Blackheath’s biggest
Hurst Green Recreation Ground
Park or garden · 70 m outside town
10.0 ha (25 acres)1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Cutler at English Wikipedia · Public domainC+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Blackheath · parks, paths & countryside
Blackheath has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
49 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.9 for every square kilometre. 57% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Parks and playing fields in Blackheath add up to 2.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Blackheath grades C+ for the outdoors: #18 of 35 in West Midlands. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
57%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
49 km
4.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Cannock Chase National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Blackheath?
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.Parks can be a walk away43% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Blackheath’s strongest suit is dense footpaths. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Blackheath grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Blackheath, 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 44% of UK towns#18 of 35 in West Midlands · 33rd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
60out of
100
100
A park within a walk57%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
18out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out 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
Blackheath is 33rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 6,600 to 7,300 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
Blackheath4.9
Towns its size2.8
West Midlands towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Blackheath2.5
Towns its size2.2
West Midlands towns2.7
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Blackheath57%
Towns its size77%
West Midlands towns77%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Blackheath stands out most for path per km²: only 2 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 48 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheringham Norfolk | A+ | 11.6 | 74% | 3.4 | 32% |
| 2 | Acrefair and Cefn-mawr Clwyd | A | 6.5 | 96% | 2.9 | 36% |
| 3 | Anstey Leicestershire | A | 12.9 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 4 | Liphook Hampshire | A | 3.1 | 86% | 3.8 | 64% |
| 5 | Bishop's Waltham Hampshire | A | 2.6 | 93% | 3.4 | 55% |
| 6 | East Boldon and West Boldon Tyne and Wear | A | 3.4 | 96% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 7 | Ibstock Leicestershire | A | 8.5 | 96% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 8 | Bourne End Buckinghamshire | A | 2.9 | 87% | 4 | 19% |
| 9 | Barton on Sea Hampshire | A | 4.9 | 50% | 2.8 | 22% |
| 10 | Gwersyllt Clwyd | A | 14.6 | 96% | 2.5 | 2% |
| 11 | Ashley Heath Dorset | A | 24.2 | 68% | 4 | 15% |
| 12 | Darfield South Yorkshire | A | 4 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 13 | Easington County Durham | A− | 5 | 94% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 14 | Walton-on-the-Naze Essex | A− | 3.2 | 96% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 15 | Horden County Durham | A− | 2.1 | 82% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Shiremoor Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.5 | 76% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 17 | Torpoint Cornwall | A− | 2.2 | 84% | 1.6 | 26% |
| 18 | Whitworth Lancashire | B+ | 2.5 | 96% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Blackwater Hampshire | B+ | 10.6 | 74% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Kiveton Park South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.8 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 21 | Fence Houses Tyne and Wear | B+ | 3.8 | 81% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Skelton (Redcar and Cleveland) North Yorkshire | B+ | 1.7 | 82% | 2.2 | 9% |
| 23 | Burley in Wharfedale West Yorkshire | B | 1.6 | 81% | 3.5 | 35% |
| 24 | Malmesbury Wiltshire | B | 2 | 86% | 2.5 | 26% |
| 25 | Hartford Cheshire | B | 2.2 | 95% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Chapel-en-le-Frith Derbyshire | B− | 1 | 75% | 3.8 | 58% |
| 27 | Barrow upon Soar Leicestershire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 28 | Wincanton Somerset | B− | 1.4 | 88% | 2.8 | 7% |
| 29 | Balsall Common West Midlands | B− | 3.7 | 81% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 30 | Cranfield Bedfordshire | B− | 2.3 | 72% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Borrowash Derbyshire | B− | 2.8 | 85% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 32 | Bollington Cheshire | B− | 1.3 | 56% | 4.1 | 31% |
| 33 | Blackheath West Midlands | C+ | 2.5 | 57% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Allerton Bywater West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.1 | 78% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 35 | North Baddesley Hampshire | C+ | 1.7 | 91% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 36 | Chiswell Green Hertfordshire | C+ | 4 | 54% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 37 | Chipping Norton Oxfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 67% | 2.4 | 73% |
| 38 | Poringland Norfolk | C+ | 1.3 | 91% | 2.1 | 5% |
| 39 | West Mersea Essex | C+ | 1.9 | 69% | 2 | 0% |
| 40 | Rawdon West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Bolton-le-Sands Lancashire | C+ | 1.1 | 58% | 1.6 | 23% |
| 42 | Radcliffe on Trent Nottinghamshire | C | 2.5 | 76% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Hattersley Greater Manchester | C | 0.9 | 52% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 44 | Farnham Common and Farnham Royal Buckinghamshire | C | 1 | 55% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Waddington Lincolnshire | C | 2.3 | 87% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Hagley Worcestershire | C | 1.7 | 90% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 47 | Crewkerne Somerset | C | 0.5 | 66% | 2.8 | 21% |
| 48 | Rhoose South Glamorgan | C | 2 | 43% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Great Wakering Essex | C | 1.1 | 47% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Aylsham Norfolk | C | 2.6 | 74% | 2 | 0% |
