Research reveals town's most visited green spaces

An academic hopes footfall data he has gathered will be used to improve Northampton's green spaces.

Dr Declan Ryan, a university lecturer in the town, monitored how often people visited 17 local parks, walks, waterways and woods.

Using smartphone GPS, he recorded 3.7 million single visits during 2025, with the most visited locations being Abington Park, the Racecourse and Delapre Park.

Ryan said the data demonstrated where people already enjoyed spending time outdoors and where improvements could make spaces easier to access.

He said: "Access to outdoor spaces plays an important and well-documented role in supporting physical activity, mental health and social connection, areas I am deeply interested in exploring.

"This important footfall data, alongside our growing insights about accessibility improvements people want to see, can focus attention on projects that improve access, increase visitors and support the health and wellbeing of communities."

The research was made possible by internal funding from the University of Northampton's Research and Knowledge Exchange team.

A total of 429,926 visits were recorded at Abington Park, the most visited location according to the research.

The footfall figures cover 2025 and are based on GPS pings from smartphones. The data may include multiple visits by the same individual.

According to the research, the top five locations were unchanged from the data for 2024.

The university said the information would contribute towards West Northamptonshire Council's Parks Strategy, with the aim of ensuring local voices were reflected in planning decisions.

Nigel Stansfield, cabinet member for environment, recycling and waste at the Reform UK-led council said: "Improving our parks and other green spaces for everyone is a key priority for us.

"We were pleased to have helped fund this piece of which will be a valuable addition to our Parks Development Strategy approved last year.

"Our whole approach is based on feedback we've had from communities, and we now need to understand what this new data is telling us, so we can ensure any action we take meets their needs."

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