Aldridge’s biggest
Anchor Meadow Playing Fields
Playing field
8.6 ha (21 acres)0.3 km of path
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Aldridge
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Bill Boaden · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Aldridge · parks, paths & countryside
83% of Aldridge’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Cannock Chase National Landscape begins 4.9 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Aldridge add up to 3.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 51 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.1 for every square kilometre. Aldridge grades C+ for the outdoors: #24 of 35 in West Midlands. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
83%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
51 km
2.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Cannock Chase starts 4.9 mi out, past the 5 km
Outdoors grade
Aldridge grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Aldridge, 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 37% of UK towns#24 of 35 in West Midlands · 50th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
70out 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 · Cannock Chase begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
34out 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
Aldridge is 50th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 14,900 to 16,800 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
Aldridge2.1
Towns its size3.3
West Midlands towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Aldridge3.0
Towns its size2.4
West Midlands towns2.7
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Aldridge83%
Towns its size87%
West Midlands towns77%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Aldridge stands out most for park space per resident: only 18 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 55 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saltash Cornwall | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 2 | Prestatyn Clwyd | A+ | 3.3 | 92% | 2.9 | 14% |
| 3 | Conwy Clwyd | A+ | 2.9 | 82% | 3.6 | 13% |
| 4 | Swanscombe Kent | A+ | 3.3 | 90% | 8.5 | 0% |
| 5 | Petersfield Hampshire | A | 3.2 | 93% | 3.2 | 100% |
| 6 | Clitheroe Lancashire | A | 3 | 98% | 3.1 | 59% |
| 7 | Hadfield Derbyshire | A | 2.4 | 91% | 4.5 | 36% |
| 8 | Bishop's Cleeve Gloucestershire | A | 1.9 | 100% | 3.9 | 35% |
| 9 | Bedlington Northumberland | A | 5.1 | 94% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Staveley Derbyshire | A | 6.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 11 | Lewes East Sussex | A | 1.9 | 83% | 4.6 | 75% |
| 12 | Stapleford Nottinghamshire | A | 3.5 | 95% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 13 | Skipton North Yorkshire | A | 1.7 | 99% | 4.2 | 25% |
| 14 | Kidsgrove Staffordshire | A− | 8.6 | 87% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 15 | Porthcawl Mid Glamorgan | A− | 3.5 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Frimley Surrey | A− | 2.9 | 99% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 17 | Hessle East Riding of Yorkshire | A− | 5.3 | 96% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Risca Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 94% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 19 | Worcester Park and Stoneleigh Surrey | B+ | 7.3 | 76% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 20 | South Woodham Ferrers Essex | B+ | 7.8 | 93% | 3 | 0% |
| 21 | Uckfield East Sussex | B+ | 2.9 | 47% | 4.9 | 22% |
| 22 | Peacehaven East Sussex | B+ | 1.1 | 51% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 23 | Somercotes and Swanwick Derbyshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 24 | Weybridge Surrey | B+ | 3.9 | 80% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 25 | Burnham-on-Sea Somerset | B+ | 2.1 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Newport Pagnell Buckinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 27 | Whickham Tyne and Wear | B+ | 3.9 | 77% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 28 | Swinton South Yorkshire | B+ | 3 | 97% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Brackley Northamptonshire | B | 2.7 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 30 | Tyldesley Greater Manchester | B | 2.3 | 97% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 31 | Haydock Merseyside | B | 6.8 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 32 | Westbury Wiltshire | B | 1.4 | 97% | 3.3 | 1% |
| 33 | Crowthorne Berkshire | B | 4.7 | 60% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Patchway Gloucestershire | B | 2.5 | 80% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 35 | Haslingden Lancashire | B | 1.8 | 89% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Wimborne Minster Dorset | B | 2.7 | 51% | 3.6 | 17% |
| 37 | Penrith Cumbria | B | 1.6 | 91% | 2.9 | 9% |
| 38 | Wymondham Norfolk | B | 2.8 | 97% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 39 | Redruth Cornwall | B− | 1.5 | 78% | 3.7 | 3% |
| 40 | Hoyland South Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 67% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Knaresborough North Yorkshire | B− | 2.3 | 87% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Mexborough South Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 97% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 43 | Heysham Lancashire | B− | 1.4 | 83% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Teignmouth Devon | B− | 1.7 | 82% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 45 | East Ardsley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 91% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 46 | South Normanton and Pinxton Derbyshire | C+ | 1.7 | 90% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 47 | Elland West Yorkshire | C+ | 2 | 69% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 48 | Darton South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.5 | 86% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 49 | South Hayling Hampshire | C+ | 1 | 65% | 1.4 | 26% |
