Thatcham’s biggest
Henwick Worthy Sports Ground
Playing field
14 ha (36 acres)0.4 km of path
20 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: HelenK · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Thatcham · parks, paths & countryside
27% of the land within 5 km of Thatcham is National Park or National Landscape
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape begins 0.4 mi from the town’s edge. 87% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Footpaths add up to 83 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.1 for every square kilometre. Thatcham grades B+ for the outdoors: #14 of 30 in Berkshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
87%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
83 km
3.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
27%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Wessex Downs National Landscape
Outdoors grade
Thatcham grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Thatcham, 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 70% of UK towns#14 of 30 in Berkshire · 29th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
43out of
100
100
A park within a walk87%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
61out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape27%of the land within 5 km
82out of
100
100
Footpaths3.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
61out 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
Thatcham is 29th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 23,500 to 27,600 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
Thatcham3.1
Towns its size3.4
Berkshire towns3.1
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Thatcham1.9
Towns its size2.4
Berkshire towns2.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Thatcham87%
Towns its size82%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
Thatcham falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 39 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee-on-the-Solent Hampshire | A+ | 5.7 | 96% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 2 | Stroud Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.6 | 79% | 5.8 | 70% |
| 3 | Falmouth Cornwall | A | 1.3 | 96% | 3.5 | 41% |
| 4 | Sevenoaks Kent | A | 8.1 | 76% | 3.8 | 70% |
| 5 | Stalybridge Greater Manchester | A | 5 | 82% | 4.8 | 12% |
| 6 | Newport Isle of Wight | A | 1.8 | 80% | 3.8 | 37% |
| 7 | Ash and Ash Vale Surrey | A | 4.3 | 72% | 5.4 | 20% |
| 8 | Huntingdon Cambridgeshire | A | 5.7 | 99% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Larkfield Kent | A− | 5.6 | 75% | 3.4 | 27% |
| 10 | Rickmansworth Hertfordshire | A− | 2.9 | 81% | 4.4 | 11% |
| 11 | Ewell Surrey | A− | 7.5 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 12 | Droylsden Greater Manchester | A− | 5.2 | 95% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 13 | Reigate Surrey | A− | 5.5 | 58% | 4.7 | 20% |
| 14 | Felixstowe Suffolk | A− | 2 | 88% | 1.9 | 28% |
| 15 | Tadworth and Epsom Downs Surrey | A− | 3.4 | 65% | 5.3 | 16% |
| 16 | Heanor Derbyshire | A− | 4.2 | 92% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Gorleston-on-Sea Norfolk | A− | 1.4 | 81% | 3.2 | 17% |
| 18 | Little Hulton Greater Manchester | A− | 8.6 | 87% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 19 | East Grinstead West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 87% | 3.7 | 58% |
| 20 | Wilmslow Cheshire | A− | 4.4 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Newton-le-Willows Merseyside | A− | 5.2 | 99% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Ryde Isle of Wight | A− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.6 | 19% |
| 23 | Shoreham-by-Sea West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 74% | 2.7 | 35% |
| 24 | Chesham Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 64% |
| 25 | Herne Bay Kent | B+ | 2.3 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Portishead Somerset | B+ | 2 | 82% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 27 | Haverhill Suffolk | B+ | 2.4 | 91% | 5 | 0% |
| 28 | Longbenton Tyne and Wear | B+ | 3.3 | 80% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Thatcham Berkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 87% | 3.1 | 27% |
| 30 | Fleetwood Lancashire | B+ | 2.7 | 92% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Cheadle Hulme Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.9 | 80% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock Essex | B+ | 2.2 | 97% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Bradley Stoke Gloucestershire | B+ | 2 | 93% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 34 | Oadby Leicestershire | B+ | 3.7 | 92% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Seaford East Sussex | B+ | 0.8 | 73% | 2.8 | 52% |
| 36 | Newton Aycliffe County Durham | B | 2.1 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Rugeley Staffordshire | B | 1.2 | 94% | 2.7 | 37% |
| 38 | Witham Essex | B | 1.9 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Broadstairs Kent | B | 1.7 | 76% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Atherton Greater Manchester | B | 3.8 | 83% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Rhyl Clwyd | B | 1 | 84% | 2.2 | 7% |
| 42 | Sudbury Suffolk | B | 3.8 | 77% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Rawtenstall Lancashire | B | 1.9 | 83% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Droitwich Spa Worcestershire | B | 2.5 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 45 | Thetford Norfolk | B− | 2.9 | 65% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 46 | St Austell Cornwall | B− | 1.2 | 71% | 2.5 | 7% |
