Over recent decades, populations in bustling metropolitan areas, such as Birmingham, Manchester, and London, have increased dramatically. More than 92% of UK residents, in fact, currently reside in a city. For many, urban living is synonymous with convenience, opportunity, and a higher salary. Studies suggest, however, that the risk of depression is almost 40% higher among city inhabitants than those living in rural areas. According to some experts, this is due to a deficiency in green spaces. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we gained a newfound appreciation for our parks and gardens, with many of us relying on the great outdoors to alleviate feelings of anxiety and low moods. Unfortunately, a number of green spaces in the UK have now fallen into disrepair, with litter strewn across yellowing lawns, polluted ponds, and graffitied buildings. 

With the school holidays in full swing, researchers from DTW Tools decided to find out which urban parks are best kept using data from Trip Advisor. Check out our findings below! 

Key findings

• Fife’s Lochmore Meadows Country Park ranked highest as the best-kept park in the UK. The park received 145 reviews, 17% of which used words associated with cleanliness such as “well maintained”, “unspoiled”, “tidy” and “clean”. Only 2% of reviews included words with negative connotations, such as “litter”, “mess”, and “untidy”.
• Holkham Park and Nature Reserve, in Norfolk and Shipley Country Park in Derbyshire, also ranked in the top three. 

The ten best maintained urban parks in the UK: Mapped 

Lochore Meadows Country Park

Picturesque Lochore Meadows Country Park, located just two miles from Lochgelly, scored highest in our ranking of the best-maintained parks in the UK. Boasting an impressive variety of landscapes, visitors to Lochore Meadows Country Park can enjoy fishing, golf and birdwatching, or simply meander through tranquil green space. One Trip Advisor user named Lochore Meadows Park a “hidden gem”. 

With a loch at its heart, Lochore Meadows Park is brimming with wildflower-strewn fields, ancient woodland, and pristine pools. There’s even a playpark – perfect for a family day out! Lochore Meadows Country Park is a great destination for water sports fanatics, offering open water swimming, paddle sports, and sailing. Once at the heart of Fife’s coalfields, Lochore Meadows now encompasses an impressive 1200 acres. 

The ruins of Lochore Castle and the remains of the Mary Pit coal workings are also situated within park grounds and are open to the public throughout the year. Once located on the evocatively named “Isle of Strangers”, Lochore Castle, which was built during the 12th century, is thought to have once been one of Fife’s strongest castles. Excavation work has led to the discovery of French medieval pottery, a carved stone shot-hole, and fine glass. 

Results break down 

Rank according to Ordnance Survey’s 100 biggest parks in Britain list: 30 

Number of reviews: 145 

Mentions of “litter”: 1

Mentions of “mess”: 1 

Mentions of “untidy”: 1 

Mentions of “clean”: 18 

Mentions of “tidy”: 2 

Mentions of “unspoiled”: 0

Mentions of “well maintained”: 8 

Percentage of total review: 17.24% 

Trip Advisor rating: 4.5 stars 

What visitors are saying: 

“Beautiful clean park. Well appointed with excellent footpaths and beautiful views of the Lock and surrounding countryside”

“This is a great place for families to enjoy outdoors, well-maintained paths, suitable for bikes and buggies.”

“Fantastic place! Beautiful surroundings and very well maintained.”

“MUST visit place if you are within thirty miles!”

Holkham Park & Nature Reserve, Norfolk 

Steeped in heritage, Holkham Park was once home to 18th-century aristocrat Thomas Coke. Holkham Hall, situated at the heart of the park, is widely recognized as one of the UK’s most magnificent examples of Palladian architecture. Famed for its rich, diverse landscapes, Holkham Park encompasses a pristine beach, walled garden, nature reserve, and an expanse of carefully cultivated farmland. 

Holkham’s 37-meter-tall Monument is considered a focal point and features historic bas-reliefs illustrating the day-to-day work of owner Thomas Coke. Visitors to the park may also encounter the imposing Obelisk and the beautiful Church of St. Withburga. The temple, a nod to Coke’s adoration of Roman Architecture, is now used to host intimate wedding ceremonies. 

Holkham Park also plays host to Diva Opera, Britain’s foremost Chamber Opera company. The walled garden, a favourite with visitors to the park, dates back to the late 1700s and features an ornamental garden, established vineyard, cutting garden, and working kitchen garden. Traverse Holkham’s mile-long lake in a rowing boat or hop aboard the tractor trailer for a whistle-stop tour of the park. Fallow deer roam freely throughout the park. 

Results break down 

Rank according to Ordnance Survey’s 100 biggest parks in Britain list: 30 

Number of reviews: 559

Mentions of “litter”: 4

Mentions of “mess”: 3

Mentions of “untidy”: 0

Mentions of “clean”: 33 

Mentions of “tidy”: 2

Mentions of “unspoiled”: 8

Mentions of “well maintained”: 44

Percentage of total review: 15.56% 

Trip Advisor rating: 4.5 stars 

What visitors are saying: 

“Miles of unspoiled scenery, simply beautiful.”

“The whole of Holkham estate is a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors.”

“Wow wee, absolutely beguiling. If you’ve not been, go immediately as it will take your breath away.” 

Shipley Country Park, Derbyshire 

Shipley Country Park, situated in the heart of Derbyshire, boasts 700 acres of diverse woodland, beautiful trails, and tranquil fields. First mentioned in the Domesday Book and steeped in rich history, the Shipley estate was once home to an ancient manor and hunting lodge. In 1086, the estate was owned by Gilbert of Ghent, nephew of William the Conqueror. 

Shipley Country Park was later established as a memorial to mining in the area and now encompasses a visitor center, children’s play areas, wildlife and nature walks, and a wildlife garden. Indulge in pond dipping at one of Shipley’s wildlife ponds! There is also a cafe. Visitors to the park can enjoy 20 miles of quiet paths and bridleways. Nearby Woodside Farm, which is owned by the National Trust, is home to farmland birds, brown hares, and water voles. 

Results break down 

Rank according to Ordnance Survey’s 100 biggest parks in Britain list: 29

Number of reviews: 190

Mentions of “litter”: 1

Mentions of “mess”: 0

Mentions of “untidy”: 0

Mentions of “clean”: 11

Mentions of “tidy”: 4

Mentions of “unspoiled”: 0

Mentions of “well maintained”: 13

Percentage of total review: 14.7% 

Trip Advisor rating: 4.5 stars 

What visitors are saying: 

“This is a beauty spot on our doorstep. We are very lucky. It always seems well maintained.”

“WHAT A TRANSFORMATION. It’s really well kept now. Outside eating facilities as well as inside. Saw no litter at all and the grounds were very well maintained. Trim Trail, has lovely walks and is excellent for children. Will return.”

“This is a well-managed, well-maintained, clean and tidy resource.”

The top 20 

Methodology 

We used the Ordnance Survey’s list of the 100 biggest urban parks in the UK to find our sample of parks. We took the top 50 parks from this list and manually trawled trip advisor reviews for mentions of words associated with cleanliness such as well maintained”, “unspoiled”, “tidy”, “clean”, “litter”, “mess” and “untidy”. We then subtracted the percentage of reviews featuring words with negative connotations from the percentage of reviews featuring positive connotations to find our final ranking. We only included the parks with over 100 reviews in our final ranking.