| 51 | Hethersett Norfolk | C | 2.1 | 65% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Market Warsop Nottinghamshire | C | 2.1 | 67% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Hollywood Worcestershire | C− | 2.4 | 54% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Culcheth Cheshire | C− | 1.7 | 67% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Wellesbourne Warwickshire | D | 1.1 | 88% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Coleshill Warwickshire | D | 1.3 | 69% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Keyworth Nottinghamshire | D− | 1.3 | 58% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Blythe Bridge and Forsbrook Staffordshire | D− | 1.6 | 49% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Featherstone Staffordshire | D− | 1.2 | 52% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Albrighton Shropshire | D− | 0.8 | 32% | 1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Blackheath’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 Blackheath
The biggest is Hurst Green Recreation Ground, 10.0 ha (25 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Britannia Park
Park or garden
6.4 ha (16 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Blackheath
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
6 in 10 Blackheath 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 (57%)Further (43%)
Blackheath57%
Towns its size77%
West Midlands towns77%
All UK towns83%
About 3,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 54 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 129 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Cannock Chase National Landscape is 14 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
Footpaths & waymarked walks
9 waymarked walks pass through or near Blackheath
49 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Blackheath 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
Monarch's Way6.6 km
BCN Walks- Titford Canal3.2 km
Walk Rowley Regis Heritage Trail3.1 km
Leasowes & Coombeswood Countryside Walk2.7 km
Rowley Hills Geology Trail1.9 km
William Shenstone & The Leasowes Historical Trail1.2 km
The Leasowes Red Walking Trail1.2 km
Black Country Canals: The Dudley & Stourbridge Ring1.1 km
Down The Bumble Hole- Windmill End Trail0.6 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the Monarch's Way and Black Country Canals: The Dudley & Stourbridge Ring.
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 Blackheath: 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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 65 | 52 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 68 | 61 | 69 | 64 | 79 | 75 | 74 |
March is the driest month (50 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 79 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 41 nights a year. The climate in Blackheath →
Things to do
3 viewpoints, 54 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.
3Viewpoints12Hills and peaks11Nature reserves11.2× towns its size1Picnic sites54Playgrounds3.4× towns its size1Slipways
The nearest beaches
Blackheath is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
library24 mi from Blackheath’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. Hawes Hill, at 228 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Blackheath.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Jugbury Hill (Barnford Hill)0.7 mi from town
DirectionsHigh Terrace Viewpoint1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 12
Hawes Hill228 m (748 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsAllsopps Hill226 m (741 ft) · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsHaden Hill176 m (577 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsBarnford Hill207 m (679 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsHailstone Hill209 m (686 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsMucklow Hill212 m (696 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsWarley Hill228 m (748 ft) · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsTurners Hill271 m (890 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 hills and peaks more.
Nature reserves 11
Higham's Hill Nature Reserve4.4 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsTitford Pools Urban Reserve Park12 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsCoombswood Valley Black Country Geosite34 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsBarnford Hill Black Country Geosite1.4 ha · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsCodsall Coppice Wood Nature Reserve (Ancient Woodland)2.5 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsCorngreaves Nature Reserve15 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsRowley Hills Nature Reserve28 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsRowley Hills31 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 3 nature reserves more.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 54
Junglebugs Indoor Playin town
DirectionsThe Orchard School KS2 Playground0.3 mi from town
DirectionsLangley Primary School Nursery Playground0.7 mi from town
DirectionsLangley Primary School Reception Playground0.7 mi from town
DirectionsLangley Primary School KS2 Playground0.7 mi from town
DirectionsHalf Penny Farm Childrens Playground0.9 mi from town
DirectionsMinee Monkeys Day Nursery Playground1.1 mi from town
DirectionsTimbertree Play Area1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 46 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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.
OldburyCradley HeathRowley RegisHalesowenDudleySmethwickBlackheath
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackheath | C+ | 2.5 | 57% | 0% |
| Oldbury 1.3 mi | B− | 3.0 | 68% | 0% |
| Cradley Heath 1.3 mi | B | 3.3 | 76% | 0% |
| Rowley Regis 1.5 mi | B+ | 4.1 | 71% | 0% |
| Halesowen 1.7 mi | C+ | 2.1 | 77% | 0% |
| Dudley 2.9 mi | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 0% |
| Smethwick 2.9 mi | C+ | 2.0 | 88% | 0% |
Dudley, 2.9 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 91% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Blackheath
What is the biggest park in Blackheath?
Hurst Green Recreation Ground, 10.0 ha (25 acres), with 1.2 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Britannia Park (6.4 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Blackheath near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Cannock Chase National Landscape, 14 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 69 km² and was designated in 1958.
What are the best walks near Blackheath?
9 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Monarch's Way, BCN Walks- Titford Canal and Walk Rowley Regis Heritage Trail.
What is the nearest beach to Blackheath?
library, 24 mi from the edge of the town. Blackheath itself is inland.
How many people in Blackheath live near a park?
57% 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 Blackheath?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Blackheath 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 60% (2.5 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 Blackheath’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Blackheath’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.