Cottenham’s biggest
King Georges Field
Playing field
6.1 ha (15 acres)0.3 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Cottenham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0DOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Cottenham · parks, paths & countryside
86% of Cottenham’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Footpaths add up to 24 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 1.7 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Cottenham add up to 1.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Cottenham grades D for the outdoors: #36 of 50 in Cambridgeshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
86%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
24 km
1.7 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Outdoors grade
Cottenham grades D for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Cottenham, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
D
Better than 15% of UK towns#36 of 50 in Cambridgeshire · 47th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
22out of
100
100
A park within a walk86%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
58out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths1.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
22out 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
Cottenham is 47th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 5,900 to 6,500 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
Cottenham1.7
Towns its size2.5
Cambridgeshire towns2.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Cottenham1.3
Towns its size2.1
Cambridgeshire towns1.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Cottenham86%
Towns its size81%
Cambridgeshire towns79%
All UK towns83%
Cottenham falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 42 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netley Hampshire | A+ | 16.3 | 100% | 4.1 | 4% |
| 2 | Bagshot Surrey | A | 10.5 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Wingerworth Derbyshire | A | 9 | 86% | 4 | 0% |
| 4 | Leiston Suffolk | A | 1.7 | 95% | 2.7 | 35% |
| 5 | West Hallam Derbyshire | A | 4.8 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 6 | Boldon Colliery Tyne and Wear | A | 5.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 7 | Menston West Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 90% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 8 | Shepperton Surrey | A | 8.7 | 89% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 9 | Barnton Cheshire | A− | 10 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Marston Moretaine Bedfordshire | A− | 17.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 11 | Ackworth Moor Top West Yorkshire | A− | 4.6 | 91% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 12 | Burghfield Common Berkshire | A− | 2.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 8% |
| 13 | Dodworth South Yorkshire | A− | 2.3 | 97% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 14 | Broadbridge Heath West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 95% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 15 | Crofton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.6 | 95% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 16 | Axminster Devon | B | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 66% |
| 17 | Galleywood Essex | B | 10.3 | 61% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 18 | Throckley Tyne and Wear | B | 3.1 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Wixams Bedfordshire | B | 5.3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 20 | Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Northumberland | B | 2.2 | 77% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 21 | East Wittering West Sussex | B | 1.1 | 78% | 1.9 | 27% |
| 22 | Oundle Northamptonshire | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Bovey Tracey Devon | B− | 2.2 | 66% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 24 | Yapton West Sussex | B− | 1.8 | 63% | 2 | 15% |
| 25 | Upton West Yorkshire | B− | 2.2 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 26 | Great Torrington Devon | B− | 2.6 | 88% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Danbury Essex | B− | 3.9 | 34% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 28 | South Molton Devon | C+ | 2.2 | 96% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Annesley Woodhouse Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.1 | 96% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 30 | Kirby Cross Essex | C+ | 2.4 | 44% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 31 | Waltham Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.2 | 84% | 1.3 | 19% |
| 32 | Oakdale Gwent | C+ | 5.2 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 33 | Lower Willingdon East Sussex | C+ | 0.8 | 57% | 4.2 | 33% |
| 34 | Bagillt Clwyd | C+ | 1.3 | 87% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Malton North Yorkshire | C+ | 2.3 | 43% | 2.4 | 24% |
| 36 | Strensall North Yorkshire | C | 1.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 38 | Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes Dyfed | C | 9.7 | 70% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 39 | Ilminster Somerset | C− | 2.3 | 61% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 40 | Ottery St Mary Devon | C− | 1.2 | 71% | 1.7 | 34% |
| 41 | Gildersome West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 81% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Studley Warwickshire | C− | 1.6 | 63% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Great Shelford and Stapleford Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.6 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Weaverham Cheshire | C− | 0.7 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 45 | Stainforth South Yorkshire | C− | 2.2 | 80% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Boston Spa West Yorkshire | C− | 1.2 | 86% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 47 | Cottenham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.3 | 86% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 48 | Washingborough and Heighington Lincolnshire | D | 1.8 | 66% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Staplehurst Kent | D | 1.3 | 70% | 1.4 | 1% |
| 50 | Arlesey Bedfordshire | D | 0.9 | 51% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Finningley South Yorkshire | D | 2 | 65% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 52 | Werrington Staffordshire | D | 1.1 | 42% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 53 | Wem Shropshire | D | 1.2 | 77% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Aintree Merseyside | D | 1.3 | 43% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Selston Nottinghamshire | D | 0.9 | 61% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Earls Barton Northamptonshire | D | 1.5 | 71% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Burwell Cambridgeshire | D− | 1.5 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Thurcroft South Yorkshire | D− | 0.5 | 56% | 2 | 0% |
| 59 | Abercynon Mid Glamorgan | D− | 1.1 | 55% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Tadcaster North Yorkshire | D− | 0.6 | 58% | 1.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Cottenham’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 Cottenham
The biggest is King Georges Field, 6.1 ha (15 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
The Green
Park or garden
0.6 ha (1 acres)
Centralin the middle of Cottenham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Redland Grange Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Cottenham’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 (86%)Further (14%)
Cottenham86%
Towns its size81%
Cambridgeshire towns79%
All UK towns83%
About 900 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 4 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,539 residents.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Footpaths in and around Cottenham
24 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Cottenham and the kilometre around it, 1.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Cottenham; its footpaths are on the map above.
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 Cottenham: 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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 48 | 35 | 32 | 36 | 47 | 49 | 51 | 57 | 46 | 58 | 53 | 50 |
March is the driest month (32 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 58 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 42 nights a year. The climate in Cottenham →
Things to do
4 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
Cottenham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
The Beach23 mi from Cottenham’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
Croft Close Set-Aside4.4 ha · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 4
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Steeplechase LRP Centre0.4 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
Histon and ImpingtonOakingtonWillinghamWaterbeachLongstanton and NorthstoweMiltonCottenham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottenham | D | 1.3 | 86% | 0% |
| Histon and Impington 2.7 mi | C | 1.5 | 66% | 0% |
| Oakington 2.8 mi | D | 2.1 | 52% | 0% |
| Willingham 3.2 mi | D | 1.4 | 73% | 0% |
| Waterbeach 3.2 mi | C | 1.5 | 94% | 0% |
| Longstanton and Northstowe 3.2 mi | B | 4.3 | 86% | 0% |
| Milton 3.4 mi | A | 10.4 | 100% | 0% |
Milton, 3.4 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Longstanton and Northstowe and Milton have at least twice Cottenham’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Cottenham
What is the biggest park in Cottenham?
King Georges Field, 6.1 ha (15 acres). The Green (0.6 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Cottenham near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Cottenham.
What is the nearest beach to Cottenham?
The Beach, 23 mi from the edge of the town. Cottenham itself is inland.
How many people in Cottenham live near a park?
86% 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 Cottenham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Cottenham good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 22% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 22% (1.3 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 Cottenham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Cottenham’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.