Over’s biggest
The Green
Playing field
1.6 ha (4 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Over
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Keith Edkins · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Over · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Over lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Over add up to 1.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 28 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.7 for every square kilometre. Over grades C+ for the outdoors: #17 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
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
28 km
2.7 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Over?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Less park per person1.3 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Over’s strongest suit is parks close to every home. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Over grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Over, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C+
Better than 40% of UK towns#17 of 50 in Cambridgeshire · 36th 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 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
Footpaths2.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
52out 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
Over is 36th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,800 to 3,000 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
Over2.7
Towns its size2.3
Cambridgeshire towns2.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Over1.3
Towns its size2.2
Cambridgeshire towns1.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Over100%
Towns its size87%
Cambridgeshire towns79%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Over stands out most for path per km²: only 21 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 45 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rowlands Castle Hampshire | A+ | 26.1 | 100% | 5 | 48% |
| 2 | Halling Kent | A+ | 3.8 | 100% | 4.6 | 54% |
| 3 | Rudloe Wiltshire | A+ | 7.3 | 91% | 4 | 45% |
| 4 | Ebbsfleet Valley Kent | A | 9 | 77% | 8.3 | 0% |
| 5 | Downton Wiltshire | A | 4.3 | 100% | 2 | 59% |
| 6 | Bruton Somerset | A | 9.3 | 100% | 2.5 | 1% |
| 7 | Ellistown Leicestershire | A | 7.5 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 8 | Hartshill Warwickshire | A | 19 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 9 | Mortimer Berkshire | A | 2.4 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Stoke Mandeville Buckinghamshire | A− | 5.5 | 37% | 6.8 | 29% |
| 11 | Kingsclere Hampshire | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 2.5 | 50% |
| 12 | New Marske North Yorkshire | A− | 4.4 | 90% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 13 | Wargrave Berkshire | A− | 4 | 100% | 2 | 11% |
| 14 | Threemilestone Cornwall | A− | 3.1 | 100% | 2.6 | 1% |
| 15 | Knighton Powys | A− | 2.7 | 81% | 3.4 | 34% |
| 16 | East Saltdean East Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 0% | 4.9 | 44% |
| 17 | Seaton Sluice Northumberland | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 18 | Rhodes Greater Manchester | B+ | 16.6 | 78% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Milton-under-Wychwood and Shipton-under-Wychwood Oxfordshire | B+ | 4.1 | 87% | 1.3 | 100% |
| 20 | Welham Green Hertfordshire | B+ | 2.5 | 93% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 21 | Charfield Gloucestershire | B+ | 1.3 | 100% | 3 | 22% |
| 22 | Almondsbury Gloucestershire | B+ | 7.9 | 77% | 4 | 0% |
| 23 | South Hetton County Durham | B+ | 3.4 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Hertford Heath Hertfordshire | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 25 | Wing Buckinghamshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 26 | Camelford Cornwall | B | 2 | 100% | 1.5 | 33% |
| 27 | Charlbury Oxfordshire | B | 3.1 | 66% | 2.4 | 65% |
| 28 | Barlborough Derbyshire | B | 4.4 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 29 | Newport Essex | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 30 | Rockwell Green Somerset | B | 1 | 90% | 3.2 | 24% |
| 31 | Denholme West Yorkshire | B | 1.6 | 100% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 32 | Scholes (near Cleckheaton) West Yorkshire | B | 4 | 89% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 33 | Tollesbury Essex | B− | 2 | 85% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Aston Clwyd | B− | 4.4 | 37% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 35 | Waltham Chase Hampshire | B− | 2 | 75% | 2.2 | 39% |
| 36 | Over Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 37 | Rolleston on Dove Staffordshire | C+ | 3.8 | 84% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 38 | Alderholt Dorset | C | 1.9 | 43% | 2.3 | 31% |
| 39 | Collingham Nottinghamshire | C | 2.4 | 78% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll Gwynedd | C | 0.8 | 71% | 1.6 | 8% |
