Normanton’s biggest
Haw Hill Park
Park or garden
6.6 ha (16 acres)1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Normanton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Chris Heaton · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Normanton · parks, paths & countryside
88% of Normanton’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Normanton add up to 1.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 85 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.1 for every square kilometre. Normanton grades C for the outdoors: #74 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
85 km
3.1 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
Outdoors grade
Normanton grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Normanton, 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 33% of UK towns#74 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
19out 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
Footpaths3.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
63out 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
Normanton is 53rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 20,400 to 23,600 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
Normanton3.1
Towns its size3.6
West Yorkshire towns3.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Normanton1.2
Towns its size2.6
West Yorkshire towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Normanton88%
Towns its size86%
West Yorkshire towns87%
All UK towns83%
Normanton falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 54 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapeltown and High Green South Yorkshire | A+ | 4.9 | 94% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 2 | Camborne Cornwall | A+ | 2.2 | 93% | 4 | 8% |
| 3 | Dronfield Derbyshire | A+ | 3.2 | 97% | 5.3 | 9% |
| 4 | Reddish Greater Manchester | A | 6.7 | 100% | 5 | 0% |
| 5 | Faversham Kent | A | 2 | 88% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 6 | Caterham Surrey | A | 4.3 | 84% | 4.3 | 17% |
| 7 | Hebburn Tyne and Wear | A | 6.6 | 99% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 8 | Quedgeley and Hardwicke Gloucestershire | A | 2.1 | 99% | 4.7 | 21% |
| 9 | Farnham Surrey | A | 5.1 | 73% | 4.3 | 35% |
| 10 | Stratton St Margaret Wiltshire | A | 3.3 | 82% | 5.1 | 5% |
| 11 | Seaham County Durham | A | 2.9 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 12 | Thornaby-on-Tees North Yorkshire | A | 5.4 | 92% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 13 | South Ockendon Essex | A− | 2.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Workington Cumbria | A− | 3 | 97% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 15 | Dukinfield Greater Manchester | A− | 4 | 95% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 16 | Hedge End Hampshire | A− | 5.5 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Coalville Leicestershire | A− | 3.7 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 18 | Rothwell West Yorkshire | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Kempston Bedfordshire | A− | 4.9 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 20 | Whitefield Greater Manchester | A− | 4.7 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Ingleby Barwick North Yorkshire | B+ | 2.9 | 87% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Maldon Essex | B+ | 2.8 | 82% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 23 | Whitehaven Cumbria | B+ | 1.8 | 91% | 2 | 1% |
| 24 | Crowborough East Sussex | B+ | 3.2 | 68% | 2.6 | 91% |
| 25 | Kirkby-in-Ashfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 3 | 93% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 26 | Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock Essex | B+ | 2.2 | 97% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Ossett West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.8 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 28 | Orrell Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.1 | 77% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Brownhills West Midlands | B | 11 | 80% | 2 | 2% |
| 30 | Swinton Greater Manchester | B | 3.9 | 81% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Great Bookham and Fetcham Surrey | B | 1.7 | 68% | 4.4 | 33% |
| 32 | Biggleswade Bedfordshire | B | 1.6 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Westhoughton Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 34 | Penwortham Lancashire | B | 2.9 | 91% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Old Trafford Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 79% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Hailsham East Sussex | B | 1.4 | 87% | 3.2 | 12% |
| 37 | Truro Cornwall | B | 1.6 | 84% | 2.9 | 21% |
| 38 | Dorchester Dorset | B | 1.6 | 78% | 2.9 | 53% |
| 39 | Royton Greater Manchester | B− | 2.8 | 71% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Bingley West Yorkshire | B− | 2.1 | 80% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 41 | Berkhamsted Hertfordshire | B− | 1 | 69% | 3.6 | 56% |
| 42 | Staines-upon-Thames Surrey | B− | 3.4 | 67% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Dereham Norfolk | B− | 1.8 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Bishop Auckland County Durham | B− | 2.7 | 85% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 45 | Chester-le-Street County Durham | C+ | 1.7 | 75% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Ashford Surrey | C+ | 3.4 | 73% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 47 | Clevedon Somerset | C+ | 1.1 | 69% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Clifton Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.5 | 76% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Sunbury-on-Thames Surrey | C+ | 2 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Kenilworth Warwickshire | C+ | 2.7 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 51 | Formby Merseyside | C+ | 1.4 | 63% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Potters Bar Hertfordshire | C | 1.6 | 71% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Normanton West Yorkshire | C | 1.2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Horwich Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 67% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Skegness Lincolnshire | C− | 0.9 | 58% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Stowmarket Suffolk | C− | 0.8 | 50% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Gainsborough Lincolnshire | C− | 1 | 96% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | March Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.7 | 87% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Stamford Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 64% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Darlaston West Midlands | D | 1.3 | 78% | 1.9 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Normanton’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 Normanton
The biggest is Haw Hill Park, 6.6 ha (16 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Smirthwaite Recreation Ground
Playing field
1.2 ha (3 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Normanton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Normanton’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%)
Normanton88%
Towns its size86%
West Yorkshire towns87%
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; 32 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 687 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Peak District National Park is 16 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 Normanton
85 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Normanton and the kilometre around it, 3.1 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
Wakefield Way15.0 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Leeds)9.7 km
Leeds Country Way3.9 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the Wakefield Way and Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Leeds).
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 Normanton: 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 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 48 | 41 | 43 | 46 | 45 | 65 | 58 | 63 | 54 | 61 | 61 | 58 |
February is the driest month (41 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 65 mm of rain falls in June, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 33 nights a year. The climate in Normanton →
Things to do
32 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
Normanton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Doncaster Lakeside Beach17 mi from Normanton’s edge
DirectionsBeach at Doncaster Lakeside17 mi from Normanton’s edge
DirectionsSea Lions20 mi from Normanton’s edge
DirectionsYork Beach21 mi from Normanton’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
Playgrounds 32
Concrete Play Area.0.0 mi from town
DirectionsSaville Park Playground1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 30 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.
StreethouseSharlstonMethleyBottom BoatMickletownFeatherstoneNormanton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normanton | C | 1.2 | 88% | 0% |
| Streethouse 1.7 mi | B− | 2.2 | 100% | 0% |
| Sharlston 2.1 mi | B+ | 4.9 | 93% | 0% |
| Methley 2.1 mi | C− | 0.2 | 100% | 0% |
| Bottom Boat 2.3 mi | C | 0.8 | 100% | 0% |
| Mickletown 2.8 mi | B+ | 3.3 | 93% | 0% |
| Featherstone 2.9 mi | C | 2.0 | 77% | 0% |
Sharlston, 2.1 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 93% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Sharlston and Mickletown have at least twice Normanton’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Normanton
What is the biggest park in Normanton?
Haw Hill Park, 6.6 ha (16 acres), with 1.9 km of path. Smirthwaite Recreation Ground (1.2 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Normanton near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 16 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 Normanton?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Wakefield Way, Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Leeds) and Leeds Country Way.
What is the nearest beach to Normanton?
Doncaster Lakeside Beach, 17 mi from the edge of the town, then Beach at Doncaster Lakeside (17 mi). Normanton itself is inland.
How many people in Normanton 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 Normanton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Normanton good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 63% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 19% (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 Normanton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Normanton’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.