Amersham’s biggest
Chesham Moor
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
14 ha (36 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
20 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Steve Daniels · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Amersham · parks, paths & countryside
64% of the land within 5 km of Amersham is National Park or National Landscape
The Chilterns National Landscape reaches the edge of Amersham. Footpaths add up to 101 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.7 for every square kilometre. 62% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Amersham grades B for the outdoors: #25 of 39 in Buckinghamshire. 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
62%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
101 km
3.7 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
64%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Chilterns National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Amersham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside64% of the land within 5 km is Chilterns National Landscape.Less park per person1.8 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Amersham’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Amersham grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Amersham, 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 60% of UK towns#25 of 39 in Buckinghamshire · 25th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
38out of
100
100
A park within a walk62%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
22out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape64%of the land within 5 km
95out of
100
100
Footpaths3.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
75out 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
Amersham is 25th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 16,200 to 18,700 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
Amersham3.7
Towns its size3.2
Buckinghamshire towns3.2
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Amersham1.8
Towns its size2.1
Buckinghamshire towns2.4
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Amersham62%
Towns its size85%
Buckinghamshire towns74%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Amersham stands out most for path per km²: only 21 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 53 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cirencester Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.3 | 95% | 4.1 | 48% |
| 2 | Prestatyn Clwyd | A+ | 3.3 | 92% | 2.9 | 14% |
| 3 | Dorking Surrey | A | 4.4 | 75% | 7 | 57% |
| 4 | Clitheroe Lancashire | A | 3 | 98% | 3.1 | 59% |
| 5 | Hadfield Derbyshire | A | 2.4 | 91% | 4.5 | 36% |
| 6 | Brixham Devon | A | 3.1 | 76% | 2.5 | 30% |
| 7 | Waltham Abbey Essex | A | 11.9 | 92% | 6.7 | 0% |
| 8 | Shiney Row and Penshaw Tyne and Wear | A | 9.6 | 98% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 9 | Bishop's Cleeve Gloucestershire | A | 1.9 | 100% | 3.9 | 35% |
| 10 | Connah's Quay Clwyd | A | 5.8 | 97% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Clifton Greater Manchester | A | 10 | 92% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 12 | Abbots Langley and Kings Langley Hertfordshire | A | 3.8 | 88% | 3.6 | 3% |
| 13 | Bredbury and Woodley Greater Manchester | A | 4.8 | 94% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Euxton Lancashire | A− | 3.7 | 98% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Alton Hampshire | B+ | 2.6 | 82% | 3 | 27% |
| 16 | Wath upon Dearne South Yorkshire | B+ | 5.5 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 17 | Glossop Derbyshire | B+ | 1.5 | 78% | 4.2 | 60% |
| 18 | Wombwell South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 19 | Burnham-on-Sea Somerset | B+ | 2.1 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 20 | Swanley Kent | B+ | 1.8 | 78% | 4.2 | 20% |
| 21 | Warminster Wiltshire | B+ | 1.7 | 86% | 3 | 44% |
| 22 | Liversedge West Yorkshire | B+ | 2 | 98% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Tyldesley Greater Manchester | B | 2.3 | 97% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Westbury Wiltshire | B | 1.4 | 97% | 3.3 | 1% |
| 25 | Amersham Buckinghamshire | B | 1.8 | 62% | 3.7 | 64% |
| 26 | Patchway Gloucestershire | B | 2.5 | 80% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Cobham Surrey | B | 3.1 | 49% | 4 | 1% |
| 28 | Wimborne Minster Dorset | B | 2.7 | 51% | 3.6 | 17% |
| 29 | Penrith Cumbria | B | 1.6 | 91% | 2.9 | 9% |
| 30 | Bangor Gwynedd | B | 0.9 | 79% | 2.7 | 11% |
| 31 | Wymondham Norfolk | B | 2.8 | 97% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 32 | Shaw Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 96% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Minster (Swale) Kent | B | 2.5 | 89% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Bramhall Greater Manchester | B− | 4.7 | 71% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 35 | St Ives Cambridgeshire | B− | 1.7 | 95% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Biddulph Staffordshire | B− | 3.3 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 37 | Guisborough North Yorkshire | B− | 1.5 | 80% | 2.6 | 35% |
| 38 | Baildon West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 71% | 7.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Heysham Lancashire | B− | 1.4 | 83% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Carterton Oxfordshire | B− | 2.1 | 82% | 2 | 13% |
| 41 | Ramsbottom Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.1 | 74% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Maesteg Mid Glamorgan | C+ | 2 | 94% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Melksham Wiltshire | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Royston Hertfordshire | C+ | 1.3 | 83% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Adwick le Street South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.8 | 89% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Bodmin Cornwall | C+ | 1.1 | 87% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 47 | Streetly West Midlands | C | 7.5 | 58% | 2 | 0% |
