Oakley’s biggest
Oakley Playing Field
Playing field
3.2 ha (8 acres)0.4 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Oakley
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Bill Boaden · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Oakley · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Oakley lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Oakley add up to 2.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 19 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 2.5 for every square kilometre. Oakley grades B for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
19 km
2.5 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
Outdoors grade
Oakley grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Oakley, 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 61% of UK towns16th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space2.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
67out 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
Footpaths2.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
44out 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
Oakley is 16th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,100 to 1,200 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
Oakley2.5
Villages its size2.0
Buckinghamshire towns3.2
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Oakley2.9
Villages its size2.0
Buckinghamshire towns2.4
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Oakley100%
Villages its size75%
Buckinghamshire towns74%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Oakley stands out most for park space per resident: only 16 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corton Suffolk | A+ | 4.4 | 100% | 3 | 5% |
| 2 | Upton St Leonards Gloucestershire | A+ | 5.2 | 80% | 7.5 | 43% |
| 3 | Fairlands Surrey | A+ | 2.8 | 100% | 5 | 11% |
| 4 | Masham North Yorkshire | A+ | 3.7 | 100% | 3 | 44% |
| 5 | Ditchling East Sussex | A | 7.4 | 77% | 4 | 57% |
| 6 | Horsted Keynes West Sussex | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 2.3 | 83% |
| 7 | Wenvoe South Glamorgan | A− | 5.9 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 8 | Chatburn Lancashire | A− | 1.7 | 100% | 2.6 | 59% |
| 9 | Boosbeck North Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 22% |
| 10 | Camber East Sussex | A− | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 5% |
| 11 | Grange Moor West Yorkshire | A− | 4.3 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 12 | St Erth Cornwall | B+ | 0.9 | 100% | 2.5 | 4% |
| 13 | Gotherington Gloucestershire | B+ | 2.7 | 72% | 3.7 | 33% |
| 14 | South Bents Tyne and Wear | B+ | 4.9 | 62% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 15 | Borth Dyfed | B | 3.1 | 74% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 16 | Oakley Buckinghamshire | B | 2.9 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 17 | High Pittington County Durham | B | 1.6 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 18 | Cropston Leicestershire | B | 3.1 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Jacobs Well Surrey | B | 1.4 | 77% | 4.7 | 8% |
| 20 | Curdworth Warwickshire | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 21 | Bishop Middleham County Durham | B− | 2.6 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Plaxtol Kent | B− | 2.6 | 57% | 2.5 | 40% |
| 23 | Harpur Hill Derbyshire | B− | 3.1 | 31% | 2.3 | 60% |
| 24 | Kelly Bray Cornwall | B− | 1.2 | 100% | 1.8 | 22% |
| 25 | Thurlton Norfolk | B− | 1.5 | 100% | 0.7 | 39% |
| 26 | Roydon (South Norfolk) Norfolk | B− | 4.3 | 50% | 4 | 0% |
| 27 | Beaumaris Gwynedd | B− | 2.7 | 30% | 0.8 | 18% |
| 28 | Latchingdon Essex | B− | 1.7 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 29 | Castlethorpe Buckinghamshire | C+ | 3.5 | 72% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 30 | Gainford County Durham | C+ | 2.6 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Lacey Green and Loosley Row Buckinghamshire | C+ | 2.1 | 27% | 2.4 | 82% |
| 32 | Whimple Devon | C+ | 5.2 | 70% | 0.9 | 1% |
| 33 | Brinklow Warwickshire | C+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 34 | St Cleer Cornwall | C | 3 | 29% | 1.6 | 32% |
| 35 | Three Legged Cross Dorset | C | 1.5 | 77% | 2.6 | 1% |
| 36 | Bow Devon | C | 1.9 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Swindon Staffordshire | C | 2.5 | 67% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 38 | Mannings Heath West Sussex | C | 1 | 71% | 1.9 | 44% |
| 39 | Baldwin's Gate Staffordshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 40 | North Newbald East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.7 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Milverton Somerset | C− | 2.1 | 70% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Maiden Newton Dorset | C− | 1.1 | 27% | 2 | 100% |
| 43 | Wetheral Cumbria | C− | 3.8 | 51% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Crowle Worcestershire | C− | 2.4 | 34% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 45 | Beachley Gloucestershire | C− | 0.3 | 0% | 1.2 | 14% |
| 46 | Capel Hendre Dyfed | D | 0.8 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 47 | Cawston Norfolk | D | 2.7 | 71% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Benwick Cambridgeshire | D | 0.3 | 100% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Orwell Cambridgeshire | D | 1.2 | 78% | 2 | 0% |
| 50 | Ramsey Island Essex | D | 1.4 | 39% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 51 | Pelynt Cornwall | D | 0 | 0% | 0.6 | 13% |
| 52 | Chawley Oxfordshire | D | 0.3 | 0% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Great Doddington Northamptonshire | D | 1.3 | 69% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 54 | Reawla Cornwall | D | 0.2 | 0% | 2 | 3% |
| 55 | High Legh Cheshire | D− | 1.9 | 50% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Moulton Chapel Lincolnshire | D− | 1.5 | 60% | 0 | 0% |
| 57 | Kentford Suffolk | D− | 1.9 | 0% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Austrey Warwickshire | D− | 1.7 | 0% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 59 | East Keswick West Yorkshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Llanfyllin Powys | D− | 0 | 0% | 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 Oakley’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 Oakley
The biggest is Oakley Playing Field, 3.2 ha (8 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Oakley’s homes are to 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%)
Oakley100%
Villages its size75%
Buckinghamshire towns74%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Chilterns National Landscape is 9.9 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
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Oakley
19 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Oakley and the kilometre around it, 2.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
Regional
Bernwood Jubilee Way13.0 km
The regional route here is the Bernwood Jubilee 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 Oakley: 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 | 16.7 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 58 | 45 | 43 | 47 | 56 | 52 | 62 | 64 | 53 | 72 | 73 | 62 |
March is the driest month (43 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °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 50 nights a year. The climate in Oakley →
Things to do
2 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
Oakley is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
The Leys Park18 mi from Oakley’s edge
DirectionsThe Beach27 mi from Oakley’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
Playgrounds 2
Plus 2 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 ArncottLong CrendonWheatleyAmbrosdenThameHorspathOakley
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakley | B | 2.9 | 100% | 0% |
| Upper Arncott 3.5 mi | D | 3.1 | 59% | 0% |
| Long Crendon 4.0 mi | D | 1.4 | 86% | 0% |
| Wheatley 4.6 mi | D− | 0.2 | 34% | 0% |
| Ambrosden 5.1 mi | D | 1.0 | 78% | 0% |
| Thame 5.9 mi | C+ | 2.9 | 91% | 0% |
| Horspath 5.9 mi | B | 14.0 | 54% | 0% |
Horspath, 5.9 miles away, grades B, the best next door: 54% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Horspath has at least twice Oakley’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Oakley
What is the biggest park in Oakley?
Oakley Playing Field, 3.2 ha (8 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Oakley near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Chilterns National Landscape, 9.9 mi south-east of the village’s edge. It covers 838 km² and was designated in 1990.
What are the best walks near Oakley?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Bernwood Jubilee Way.
What is the nearest beach to Oakley?
The Leys Park, 18 mi from the edge of the village, then The Beach (27 mi). Oakley itself is inland.
How many people in Oakley 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 Oakley?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Oakley good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 44% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 67% (2.9 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 Oakley’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Oakley’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.