Ordnance Survey data reveals Britain’s most walkable towns

Ordnance Survey (OS) has released new insight to highlight the best towns suitable for different types of walking.

OS looked beyond typical famous hotspots and ran its calculations on everyday places where people live, analysing routes inside every British town and city and a four-kilometre boundary around each settlement.

Experts combined national OS data for roads, paths and off-road tracks, together with data on hills and gradients, traffic levels and street lighting. In addition, greenspace and Met Office weather data was used to help calculate resilience against wind, rain and  mud. Ranking scores were then adjusted taking account of each settlement’s population to make comparisons fair.

As a result, Britain’s national mapping service discovered the following:

Wirksworth in Derbyshire ranked first for walkers who prefer quiet, traffic-free walks in parks and nature reserves. In this ranking, roads and tracks were all excluded. It also ranked highest for absolute beginners, with scores weighted towards high amounts of pavements, low traffic and being nice and flat.

Leslie in Fife came out top of the list for being the best place to walk using wheelchairs and pushchairs. This category was based on data for wide, flat, well-made paths and pavements on low-traffic roads.

Dulverton in Somerset was rated the best for fair-weather walkers who avoid mud and puddles (and ruining their white trainers). For this ranking, historic Met Office historic data was added to find sunshine hours, rainfall, temperatures and wind speed.

Betws‑y‑Coed in Conwy was first in two categories. It ranked best in wet and windy conditions for people who like walking in wetter conditions with wellies and umbrellas, again by adding historic Met Office data in the ratings. It was also rated the best town for walking hill repeaters, where hills and gradients data was given added weight.

Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides was number one for winter evening walks thanks to good levels of street lighting and surfaces which made it well-lit and safe at night.

The best overall walking location when combining all categories was Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands, with Keswick the best in England and Monmouth in Wales.

OS Data Scientist Tom Peterken compiled the research ahead of National Walking Month in May, and believed the analysis was an important way to understand the makeup of the country.

Tom added: “It was interesting to discover Aviemore coming out on top. It scored well across nearly every category. It has flat, accessible routes, tougher climbs, good surfaces, less traffic and routes that cope well with different weather. That balance makes it a brilliant all-rounder, whether you want a gentle stroll or a proper leg-stretcher.”

All routes and locations are available to discover in OS Maps app.

 Ordnance Survey’s Managing Director for Leisure, Nick Giles OBE, said: “Walking is one of the simplest ways to boost our health and wellbeing, and there’s no better place to start than right on our doorstep.

“Our towns and cities are packed with great places to explore, helping people build confidence one step at a time before venturing further into the countryside and national parks.

“Tools like OS Maps make it easier to find local routes, spark inspiration and share memorable walking experiences.”

Top 10 results for most walkable towns in Britain

Best overall:

1. Aviemore, Highland
2. Ballater, Aberdeenshire
3. Keswick, Cumberland
4. Culross, Fife
5. Monmouth, Monmouthshire
6. Southwold, Suffolk
7. Burry Port, Carmarthenshire
8. Wareham, Dorset
9. Melrose, Scottish Borders
10. Selkirk, Scottish Borders

Best for beginners:

1. Wirksworth, Derbyshire
2. Darley Dale, Derbyshire
3. Matlock, Derbyshire
4. Blyth, Northumberland
5. Bedlington, Northumberland
6. Cramlington, Northumberland
7. Westbury, Wiltshire
8. Daventry, Northamptonshire
9. Folkestone, Kent
10. Cheadle, Staffordshire

Best for wheelchairs and pushchairs:

1. Leslie, Fife
2. Markinch, Fife
3. Ballater, Aberdeenshire
4. Aviemore, Highland
5. Glenrothes, Fife
6. Southwold, Suffolk
7. Irvine, North Ayrshire
8. St Andrews, Fife
9. Montrose, Angus
10. Invergordon, Highland

Best for hill repeaters:

1. Betws‑y‑Coed, Conwy
2. Lynton, Devon
3. Dulverton, Somerset
4. Ambleside, Cumbria
5. Dolgellau, Gwynedd
6. Broughton-in-Furness, Cumbria
7. Inveraray, Argyll and Bute
8. Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys
9. Moretonhampstead, Devon
10. Keswick, Cumberland

Best for peace and quiet:

1. Wirksworth, Derbyshire
2. Darley Dale, Derbyshire
3. Matlock, Derbyshire
4. Cheadle, Staffordshire
5. Swanage, Dorset
6. Folkestone, Kent
7. Farnham, Surrey
8. Romiley, Stockport
9. Westbury, Wiltshire
10. Little Lever, Bolton

Best for winter evenings:

1. Stornoway, Outer Hebrides
2. Alness, Highland
3. Aviemore, Highland
4. Ballater, Aberdeenshire
5. Cullen, Moray
6. Thurso, Highland
7. Lerwick, Shetland Islands
8. Leslie, Fife
9. Invergordon, Highland
10. Kirkwall, Orkney Islands

Best for fair-weather walkers (white trainers):

1. Dulverton, Somerset
2. Petworth, West Sussex
3. Moretonhampstead, Devon
4. Lynton, Devon
5. Broughton‑in‑Furness, Cumbria
6. Wooler, Northumberland
7. Betws‑y‑Coed, Conwy
8. Laugharne, Carmarthenshire
9. Caerwys, Flint
10. Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway

Best for wellies and umbrellas:

1. Betws‑y‑Coed, Conwy
2. Broughton‑in‑Furness, Cumbria
3. Lynton, Devon
4. Ambleside, Cumbria
5. Dolgellau, Gwynedd
6. Dulverton, Somerset
7. Sedbergh, Cumbria
8. Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys
9. Harlech, Gwynedd
10. Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway

Download OS Maps to make the most of National Walking Month in May.