Wakefield’s biggest
Newmillerdam Country Park
Park or garden
97 ha (241 acres)10.0 km of path
2 h 15 minto walk all 10 km of path
136 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
3.2 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Tim Green from Bradford · CC BY 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Wakefield · parks, paths & countryside
Wakefield has more footpath per square kilometre than 8 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 295 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 4.1 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Wakefield add up to 3.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 86% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Wakefield grades B+ for the outdoors: #21 of 91 in West Yorkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
86%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
295 km
4.1 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
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Wakefield?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths4.1 km of path per km², more than 82% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Room to roam3.9 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 80% of UK towns.Historic parksThornes Park is a registered historic park (Grade II).
Wakefield’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Wakefield grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Wakefield, 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 73% of UK towns#21 of 91 in West Yorkshire · 29th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
81out of
100
100
A park within a walk86%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
59out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
82out 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
Wakefield is 29th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 76,000 to 125,000 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
Wakefield4.1
Towns its size4.0
West Yorkshire towns3.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Wakefield3.9
Towns its size2.5
West Yorkshire towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Wakefield86%
Towns its size86%
West Yorkshire towns87%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Wakefield stands out most for park space per resident: only 5 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hastings East Sussex | A+ | 3.1 | 76% | 4.3 | 42% |
| 2 | Burnley Lancashire | A+ | 3.4 | 95% | 5.7 | 7% |
| 3 | Gloucester Gloucestershire | A | 2.7 | 93% | 6 | 22% |
| 4 | Gillingham Kent | A | 1.6 | 86% | 5.3 | 23% |
| 5 | Ashford Kent | A | 2.7 | 94% | 5.2 | 23% |
| 6 | Guildford Surrey | A | 2.8 | 86% | 6.1 | 31% |
| 7 | Crawley West Sussex | A | 2.6 | 85% | 10.5 | 33% |
| 8 | Eastbourne East Sussex | A | 2 | 75% | 4.3 | 23% |
| 9 | Stockport Greater Manchester | A | 4 | 93% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Basingstoke Hampshire | A | 2.5 | 94% | 5.8 | 6% |
| 11 | Chatham Kent | A | 1.6 | 78% | 6.4 | 26% |
| 12 | Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire | A | 3 | 95% | 3.6 | 18% |
| 13 | Bath Somerset | A | 1.8 | 89% | 5.6 | 50% |
| 14 | Harlow Essex | A | 3.7 | 99% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 15 | Bracknell Berkshire | A | 3.7 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Weston-super-Mare Somerset | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 3.7 | 8% |
| 17 | Chesterfield Derbyshire | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 18 | Stevenage Hertfordshire | A− | 3 | 98% | 7.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Gateshead Tyne and Wear | A− | 3.3 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Basildon Essex | A− | 3 | 95% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 21 | Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire | A− | 5.2 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 22 | Aylesbury Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 9.5 | 5% |
| 23 | Carlisle Cumbria | A− | 3.2 | 91% | 3.1 | 4% |
| 24 | Maidstone Kent | A− | 2.9 | 81% | 3.5 | 20% |
| 25 | Cheltenham Gloucestershire | A− | 1.4 | 87% | 4.5 | 44% |
| 26 | Redditch Worcestershire | A− | 4.1 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Worthing West Sussex | A− | 1.2 | 78% | 2.9 | 38% |
| 28 | Bedford Bedfordshire | B+ | 4.2 | 88% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 29 | Wakefield West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.9 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Oldham Greater Manchester | B+ | 1.7 | 87% | 5 | 0% |
| 31 | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.6 | 68% | 5.4 | 67% |
| 32 | Birkenhead Merseyside | B+ | 3.1 | 71% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Salford Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 91% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Chelmsford Essex | B | 2.4 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 35 | Wythenshawe Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 36 | St Helens Merseyside | B | 3.4 | 91% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Preston Lancashire | B | 3 | 80% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Wallasey Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 90% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Wigan Greater Manchester | B | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 0% |
| 40 | Hartlepool County Durham | B− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Nuneaton Warwickshire | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Rugby Warwickshire | B− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Tamworth Staffordshire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 3 | 0% |
