Upperthong’s biggest
Upperthong Cricket Club
Playing field
1.6 ha (4 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Upperthong
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Betty Longbottom · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Upperthong · parks, paths & countryside
Upperthong has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
27 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 4.7 for every square kilometre. The Peak District National Park begins 1.0 mi from the village’s edge. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 65% of residents. Upperthong grades B for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
65%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
27 km
4.7 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
26%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Peak District National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Upperthong?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A village of footpaths4.7 km of path per km², more than 90% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Protected countryside26% of the land within 5 km is Peak District National Park.Less park per person1.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Upperthong’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Upperthong grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Upperthong, 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 61% of UK towns21st of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space1.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
35out of
100
100
A park within a walk65%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
24out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape26%of the land within 5 km
82out of
100
100
Footpaths4.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
90out 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.
Villages its size
Upperthong is 21st of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,000 to 1,200 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
Upperthong4.7
Villages its size2.2
West Yorkshire towns3.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Upperthong1.7
Villages its size2.4
West Yorkshire towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Upperthong65%
Villages its size76%
West Yorkshire towns87%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Upperthong stands out most for path per km²: only 1 of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 39 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giggleswick North Yorkshire | A+ | 14.2 | 100% | 4.1 | 75% |
| 2 | Lympne Kent | A+ | 4 | 100% | 2.7 | 34% |
| 3 | Illogan Cornwall | A+ | 3 | 100% | 3.2 | 7% |
| 4 | Polgooth Cornwall | A+ | 7 | 100% | 2 | 13% |
| 5 | Chagford Devon | A+ | 4.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 98% |
| 6 | Masham North Yorkshire | A+ | 3.7 | 100% | 3 | 44% |
| 7 | Alston Cumbria | A | 5.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 100% |
| 8 | Tolvaddon Cornwall | A | 11.9 | 24% | 4.5 | 9% |
| 9 | Leigh Kent | A | 3 | 100% | 2.6 | 49% |
| 10 | Moston Cheshire | A | 7.8 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Charnock Richard Lancashire | A | 29.8 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 12 | Barns Green West Sussex | A | 6.6 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 13 | Mayfield Staffordshire | A− | 1.9 | 100% | 3.3 | 14% |
| 14 | Winford Isle of Wight | A− | 1.7 | 0% | 4.4 | 39% |
| 15 | Llanddulas Clwyd | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 16 | North Thoresby Lincolnshire | B+ | 3.7 | 100% | 0.8 | 21% |
| 17 | Bethel Gwynedd | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 1.4 | 10% |
| 18 | Grassington North Yorkshire | B+ | 1.3 | 79% | 4.1 | 100% |
| 19 | Groombridge East Sussex | B+ | 2.3 | 77% | 2.8 | 92% |
| 20 | South Bents Tyne and Wear | B+ | 4.9 | 62% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 21 | Upperthong West Yorkshire | B | 1.7 | 65% | 4.7 | 26% |
| 22 | Fishtoft Lincolnshire | B | 2.3 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Barwick and Stoford Somerset | B | 6.4 | 71% | 2.2 | 5% |
| 24 | Holt Clwyd | B | 0.9 | 100% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 25 | Milborne St Andrew Dorset | B | 3.3 | 71% | 2.1 | 33% |
| 26 | Pentre Halkyn Clwyd | B | 1.3 | 59% | 3.6 | 3% |
| 27 | Nanpean Cornwall | B | 4.4 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Bedlinog Mid Glamorgan | B | 4.1 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 29 | Goudhurst Kent | B | 1.5 | 100% | 1.2 | 65% |
| 30 | Challock Kent | B− | 3 | 62% | 2 | 88% |
| 31 | Twyning Gloucestershire | B− | 1 | 100% | 2.5 | 10% |
| 32 | Shipham Somerset | B− | 1.2 | 63% | 4 | 55% |
| 33 | South Wingfield Derbyshire | B− | 5.4 | 75% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Beeford East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 3.9 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 35 | Chillington Devon | C+ | 0.6 | 78% | 1.3 | 55% |
| 36 | Milford Derbyshire | C+ | 1.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Easton on the Hill Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 38 | Castlethorpe Buckinghamshire | C+ | 3.5 | 72% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Upper Basildon Berkshire | C+ | 2.3 | 0% | 2 | 97% |
| 40 | Lower Shiplake Oxfordshire | C+ | 3 | 0% | 2 | 28% |
| 41 | Ashchurch Gloucestershire | C | 2 | 59% | 2.2 | 21% |
| 42 | Bow Street Dyfed | C | 3.1 | 33% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Woodhouses Greater Manchester | C | 2.6 | 40% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Charlton Marshall Dorset | C | 0.5 | 78% | 2 | 50% |
