Crofton’s biggest
Walton Colliery Nature Park
Park or garden · 320 m outside town
78 ha (193 acres)7.3 km of path
1 h 35 minto walk all 7.3 km of path
109 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: DS Pugh · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Crofton · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Crofton lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
95% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Parks and playing fields in Crofton add up to 3.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 39 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 2.9 for every square kilometre. Crofton grades B+ for the outdoors: #28 of 91 in West Yorkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
95%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
39 km
2.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Peak District National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Crofton?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep95% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Room to roam3.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 77% of UK towns.
Crofton’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Crofton grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Crofton, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B+
Better than 66% of UK towns#28 of 91 in West Yorkshire · 16th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
78out of
100
100
A park within a walk95%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
75out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
56out 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
Crofton is 16th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 5,800 to 6,400 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
Crofton2.9
Towns its size2.6
West Yorkshire towns3.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Crofton3.6
Towns its size2.1
West Yorkshire towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Crofton95%
Towns its size81%
West Yorkshire towns87%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Crofton stands out most for park space per resident: only 14 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netley Hampshire | A+ | 16.3 | 100% | 4.1 | 4% |
| 2 | Bagshot Surrey | A | 10.5 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Barrowford Lancashire | A | 4.2 | 82% | 5 | 22% |
| 4 | Leiston Suffolk | A | 1.7 | 95% | 2.7 | 35% |
| 5 | West Hallam Derbyshire | A | 4.8 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 6 | Boldon Colliery Tyne and Wear | A | 5.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 7 | Menston West Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 90% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 8 | Shepperton Surrey | A | 8.7 | 89% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 9 | Barnton Cheshire | A− | 10 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Marston Moretaine Bedfordshire | A− | 17.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 11 | Ackworth Moor Top West Yorkshire | A− | 4.6 | 91% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 12 | Botley Hampshire | A− | 14.6 | 70% | 3.6 | 2% |
| 13 | Burghfield Common Berkshire | A− | 2.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 8% |
| 14 | Dodworth South Yorkshire | A− | 2.3 | 97% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Broadbridge Heath West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 95% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 16 | Crofton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 17 | Axminster Devon | B | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 66% |
| 18 | Throckley Tyne and Wear | B | 3.1 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Wixams Bedfordshire | B | 5.3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 20 | Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Northumberland | B | 2.2 | 77% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 21 | East Wittering West Sussex | B | 1.1 | 78% | 1.9 | 27% |
| 22 | Oundle Northamptonshire | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Bovey Tracey Devon | B− | 2.2 | 66% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 24 | Thirsk North Yorkshire | B− | 1.8 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Yapton West Sussex | B− | 1.8 | 63% | 2 | 15% |
| 26 | Upton West Yorkshire | B− | 2.2 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Great Torrington Devon | B− | 2.6 | 88% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 28 | Danbury Essex | B− | 3.9 | 34% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 29 | South Molton Devon | C+ | 2.2 | 96% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 30 | Annesley Woodhouse Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.1 | 96% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Kirby Cross Essex | C+ | 2.4 | 44% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Waltham Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.2 | 84% | 1.3 | 19% |
| 33 | Oakdale Gwent | C+ | 5.2 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Lower Willingdon East Sussex | C+ | 0.8 | 57% | 4.2 | 33% |
| 35 | Bagillt Clwyd | C+ | 1.3 | 87% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 36 | Malton North Yorkshire | C+ | 2.3 | 43% | 2.4 | 24% |
| 37 | Strensall North Yorkshire | C | 1.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 39 | Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes Dyfed | C | 9.7 | 70% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Ilminster Somerset | C− | 2.3 | 61% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Ottery St Mary Devon | C− | 1.2 | 71% | 1.7 | 34% |
| 42 | Gildersome West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 81% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Studley Warwickshire | C− | 1.6 | 63% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Great Shelford and Stapleford Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.6 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Weaverham Cheshire | C− | 0.7 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 46 | Stainforth South Yorkshire | C− | 2.2 | 80% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Boston Spa West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 86% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Cottenham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 86% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Staplehurst Kent | D | 1.3 | 70% | 1.4 | 1% |
| 50 | Arlesey Bedfordshire | D | 0.9 | 51% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Finningley South Yorkshire | D | 2 | 65% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 52 | Werrington Staffordshire | D | 1.1 | 42% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 53 | Wem Shropshire | D | 1.2 | 77% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Aintree Merseyside | D | 1.3 | 43% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Selston Nottinghamshire | D | 0.9 | 61% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Earls Barton Northamptonshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Burwell Cambridgeshire | D− | 1.5 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Thurcroft South Yorkshire | D− | 0.5 | 56% | 2 | 0% |
| 59 | Abercynon Mid Glamorgan | D− | 1.1 | 55% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Tadcaster North Yorkshire | D− | 0.6 | 58% | 1.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Crofton’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 Crofton
The biggest is Walton Colliery Nature Park, 78 ha (193 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Crofton’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 (95%)Further (5%)
Crofton95%
Towns its size81%
West Yorkshire towns87%
All UK towns83%
About 300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 15 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 408 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Peak District National Park 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
Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Crofton
39 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Crofton and the kilometre around it, 2.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalOther waymarked
Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Leeds)7.0 km
Wakefield Way2.3 km
Walton 20.6 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Leeds) and Wakefield 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 Crofton: 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) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.6 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 48 | 48 | 47 | 49 | 48 | 66 | 60 | 64 | 56 | 66 | 67 | 64 |
March is the driest month (47 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 67 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 35 nights a year. The climate in Crofton →
Things to do
15 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.
The nearest beaches
Crofton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Doncaster Lakeside Beach16 mi from Crofton’s edge
DirectionsBeach at Doncaster Lakeside16 mi from Crofton’s edge
DirectionsSea Lions19 mi from Crofton’s edge
DirectionsYork Beach25 mi from Crofton’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.
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 1
Nostell Brickyard Quarry SSSI11 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 15
Plus 15 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.
SharlstonWaltonStreethouseHavercroft and RyhillFitzwilliam and KinsleyNormantonCrofton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crofton | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 0% |
| Sharlston 1.0 mi | B+ | 4.9 | 93% | 0% |
| Walton 1.5 mi | B | 12.3 | 78% | 0% |
| Streethouse 1.7 mi | B− | 2.2 | 100% | 0% |
| Havercroft and Ryhill 2.4 mi | C | 1.6 | 81% | 0% |
| Fitzwilliam and Kinsley 2.8 mi | A− | 11.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Normanton 2.9 mi | C | 1.2 | 88% | 0% |
Fitzwilliam and Kinsley, 2.8 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Walton and Fitzwilliam and Kinsley have at least twice Crofton’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Crofton
What is the biggest park in Crofton?
Walton Colliery Nature Park, 78 ha (193 acres), with 7.3 km of path, just outside the built-up area. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Crofton near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 14 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Crofton?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Leeds), Wakefield Way and Walton 2. Walton Colliery Nature Park alone has 7.3 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Crofton?
Doncaster Lakeside Beach, 16 mi from the edge of the town, then Beach at Doncaster Lakeside (16 mi). Crofton itself is inland.
How many people in Crofton live near a park?
95% 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 Crofton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Crofton good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 56% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 78% (3.6 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 Crofton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Crofton’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.