Dudley’s biggest
Warrens Hall Park
Park or garden
41 ha (102 acres)7.4 km of path
1 h 40 minto walk all 7.4 km of path
58 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Nature reserve
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Brian Clift · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Dudley · parks, paths & countryside
Dudley has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
203 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 5.2 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Dudley add up to 3.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 91% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Dudley grades A− for the outdoors: #1 of 35 in West Midlands. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
91%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
203 km
5.2 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 Dudley?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths5.2 km of path per km², more than 94% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Hills with a view12 mapped viewpoints, about 5× as many per resident as the typical town its size.Historic parksPriory Park, Dudley is a registered historic park (Grade II).
Dudley’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by its views.
Outdoors grade
Dudley grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Dudley, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 80% of UK towns#1 of 35 in West Midlands · 24th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
75out of
100
100
A park within a walk91%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
69out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths5.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
94out 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
Dudley is 24th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 53,100 to 78,200 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
Dudley5.2
Towns its size3.4
West Midlands towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Dudley3.4
Towns its size2.5
West Midlands towns2.7
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Dudley91%
Towns its size86%
West Midlands towns77%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Dudley stands out most for path per km²: only 7 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester Kent | A+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.6 | 23% |
| 2 | Dartford Kent | A | 3.9 | 72% | 5.1 | 1% |
| 3 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 4 | Guildford Surrey | A | 2.8 | 86% | 6.1 | 31% |
| 5 | Cannock Staffordshire | A | 5.5 | 88% | 3.5 | 26% |
| 6 | Scarborough North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 86% | 3.1 | 17% |
| 7 | Gravesend Kent | A | 1.4 | 84% | 6.4 | 14% |
| 8 | Chatham Kent | A | 1.6 | 78% | 6.4 | 26% |
| 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 | Gosport Hampshire | A | 3 | 85% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 14 | South Shields Tyne and Wear | A | 2.4 | 80% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 15 | Farnborough Hampshire | A | 4 | 77% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 16 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 17 | Tynemouth Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.2 | 85% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Chesterfield Derbyshire | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 19 | Hereford Herefordshire | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 20 | Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire | A− | 5.2 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 22 | Carlisle Cumbria | A− | 3.2 | 91% | 3.1 | 4% |
| 23 | St Albans Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 95% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Harrogate North Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 86% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 26 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 27 | Carlton Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.9 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 28 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Bootle Merseyside | B+ | 2.1 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Canterbury Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 5.7 | 19% |
| 31 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 32 | Bebington Merseyside | B+ | 3 | 86% | 2.2 | 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 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 37 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria | B | 2 | 91% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Macclesfield Cheshire | B | 1.8 | 80% | 3.3 | 18% |
| 40 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 41 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Rugby Warwickshire | B− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Tamworth Staffordshire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 3 | 0% |
| 45 | Brentwood Essex | B− | 3.9 | 69% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Kettering Northamptonshire | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Stafford Staffordshire | B− | 1.9 | 70% | 3.1 | 11% |
| 48 | Smethwick West Midlands | C+ | 2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Wellingborough Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.7 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Halesowen West Midlands | C+ | 2.1 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Woking Surrey | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Shrewsbury Shropshire | C+ | 1.6 | 87% | 3.4 | 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 | Burton upon Trent Staffordshire | C− | 1.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Kidderminster Worcestershire | D | 1.2 | 72% | 2.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Dudley’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 Dudley
The biggest is Warrens Hall Park, 41 ha (102 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 13 named parks by size: 111 ha (275 acres) and 17 km of path
Parks & gardens 103 haPlaying fields 8.1 ha
The two biggest, Warrens Hall Park and Bluebell Park, are 57% of the named green space and carry 11 km of path between them. 5 of the 13 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Bluebell Park
Park or garden
22 ha (55 acres)3.6 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
31 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi northfrom the centre
Peak Viewpoint
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Grange Park
Park or garden
14 ha (35 acres)
20 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade II
Priory Park
Park or garden
6.6 ha (16 acres)2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Priory Ruins Grade I St James's Priory monument
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Buffery Park
Park or garden
6.5 ha (16 acres)1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Netherton Park
Park or garden
8.3 ha (20 acres)
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Bearmore Playing Field
Playing field · 390 m outside town
4.2 ha (10 acres)0.4 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.3 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Mary McArthur Gardens
Park or garden · 250 m outside town
1.7 ha (4 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.3 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 13 named parks and green spaces
Warrens Hall ParkPark or garden · 41 ha · 7.4 km of path
DirectionsBluebell ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 3.6 km of path
DirectionsGrange ParkPark or garden · 14 ha
DirectionsPriory ParkPark or garden · 6.6 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsBuffery ParkPark or garden · 6.5 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsNetherton ParkPark or garden · 8.3 ha
DirectionsBearmore Playing FieldPlaying field · 4.2 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMary McArthur GardensPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.6 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFolkes ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsRoseland Playing FieldsPlaying field · 1.9 ha
DirectionsNetherton Cricket GroundPlaying field · 2.0 ha
DirectionsGrazebrook Memorial ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsCoronation GardensPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsClose to home
9 in 10 Dudley 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 (91%)Further (9%)
Dudley91%
Towns its size86%
West Midlands towns77%
All UK towns83%
About 6,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 110 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 584 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Cannock Chase National Landscape is 11 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
30 waymarked walks pass through or near Dudley
203 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Dudley and the kilometre around it, 5.2 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
Black Country Canals: The Dudley & Stourbridge Ring18.5 km
Monarch's Way8.4 km
Walk Tipton Heritage Trail8.1 km
The Limestone Way6.9 km
Neptune Health Park Walk6.4 km
Rowley Hills Geology Trail4.7 km
Murray Gray Trail (Saltwells LNR)4.2 km
GeoTrail (Saltwells LNR)3.3 km
Walk Rowley Regis Heritage Trail3.3 km
Brierley Hill Architectural Heritage Trail2.7 km
Stourbridge Canal & Glass Quarter Heritage Trail2.7 km
Dudley Public Art Heritage Trail (Wolverton Road Trail)2.4 km
Wren's Nest UNESCO Black Country Geopark Geotrail2.3 km
Brierley Hill Geological Heritage Trail2.3 km
Dudley Architectural Heritage Trail2.2 km
Barrow Hill Geological Walk2.0 km
Plus 14 more waymarked walks on the map.
