Taunton’s biggest
Hamilton Gault Playing Field
Playing field
5.2 ha (13 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: DS Pugh · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Taunton · parks, paths & countryside
Taunton has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
218 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.9 for every square kilometre. The Quantock Hills National Landscape and the Blackdown Hills National Landscape both begin about a mile from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Taunton add up to 1.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Taunton grades B for the outdoors: #23 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
80%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
218 km
4.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
16%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Quantock Hills National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Taunton?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths4.9 km of path per km², more than 92% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside both waysQuantock Hills starts 1.0 mi north, Blackdown Hills 1.2 mi south-east.Less park per person1.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Taunton’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Taunton grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Taunton, 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 62% of UK towns#23 of 49 in Somerset · 37th 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 walk80%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
47out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape16%of the land within 5 km
75out of
100
100
Footpaths4.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
93out 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
Taunton is 37th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 51,200 to 74,200 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
Taunton4.9
Towns its size3.5
Somerset towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Taunton1.2
Towns its size2.4
Somerset towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Taunton80%
Towns its size86%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Taunton stands out most for path per km²: only 8 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 56 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Folkestone Kent | A+ | 2.3 | 95% | 4.9 | 45% |
| 2 | Rochester Kent | A+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.6 | 23% |
| 3 | Lancaster Lancashire | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.5 | 22% |
| 4 | Dartford Kent | A | 3.9 | 72% | 5.1 | 1% |
| 5 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 6 | Cannock Staffordshire | A | 5.5 | 88% | 3.5 | 26% |
| 7 | Scarborough North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 86% | 3.1 | 17% |
| 8 | Gravesend Kent | A | 1.4 | 84% | 6.4 | 14% |
| 9 | Barry South Glamorgan | A | 2.9 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Weymouth Dorset | A | 2.6 | 55% | 3.5 | 35% |
| 11 | Sittingbourne Kent | A | 1.9 | 93% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 12 | Barnsley South Yorkshire | A | 4.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Banbury Oxfordshire | A | 2.6 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 14 | Gosport Hampshire | A | 3 | 85% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 15 | South Shields Tyne and Wear | A | 2.4 | 80% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 16 | Farnborough Hampshire | A | 4 | 77% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 17 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 18 | Tynemouth Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.2 | 85% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 19 | Hereford Herefordshire | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 20 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 21 | Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent | A− | 2.2 | 93% | 2.7 | 73% |
| 22 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 23 | Washington Tyne and Wear | A− | 4.5 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 24 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 25 | Carlton Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.9 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 26 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Bootle Merseyside | B+ | 2.1 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 28 | Canterbury Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 5.7 | 19% |
| 29 | Torquay Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 30 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 31 | Bebington Merseyside | B+ | 3 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Royal Leamington Spa Warwickshire | B+ | 2.7 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Huyton with Roby Merseyside | B+ | 3.7 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Ellesmere Port Cheshire | B | 2.8 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Widnes Cheshire | B | 3 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Beeston Nottinghamshire | B | 2.7 | 77% | 6 | 0% |
| 37 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 38 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria | B | 2 | 91% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Macclesfield Cheshire | B | 1.8 | 80% | 3.3 | 18% |
| 41 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Brentwood Essex | B− | 3.9 | 69% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Bloxwich West Midlands | B− | 3.6 | 74% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Kettering Northamptonshire | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Stafford Staffordshire | B− | 1.9 | 70% | 3.1 | 11% |
| 49 | Smethwick West Midlands | C+ | 2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Wellingborough Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.7 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Halesowen West Midlands | C+ | 2.1 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Kingswinford West Midlands | C+ | 2.6 | 71% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Walsall West Midlands | C+ | 2.5 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Clacton-on-Sea Essex | C | 1.7 | 73% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Bognor Regis West Sussex | C | 1.1 | 78% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Loughborough Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 73% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Stourbridge West Midlands | C | 1.9 | 72% | 3 | 0% |
| 58 | Crewe Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 88% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Kidderminster Worcestershire | D | 1.2 | 72% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Bridgend Mid Glamorgan | D | 0.9 | 78% | 2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Taunton’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 Taunton