| 50 | Aldridge West Midlands | C+ | 3 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 51 | Hockley and Hawkwell Essex | C+ | 1.6 | 85% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 52 | Garforth West Yorkshire | C | 1.2 | 88% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Longfield, New Ash Green and Hartley Kent | C | 1.2 | 54% | 3.3 | 21% |
| 54 | Ripon North Yorkshire | C | 1 | 75% | 2.4 | 17% |
| 55 | Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire | C | 1.1 | 90% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Nailsea Somerset | C | 1.1 | 65% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Alsager Cheshire | C | 1.2 | 82% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Maltby South Yorkshire | C− | 1.8 | 78% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Saffron Walden Essex | C− | 1.1 | 63% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 60 | Carmarthen Dyfed | D | 1.6 | 76% | 1.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Aldridge’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 Aldridge
The biggest is Anchor Meadow Playing Fields, 8.6 ha (21 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Aldridge’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%)
Aldridge83%
Towns its size87%
West Midlands towns77%
All UK towns83%
About 2,700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 26 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 609 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Cannock Chase National Landscape is 4.9 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 Aldridge scores 0% on it even though the Cannock Chase National Landscape is 4.9 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Aldridge
51 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Aldridge and the kilometre around it, 2.1 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
Beacon Way12.0 km
Forest of Mercia Timberland Trail (Long Route)2.0 km
Forest of Mercia Timberland Trail (Short Route)2.0 km
The regional route here is the Beacon 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 Aldridge: 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) | 8.1 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 67 | 52 | 52 | 56 | 58 | 73 | 62 | 66 | 62 | 77 | 71 | 75 |
March is the driest month (52 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 77 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 42 nights a year. The climate in Aldridge →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 26 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.
2Viewpoints3Hills and peaks3.1× towns its size7Nature reserves6.6× towns its size2Picnic sites26Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Campsites
The nearest beaches
Aldridge is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
library19 mi from Aldridge’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. Barr Beacon, at 227 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Aldridge.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Barr Beacon War Memorial0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Barr Beacon227 m (745 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsShireoak Hill190 m (623 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsGrove Hill152 m (499 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 7
Cuckoos Nook6.0 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsCuckoos' Nook & The Dingle Local Nature Reserve/ SSSI/ Black Country Geosite15 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsHayhead Wood Local Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite5.8 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsShire Oak Park Local Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite29 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPark Lime Pits Local Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite13 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPinfold Lane Quarry SINC Black Country Geosite7.8 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsBrewer's Drive Nature Area1.2 ha · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 26
Adventurelandin town
DirectionsCoppy Hall Play Areain town
DirectionsAldridge Airport0.1 mi from town
DirectionsBlackwood Park Play Area0.5 mi from town
DirectionsCrash Bang Wallop1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 21 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
The Paddock Certificated Site0.4 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
Rushall and ShelfieldStonnallStreetlyBrownhillsPelsallClayhangerAldridge
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldridge | C+ | 3.0 | 83% | 0% |
| Rushall and Shelfield 1.5 mi | B | 4.3 | 88% | 0% |
| Stonnall 2.0 mi | C+ | 11.5 | 82% | 0% |
| Streetly 2.4 mi | C | 7.5 | 58% | 0% |
| Brownhills 2.5 mi | B | 11.0 | 80% | 2% |
| Pelsall 2.5 mi | B+ | 6.1 | 95% | 0% |
| Clayhanger 2.5 mi | A− | 17.4 | 100% | 0% |
Clayhanger, 2.5 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Stonnall, Streetly and Brownhills have at least twice Aldridge’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Aldridge
What is the biggest park in Aldridge?
Anchor Meadow Playing Fields, 8.6 ha (21 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Aldridge near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Cannock Chase National Landscape, 4.9 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 69 km² and was designated in 1958.
What are the best walks near Aldridge?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Beacon Way, Forest of Mercia Timberland Trail (Long Route) and Forest of Mercia Timberland Trail (Short Route).
What is the nearest beach to Aldridge?
library, 19 mi from the edge of the town. Aldridge itself is inland.
How many people in Aldridge 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 Aldridge?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Aldridge good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 34% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 70% (3.0 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 Aldridge’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Aldridge’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.