Photo: Hywel Williams · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in Salfords
The Surrey Hills National Landscape begins 3.0 mi from the village’s edge. 12% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Parks and playing fields in Salfords add up to 1.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Salfords grades D for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Salfords?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Salfords’ strongest suit is two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Salfords grades D for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Salfords, 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.
Salfords is 49th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,800 to 2,000 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Salfords stands out most for path per km²: only 18 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 57 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Badshot Lea Surrey | A+ | 25.9 | 100% | 5.2 | 25% |
| 2 | Southwick Wiltshire | A+ | 22.2 | 100% | 5.2 | 1% |
| 3 | Kirkby Stephen Cumbria | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 3.7 | 65% |
| 4 | Scholes (near Hade Edge) West Yorkshire | A+ | 3.8 | 100% | 4.7 | 16% |
| 5 | Hayfield Derbyshire | A+ | 2.2 | 100% | 4.1 | 62% |
| 6 | Colwall Stone Herefordshire | A | 4.5 | 67% | 5.5 | 64% |
| 7 | Bagworth Leicestershire | A | 11 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 8 | Newell Green Berkshire | A | 22.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Ravenstone Leicestershire | A− | 5.3 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 10 | Lower Broadheath Worcestershire | A− | 6 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 11 | Goosnargh Lancashire | A− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.5 | 6% |
| 12 | Flamborough East Riding of Yorkshire | A− | 1.9 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 13 | Waddesdon Buckinghamshire | B+ | 3 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 14 | Mevagissey Cornwall | B+ | 1.3 | 87% | 1.9 | 29% |
| 15 | Tongwynlais South Glamorgan | B+ | 8.6 | 65% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Findon West Sussex | B+ | 1.7 | 74% | 3.7 | 70% |
| 17 | Bishop's Castle Shropshire | B+ | 2 | 100% | 1.3 | 53% |
| 18 | Hathersage Derbyshire | B | 1.6 | 58% | 4.5 | 100% |
| 19 | Westham East Sussex | B | 3.8 | 18% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Little Eaton Derbyshire | B | 4.6 | 85% | 3 | 0% |
| 21 | Shurdington Gloucestershire | B | 2.7 | 47% | 3.3 | 42% |
| 22 | Horrabridge Devon | B | 1.4 | 83% | 2.7 | 92% |
| 23 | Campsall South Yorkshire | B | 14.8 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Chilcompton Somerset | B− | 6.5 | 40% | 2.9 | 1% |
| 25 | Yelverton Devon | B− | 3.6 | 72% | 1.1 | 85% |
| 26 | Stanwick Northamptonshire | B− | 7.9 | 82% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 27 | Ingrave and Herongate Essex | B− | 5 | 51% | 4 | 0% |
| 28 | Newcastle Emlyn Dyfed | B− | 5.9 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Wrea Green Lancashire | B− | 3.5 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 30 | Whitland Dyfed | B− | 4.4 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire | B− | 3.4 | 64% | 1.2 | 88% |
| 32 | Oxenhope West Yorkshire | B− | 1.8 | 80% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 33 | Barnburgh and Harlington South Yorkshire | B− | 1.8 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Houghton Conquest Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.8 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 35 | Hockley Heath West Midlands | C+ | 2.6 | 86% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Lowdham Nottinghamshire | C+ | 3.7 | 85% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Milnthorpe Cumbria | C | 2.2 | 49% | 2 | 39% |
| 38 | Lympstone Devon | C | 1 | 66% | 1.3 | 16% |
| 39 | Rode Heath Cheshire | C | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Toft Hill and High Etherley County Durham | C− | 2.5 | 83% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 41 | Woolpit Suffolk | C− | 4.3 | 54% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 42 | Hemingbrough North Yorkshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Thornton-le-Dale North Yorkshire | D | 1.1 | 58% | 1.1 | 29% |
| 44 | Brompton-on-Swale North Yorkshire | D | 2.1 | 71% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Manby Lincolnshire | D | 1.4 | 68% | 0.8 | 2% |
| 46 | Cropwell Bishop Nottinghamshire | D | 0.7 | 45% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Newton Longville Buckinghamshire | D | 2.9 | 18% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Dunholme Lincolnshire | D | 1.8 | 52% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Salfords Surrey | D | 1.3 | 12% | 3 | 0% |
| 50 | Rickinghall and Botesdale Suffolk | D | 1.7 | 61% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Barnetby le Wold Lincolnshire | D | 1.8 | 59% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 52 | Wragby Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 69% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Hampton in Arden West Midlands | D− | 0.1 | 44% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 54 | Mickle Trafford Cheshire | D− | 0.5 | 70% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Weeting Norfolk | D− | 1.2 | 68% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Colnbrook Berkshire | D− | 0.6 | 68% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Great Gonerby Lincolnshire | D− | 0.7 | 56% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Great Barton Suffolk | D− | 1.6 | 19% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Shippon Oxfordshire | D− | 0.4 | 0% | 2 | 0% |
| 60 | Burstwick East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Salfords’ built-up area.
1 in 10 Salfords 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 1,700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 31 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 60 residents.
Surrey Hills and High Weald both start about 5 miles from Salfords
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 Salfords scores 0% on it even though the Surrey Hills National Landscape is 3.0 mi away. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Salfords
34 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Salfords and the kilometre around it, 3.0 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
2 regional routes pass through, including the Reigate and Banstead Millennium Trail and Greensand Way.
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 Salfords: May to September
The village’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 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 84 | 61 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 49 | 53 | 58 | 58 | 89 | 92 | 89 |
June is the driest month (49 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 92 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 52 nights a year. The climate in Salfords →
31 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Salfords is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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
Nature reserves 1
Playgrounds 31
Plus 30 playgrounds without a name on the map.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salfords | D | 1.3 | 12% | 0% |
| Horley 1.7 mi | C+ | 1.9 | 84% | 0% |
| South Nutfield 2.2 mi | A− | 2.5 | 100% | 11% |
| Redhill 2.2 mi | A− | 2.2 | 91% | 14% |
| Reigate 2.6 mi | A− | 5.5 | 58% | 20% |
| Smallfield 2.8 mi | C | 1.6 | 70% | 1% |
| Bletchingley 3.9 mi | C | 0.5 | 10% | 18% |
Redhill, 2.2 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 91% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Reigate has at least twice Salfords’ green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Salfords
Is Salfords near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 17 mi south of the village’s edge. It covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, 3.0 mi away.
What are the best walks near Salfords?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Reigate and Banstead Millennium Trail and Greensand Way.
What is the nearest beach to Salfords?
Amity Beach, 20 mi from the edge of the village, then Hog Hole (20 mi). Salfords itself is inland.
How many people in Salfords live near a park?
12% 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 Salfords?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Salfords good for walking?
About average for paths: 3.0 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 59% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 21% (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 Salfords’ overall grade.
Where Salfords’ 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.