Close to home, the Walk Tipton Heritage Trail has 8 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Black Country Canals: The Dudley & Stourbridge Ring and Monarch's Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A historic park in the middle of Dudley
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Dudley’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Priory Park
6.6 ha. Part of Priory Park, Dudley, a registered historic park (Grade II). 2 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge, including Priory Ruins (Grade I).
IPriory RuinsSMSt James's Priory
Heritage walks
Walk Tipton Heritage Trail 8.1 km Walk Rowley Regis Heritage Trail 3.3 km Brierley Hill Architectural Heritage Trail 2.7 km Stourbridge Canal & Glass Quarter Heritage Trail 2.7 km Dudley Public Art Heritage Trail (Wolverton Road Trail) 2.4 km
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Dudley: 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 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 61 | 50 | 50 | 58 | 63 | 73 | 69 | 69 | 65 | 81 | 76 | 75 |
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 81 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 39 nights a year. The climate in Dudley →
Things to do
12 viewpoints and 110 playgrounds
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.
12Viewpoints5.2× towns its size19Hills and peaks16.3× towns its size1Waterfalls23Nature reserves9.2× towns its size11Picnic sites6.5× towns its size110Playgrounds1.9× towns its size
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 12
Bert's Viewin town
DirectionsElephant House Viewpoint (NE Birmingham to E Wolverhampton)in town
DirectionsWarden's View0.0 mi from town
DirectionsMurchison's View0.1 mi from town
DirectionsDarby's Hill Dudley Viewpoint0.3 mi from town
DirectionsDarby's Hill Birmingham Viewpoint0.4 mi from town
DirectionsMassey Bank Viewpoint0.7 mi from town
DirectionsBrummichum View1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 19
Cawney Hill254 m (833 ft) · in town
DirectionsDudley Castle Hill230 m (756 ft) · in town
DirectionsEve Hill223 m (732 ft) · in town
DirectionsNetherton Hill189 m (620 ft) · in town
DirectionsTansley Hill233 m (764 ft) · in town
DirectionsMons Hill215 m (705 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsBarrow Hill179 m (587 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsWrens Nest Hill241 m (791 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 11 hills and peaks more.
Waterfalls 1
Flamingo Falls0.0 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 23
Bumble Hole Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite20 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsCastle Hill Black Country Geosite33 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsDoulton's Claypit SSSI2.1 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsBarrow Hill Local Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite36 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsWarrens Hall Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite13 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsSaltwells Local Nature Reserve11 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsMousesweet Brook Local Nature Reserve3.7 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsHolloway Street Quarry SINC Black Country Geosite11 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 15 nature reserves more.
Picnic sites 11
Plus 11 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 110
Aintree Playgroundin town
DirectionsPingo's Indoor Playin town
DirectionsRidesin town
DirectionsCastle Play Area0.0 mi from town
DirectionsNew Pool Playground0.2 mi from town
DirectionsZig Zags0.5 mi from town
DirectionsWild Play0.9 mi from town
DirectionsTimbertree Play Area1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 102 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.
Rowley RegisSedgleyCoseleyCradley HeathBrierley HillTiptonDudley
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 0% |
| Rowley Regis 2.0 mi | B+ | 4.1 | 71% | 0% |
| Sedgley 2.1 mi | C | 1.5 | 65% | 0% |
| Coseley 2.4 mi | C+ | 1.4 | 84% | 0% |
| Cradley Heath 2.4 mi | B | 3.3 | 76% | 0% |
| Brierley Hill 2.5 mi | B+ | 3.1 | 82% | 0% |
| Tipton 2.6 mi | B− | 1.9 | 79% | 0% |
Dudley grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Dudley
What is the biggest park in Dudley?
Warrens Hall Park, 41 ha (102 acres), with 7.4 km of path. Bluebell Park (22 ha) is second. 13 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Dudley near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Cannock Chase National Landscape, 11 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 69 km² and was designated in 1958.
What are the best walks near Dudley?
30 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Black Country Canals: The Dudley & Stourbridge Ring, Monarch's Way and Walk Tipton Heritage Trail. Warrens Hall Park alone has 7.4 km of path.
How many people in Dudley live near a park?
91% 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 Dudley?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Dudley are historic?
Priory Park (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Dudley good for walking?
For paths, yes: 5.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 94% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 75% (3.4 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 Dudley’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Dudley’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.