Hurst’s biggest
Stow Bridge
Playing field
2.1 ha (5 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Hurst
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Brendan and Ruth McCartney · CC BY-SA 2.0C−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Hurst · parks, paths & countryside
Hurst has more park space per resident than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Hurst add up to 5.1 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. The Chilterns National Landscape begins 3.4 mi from the village’s edge. 19 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 1.4 for every square kilometre. Hurst grades C− for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
5.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
68%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
19 km
1.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Chilterns starts 3.4 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Hurst?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam5.1 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 87% of UK towns.Countryside close byThe Chilterns National Landscape starts 3.4 mi north-west.Few mapped footpaths1.4 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Hurst’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by the Chilterns National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Hurst grades C− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Hurst, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C−
Better than 25% of UK towns41st of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space5.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
87out of
100
100
A park within a walk68%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
28out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Chilterns begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths1.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
14out 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
Hurst is 41st of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,000 to 1,100 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
Hurst1.4
Villages its size1.8
Berkshire towns3.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Hurst5.1
Villages its size2.1
Berkshire towns2.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Hurst68%
Villages its size100%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Hurst stands out most for park space per resident: only 7 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 40 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grove Dorset | A+ | 6 | 100% | 8.7 | 0% |
| 2 | Totternhoe Bedfordshire | A+ | 9.6 | 100% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 3 | Winchelsea Beach East Sussex | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 45% |
| 4 | East Challow Oxfordshire | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 5 | Broadbottom Greater Manchester | A+ | 5 | 100% | 4.2 | 15% |
| 6 | Hawkesbury Upton Gloucestershire | A+ | 3.4 | 100% | 3 | 73% |
| 7 | Westwood Wiltshire | A+ | 2.6 | 100% | 4.4 | 29% |
| 8 | Cemaes Gwynedd | A+ | 5 | 100% | 1.3 | 14% |
| 9 | Mawnan Smith Cornwall | A | 3.5 | 30% | 4 | 40% |
| 10 | Bellingham Northumberland | A | 8.6 | 100% | 1.8 | 57% |
| 11 | Waddington Lancashire | A | 1.8 | 100% | 2.9 | 60% |
| 12 | Little Wymondley Hertfordshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Thurlstone South Yorkshire | A− | 0.9 | 100% | 4.5 | 13% |
| 14 | Wivelsfield Green East Sussex | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 3 | 11% |
| 15 | North Chailey East Sussex | B+ | 4.5 | 48% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 16 | Langenhoe and Abberton Essex | B+ | 2.3 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | Leek Wootton Warwickshire | B+ | 2.3 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 18 | Norton St Philip Somerset | B+ | 1.8 | 100% | 2.2 | 21% |
| 19 | Loddiswell Devon | B+ | 2.1 | 100% | 1.3 | 53% |
| 20 | Thornwood Common Essex | B+ | 6.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Clyst Honiton Devon | B+ | 8 | 83% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Olveston Gloucestershire | B | 0.7 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 23 | Thornton Leicestershire | B | 13.7 | 50% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 24 | Whitwell Hertfordshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Levens Cumbria | B | 0.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 53% |
| 26 | Great Paxton Cambridgeshire | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 27 | Great Amwell Hertfordshire | B− | 5.7 | 0% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Beckington Somerset | B− | 2.7 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Laxfield Suffolk | B− | 3.3 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Winteringham Lincolnshire | B− | 1.7 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Hooley Surrey | B− | 1.7 | 67% | 3.4 | 18% |
| 32 | King's Bromley Staffordshire | B− | 3.4 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Derry Hill and Studley Wiltshire | C+ | 1.2 | 100% | 1.7 | 1% |
| 34 | St Dogmaels Dyfed | C+ | 1.4 | 71% | 1.1 | 23% |
| 35 | Bethersden Kent | C+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 36 | Hill Ridware Staffordshire | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 1.2 | 7% |
| 37 | Bempton East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.6 | 100% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Elmsett Suffolk | C | 3.4 | 82% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Clifton Lancashire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Scorton North Yorkshire | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Hurst Berkshire | C− | 5.1 | 68% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Lea Lincolnshire | C− | 4.3 | 76% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Swarthmoor Cumbria | C− | 0.2 | 79% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Llangeinor Mid Glamorgan | C− | 3.1 | 62% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Loxwood West Sussex | D | 0 | 0% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Sutton St James Lincolnshire | D | 0.1 | 100% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Marshland St James Norfolk | D | 3.5 | 0% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Besthorpe Norfolk | D | 1.5 | 72% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Barnack Cambridgeshire | D | 1.6 | 26% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Northop Clwyd | D | 1.6 | 70% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Shadoxhurst Kent | D | 1.8 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Overton Lancashire | D | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Wymington Bedfordshire | D | 0.3 | 0% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Sutton Norfolk | D− | 0 | 0% | 1 | 29% |
| 55 | Corby Glen Lincolnshire | D− | 2 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Wawne East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1 | 0% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Foulsham Norfolk | D− | 1.4 | 29% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Mendlesham Suffolk | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Stockton on the Forest North Yorkshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Prees Shropshire | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 0.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Hurst’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 Hurst
The biggest is Stow Bridge, 2.1 ha (5 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
7 in 10 Hurst 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 (68%)Further (32%)
Hurst68%
Villages its size100%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
About 300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 26 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 39 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Chilterns National Landscape is 3.4 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Hurst scores 0% on it even though the Chilterns National Landscape is 3.4 mi away. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Hurst
19 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Hurst and the kilometre around it, 1.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
Regional
The Wokingham Way7.2 km
The regional route here is the The Wokingham Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hurst: 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 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 64 | 45 | 41 | 46 | 44 | 48 | 49 | 54 | 51 | 72 | 74 | 65 |
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 74 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 45 nights a year. The climate in Hurst →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 26 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
Hurst is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Amity Beach14 mi from Hurst’s edge
DirectionsPenguin Beach18 mi from Hurst’s edge
DirectionsHog Hole23 mi from Hurst’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows23 mi from Hurst’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
Nature reserves 1
Loddon Nature Reserve13 ha · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 26
Sandford Park Play Area0.9 mi from town
DirectionsMonkey Mates1.0 mi from town
DirectionsEmmbrook Playground1.1 mi from town
DirectionsAlderwood Play Area1.1 mi from town
DirectionsRedwood Avenue Play Area1.2 mi from town
DirectionsAshenbury Play Area1.2 mi from town
DirectionsEnstone Road Play Area1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 19 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite 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.
TwyfordCharvilWoodleyWinnershSonningWargraveHurst
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Woodley, 2.1 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 81% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Sonning has at least twice Hurst’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Hurst
What is the biggest park in Hurst?
Stow Bridge, 2.1 ha (5 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Hurst near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 17 mi south of the village’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, 3.4 mi away.
What are the best walks near Hurst?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the The Wokingham Way.
What is the nearest beach to Hurst?
Amity Beach, 14 mi from the edge of the village, then Penguin Beach (18 mi). Hurst itself is inland.
How many people in Hurst live near a park?
68% 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 Hurst?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Hurst good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 14% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 87% (5.1 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 Hurst’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Hurst’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.