Caversham’s biggest
Caversham Park
Park or garden
16 ha (39 acres)
22 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Barry Hunter · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Caversham · parks, paths & countryside
32% of the land within 5 km of Caversham is National Park or National Landscape
The Chilterns National Landscape reaches the edge of Caversham. 108 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.3 for every square kilometre. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 77% of residents. Caversham grades A− for the outdoors: #8 of 30 in Berkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
77%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
108 km
4.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
32%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Chilterns National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Caversham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside32% of the land within 5 km is Chilterns National Landscape.A town of footpaths4.3 km of path per km², more than 84% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.On a National TrailThe Thames Path passes through.Historic parks2 registered historic parks and gardens, including Caversham Court.
Caversham’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by dense footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Caversham grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Caversham, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 81% of UK towns#8 of 30 in Berkshire · 13th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
58out of
100
100
A park within a walk77%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
42out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape32%of the land within 5 km
85out of
100
100
Footpaths4.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
85out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland
42out of
100
100
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.
Towns its size
Caversham is 13th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 30,100 to 36,200 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Outdoors score: the share of UK towns each one beats
Footpath, km per km²
Caversham4.3
Towns its size3.8
Berkshire towns3.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Caversham2.5
Towns its size2.2
Berkshire towns2.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Caversham77%
Towns its size84%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Caversham stands out most for park space per resident: only 24 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Locks Heath Hampshire | A+ | 3.5 | 91% | 3.7 | 4% |
| 2 | Great Malvern Worcestershire | A+ | 3.9 | 90% | 6 | 38% |
| 3 | Hyde Greater Manchester | A | 4.3 | 91% | 3.9 | 1% |
| 4 | Epsom Surrey | A | 5.7 | 80% | 4.8 | 2% |
| 5 | Burgess Hill West Sussex | A | 2.4 | 87% | 5 | 27% |
| 6 | Skelmersdale Lancashire | A | 7.8 | 91% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 7 | Witney Oxfordshire | A | 2.5 | 88% | 4.6 | 19% |
| 8 | Prestwich Greater Manchester | A | 9 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 9 | Redhill Surrey | A− | 2.2 | 91% | 4.3 | 14% |
| 10 | Rustington West Sussex | A− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.7 | 25% |
| 11 | Chandler's Ford Hampshire | A− | 2.7 | 80% | 5.3 | 6% |
| 12 | Dunstable Bedfordshire | A− | 2 | 78% | 8 | 29% |
| 13 | Caversham Berkshire | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 4.3 | 32% |
| 14 | Accrington Lancashire | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 15 | Nelson Lancashire | A− | 1.8 | 85% | 5.2 | 15% |
| 16 | St Neots Cambridgeshire | A− | 3.5 | 91% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Didcot Oxfordshire | A− | 1.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 39% |
| 18 | Exmouth Devon | A− | 1.4 | 82% | 2.6 | 21% |
| 19 | Waterlooville Hampshire | B+ | 1 | 66% | 5.2 | 18% |
| 20 | Chippenham Wiltshire | B+ | 2.8 | 76% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 21 | Harpenden Hertfordshire | B+ | 3.5 | 84% | 2.9 | 2% |
| 22 | Fulwood Lancashire | B+ | 3.5 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 23 | Swadlincote Derbyshire | B+ | 4.1 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Chichester West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 89% | 3 | 40% |
| 25 | Lichfield Staffordshire | B+ | 2.7 | 82% | 3.1 | 2% |
| 26 | Brierley Hill West Midlands | B+ | 3.1 | 82% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 27 | Pudsey West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 94% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 28 | Hucknall Nottinghamshire | B+ | 3 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 29 | Hitchin Hertfordshire | B+ | 1.5 | 83% | 4.4 | 10% |
| 30 | Windsor Berkshire | B | 5.5 | 83% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 31 | Brighouse West Yorkshire | B | 2.5 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Wigston Leicestershire | B | 2.9 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 33 | Billingham County Durham | B | 4.7 | 86% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Denton Greater Manchester | B | 2.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Loughton Essex | B | 2.9 | 74% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Letchworth Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 85% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Abingdon-on-Thames Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 91% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Caerphilly Gwent | B | 2.6 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Morecambe Lancashire | B− | 0.8 | 84% | 2.2 | 2% |
| 40 | Radcliffe Greater Manchester | B− | 1.7 | 86% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 41 | Tonbridge Kent | B− | 2.1 | 65% | 2.6 | 38% |
| 42 | Whitstable Kent | B− | 1.5 | 84% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Billericay Essex | C+ | 4.1 | 70% | 3 | 0% |
| 44 | Winsford Cheshire | C+ | 1.3 | 92% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Pontefract West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.6 | 84% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 46 | New Haw, West Byfleet and Sheerwater Surrey | C+ | 2.2 | 69% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Morley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.2 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Horndean Hampshire | C+ | 0.9 | 57% | 3.3 | 53% |
| 49 | Bedworth Warwickshire | C | 1.5 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Barnstaple Devon | C | 1.6 | 92% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Rayleigh Essex | C | 2 | 71% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Beverley East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.7 | 92% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 53 | Sedgley West Midlands | C | 1.5 | 65% | 4 | 0% |
| 54 | Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 80% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Bilston West Midlands | C− | 1.5 | 76% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 56 | Rushden Northamptonshire | C− | 1.5 | 84% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Bromsgrove Worcestershire | C− | 1.4 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Port Talbot West Glamorgan | C− | 1.3 | 68% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Spalding Lincolnshire | D | 1.1 | 85% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Pontypridd Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.5 | 70% | 1.9 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Caversham’s built-up area.