The biggest is Hamilton Gault Playing Field, 5.2 ha (13 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 10 named parks by size: 25 ha (62 acres) and 4 km of path
Parks & gardens 3.0 haPlaying fields 22 ha
The two biggest, Hamilton Gault Playing Field and Victoria Park, are 42% of the named green space. 4 of the 10 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Victoria Park
Playing field
5.2 ha (13 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Taunton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Galmington Playing Field
Playing field
3.9 ha (10 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Taunton Green Playing Field
Playing field
4.1 ha (10 acres)0.4 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Lyngford Park
Park or garden
2.2 ha (5 acres)0.5 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi north-eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
French Weir Recreation Ground
Playing field
2.3 ha (6 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Taunton
2 slipways
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Greenway Recreation Ground
Playing field
1.4 ha (4 acres)0.1 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Goodland Gardens
Park or garden
0.6 ha (2 acres)0.1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Taunton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Hamilton Gault Playing FieldPlaying field · 5.2 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPlaying field · 5.2 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsGalmington Playing FieldPlaying field · 3.9 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsTaunton Green Playing FieldPlaying field · 4.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsLyngford ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsFrench Weir Recreation GroundPlaying field · 2.3 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsGreenway Recreation GroundPlaying field · 1.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsGoodland GardensPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsTrull GreenPark or garden · 0.1 ha · just outside town
DirectionsMillennum GardenPark or garden · 0.0 ha
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Taunton 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 (80%)Further (20%)
Taunton80%
Towns its size86%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
About 12,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 92 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 670 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Quantock Hills and Blackdown Hills both start about a mile from Taunton
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
1.2 mi south-east370 km²since 19917% of the land within 5 km
Official site16% of the land within 5 km of Taunton is National Park or National Landscape, more than 74% of UK towns. Exmoor National Park covers 693 km² and has been a National Park since 1954.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
5 waymarked walks pass through or near Taunton
218 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Taunton and the kilometre around it, 4.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
West Deane Way14.8 km
East Deane Way12.8 km
Somerset Space Walk6.0 km
Herepath Trail - Thurlbear3.2 km
Taunton Heritage Trail3.0 km
Close to home, the Somerset Space Walk has 6 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 2 regional routes pass through, including the West Deane Way and East Deane 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 Taunton: 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 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 82 | 66 | 56 | 56 | 51 | 56 | 54 | 64 | 61 | 88 | 94 | 94 |
May is the driest month (51 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 94 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 34 nights a year. The climate in Taunton →
Things to do
3 viewpoints, 92 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.
3Viewpointsabout the same as towns its size92Playgrounds1.6× towns its size1Dog parks2Campsites7Slipways
The nearest beaches
Taunton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Berrow Sands14 mi from Taunton’s edge
DirectionsDunster Beach17 mi from Taunton’s edge
DirectionsChurch Cliff Beach20 mi from Taunton’s edge
DirectionsMonmouth Beach20 mi from Taunton’s edge
DirectionsSeaton Beach20 mi from Taunton’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 3
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 92
Worcester Road Play Parkin town
DirectionsVivary Park Playground0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 90 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Five Acres Dog Field1.2 mi from town
DirectionsCampsites 2
Cornish Farm Touring Park0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 7
French Weir Park Slipway0.0 mi from town
DirectionsFrench Weir Park Swimming steps0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 5 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.
TrullNorton FitzwarrenMonkton HeathfieldRuishtonCreech St MichaelCotford St LukeTaunton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taunton | B | 1.2 | 80% | 16% |
| Trull 1.8 mi | A+ | 5.9 | 100% | 20% |
| Norton Fitzwarren 2.0 mi | C+ | 1.3 | 35% | 6% |
| Monkton Heathfield 2.3 mi | A | 2.4 | 100% | 8% |
| Ruishton 2.3 mi | C− | 0.6 | 60% | 4% |
| Creech St Michael 2.7 mi | B− | 1.2 | 88% | 0% |
| Cotford St Luke 4.1 mi | B+ | 2.2 | 100% | 6% |
Trull, 1.8 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Trull has at least twice Taunton’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Taunton
What is the biggest park in Taunton?
Hamilton Gault Playing Field, 5.2 ha (13 acres), with 1 km of path. Victoria Park (5.2 ha) is second. 10 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Taunton near a National Park?
Yes. Exmoor National Park begins 8.8 mi north-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 Quantock Hills National Landscape, 1.0 mi away.
What are the best walks near Taunton?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the West Deane Way, East Deane Way and Somerset Space Walk.
What is the nearest beach to Taunton?
Berrow Sands, 14 mi from the edge of the town, then Dunster Beach (17 mi). Taunton itself is inland.
How many people in Taunton live near a park?
80% 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 Taunton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Taunton good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 93% 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 Taunton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Taunton’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.