| 44 | West Bromwich West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 83% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Grimsby Lincolnshire | B− | 1.3 | 75% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 46 | Halifax West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Bury Greater Manchester | B− | 2.4 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Blackburn Lancashire | B− | 2.2 | 71% | 3.1 | 1% |
| 49 | Royal Sutton Coldfield West Midlands | B− | 6.1 | 64% | 3 | 0% |
| 50 | Lincoln Lincolnshire | B− | 2.5 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Rochdale Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.7 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Stockton-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 2 | 83% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Darlington County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Worcester Worcestershire | C | 1.5 | 77% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Doncaster South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Solihull West Midlands | C | 2.9 | 54% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 57 | Scunthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Chester Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Southport Merseyside | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Burton upon Trent Staffordshire | C− | 1.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Wakefield’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 Wakefield
The biggest is Newmillerdam Country Park, 97 ha (241 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 20 named parks by size: 385 ha (951 acres) and 44 km of path
Parks & gardens 367 haPlaying fields 18 ha
The two biggest, Newmillerdam Country Park and Pugneys Country Park, are 51% of the named green space and carry 17 km of path between them. 4 of the 20 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Pugneys Country Park
Park or garden
99 ha (244 acres)7.2 km of path
1 h 35 minto walk all 7.2 km of path
138 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi southfrom the centre
Nature reserve
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade II
Thornes Park
Park or garden
45 ha (111 acres)3.3 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.3 km of path
63 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Lofthouse Colliery Nature Park
Park or garden
27 ha (66 acres)4.7 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 4.7 km of path
38 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.3 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Alverthorpe Meadows
Park or garden
20 ha (50 acres)5.3 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.3 km of path
28 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi north-westfrom the centre
Nature reserve
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Wrenthorpe Park
Park or garden
24 ha (60 acres)2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
34 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi north-westfrom the centre
Pear Tree Walk
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Betty Eastwood Park
Park or garden
11 ha (28 acres)2.5 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.5 km of path
16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
3.1 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Clarence Park
Park or garden
11 ha (27 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
15 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi southfrom the centre
Lowe Hill motte and bailey castle monument +2 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 20 named parks and green spaces
Newmillerdam Country ParkPark or garden · 97 ha · 10.0 km of path
DirectionsPugneys Country ParkPark or garden · 99 ha · 7.2 km of path
DirectionsThornes ParkPark or garden · 45 ha · 3.3 km of path
DirectionsLofthouse Colliery Nature ParkPark or garden · 27 ha · 4.7 km of path
DirectionsAlverthorpe MeadowsPark or garden · 20 ha · 5.3 km of path
DirectionsWrenthorpe ParkPark or garden · 24 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsBetty Eastwood ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.5 km of path
DirectionsClarence ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsBalne Lane FieldsPark or garden · 7.6 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsOutwood ParkPark or garden · 7.1 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsCastle Grove ParkPark or garden · 6.6 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsHolmfield ParkPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsSandal Rugby Union Football ClubPlaying field · 8.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsNewmillerdam Village GreenPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsThornes Junior Football ClubPlaying field · 5.1 ha
DirectionsDurkar Football ClubPlaying field · 2.5 ha · just outside town
DirectionsVillage GreenPark or garden · 1.2 ha
DirectionsAlford Recreation GroundPlaying field · 1.3 ha
DirectionsCoronation GardensPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsAysgarth Community GardenPark or garden · 0.1 ha
DirectionsClose to home
9 in 10 Wakefield 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 (86%)Further (14%)
Wakefield86%
Towns its size86%
West Yorkshire towns87%
All UK towns83%
About 14,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 83 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,179 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Peak District National Park is 11 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
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Wakefield
295 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Wakefield 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 town.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Wakefield Way26.0 km
Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Leeds)14.8 km
Leeds Country Way13.8 km
Walton 20.6 km
Close to home, the Leeds Country Way has 14 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 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.