Green space: parks, gardens, playing fields and play spaces, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · Contains OS data © Crown copyright · Natural England / NRW
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Caversham
The biggest is Caversham Park, 16 ha (39 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 7 named parks by size: 57 ha (140 acres) and 5 km of path
Parks & gardens 21 haPlaying fields 35 ha
The two biggest, Caversham Park and Mapledurham Playing Fields, are 47% of the named green space.
Mapledurham Playing Fields
Playing field
11 ha (26 acres)1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
15 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Christchurch Meadows
Playing field
11 ha (27 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
King's Meadow
Playing field · 50 m outside town
8.4 ha (21 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Hill's Meadow
Park or garden
4.3 ha (11 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Clayfield Copse Recreation Ground
Playing field
5.4 ha (13 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Caversham Court Gardens
Park or garden
1.0 ha (3 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
0.6 mi south-westfrom the centre
2 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
8 in 10 Caversham residents live within a 5-minute walk of 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).
Within 400 m (77%)Further (23%)
Caversham77%
Towns its size84%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
About 7,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 43 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 768 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Caversham
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.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
National Landscape
Chilterns
At the edge west838 km²since 199028% of the land within 5 km
Official siteNational Landscape
North Wessex Downs
1.7 mi west1,731 km²since 19724% of the land within 5 km
Official site32% of the land within 5 km of Caversham is National Park or National Landscape, more than 84% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Caversham is on the Thames Path
108 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Caversham and the kilometre around it, 4.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegional
Thames Path10.5 km
European walking route E2 west, UK, South East England10.5 km
The Chiltern Way Southern Extension7.8 km
The Wokingham Way6.5 km
St Frideswide’s Way5.8 km
Kennet and Avon Canal Trail3.3 km
St James' Way2.2 km
The Thames Path, a national route, passes Caversham. 5 regional routes pass through, including the The Chiltern Way Southern Extension, The Wokingham Way, St Frideswide’s Way and Kennet and Avon Canal Trail.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
2 registered historic parks in Caversham
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Caversham’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IICaversham Court0.8 ha
Registered · Grade IICaversham Park40 ha
Listed buildings insideCaversham Court GardensRiverside Garden Pavilion at Caversham Court and Screen Wall at North East End of Caversham Court Recreation Ground
Heritage walks
Kennet and Avon Canal Trail 3.3 km
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Caversham: 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 | 10.5 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 69 | 44 | 40 | 49 | 42 | 45 | 52 | 55 | 49 | 72 | 71 | 64 |
March is the driest month (40 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 72 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 41 nights a year. The climate in Caversham →
Things to do
43 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.
1Viewpoints4Nature reserves1.9× towns its size43Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Slipways
The nearest beaches
Caversham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Amity Beach19 mi from Caversham’s edge
DirectionsPenguin Beach20 mi from Caversham’s edge
DirectionsThe Leys Park29 mi from Caversham’s edge
DirectionsGood to know
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
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 4
Dingley Dell0.6 ha · in town
DirectionsClayfield Copse8.7 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsView Island1.7 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 43
Amersham Road Recreation Groundin town
DirectionsEmmer Green recreation groundin town
DirectionsMilestone Way Play Areain town
DirectionsRufus Isaacs Play Areain town
DirectionsWestfield Road Recreation Groundin town
DirectionsRandolph Mews Play Area0.2 mi from town
DirectionsAvon Place Play Area0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPortman Road Playground0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 35 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
ReadingSonningSonning CommonWoodleyCharvilLower ShiplakeCaversham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caversham | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 32% |
| Reading 2.0 mi | B+ | 1.7 | 73% | 26% |
| Sonning 2.8 mi | A− | 11.1 | 80% | 7% |
| Sonning Common 3.0 mi | B+ | 2.6 | 60% | 74% |
| Woodley 3.4 mi | A | 5.0 | 81% | 1% |
| Charvil 3.7 mi | C− | 0.7 | 68% | 6% |
| Lower Shiplake 4.4 mi | C+ | 3.0 | 0% | 28% |
Woodley, 3.4 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 81% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Sonning and Woodley have at least twice Caversham’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Caversham
What is the biggest park in Caversham?
Caversham Park, 16 ha (39 acres). Mapledurham Playing Fields (11 ha) is second. 7 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Caversham near a National Park?
It covers 838 km² and was designated in 1990.
What are the best walks near Caversham?
7 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Thames Path, European walking route E2 west, UK, South East England and The Chiltern Way Southern Extension.
What is the nearest beach to Caversham?
Amity Beach, 19 mi from the edge of the town, then Penguin Beach (20 mi). Caversham itself is inland.
How many people in Caversham live near a park?
77% 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 Caversham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Caversham are historic?
Caversham Court (Grade II) and Caversham Park (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Caversham good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 85% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 58% (2.5 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 Caversham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Caversham’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.