8 Greenest Towns in England
Do you want to live in a town where you can have some fresh air and escape the hustle and bustle of the congested cities in England? You will love the 8 greenest towns in England that we are about to discuss here. England has a good number of those green towns. There you can find the tranquility you won’t find in the generally fast-paced atmosphere of cities in England.
You will be able to walk your dog through trees in green spaces. You can also enjoy a cool drink with buddies while sitting on the lawn. In these 8 greenest cities in England, you can even read a good book in the shade under the sun. Certainly, the best of life awaits you in these towns.
- Swindon
We want to begin with Swindon. This is a large town in Wiltshire in South West England. Swindon lies between Bristol and Reading, 56 kilometers to the west and the same distance to the east. However, Swindon is 114 kilometers to the west of London. As of 2011, Swindon’s built-up area has a population of 185,600. This is one of the 8 greenest towns in England.
Swindon has a lot of green spaces, charming and beautiful enough to stand among the greenest towns in the UK. The Lydiard Country Park is a charming historic estate on the western edge of the town set in 260 acres of parkland around a wonderful lake. The town also has Stanton Country Park, a hidden gem and holder of a Green Flag award on 36 hectares of parkland housing the lake, woodland, and grassland and home to a surprising array of flora and fauna. We would also love to mention Queen’s Park which is close to the center of Swindon. It has a large lake of around 2 acres. Coate Water Country Park is another beautiful country park in the town. This fantastic community resource provides a perfect setting including a children’s playground and summer splash pool in addition to an all-year café.
- Barnsley
The next among the greenest towns in England is Barnsley, a large market town and the fourth-largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The 2011 population of the town within a green belt was 91,297. This town restricts inappropriate development within its designated areas and imposes stricter conditions on permitted buildings. By doing this, it has been able to preserve its green space.
Its belt which was first defined in 1979 has reached 23,050 hectares by 2017. It has rural landscape features with the goal of encouraging recreation and leisure interests. The River Dearne Valley and Worsbrough Mill Park and reservoir are just two examples of efforts ranking Barnsley as one of the greenest towns in England.
- Stafford
Stafford is another market town on our list. This county town of Staffordshire in the West Midlands lies about 24 kilometers north of Wolverhampton, 24 kilometers south of Stoke-on-Trent, and 39 kilometers north-west of Birmingham.
The nature reserves in Stafford include Astonfields Balancing Lakes, a local nature reserve of two lakes constructed for flood protection. There is also Doxey Marshes, a wet grassland habitat about three kilometers northwest of the town center and is managed by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. It is about 150 hectares of nature reserve and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It’s home to wading birds and wildfowl. Kingsmead Marsh and Radford Meadows are also green spaces in this town.
- Daventry
Yet another town on this list is Daventry, a civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority. This town which is close to the border with Warwickshire had a population of 25,026 as of 2011 making it the sixth-largest town in Northamptonshire. It’s one of the 8 greenest towns in England.
It has a good number of green spaces too numerous to be exhausted here. However, consider a few. The two main public parks in the town are Daventry Country Park and Daneholme Park. Daventry features a large children’s play area in addition to fitness equipment and a range of nature trails, cafes, marked walks, and Daventry reservoir. As for the smaller Daneholme Park which is close by, it is bounded by the old railway cuttings as well as Daneholme Avenue, Ashby Road, and Welton Road.
- Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury, a medieval market town, makes this list. Also a civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, it is one of the greenest towns in England. The government is involved in a transformational project in which the majority of the development in Tewkesbury will be located east of the M5 with the aim of helping Tewkesbury to meet its needs for the future.
This involves developing it into the Tewkesbury Garden Town via a program whereby approximately 10,195 homes and approximately 100 hectares of employment land are planned. The program awarded Garden Town status will also involve infrastructure development including roads, schools, and green space. The program tagged excellent place-making is still in its early stages. However, the town’s ambition is to completely deliver the program over the next 30 years.
- Northampton
Northampton, a town in the East Midlands region, is situated at an elevation of around 130 meters above sea level. It is one of the Borough’s highest points. Its location on the hilltop means less pooling of cold air on calm clear nights and lower maxima during summer. In any case, it is one of the greenest towns in England.
This town is a perfect blend of bustling urban life and peaceful countryside. It is included among the greenest towns in England because of its plenty of green spaces to explore. They are just outside of the town. These include Sywell Country Park and Coton Manor Gardens in addition to Haddonstone Show Gardens. It also has a lot of stunning landscapes for walks and days outside.
- Warrington
The second greenest town in England is Warrington, a post-industrial town with a 2011 population of 181,080. It has a rich industrial heritage that makes it tough to conceptualize the town which was a hive of industrial past as thriving, green, and exciting. Well, it is one of the best towns to live, work, and visit in England.
Warrington is doing a lot in tackling the impact of climate change and this differentiates it from other councils. It is targeting to be carbon neutral by 2030 as an exemplar green town. You can see a forward-thinking town there with a plausible track record on green issues. The council has been working assiduously on climate change as early as 2007, almost a decade before climate action got on the front burner. Thus, it was not too surprising when Warrington was found among the hundreds of UK councils that declared a climate emergency in 2019.
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- Milton Keynes
Please let’s leave beside the debate about whether Milton Keynes is a town or a city. For now, let’s focus on the fact that it is currently the greenest town not only in England but also in the United Kingdom. Milton Keynes has an average area of 15.42 square meters of parks per 10 inhabitants.
Its Willen Lake is the most popular park that attracts more than 750,000 visitors annually. If you want anything to do both on and around water, its two lakes are surrounded by 180 acres of parkland with lush landscape. Green space is held in high esteem here. They don’t just alter nature. In fact, if they find a well-established tree standing in the way during road construction, they would build roads around it rather than pulling down the tree. Tree planting is a hobby here and the residents seek to outdo one another on that. Thus, the town can boast 5,000 acres of parkland and woodland. On those acres are also 15 lakes and 11 miles of canals. Altogether, there are more than 20 million trees and shrubs in the town and this is about 100 for every resident.
These 8 greenest towns in England didn’t just come about by chance. They are a product of efforts on the part of authorities and the residents. Please let us know how you feel about these towns in the comment section below.