| 45 | Glazebury Cheshire | C− | 5.1 | 58% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Milverton Somerset | C− | 2.1 | 70% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Pattishall and Astcote Northamptonshire | C− | 2.9 | 39% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 48 | North Leverton with Habblesthorpe Nottinghamshire | C− | 0.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Bildeston Suffolk | C− | 0.5 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 50 | Farmborough Somerset | C− | 2 | 38% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Cawston Norfolk | D | 2.7 | 71% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Broad Oak (Wealden) East Sussex | D | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 96% |
| 53 | Wattstown Mid Glamorgan | D | 3.1 | 26% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Landrake Cornwall | D | 0.9 | 0% | 0.6 | 38% |
| 55 | Aberporth Dyfed | D | 0.6 | 38% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Stickney Lincolnshire | D | 2.4 | 0% | 1 | 0% |
| 57 | Berryfield Wiltshire | D− | 0.4 | 53% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Pilton Somerset | D− | 1.2 | 28% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 59 | Great Horwood Buckinghamshire | D− | 0.8 | 0% | 1 | 0% |
| 60 | Whaplode Lincolnshire | D− | 0.4 | 0% | 0.2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Upperthong’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 Upperthong
The biggest is Upperthong Cricket Club, 1.6 ha (4 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
6 in 10 Upperthong 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 (65%)Further (36%)
Upperthong65%
Villages its size76%
West Yorkshire towns87%
All UK towns83%
About 400 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 11 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 99 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Peak District National Park is 1.0 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
National Park
Peak District
1.0 mi south-west1,438 km²since 195126% of the land within 5 km
Official site26% of the land within 5 km of Upperthong is National Park or National Landscape, more than 81% of UK towns. Peak District National Park covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Upperthong
27 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Upperthong and the kilometre around it, 4.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
Local
Holme Valley Circular Walk6.3 km
Close to home, the Holme Valley Circular Walk has 6 km of local walk within 2 km of the village.
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 Upperthong: 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) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 126 | 103 | 86 | 76 | 77 | 82 | 90 | 86 | 94 | 109 | 127 | 153 |
April is the driest month (76 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 153 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 50 nights a year. The climate in Upperthong →
Things to do
11 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
Upperthong is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Stone Beach21 mi from Upperthong’s edge
DirectionsCar Park Beach21 mi from Upperthong’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach North21 mi from Upperthong’s edge
DirectionsCreek Beach South21 mi from Upperthong’s edge
DirectionsWader Point21 mi from Upperthong’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
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Wolfstones0.4 mi from town
DirectionsSwinny Knoll0.7 mi from town
DirectionsBurned Hill1.0 mi from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 11
Plus 11 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Rising Sun Farm Campsite0.7 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
HolmfirthHolmbridgeScholes (near Hade Edge)HonleyMelthamNetherton (Kirklees)Upperthong
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upperthong | B | 1.7 | 65% | 26% |
| Holmfirth 0.7 mi | A | 2.2 | 88% | 27% |
| Holmbridge 0.9 mi | A+ | 2.5 | 100% | 45% |
| Scholes (near Hade Edge) 1.9 mi | A+ | 3.8 | 100% | 16% |
| Honley 2.2 mi | A− | 2.1 | 87% | 8% |
| Meltham 2.4 mi | B− | 1.0 | 63% | 27% |
| Netherton (Kirklees) 3.1 mi | A− | 2.0 | 88% | 6% |
Scholes (near Hade Edge), 1.9 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Scholes (near Hade Edge) has at least twice Upperthong’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Upperthong
What is the biggest park in Upperthong?
Upperthong Cricket Club, 1.6 ha (4 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Upperthong near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 1.0 mi south-west of the village’s edge. It covers 1,438 km² and has been a National Park since 1951.
What are the best walks near Upperthong?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Holme Valley Circular Walk.
What is the nearest beach to Upperthong?
Stone Beach, 21 mi from the edge of the village, then Car Park Beach (21 mi). Upperthong itself is inland.
How many people in Upperthong live near a park?
65% 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 Upperthong?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Upperthong good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 90% 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 Upperthong’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Upperthong’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.