Eton’s biggest
Upton Court Park
Park or garden · 300 m outside town
63 ha (156 acres)1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
89 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Stephen McKay · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Eton · parks, paths & countryside
Eton has more park space per resident than 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Eton add up to 22.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Footpaths add up to 45 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 4.5 for every square kilometre. Eton grades A for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
22.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
45 km
4.5 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 village is Eton?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam22.9 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 99% of UK towns.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.A village of footpaths4.5 km of path per km², more than 88% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.On a National TrailThe Thames Path passes through.
Eton’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by parks close to every home.
Outdoors grade
Eton grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Eton, 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 94% of UK towns4th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space22.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
99out of
100
100
A park within a walk100%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
89out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
88out 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.
Villages its size
Eton is 4th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,400 to 2,600 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
Eton4.5
Villages its size2.2
Berkshire towns3.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Eton22.9
Villages its size2.1
Berkshire towns2.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Eton100%
Villages its size87%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Eton stands out most for park space per resident: none of the other 59 has more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rawnsley Staffordshire | A+ | 17.7 | 100% | 3.7 | 36% |
| 2 | Shalford Surrey | A+ | 14.9 | 89% | 4.8 | 47% |
| 3 | Wolsingham County Durham | A+ | 2.7 | 100% | 3.9 | 55% |
| 4 | Eton Berkshire | A | 22.9 | 100% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 5 | Aldeburgh Suffolk | A | 2.3 | 88% | 2.3 | 41% |
| 6 | Lyndhurst Hampshire | A | 3.6 | 73% | 4.3 | 100% |
| 7 | Old Stratford Northamptonshire | A | 9.8 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 8 | Rowhedge Essex | A | 1.6 | 100% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Little Clacton Essex | A− | 3.6 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 10 | Awsworth Nottinghamshire | A− | 2.4 | 100% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 11 | Colerne Wiltshire | A− | 3.1 | 86% | 2.4 | 84% |
| 12 | West Wick Somerset | A− | 1.6 | 100% | 3.5 | 16% |
| 13 | Higher Folds Greater Manchester | A− | 2.8 | 90% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 14 | Sway Hampshire | B+ | 2.9 | 38% | 4 | 74% |
| 15 | Kington Herefordshire | B+ | 3.9 | 89% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 16 | Williton Somerset | B+ | 1.1 | 88% | 2.1 | 31% |
| 17 | Cotford St Luke Somerset | B+ | 2.2 | 100% | 2.2 | 6% |
| 18 | Henlow Bedfordshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Chattenden Kent | B | 1.4 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Farndon Nottinghamshire | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 21 | Oakley Bedfordshire | B | 3.2 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 22 | Alresford Essex | B− | 1.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Watlington Oxfordshire | B− | 2.3 | 67% | 2.4 | 55% |
| 24 | Wootton (Vale of White Horse) Oxfordshire | B− | 3.4 | 84% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Redlynch and Woodfalls Wiltshire | B− | 2.1 | 34% | 3.1 | 59% |
| 26 | Kelvedon Hatch Essex | B− | 7.3 | 77% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Timsbury Somerset | B− | 2.7 | 68% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 28 | Llanrwst Clwyd | C+ | 2.2 | 75% | 1.6 | 45% |
| 29 | Crossways Dorset | C+ | 0.5 | 100% | 1.8 | 22% |
| 30 | Renishaw Derbyshire | C+ | 0.6 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Hendreforgan Mid Glamorgan | C+ | 2.7 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 32 | Widdrington Station Northumberland | C+ | 1 | 88% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Grendon Warwickshire | C+ | 8.1 | 71% | 2 | 0% |
| 34 | Ruspidge Gloucestershire | C+ | 2 | 46% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 35 | Whittington Staffordshire | C | 7.5 | 77% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Great Houghton South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 37 | Pontycymer Mid Glamorgan | C | 2.2 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 38 | Tycroes Dyfed | C | 3.5 | 80% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 39 | South Milford North Yorkshire | C | 1.7 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Bugle Cornwall | C− | 1.8 | 92% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Eggborough North Yorkshire | C− | 1.5 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 42 | Hambleton Lancashire | C− | 2.3 | 14% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Willaston (Cheshire West and Chester) Cheshire | C− | 4.2 | 60% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Upper Heyford Oxfordshire | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Aberfan Mid Glamorgan | C− | 4.5 | 58% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Cornforth County Durham | C− | 1.9 | 66% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Cwm Gwent | C− | 2 | 12% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 48 | Maulden Bedfordshire | D | 0.9 | 55% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 49 | East Harling Norfolk | D | 1.7 | 85% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Lampeter Dyfed | D | 1.5 | 88% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Llanhilleth Gwent | D | 1.3 | 71% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 52 | Long Crendon Buckinghamshire | D | 1.4 | 86% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Mawsley Village Northamptonshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 2 | 0% |