History along the way
A historic park in the middle of Wakefield
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Wakefield’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Thornes Park
45 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 1 listed structure stands inside it or at its edge.
IIWalls Flanking North West Entrance to Thornes Park
Listed buildings insideClarence ParkLowe Hill motte and bailey castle, Cattle Trough and Drinking Fountain immediately south-east of entrance to Clarence Park and Drinking Fountain About 50 Metres West North West of Entrance to Clarence Park
Listed buildings insideHolmfield ParkLowe Hill motte and bailey castle and Cattle Trough and Drinking Fountain immediately south-east of entrance to Clarence Park
Listed buildings insideVillage GreenHa-Ha to Front of Heath House, Heath Farm Cottage and K6 Telephone Kiosk Outside Heath Post Office and 1 more
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Wakefield: 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 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 51 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 48 | 63 | 59 | 62 | 55 | 63 | 64 | 63 |
April is the driest month (46 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 64 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 36 nights a year. The climate in Wakefield →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 83 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.
2Viewpoints1Hills and peaks4Nature reservesabout the same as towns its size2Picnic sites83Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks1Slipways
The nearest beaches
Wakefield is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Doncaster Lakeside Beach18 mi from Wakefield’s edge
DirectionsBeach at Doncaster Lakeside18 mi from Wakefield’s edge
DirectionsSea Lions21 mi from Wakefield’s edge
DirectionsYork Beach23 mi from Wakefield’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 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Brandy Carr Hill0.0 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 4
Alverthorpe & Wrenthorpe Meadows LNR24 ha · in town
DirectionsStanley Marsh Nature Reserve9.1 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPugneys Nature Reserve14 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsSouthern Washlands Nature Reserve27 ha · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 83
Cheeky Monkeysin town
DirectionsHappy Days Play Centrein town
DirectionsHedley Park Play Areain town
DirectionsJubilee Hall Playgroundin town
DirectionsMcDonald's PlayPlacein town
DirectionsPopkidzin town
DirectionsSun Pub playgroundin town
DirectionsThe Denin town
DirectionsPlus 75 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park 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.
HorburyCrigglestone and DurkarOssettWaltonBottom BoatThorpe on the HillWakefield
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | B+ | 3.9 | 86% | 0% |
| Horbury 2.6 mi | B− | 2.5 | 75% | 0% |
| Crigglestone and Durkar 2.9 mi | B− | 4.4 | 45% | 0% |
| Ossett 2.9 mi | B+ | 2.8 | 91% | 0% |
| Walton 2.9 mi | B | 12.3 | 78% | 0% |
| Bottom Boat 3.1 mi | C | 0.8 | 100% | 0% |
| Thorpe on the Hill 3.4 mi | C+ | 2.2 | 64% | 0% |
Wakefield grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. Walton has at least twice Wakefield’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Wakefield
What is the biggest park in Wakefield?
Newmillerdam Country Park, 97 ha (241 acres), with 10 km of path. Pugneys Country Park (99 ha) is second. 20 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Wakefield near a National Park?
Yes. Peak District National Park begins 11 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 Wakefield?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Wakefield Way, Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Leeds) and Leeds Country Way. Newmillerdam Country Park alone has 10 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Wakefield?
Doncaster Lakeside Beach, 18 mi from the edge of the town, then Beach at Doncaster Lakeside (18 mi). Wakefield itself is inland.
How many people in Wakefield live near a park?
86% 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 Wakefield?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Wakefield are historic?
Thornes Park (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Wakefield good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 82% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 81% (3.9 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 Wakefield’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Wakefield’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.