| 41 | Barrow upon Humber Lincolnshire | C | 1.5 | 88% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 42 | Trimdon County Durham | C | 1 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 43 | East Goscote Leicestershire | C | 2.9 | 75% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Corbridge Northumberland | C | 2.2 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Maerdy Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Alrewas Staffordshire | C− | 1.5 | 66% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Great Leighs Essex | C− | 1.5 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 48 | Tuxford Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.4 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 49 | Weedon Bec Northamptonshire | C− | 1.1 | 87% | 2 | 0% |
| 50 | St Mary's Bay Kent | D | 0 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Thorngumbald East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.3 | 69% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Cleobury Mortimer Shropshire | D | 0.8 | 64% | 2 | 2% |
| 53 | Gamlingay Cambridgeshire | D | 2.1 | 32% | 2 | 0% |
| 54 | Scotter Lincolnshire | D | 2.6 | 61% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Pevensey Bay East Sussex | D | 0.5 | 0% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 56 | East Ayton and West Ayton North Yorkshire | D | 0.1 | 0% | 1.2 | 33% |
| 57 | West Winch Norfolk | D | 1.5 | 73% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Hunmanby North Yorkshire | D | 0.3 | 33% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 59 | Langstone Gwent | D− | 0.1 | 46% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 60 | Feltwell Norfolk | D− | 1.1 | 63% | 0.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Over’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 Over
The biggest is The Green, 1.6 ha (4 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Sandpit Close Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.4 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Over’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%)
Over100%
Towns its size87%
Cambridgeshire towns79%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 7 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 414 residents.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Over
28 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Over and the kilometre around it, 2.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
Pathfinder Way8.9 km
Greenwich Meridian Trail5.9 km
Ouse Valley Way 3 (Eaton Socon to Brandon Creek)3.3 km
Rothschild Way0.6 km
Close to home, the Pathfinder Way has 9 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Greenwich Meridian Trail and Ouse Valley Way 3 (Eaton Socon to Brandon Creek).
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 Over: 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 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 47 | 34 | 34 | 39 | 47 | 48 | 50 | 59 | 46 | 59 | 52 | 50 |
March is the driest month (34 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 59 mm of rain falls in August, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 42 nights a year. The climate in Over →
Things to do
7 playgrounds
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.
1Viewpoints3Nature reserves7Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks1Campsites1Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Bird lookout0.7 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 3
Mare Fen17 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsOuse Fen Nature Reserve64 ha · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsOvercote Fen Wildlife Area0.4 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 7
Carters Way/Priory Avenue central play area1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Swavesey Meadow0.9 mi from town
DirectionsCampsites 1
Cuckoo Fen Campsite0.3 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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.
SwaveseyWillinghamNeedingworthLongstanton and NorthstoweBluntisham and ColneEarithOver
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Swavesey 1.6 mi | C− | 1.8 | 80% | 0% |
| Willingham 1.7 mi | D | 1.4 | 73% | 0% |
| Needingworth 2.4 mi | B− | 4.6 | 85% | 0% |
| Longstanton and Northstowe 2.6 mi | B | 4.3 | 86% | 0% |
| Bluntisham and Colne 3.0 mi | C+ | 2.3 | 88% | 0% |
| Earith 3.0 mi | C | 1.2 | 78% | 0% |
Longstanton and Northstowe, 2.6 miles away, grades B, the best next door: 86% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Needingworth and Longstanton and Northstowe have at least twice Over’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Over
What is the biggest park in Over?
The Green, 1.6 ha (4 acres). Sandpit Close Play Area (0.1 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Over near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Over.
What are the best walks near Over?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Pathfinder Way, Greenwich Meridian Trail and Ouse Valley Way 3 (Eaton Socon to Brandon Creek).
How many people in Over 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 Over?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Over good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 52% 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 Over’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Over’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.