| 47 | Ashton-in-Makerfield Greater Manchester | B− | 2.6 | 93% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Melton Mowbray Leicestershire | B− | 3.3 | 84% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Hindley Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.5 | 77% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Coseley West Midlands | C+ | 1.4 | 84% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Newquay Cornwall | C+ | 1.6 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Horley Surrey | C+ | 1.9 | 84% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Market Harborough Leicestershire | C+ | 1.9 | 94% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 54 | Ascot Berkshire | C+ | 3.6 | 56% | 3 | 0% |
| 55 | Walton-on-Thames Surrey | C | 1.6 | 81% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Golborne Greater Manchester | C | 3 | 66% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Wickersley and Bramley South Yorkshire | C | 1.7 | 77% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Wickford Essex | C | 2.4 | 59% | 3 | 0% |
| 59 | Retford Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Wisbech Cambridgeshire | D | 1.2 | 79% | 1.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Thatcham’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 Thatcham
The biggest is Henwick Worthy Sports Ground, 14 ha (36 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 5 named parks by size: 25 ha (63 acres) and 1 km of path
Parks & gardens 2.8 haPlaying fields 23 ha
The two biggest, Henwick Worthy Sports Ground and Dunstan Green, are 68% of the named green space.
Dunstan Green
Park or garden
2.8 ha (7 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Thatcham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Memorial Playing Fields
Playing field
3.2 ha (8 acres)
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Thatcham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Brown's Sports Field
Playing field
2.7 ha (7 acres)
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Thatcham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Moors Playing Field
Playing field
2.4 ha (6 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Thatcham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
9 in 10 Thatcham 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 (87%)Further (13%)
Thatcham87%
Towns its size82%
Berkshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
About 3,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 42 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 608 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Thatcham
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
North Wessex Downs
0.4 mi north-east1,731 km²since 197227% of the land within 5 km
Official site27% of the land within 5 km of Thatcham is National Park or National Landscape, more than 82% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Thatcham
83 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Thatcham and the kilometre around it, 3.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
Kennet and Avon Canal Trail9.8 km
The Roman Way9.8 km
Yellow Route4.7 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the Kennet and Avon Canal Trail and The Roman 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 Thatcham: 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 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 76 | 54 | 48 | 52 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 57 | 52 | 76 | 84 | 74 |
May is the driest month (47 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 84 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Thatcham →
Things to do
42 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.
1Viewpoints2Nature reserves3Picnic sites3× towns its size42Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size
The nearest beaches
Thatcham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Penguin Beach22 mi from Thatcham’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
Lakeside Hide0.0 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Thatcham Reedbed Nature Reserve104 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsBowdown Woods57 ha · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 42
Frank Hutchings Play Areain town
DirectionsMount Road Parkin town
DirectionsUrquhart Road Play Areain town
DirectionsPlus 39 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.
Upper BuckleburyCold AshNewburyHermitageKingsclereTadleyThatcham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thatcham | B+ | 1.9 | 87% | 27% |
| Upper Bucklebury 1.8 mi | C | 0.1 | 0% | 48% |
| Cold Ash 2.0 mi | C+ | 1.5 | 7% | 60% |
| Newbury 2.8 mi | B+ | 1.9 | 81% | 50% |
| Hermitage 3.6 mi | C+ | 0.6 | 58% | 82% |
| Kingsclere 5.3 mi | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 50% |
| Tadley 6.0 mi | A+ | 11.4 | 96% | 9% |
Tadley, 6 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 96% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Tadley has at least twice Thatcham’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Thatcham
What is the biggest park in Thatcham?
Henwick Worthy Sports Ground, 14 ha (36 acres). Dunstan Green (2.8 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Thatcham near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, 0.4 mi north-east of the town’s edge. It covers 1,731 km² and was designated in 1972.
What are the best walks near Thatcham?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Kennet and Avon Canal Trail, The Roman Way and Yellow Route.
What is the nearest beach to Thatcham?
Penguin Beach, 22 mi from the edge of the town. Thatcham itself is inland.
How many people in Thatcham live near a park?
87% 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 Thatcham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Thatcham good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 61% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 43% (1.9 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 Thatcham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Thatcham’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.