Maidenhead’s biggest
Ockwells Park
Park or garden
26 ha (64 acres)4.4 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.4 km of path
36 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: N Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Maidenhead · parks, paths & countryside
Maidenhead has more footpath per square kilometre than 8 in 10 UK towns
215 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.1 for every square kilometre. The Chilterns National Landscape begins 2.1 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Maidenhead add up to 1.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Maidenhead grades B+ for the outdoors: #15 of 30 in Berkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
83%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
215 km
4.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
3%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Chilterns National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Maidenhead?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths4.1 km of path per km², more than 83% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Chilterns National Landscape starts 2.1 mi north-west.On a National TrailThe Thames Path passes through.Less park per person1.8 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Maidenhead’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Chilterns National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Maidenhead grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Maidenhead, 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 67% of UK towns#15 of 30 in Berkshire · 31st of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
40out of
100
100
A park within a walk83%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
54out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape3%of the land within 5 km
66out of
100
100
Footpaths4.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
83out 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
Maidenhead is 31st of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 55,200 to 82,200 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
Maidenhead4.1
Towns its size3.6
Berkshire towns3.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Maidenhead1.8
Towns its size2.6
Berkshire towns2.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Maidenhead83%
Towns its size86%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Maidenhead stands out most for path per km²: only 23 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 47 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester Kent | A+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.6 | 23% |
| 2 | Burnley Lancashire | A+ | 3.4 | 95% | 5.7 | 7% |
| 3 | Dartford Kent | A | 3.9 | 72% | 5.1 | 1% |
| 4 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 5 | Ashford Kent | A | 2.7 | 94% | 5.2 | 23% |
| 6 | Guildford Surrey | A | 2.8 | 86% | 6.1 | 31% |
| 7 | Cannock Staffordshire | A | 5.5 | 88% | 3.5 | 26% |
| 8 | Scarborough North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 86% | 3.1 | 17% |
| 9 | Gravesend Kent | A | 1.4 | 84% | 6.4 | 14% |
| 10 | Chatham Kent | A | 1.6 | 78% | 6.4 | 26% |
| 11 | Barry South Glamorgan | A | 2.9 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 12 | Weymouth Dorset | A | 2.6 | 55% | 3.5 | 35% |
| 13 | Barnsley South Yorkshire | A | 4.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 14 | Bracknell Berkshire | A | 3.7 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 15 | Gosport Hampshire | A | 3 | 85% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 16 | South Shields Tyne and Wear | A | 2.4 | 80% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 17 | Farnborough Hampshire | A | 4 | 77% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 18 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 19 | Tynemouth Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.2 | 85% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 20 | Chesterfield Derbyshire | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 21 | Hereford Herefordshire | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 22 | Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire | A− | 5.2 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 23 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 24 | Carlisle Cumbria | A− | 3.2 | 91% | 3.1 | 4% |
| 25 | St Albans Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 95% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 26 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Harrogate North Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 86% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 28 | Redditch Worcestershire | A− | 4.1 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 30 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 32 | Bebington Merseyside | B+ | 3 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Huyton with Roby Merseyside | B+ | 3.7 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Ellesmere Port Cheshire | B | 2.8 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Widnes Cheshire | B | 3 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 37 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria | B | 2 | 91% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Wigan Greater Manchester | B | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 0% |
| 42 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Rugby Warwickshire | B− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Tamworth Staffordshire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 3 | 0% |
| 45 | Brentwood Essex | B− | 3.9 | 69% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Bury Greater Manchester | B− | 2.4 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 47 | Kettering Northamptonshire | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Stafford Staffordshire | B− | 1.9 | 70% | 3.1 | 11% |
| 49 | Smethwick West Midlands | C+ | 2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Halesowen West Midlands | C+ | 2.1 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Woking Surrey | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Shrewsbury Shropshire | C+ | 1.6 | 87% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Walsall West Midlands | C+ | 2.5 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Bognor Regis West Sussex | C | 1.1 | 78% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Loughborough Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 73% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Scunthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Stourbridge West Midlands | C | 1.9 | 72% | 3 | 0% |
| 58 | Crewe Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 88% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Burton upon Trent Staffordshire | C− | 1.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Kidderminster Worcestershire | D | 1.2 | 72% | 2.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Maidenhead’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 Maidenhead
The biggest is Ockwells Park, 26 ha (64 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 17 named parks by size: 82 ha (203 acres) and 16 km of path
Parks & gardens 66 haPlaying fields 16 haPlay spaces 0.1 ha
The two biggest, Ockwells Park and Braywick Park, are 51% of the named green space and carry 8 km of path between them. 9 of the 17 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Braywick Park
Park or garden
16 ha (40 acres)3.1 km of path
40 minto walk all 3.1 km of path
