Photo: Charlesdrakew · Public domainArdingly is inside the High Weald National Landscape
Footpaths add up to 48 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 4.1 for every square kilometre. 53% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Ardingly grades B for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Ardingly?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Ardingly’s strongest suit is a protected landscape all round, followed by dense footpaths. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Ardingly grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Ardingly, 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.
Ardingly is 19th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,600 to 1,700 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Ardingly stands out most for path per km²: only 4 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 49 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portskewett Gwent | A+ | 10 | 100% | 2.9 | 3% |
| 2 | Manningtree Essex | A+ | 5.6 | 100% | 2.5 | 43% |
| 3 | Guston Kent | A+ | 5.8 | 100% | 2.5 | 25% |
| 4 | Llansanffraid Glan Conwy Clwyd | A+ | 10.8 | 100% | 1.6 | 8% |
| 5 | Pen-clawdd West Glamorgan | A | 4 | 100% | 0.5 | 42% |
| 6 | Hale Bank Cheshire | A− | 9.1 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 7 | Hemyock Devon | A− | 3.2 | 100% | 1.3 | 82% |
| 8 | Shillington Bedfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 83% | 3.2 | 14% |
| 9 | Bean Kent | A− | 17 | 72% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 10 | Woodhouse Eaves Leicestershire | A− | 35.7 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Kewstoke Somerset | A− | 1.3 | 74% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 12 | Harrold Bedfordshire | A− | 19.1 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 13 | Hampton Magna Warwickshire | A− | 6.8 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 14 | Sonning Berkshire | A− | 11.1 | 80% | 2.5 | 7% |
| 15 | Stithians Cornwall | B+ | 3.2 | 80% | 3.4 | 3% |
| 16 | Staining Lancashire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 17 | Seal Kent | B+ | 3.3 | 78% | 2.1 | 77% |
| 18 | Great Kingshill Buckinghamshire | B | 2.7 | 55% | 2.9 | 84% |
| 19 | Ardingly West Sussex | B | 1.7 | 53% | 4.1 | 83% |
| 20 | Abridge Essex | B | 3 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 21 | Silkstone South Yorkshire | B | 1 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Edgworth Lancashire | B | 3.2 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Normandy Surrey | B− | 3.2 | 23% | 3.1 | 26% |
| 24 | Eynsford Kent | B− | 2.1 | 81% | 1.9 | 46% |
| 25 | Allhallows Kent | B− | 3.2 | 76% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Sibertswold Kent | B− | 1.9 | 79% | 2.2 | 38% |
| 27 | Onley Northamptonshire | B− | 2.3 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Whittington Shropshire | B− | 3.7 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 29 | West Horndon Essex | C+ | 2.2 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 30 | Seahouses and North Sunderland Northumberland | C+ | 1.6 | 17% | 1.7 | 21% |
| 31 | Chipperfield Hertfordshire | C+ | 2.4 | 37% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 32 | Bartestree Herefordshire | C+ | 2.1 | 81% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 33 | Rocester Staffordshire | C+ | 15.2 | 58% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Everton Hampshire | C+ | 1.3 | 58% | 1.5 | 37% |
| 35 | Templecombe Somerset | C+ | 2 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Clutton Somerset | C+ | 0.9 | 74% | 3.3 | 11% |
| 37 | New Arley Warwickshire | C+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 38 | High Littleton Somerset | C+ | 1 | 58% | 4.9 | 1% |
| 39 | Potterspury Northamptonshire | C | 1.4 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Acton Suffolk | C | 1.6 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Buxted East Sussex | C | 1.1 | 63% | 2.4 | 52% |
| 42 | Stonesfield Oxfordshire | C | 1.9 | 60% | 1.8 | 38% |
| 43 | Earith Cambridgeshire | C | 1.2 | 78% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Wylam Northumberland | C− | 1.1 | 74% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 45 | Thorney Cambridgeshire | C− | 3.4 | 74% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Creunant West Glamorgan | C− | 1.7 | 79% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Pensilva Cornwall | C− | 1.6 | 60% | 1.3 | 15% |
| 48 | Whitehill County Durham | C− | 0.3 | 0% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Sywell and Overstone Northamptonshire | D | 3.1 | 62% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Upper Arncott Oxfordshire | D | 3.1 | 59% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Thurcaston Leicestershire | D | 1.1 | 33% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Dobwalls Cornwall | D | 1.4 | 28% | 1.5 | 15% |
| 53 | Ketton Rutland | D | 2.1 | 56% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Balsham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.7 | 57% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Findern Derbyshire | D | 1.8 | 40% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 56 | Skirlaugh East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1 | 85% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Woodborough Nottinghamshire | D− | 1 | 45% | 2 | 0% |
| 58 | Ulceby Lincolnshire | D− | 1.2 | 72% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Scarcroft West Yorkshire | D− | 0.5 | 15% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Church Fenton North Yorkshire | D− | 0.3 | 50% | 0.7 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ardingly’s built-up area.
5 in 10 Ardingly 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 800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 3 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 549 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Ardingly
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.
High Weald
83% of the land within 5 km of Ardingly is National Park or National Landscape, more than 97% of UK towns. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Ardingly
48 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Ardingly and the kilometre around it, 4.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
Close to home, the Barky Bark Trail has 9 km of local walk within 2 km of the village. 3 regional routes pass through, including the High Weald Landscape Trail, Sussex Ouse Valley Way and Sussex Diamond 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 Ardingly: 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 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 106 | 73 | 58 | 55 | 59 | 56 | 61 | 69 | 67 | 109 | 108 | 109 |
April is the driest month (55 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 109 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 39 nights a year. The climate in Ardingly →
7 viewpoints, 3 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
Ardingly 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
Viewpoints 7
Plus 6 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardingly | B | 1.7 | 53% | 83% |
| Balcombe 2.2 mi | A | 2.9 | 100% | 90% |
| Horsted Keynes 2.5 mi | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 83% |
| Haywards Heath 3.5 mi | A | 2.4 | 84% | 44% |
| Cuckfield 3.6 mi | A | 6.7 | 70% | 49% |
| Crawley Down 5.1 mi | C+ | 1.2 | 80% | 40% |
| Handcross 5.3 mi | B | 9.6 | 58% | 87% |
Cuckfield, 3.6 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 70% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Cuckfield and Handcross have at least twice Ardingly’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Ardingly
Is Ardingly near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 6.2 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 High Weald National Landscape, at the edge of the village.
What are the best walks near Ardingly?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the High Weald Landscape Trail, Barky Bark Trail and Sussex Ouse Valley Way.
What is the nearest beach to Ardingly?
Brighton Beach, 15 mi from the edge of the village, then Duke's Mound Naturist Beach (15 mi). Ardingly itself is inland.
How many people in Ardingly live near a park?
53% 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 Ardingly?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Ardingly good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 83% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 35% (1.7 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 Ardingly’s overall grade.
Where Ardingly’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.