| 54 | Leyburn North Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 22% | 2 | 16% |
| 55 | Broughton Lancashire | D | 1.7 | 45% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Long Itchington Warwickshire | D | 2.1 | 45% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Aston-on-Trent Derbyshire | D | 1.5 | 44% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Myerscough Smithy Lancashire | D | 0.5 | 45% | 3 | 0% |
| 59 | Garden City Clwyd | D− | 1.5 | 58% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Shipdham Norfolk | D− | 1 | 59% | 0.8 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Eton’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 Eton
The biggest is Upton Court Park, 63 ha (156 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 8 named parks by size: 138 ha (341 acres) and 11 km of path
Parks & gardens 105 haPlaying fields 33 ha
The two biggest, Upton Court Park and South Meadow, are 57% of the named green space and carry 5 km of path between them.
South Meadow
Park or garden
16 ha (38 acres)3.4 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.4 km of path
22 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Eton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Home Park
Playing field · 110 m outside town
30 ha (75 acres)0.4 km of path
42 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Eton Great Common
Park or garden
10 ha (25 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Eton
62
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Eton Great Common
Park or garden
10 ha (25 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Eton
62
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Alexandra Gardens
Park or garden · 90 m outside town
2.7 ha (7 acres)1.3 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Herschel Park
Park or garden · 200 m outside town
3.1 ha (8 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Upper Club
Playing field
2.7 ha (7 acres)0.3 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Eton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
Everyone in Eton lives 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 (100%)Further (0%)
Eton100%
Villages its size87%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 35 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 70 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Chilterns National Landscape is 7.6 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
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Eton is on the Thames Path
45 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Eton and the kilometre around it, 4.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
NationalRegionalOther waymarked
Thames Path6.9 km
European walking route E2 west, UK, South East England6.9 km
Jubilee River Path4.5 km
Three Castles Path1.8 km
Grand Union Canal (Slough Arm) Walk1.0 km
The Thames Path, a national route, passes Eton. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Three Castles Path and Grand Union Canal (Slough Arm) Walk.
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 Eton
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Eton’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIEton College18 ha
Heritage walks
Grand Union Canal (Slough Arm) Walk 1.0 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 Eton: May to September
The village’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 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 62 | 46 | 41 | 46 | 45 | 46 | 45 | 53 | 50 | 69 | 70 | 61 |
March is the driest month (41 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 70 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 37 nights a year. The climate in Eton →
Things to do
35 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Eton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Amity Beach7.0 mi from Eton’s edge
DirectionsHog Hole13 mi from Eton’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows13 mi from Eton’s edge
DirectionsPenguin Beach23 mi from Eton’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 1
Plus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 35
Upton Court Playground0.4 mi from town
DirectionsSalt Hill Play Area0.8 mi from town
DirectionsImperial Park Playground1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPirate Park1.0 mi from town
DirectionsWGS Playground1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 30 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Boveney Lock Boat Rollers1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 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.
Eton WickWindsorSloughDatchetOld Windsor and WraysburyColnbrookEton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Eton grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Eton
What is the biggest park in Eton?
Upton Court Park, 63 ha (156 acres), with 1.9 km of path, just outside the built-up area. South Meadow (16 ha) is second. 8 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Eton near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Chilterns National Landscape, 7.6 mi north-west of the village’s edge. It covers 838 km² and was designated in 1990.
What are the best walks near Eton?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Thames Path, European walking route E2 west, UK, South East England and Jubilee River Path.
What is the nearest beach to Eton?
Amity Beach, 7.0 mi from the edge of the village, then Hog Hole (13 mi). Eton itself is inland.
How many people in Eton 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 Eton?
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 Eton are historic?
Eton College (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Eton good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 88% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 99% (22.9 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 Eton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Eton’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.