23 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-eastfrom the centre
2 nature reserves
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Moor
Park or garden
7.1 ha (18 acres)1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
North Town Moor
Park or garden
4.8 ha (12 acres)2.1 km of path
25 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Oaken Grove Park
Playing field
8.2 ha (20 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi north-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Kidwells Park
Park or garden
3.7 ha (9 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Maidenhead
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Desborough Park
Playing field
4.8 ha (12 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Grenfell Park
Park or garden
2.6 ha (6 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Maidenhead
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 17 named parks and green spaces
Ockwells ParkPark or garden · 26 ha · 4.4 km of path
DirectionsBraywick ParkPark or garden · 16 ha · 3.1 km of path
DirectionsThe MoorPark or garden · 7.1 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsNorth Town MoorPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsOaken Grove ParkPlaying field · 8.2 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsKidwells ParkPark or garden · 3.7 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsDesborough ParkPlaying field · 4.8 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsGrenfell ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsGuards Club ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsRiverside GardensPark or garden · 1.8 ha
DirectionsThe GreenPark or garden · 1.7 ha · just outside town
DirectionsBridge GardensPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsGays Lane FieldPlaying field · 1.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsHolyport Cricket ClubPlaying field · 1.2 ha · just outside town
DirectionsBray GreenPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsMaudsley Memorial GardenPark or garden · 0.1 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSwitchback Road Play AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Maidenhead 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 (83%)Further (17%)
Maidenhead83%
Towns its size86%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
About 11,000 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 1,567 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Chilterns National Landscape is 2.1 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
National Landscape
Chilterns
2.1 mi north-west838 km²since 19903% of the land within 5 km
Official site3% of the land within 5 km of Maidenhead is National Park or National Landscape, more than 65% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
17 waymarked walks pass through or near Maidenhead
215 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Maidenhead and the kilometre around it, 4.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocalOther waymarked
Maidenhead Boundary Walk24.1 km
Thames Path11.8 km
European walking route E2 west, UK, South East England11.8 km
Maidenhead Commons Trail, Maidenhead11.2 km
Maidenhead Millennium Walk10.6 km
The Chiltern Way Berkshire Loop7.9 km
Jubilee River Path5.0 km
Cookham Wetland and Wildlife Trial, Maidenhead4.6 km
Cliveden Gold Walking Trail, Cliveden4.4 km
Cliveden Green Walking Trail, Cliveden3.5 km
The Long Wind in the Willows Walk, Maidenhead3.2 km
Cliveden Blue Walking Trail, Cliveden3.0 km
Cliveden Woodland Walking Trail, Cliveden3.0 km
The Short Wind in the Willows Walk, Maidenhead2.6 km
Maidenhead Millennium Walk Marlow Link2.0 km
Cookham and Cock Marsh Walk, Maidenhead1.5 km
Plus 1 more waymarked walk on the map.
The Thames Path, a national route, passes Maidenhead. Close to home, the Maidenhead Boundary Walk has 24 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 2 regional routes pass through, including the The Chiltern Way Berkshire Loop and Shakespeare's 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 Maidenhead: 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 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.8 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 63 | 45 | 41 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 57 | 51 | 70 | 73 | 63 |
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 73 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 45 nights a year. The climate in Maidenhead →
Things to do
3 viewpoints, 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.
3Viewpoints1.5× towns its size4Nature reserves1.6× towns its size3Picnic sites1.7× towns its size43Playgrounds0.7× towns its size1Campsites4Slipways9.8× towns its size
The nearest beaches
Maidenhead is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Amity Beach9.5 mi from Maidenhead’s edge
DirectionsHog Hole17 mi from Maidenhead’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows17 mi from Maidenhead’s edge
DirectionsPenguin Beach22 mi from Maidenhead’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 3
Cliveden Southern Viewpoint0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 4
Braywick Park5.3 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsBray Pit2.0 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsBraywick Park Nature Reserve14 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsBisham Woods119 ha · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 43
Oaken Grove Play Areain town
DirectionsRaymond Road Play Areain town
DirectionsRoss Road Play Areain town
DirectionsHolyport War Memorial Hall Playground0.2 mi from town
DirectionsThe Stomping Ground1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 38 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Queen's Acre Caravan & Camping Site0.1 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 4
Plus 4 slipways 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.
CookhamHurleyBourne EndMarlowEton WickWindsorMaidenhead
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Cookham, 2.5 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 96% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Cookham, Eton Wick and Windsor have at least twice Maidenhead’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Maidenhead
What is the biggest park in Maidenhead?
Ockwells Park, 26 ha (64 acres), with 4.4 km of path. Braywick Park (16 ha) is second. 17 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Maidenhead near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Chilterns National Landscape, 2.1 mi north-west of the town’s edge. It covers 838 km² and was designated in 1990.
What are the best walks near Maidenhead?
17 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Maidenhead Boundary Walk, Thames Path and European walking route E2 west, UK, South East England. Ockwells Park alone has 4.4 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Maidenhead?
Amity Beach, 9.5 mi from the edge of the town, then Hog Hole (17 mi). Maidenhead itself is inland.
How many people in Maidenhead live near a park?
83% 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 Maidenhead?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Maidenhead good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 83% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 40% (1.8 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 Maidenhead’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Maidenhead’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.