Photo: Michael Robinson · CC BY-SA 2.0Almost everyone in Burghfield Common lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape begins 1.9 mi from the town’s edge. 36 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 2.9 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Burghfield Common add up to 2.1 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Burghfield Common grades A− for the outdoors: #10 of 30 in Berkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Burghfield Common?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Burghfield Common’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by two protected landscapes close by.
Burghfield Common grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Burghfield Common, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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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.
Burghfield Common is 10th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 5,900 to 6,500 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Burghfield Common stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netley Hampshire | A+ | 16.3 | 100% | 4.1 | 4% |
| 2 | Stone Kent | A+ | 3.1 | 100% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Wingerworth Derbyshire | A | 9 | 86% | 4 | 0% |
| 4 | Boldon Colliery Tyne and Wear | A | 5.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 5 | Bedwas Gwent | A | 4.4 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 6 | Barnton Cheshire | A− | 10 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 7 | Marston Moretaine Bedfordshire | A− | 17.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 8 | Alcester Warwickshire | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 9 | Ackworth Moor Top West Yorkshire | A− | 4.6 | 91% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 10 | Burghfield Common Berkshire | A− | 2.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 8% |
| 11 | Dodworth South Yorkshire | A− | 2.3 | 97% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 12 | Broadbridge Heath West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 95% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 13 | Milford and Witley Surrey | B+ | 2.6 | 54% | 3.7 | 78% |
| 14 | Cawston Warwickshire | B+ | 3.6 | 98% | 3 | 0% |
| 15 | Crofton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 16 | Axminster Devon | B | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 66% |
| 17 | Hindhead Surrey | B | 1.7 | 37% | 5.9 | 66% |
| 18 | Galleywood Essex | B | 10.3 | 61% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Throckley Tyne and Wear | B | 3.1 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Wixams Bedfordshire | B | 5.3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 21 | East Wittering West Sussex | B | 1.1 | 78% | 1.9 | 27% |
| 22 | Oundle Northamptonshire | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Bovey Tracey Devon | B− | 2.2 | 66% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 24 | Yapton West Sussex | B− | 1.8 | 63% | 2 | 15% |
| 25 | Upton West Yorkshire | B− | 2.2 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 26 | Great Torrington Devon | B− | 2.6 | 88% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Danbury Essex | B− | 3.9 | 34% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 28 | Ushaw Moor and Bearpark County Durham | C+ | 1.6 | 82% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 29 | South Molton Devon | C+ | 2.2 | 96% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 30 | Annesley Woodhouse Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.1 | 96% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Kirby Cross Essex | C+ | 2.4 | 44% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Waltham Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.2 | 84% | 1.3 | 19% |
| 33 | Oakdale Gwent | C+ | 5.2 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Lower Willingdon East Sussex | C+ | 0.8 | 57% | 4.2 | 33% |
| 35 | Tetbury Gloucestershire | C+ | 1.2 | 66% | 2.6 | 88% |
| 36 | Malton North Yorkshire | C+ | 2.3 | 43% | 2.4 | 24% |
| 37 | Strensall North Yorkshire | C | 1.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 39 | Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes Dyfed | C | 9.7 | 70% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Ilminster Somerset | C− | 2.3 | 61% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Ottery St Mary Devon | C− | 1.2 | 71% | 1.7 | 34% |
| 42 | Gildersome West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 81% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Studley Warwickshire | C− | 1.6 | 63% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Ashingdon Essex | C− | 1.3 | 61% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Great Shelford and Stapleford Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.6 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Weaverham Cheshire | C− | 0.7 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 47 | Stainforth South Yorkshire | C− | 2.2 | 80% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Boston Spa West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 86% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Cottenham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 86% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Washingborough and Heighington Lincolnshire | D | 1.8 | 66% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Staplehurst Kent | D | 1.3 | 70% | 1.4 | 1% |
| 52 | Arlesey Bedfordshire | D | 0.9 | 51% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Werrington Staffordshire | D | 1.1 | 42% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 54 | Wem Shropshire | D | 1.2 | 77% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Aintree Merseyside | D | 1.3 | 43% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Selston Nottinghamshire | D | 0.9 | 61% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Earls Barton Northamptonshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Thurcroft South Yorkshire | D− | 0.5 | 56% | 2 | 0% |
| 59 | Abercynon Mid Glamorgan | D− | 1.1 | 55% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Tadcaster North Yorkshire | D− | 0.6 | 58% | 1.7 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Burghfield Common’s built-up area.
How close Burghfield Common’s homes are to 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).
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 11 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 565 residents.
North Wessex Downs and Chilterns both start about 5 miles from Burghfield Common
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.
North Wessex Downs
8% of the land within 5 km of Burghfield Common is National Park or National Landscape, more than 69% of UK towns. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Burghfield Common
36 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Burghfield Common and the kilometre around it, 2.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
2 regional routes pass through, including the St James' Way and The Roman Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in Burghfield Common: 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) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.6 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 74 | 50 | 46 | 53 | 47 | 48 | 52 | 58 | 54 | 76 | 82 | 73 |
March is the driest month (46 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 82 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 47 nights a year. The climate in Burghfield Common →
11 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.
The nearest beaches
Burghfield Common is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
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
Hills and peaks 1
Playgrounds 11
Plus 11 playgrounds without a name on the map.
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
Theale, 2.6 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Theale and Tadley have at least twice Burghfield Common’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Burghfield Common
Is Burghfield Common near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 17 mi south-east of the town’s edge. It covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, 1.9 mi away.
What are the best walks near Burghfield Common?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the St James' Way and The Roman Way.
What is the nearest beach to Burghfield Common?
Penguin Beach, 17 mi from the edge of the town, then Amity Beach (23 mi). Burghfield Common itself is inland.
How many people in Burghfield Common live near a park?
100% 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 Burghfield Common?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Burghfield Common good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 58% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 48% (2.1 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 Burghfield Common’s overall grade.
Where Burghfield Common’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.