| 48 | Bourne Lincolnshire | C | 1.3 | 70% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Ripon North Yorkshire | C | 1 | 75% | 2.4 | 17% |
| 50 | Sleaford Lincolnshire | C | 1.7 | 93% | 2 | 0% |
| 51 | Tonypandy Mid Glamorgan | C | 1.5 | 85% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Maltby South Yorkshire | C− | 1.8 | 78% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 53 | Hale Greater Manchester | C− | 2.4 | 50% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Stone Staffordshire | C− | 1.5 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 55 | North Hykeham Lincolnshire | C− | 2.4 | 60% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Saffron Walden Essex | C− | 1.1 | 63% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Louth Lincolnshire | C− | 0.6 | 76% | 1.3 | 47% |
| 58 | Oswestry Shropshire | C− | 1.3 | 88% | 2 | 0% |
| 59 | Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay Staffordshire | C− | 1.5 | 60% | 1.6 | 3% |
| 60 | Carmarthen Dyfed | D | 1.6 | 76% | 1.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Amersham’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 Amersham
The biggest is Chesham Moor, 14 ha (36 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 6 named parks by size: 27 ha (66 acres) and 3 km of path
Parks & gardens 15 haPlaying fields 12 ha
The two biggest, Chesham Moor and Hervines Park, are 82% of the named green space. 3 of the 6 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Hervines Park
Playing field
7.4 ha (18 acres)0.3 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Barn Meadow Recreation Ground
Playing field
2.8 ha (7 acres)0.3 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
King George V Playing Field
Playing field
1.5 ha (4 acres)0.3 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Amersham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Memorial Gardens
Park or garden
0.2 ha (1 acres)0.3 km of path
0.9 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Church Mead
Park or garden
0.4 ha (1 acres)0.2 km of path
0.8 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
6 in 10 Amersham 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 (62%)Further (38%)
Amersham62%
Towns its size85%
Buckinghamshire towns74%
All UK towns83%
About 6,600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 12 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,448 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Amersham
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
At the edge south-west838 km²since 199064% of the land within 5 km
Official site64% of the land within 5 km of Amersham is National Park or National Landscape, more than 95% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
6 waymarked walks pass through or near Amersham
101 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Amersham and the kilometre around it, 3.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Chiltern Heritage Trail20.7 km
South Bucks Way8.0 km
Chess Valley Walk7.6 km
The Chiltern Way5.6 km
Two Rivers Walk5.4 km
Chiltern Link1.8 km
Close to home, the Chess Valley Walk has 8 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 3 regional routes pass through, including the Chiltern Heritage Trail, South Bucks Way and The Chiltern 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 Amersham: 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 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 82 | 63 | 53 | 57 | 60 | 59 | 59 | 66 | 63 | 88 | 92 | 87 |
March is the driest month (53 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 92 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Amersham →
Things to do
12 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.
The nearest beaches
Amersham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Hog Hole17 mi from Amersham’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows17 mi from Amersham’s edge
DirectionsAmity Beach18 mi from Amersham’s edge
DirectionsThe Beach23 mi from Amersham’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
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Pondwicks Community Orchard and Nature Area0.2 ha · in town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 12
Plus 12 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.
Little ChalfontCheshamHyde HeathChalfont St GilesSeer GreenBovingdonAmersham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amersham | B | 1.8 | 62% | 64% |
| Little Chalfont 1.7 mi | B+ | 1.5 | 83% | 45% |
| Chesham 2.4 mi | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 64% |
| Hyde Heath 2.5 mi | B+ | 5.4 | 68% | 81% |
| Chalfont St Giles 3.3 mi | B− | 1.8 | 57% | 37% |
| Seer Green 4.0 mi | B− | 1.7 | 38% | 35% |
| Bovingdon 4.3 mi | C | 1.4 | 55% | 26% |
Chesham, 2.4 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 73% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Hyde Heath has at least twice Amersham’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Amersham
What is the biggest park in Amersham?
Chesham Moor, 14 ha (36 acres), with 1.1 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Hervines Park (7.4 ha) is second. 6 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Amersham near a National Park?
It covers 838 km² and was designated in 1990.
What are the best walks near Amersham?
6 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Chiltern Heritage Trail, South Bucks Way and Chess Valley Walk.
What is the nearest beach to Amersham?
Hog Hole, 17 mi from the edge of the town, then The Hollows (17 mi). Amersham itself is inland.
How many people in Amersham live near a park?
62% 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 Amersham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Amersham good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 75% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 38% (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 Amersham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Amersham’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.