 30 | Ludlow Shropshire | B | 2.3 | 92% | 2.1 | 16% |
| 31 | North Wingfield and Holmewood Derbyshire | B | 2.7 | 84% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 32 | Queensbury West Yorkshire | B | 2.6 | 91% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Tiptree Essex | B | 2.7 | 90% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Immingham Lincolnshire | B | 2 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Perton Staffordshire | B | 2.4 | 93% | 3 | 0% |
| 36 | Pembroke Dock Dyfed | B− | 1.7 | 80% | 1.1 | 25% |
| 37 | Yaxley Cambridgeshire | B− | 2.6 | 90% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Caernarfon Gwynedd | B− | 1.7 | 83% | 1.4 | 14% |
| 39 | Horbury West Yorkshire | B− | 2.5 | 75% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Mildenhall Suffolk | B− | 2.1 | 91% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Radstock Somerset | B− | 1.1 | 93% | 2.9 | 1% |
| 42 | Knottingley West Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 88% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Whitchurch Shropshire | B− | 2.7 | 86% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Wideopen Tyne and Wear | C+ | 2.1 | 75% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Mold Clwyd | C+ | 1.9 | 86% | 1.6 | 17% |
| 46 | Brandon County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Crook County Durham | C+ | 1.5 | 85% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Lydney Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.1 | 52% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 49 | Diss Norfolk | C | 1.5 | 80% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Milnrow Greater Manchester | C | 2.9 | 58% | 3 | 0% |
| 51 | Barnham West Sussex | C | 1.3 | 70% | 2.3 | 32% |
| 52 | Shepton Mallet Somerset | C | 1.2 | 70% | 2.8 | 1% |
| 53 | Totnes Devon | C | 0.4 | 65% | 3.3 | 11% |
| 54 | Polegate East Sussex | C− | 0.8 | 64% | 2.2 | 24% |
| 55 | Broughton Astley Leicestershire | D | 1 | 82% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 56 | Brandon Suffolk | D | 0.8 | 39% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Littleport Cambridgeshire | D | 1 | 71% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Pocklington East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.6 | 65% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Pheasey West Midlands | D− | 0.9 | 40% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Ponteland Northumberland | D− | 1.1 | 36% | 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 Shepton Mallet’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 Shepton Mallet
The biggest is Collett Park, 7.6 ha (19 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
7 in 10 Shepton Mallet 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 (70%)Further (30%)
Shepton Mallet70%
Towns its size86%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
About 2,900 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 7 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,378 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Mendip Hills National Landscape is 2.8 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
National Landscape
Mendip Hills
2.8 mi north-west198 km²since 19891% of the land within 5 km
Official site1% of the land within 5 km of Shepton Mallet is National Park or National Landscape, more than 64% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Shepton Mallet
42 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Shepton Mallet 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.
Regional
East Mendip Way8.1 km
The regional route here is the East Mendip 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 Shepton Mallet: 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 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 98 | 80 | 76 | 78 | 76 | 76 | 89 | 99 | 84 | 120 | 121 | 120 |
May is the driest month (76 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 121 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in Shepton Mallet →
Things to do
7 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
Shepton Mallet is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Berrow Sands19 mi from Shepton Mallet’s edge
DirectionsClevedon Beach21 mi from Shepton Mallet’s edge
DirectionsLadye Bay22 mi from Shepton Mallet’s edge
DirectionsSugar Loaf Beach22 mi from Shepton Mallet’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.
Up high. Doulting Sheep Sleight, at 216 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Shepton Mallet.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 3
Doulting Sheep Sleight216 m (709 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsIngsdons Hill0.4 mi from town
DirectionsKnowle Hill148 m (486 ft) · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 7
Croscombe playground1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 6 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.
PiltonEvercreechWellsChilcomptonColefordBrutonShepton Mallet
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shepton Mallet | C | 1.2 | 70% | 1% |
| Pilton 2.3 mi | D− | 1.2 | 28% | 0% |
| Evercreech 3.4 mi | B | 3.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Wells 4.6 mi | B− | 1.7 | 65% | 26% |
| Chilcompton 5.4 mi | B− | 6.5 | 40% | 1% |
| Coleford 5.6 mi | C− | 1.2 | 51% | 0% |
| Bruton 6.9 mi | A | 9.3 | 100% | 1% |
Bruton, 6.9 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Evercreech, Chilcompton and Bruton have at least twice Shepton Mallet’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Shepton Mallet
What is the biggest park in Shepton Mallet?
Collett Park, 7.6 ha (19 acres), with 1.7 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Shepton Mallet near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Mendip Hills National Landscape, 2.8 mi north-west of the town’s edge. It covers 198 km² and was designated in 1989.
What are the best walks near Shepton Mallet?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the East Mendip Way.
What is the nearest beach to Shepton Mallet?
Berrow Sands, 19 mi from the edge of the town, then Clevedon Beach (21 mi). Shepton Mallet itself is inland.
How many people in Shepton Mallet live near a park?
70% 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 Shepton Mallet?
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 Shepton Mallet good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 55% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 19% (1.2 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 Shepton Mallet’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Shepton Mallet’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.