Garforth’s biggest
Garforth Cricket and Social Club
Playing field
1.7 ha (4 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Garforth
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Mtaylor848 · CC BY-SA 4.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Garforth · parks, paths & countryside
88% of Garforth’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Garforth add up to 1.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 57 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.4 for every square kilometre. Garforth grades C for the outdoors: #72 of 91 in West Yorkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
88%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
57 km
3.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Nidderdale National Landscape
Outdoors grade
Garforth grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Garforth, 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 34% of UK towns#72 of 91 in West Yorkshire · 53rd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
18out of
100
100
A park within a walk88%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
64out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
68out 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
Garforth is 53rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 14,400 to 16,000 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
Garforth3.4
Towns its size3.6
West Yorkshire towns3.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Garforth1.2
Towns its size2.7
West Yorkshire towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Garforth88%
Towns its size84%
West Yorkshire towns87%
All UK towns83%
Garforth falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 52 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lymington Hampshire | A+ | 2.8 | 89% | 3.3 | 56% |
| 2 | Saltash Cornwall | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 3 | Hythe Kent | A+ | 3.7 | 76% | 4 | 31% |
| 4 | Otley West Yorkshire | A+ | 5.8 | 93% | 4.4 | 26% |
| 5 | Tadley Hampshire | A+ | 11.4 | 96% | 4.2 | 9% |
| 6 | Llandudno Clwyd | A+ | 2.1 | 83% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 7 | Conwy Clwyd | A+ | 2.9 | 82% | 3.6 | 13% |
| 8 | Swanscombe Kent | A+ | 3.3 | 90% | 8.5 | 0% |
| 9 | Kesgrave Suffolk | A | 3.3 | 97% | 4.7 | 14% |
| 10 | Petersfield Hampshire | A | 3.2 | 93% | 3.2 | 100% |
| 11 | Staveley Derbyshire | A | 6.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Penzance Cornwall | A | 1.6 | 96% | 2.3 | 34% |
| 13 | Cheadle Greater Manchester | A | 6.5 | 96% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 14 | Stapleford Nottinghamshire | A | 3.5 | 95% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Skipton North Yorkshire | A | 1.7 | 99% | 4.2 | 25% |
| 16 | Yateley Hampshire | A− | 14.9 | 85% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Kidsgrove Staffordshire | A− | 8.6 | 87% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Porthcawl Mid Glamorgan | A− | 3.5 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Frimley Surrey | A− | 2.9 | 99% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Tredegar Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 78% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 21 | Hessle East Riding of Yorkshire | A− | 5.3 | 96% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Risca Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 94% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Thornbury Gloucestershire | A− | 2.5 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 24 | Chertsey Surrey | A− | 6.2 | 84% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Ilkley West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.6 | 76% | 5.7 | 37% |
| 26 | Worcester Park and Stoneleigh Surrey | B+ | 7.3 | 76% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Uckfield East Sussex | B+ | 2.9 | 47% | 4.9 | 22% |
| 28 | Neston Cheshire | B+ | 2.7 | 91% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Peacehaven East Sussex | B+ | 1.1 | 51% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 30 | Somercotes and Swanwick Derbyshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 31 | Marlow Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 39% |
| 32 | Ashtead Surrey | B+ | 2.7 | 62% | 4.3 | 13% |
| 33 | Newport Pagnell Buckinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Humberston and New Waltham Lincolnshire | B+ | 4.1 | 44% | 2.2 | 1% |
| 35 | Whickham Tyne and Wear | B+ | 3.9 | 77% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Swinton South Yorkshire | B+ | 3 | 97% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Crowthorne Berkshire | B | 4.7 | 60% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Redruth Cornwall | B− | 1.5 | 78% | 3.7 | 3% |
| 39 | Hoyland South Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 67% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Knaresborough North Yorkshire | B− | 2.3 | 87% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Mexborough South Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 97% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 42 | Aberystwyth Dyfed | B− | 1.8 | 51% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 43 | Teignmouth Devon | B− | 1.7 | 82% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 44 | East Ardsley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 91% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Elland West Yorkshire | C+ | 2 | 69% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Herne Kent | C+ | 1.2 | 54% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 47 | Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.2 | 78% | 3.5 | 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 | Kidlington Oxfordshire | C+ | 0.9 | 81% | 3 | 2% |
| 53 | Garforth West Yorkshire | C | 1.2 | 88% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire | C | 1.1 | 90% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Alsager Cheshire | C | 1.2 | 82% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Swallownest and Aston South Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 73% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Taverham and Drayton Norfolk | C− | 1.9 | 67% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Cottingham East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 2.1 | 73% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Middlewich Cheshire | D | 1.4 | 81% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Shepshed Leicestershire | D | 1.1 | 69% | 2.2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Garforth’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 Garforth
The biggest is Garforth Cricket and Social Club, 1.7 ha (4 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Garforth’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 (88%)Further (12%)
Garforth88%
Towns its size84%
West Yorkshire towns87%
All UK towns83%
About 1,800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 23 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 659 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Nidderdale National Landscape is 13 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
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Garforth
57 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Garforth and the kilometre around it, 3.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
LocalOther waymarked
Leeds Country Way9.4 km
The Fly Line2.7 km
Close to home, the Leeds Country Way has 9 km of local walk within 2 km of the town.
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 Garforth: 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 | 17.1 | 16.6 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.4 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 51 | 46 | 44 | 49 | 48 | 64 | 60 | 67 | 59 | 65 | 64 | 61 |
March is the driest month (44 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 August, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 41 nights a year. The climate in Garforth →
Things to do
23 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
Garforth is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
York Beach16 mi from Garforth’s edge
DirectionsDoncaster Lakeside Beach22 mi from Garforth’s edge
DirectionsBeach at Doncaster Lakeside22 mi from Garforth’s edge
DirectionsSea Lions24 mi from Garforth’s edge
DirectionsPebble Beach25 mi from Garforth’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
Hills and peaks 1
Roach Hill0.4 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Roach Lime Hills SSSI5.1 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsYWT Townclose Hills21 ha · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 23
Kidzonein town
DirectionsMonkey Mazein town
DirectionsPlus 21 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.
KippaxMicklefieldSwillingtonBarwick in ElmetAllerton BywaterScholes (Leeds)Garforth
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garforth | C | 1.2 | 88% | 0% |
| Kippax 1.6 mi | C | 1.4 | 80% | 0% |
| Micklefield 2.2 mi | C− | 2.1 | 48% | 0% |
| Swillington 2.3 mi | C | 2.2 | 68% | 0% |
| Barwick in Elmet 2.8 mi | C | 1.5 | 87% | 0% |
| Allerton Bywater 2.8 mi | C+ | 2.1 | 78% | 0% |
| Scholes (Leeds) 3.2 mi | D | 0.0 | 0% | 0% |
Allerton Bywater, 2.8 miles away, grades C+, the best next door: 78% 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 Garforth
What is the biggest park in Garforth?
Garforth Cricket and Social Club, 1.7 ha (4 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Garforth near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Nidderdale National Landscape, 13 mi north-west of the town’s edge. It covers 601 km² and was designated in 1994.
What are the best walks near Garforth?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Leeds Country Way and The Fly Line.
What is the nearest beach to Garforth?
York Beach, 16 mi from the edge of the town, then Doncaster Lakeside Beach (22 mi). Garforth itself is inland.
How many people in Garforth live near a park?
88% 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 Garforth?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Garforth good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 68% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 18% (1.2 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 Garforth’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Garforth’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.