Crowthorne’s biggest
Bucklers Forest
Park or garden
41 ha (100 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
57 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi north-eastfrom the centre
The PanThe Hub
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: David Hillas · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Crowthorne · parks, paths & countryside
Crowthorne has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 125 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 5.2 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Crowthorne add up to 4.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 60% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Crowthorne grades B for the outdoors: #20 of 30 in Berkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
4.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
60%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
125 km
5.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Chilterns National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Crowthorne?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths5.2 km of path per km², more than 94% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Room to roam4.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 85% of UK towns.Historic parksBroadmoor Hospital is a registered historic park (Grade II).Parks can be a walk away40% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Crowthorne’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by plenty of park space. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Crowthorne grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Crowthorne, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B
Better than 61% of UK towns#20 of 30 in Berkshire · 38th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space4.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
86out of
100
100
A park within a walk60%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
21out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths5.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
94out 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
Crowthorne is 38th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 14,400 to 16,000 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
Crowthorne5.2
Towns its size3.6
Berkshire towns3.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Crowthorne4.7
Towns its size2.7
Berkshire towns2.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Crowthorne60%
Towns its size84%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Crowthorne stands out most for park space per resident: only 11 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 54 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saltash Cornwall | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 2 | Lymington Hampshire | A+ | 2.8 | 89% | 3.3 | 56% |
| 3 | Hythe Kent | A+ | 3.7 | 76% | 4 | 31% |
| 4 | Otley West Yorkshire | A+ | 5.8 | 93% | 4.4 | 26% |
| 5 | Tadley Hampshire | A+ | 11.4 | 96% | 4.2 | 9% |
| 6 | Llandudno Clwyd | A+ | 2.1 | 83% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 7 | Conwy Clwyd | A+ | 2.9 | 82% | 3.6 | 13% |
| 8 | Swanscombe Kent | A+ | 3.3 | 90% | 8.5 | 0% |
| 9 | Kesgrave Suffolk | A | 3.3 | 97% | 4.7 | 14% |
| 10 | Petersfield Hampshire | A | 3.2 | 93% | 3.2 | 100% |
| 11 | Staveley Derbyshire | A | 6.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Penzance Cornwall | A | 1.6 | 96% | 2.3 | 34% |
| 13 | Cheadle Greater Manchester | A | 6.5 | 96% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 14 | Stapleford Nottinghamshire | A | 3.5 | 95% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Skipton North Yorkshire | A | 1.7 | 99% | 4.2 | 25% |
| 16 | Yateley Hampshire | A− | 14.9 | 85% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Kidsgrove Staffordshire | A− | 8.6 | 87% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Porthcawl Mid Glamorgan | A− | 3.5 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Frimley Surrey | A− | 2.9 | 99% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Tredegar Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 78% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 21 | Hessle East Riding of Yorkshire | A− | 5.3 | 96% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Risca Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 94% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Thornbury Gloucestershire | A− | 2.5 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 24 | Chertsey Surrey | A− | 6.2 | 84% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Ilkley West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.6 | 76% | 5.7 | 37% |
| 26 | Worcester Park and Stoneleigh Surrey | B+ | 7.3 | 76% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Uckfield East Sussex | B+ | 2.9 | 47% | 4.9 | 22% |
| 28 | Neston Cheshire | B+ | 2.7 | 91% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Peacehaven East Sussex | B+ | 1.1 | 51% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 30 | Somercotes and Swanwick Derbyshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 31 | Weybridge Surrey | B+ | 3.9 | 80% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Marlow Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 39% |
| 33 | Ashtead Surrey | B+ | 2.7 | 62% | 4.3 | 13% |
| 34 | Newport Pagnell Buckinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 35 | Humberston and New Waltham Lincolnshire | B+ | 4.1 | 44% | 2.2 | 1% |
| 36 | Whickham Tyne and Wear | B+ | 3.9 | 77% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 37 | Swinton South Yorkshire | B+ | 3 | 97% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Crowthorne Berkshire | B | 4.7 | 60% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 39 | Redruth Cornwall | B− | 1.5 | 78% | 3.7 | 3% |
| 40 | Hoyland South Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 67% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Knaresborough North Yorkshire | B− | 2.3 | 87% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Mexborough South Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 97% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 43 | Aberystwyth Dyfed | B− | 1.8 | 51% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Teignmouth Devon | B− | 1.7 | 82% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 45 | East Ardsley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 91% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Elland West Yorkshire | C+ | 2 | 69% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Herne Kent | C+ | 1.2 | 54% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Frampton Cotterell and Winterbourne Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.2 | 78% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 49 | Darton South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.5 | 86% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | South Hayling Hampshire | C+ | 1 | 65% | 1.4 | 26% |
| 51 | Aldridge West Midlands | C+ | 3 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Hockley and Hawkwell Essex | C+ | 1.6 | 85% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Kidlington Oxfordshire | C+ | 0.9 | 81% | 3 | 2% |
| 54 | Garforth West Yorkshire | C | 1.2 | 88% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire | C | 1.1 | 90% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Nailsea Somerset | C | 1.1 | 65% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Alsager Cheshire | C | 1.2 | 82% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Swallownest and Aston South Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 73% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Taverham and Drayton Norfolk | C− | 1.9 | 67% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Shepshed Leicestershire | D | 1.1 | 69% | 2.2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Crowthorne’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 Crowthorne
The biggest is Bucklers Forest, 41 ha (100 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 6 named parks by size: 57 ha (142 acres)
Parks & gardens 41 haPlaying fields 16 haPlay spaces 0.3 ha
The two biggest, Bucklers Forest and Derby Field, are 86% of the named green space.
Derby Field
Playing field
8.8 ha (22 acres)
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Crowthorne Rugby Club
Playing field · 130 m outside town
3.8 ha (9 acres)
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Morgan Recreation Ground
Playing field
2.2 ha (5 acres)0.2 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Bigshotte Park
Playing field
1.6 ha (4 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Pioneer Play Area
Play space
0.3 ha (1 acres)
0.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
6 in 10 Crowthorne 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 (60%)Further (40%)
Crowthorne60%
Towns its size84%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
About 6,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 45 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 338 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Chilterns National Landscape is 9.3 mi away
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
South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
8 waymarked walks pass through or near Crowthorne
125 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Crowthorne and the kilometre around it, 5.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
Ramblers Route19.2 km
The Wokingham Way15.1 km
Three Castles Path11.4 km
Blackwater Valley Path4.8 km
Finchampstead Ridges Ramble, Finchampstead Ridges2.5 km
Simons Wood Trail, Finchampstead Ridges2.2 km
Ambarrow Hill Circuit1.1 km
Ambarrow Court Circuit0.9 km
Close to home, the Ramblers Route has 19 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 3 regional routes pass through, including the The Wokingham Way, Three Castles Path and Blackwater Valley Path.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A registered historic park in Crowthorne
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Crowthorne’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIBroadmoor Hospital51 ha
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 Crowthorne: 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 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 70 | 50 | 47 | 53 | 49 | 53 | 51 | 61 | 55 | 79 | 83 | 71 |
March is the driest month (47 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 83 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 53 nights a year. The climate in Crowthorne →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 45 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.
2Viewpoints3Hills and peaks3.1× towns its size6Nature reserves3× towns its size1Picnic sites45Playgrounds1.8× towns its size
The nearest beaches
Crowthorne is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Amity Beach11 mi from Crowthorne’s edge
DirectionsPenguin Beach12 mi from Crowthorne’s edge
DirectionsHog Hole22 mi from Crowthorne’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows22 mi from Crowthorne’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.
Up high. Butter Hill, at 120 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Crowthorne.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Jennett's Park Country Park1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Butter Hill120 m (394 ft) · in town
DirectionsAmbarrow Hill0.1 mi from town
DirectionsSchool Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 6
Broadmoor Farm Meadows7.0 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsHeathlake Nature Reserve21 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsAmbarrow Court8.1 ha · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsCaesar's Camp22 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsHorseshoe Lake17 ha · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsMoor Green Lakes Nature Reserve36 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 45
Chaucer Parkin town
DirectionsMorgan Recin town
DirectionsRookwood Avenue Playground0.4 mi from town
DirectionsUlswater Play Area0.6 mi from town
DirectionsSnaprails Park0.8 mi from town
DirectionsEast Lodge Play Area0.9 mi from town
DirectionsYardley Play Area1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 38 playgrounds 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.
SandhurstBlackwaterYateleyWokinghamBracknellHawleyCrowthorne
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Hawley, 3.2 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 92% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Blackwater and Yateley have at least twice Crowthorne’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Crowthorne
What is the biggest park in Crowthorne?
Bucklers Forest, 41 ha (100 acres), with 0.6 km of path. Derby Field (8.8 ha) is second. 6 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Crowthorne near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 12 mi south 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 Chilterns National Landscape, 9.3 mi away.
What are the best walks near Crowthorne?
8 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Ramblers Route, The Wokingham Way and Three Castles Path.
What is the nearest beach to Crowthorne?
Amity Beach, 11 mi from the edge of the town, then Penguin Beach (12 mi). Crowthorne itself is inland.
How many people in Crowthorne live near a park?
60% 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 Crowthorne?
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 Crowthorne are historic?
Broadmoor Hospital (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Crowthorne good for walking?
For paths, yes: 5.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 94% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 86% (4.7 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 Crowthorne’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Crowthorne’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.