Bournemouth’s biggest
Turbary Common
Park or garden
45 ha (111 acres)4.5 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.5 km of path
63 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.3 mi north-westfrom the centre
Nature reserve
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Colin Vosper · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Bournemouth · parks, paths & countryside
Bournemouth is on the coast
The sea makes up 31% of the area within 5 km. The Dorset National Landscape and the New Forest National Park both begin about 3 miles from the city’s edge. Footpaths add up to 256 km in the city and the kilometre around it, 3.2 for every square kilometre. Bournemouth grades A− for the outdoors: #11 of 30 in Dorset. 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
81%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
256 km
3.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
1%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Dorset National Landscape
The sea
31%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors city is Bournemouth?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast31% of the area within 5 km is sea; 31 beaches mapped.Countryside both waysDorset starts 2.4 mi south-west, New Forest 2.7 mi north-east.Hills with a view17 mapped viewpoints, about 2× as many per resident as the typical city its size.Historic parks2 registered historic parks and gardens, including Upper, Central and Lower Pleasure Gardens, and Coy Pond Gardens.
Bournemouth’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by two protected landscapes close by.
Outdoors grade
Bournemouth grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bournemouth, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 82% of UK towns#11 of 30 in Dorset · 11th of 43 UK cities its size
Public green space1.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
43out of
100
100
A park within a walk81%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
50out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape1%of the land within 5 km
63out of
100
100
Footpaths3.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
64out of
100
100
The sea31%of the area within 5 km
93out 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.
Cities its size
Bournemouth is 11th of 43 UK cities its size for the outdoors
The 43 UK towns and cities of 138,000 to 265,000 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
Bournemouth3.2
Cities its size4.3
Dorset towns3.2
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Bournemouth1.9
Cities its size2.3
Dorset towns1.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Bournemouth81%
Cities its size85%
Dorset towns77%
All UK towns83%
Bournemouth falls furthest behind on path per km², where 35 of the 42 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swindon Wiltshire | A+ | 3.1 | 96% | 5.9 | 21% |
| 2 | Bexley London | A+ | 2.8 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Southampton Hampshire | A | 2.3 | 80% | 5.6 | 13% |
| 4 | Poole Dorset | A | 2.5 | 81% | 3.4 | 20% |
| 5 | Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire | A | 8 | 99% | 6.3 | 0% |
| 6 | Telford Shropshire | A | 3.2 | 96% | 4 | 6% |
| 7 | Kingswood and Fishponds Gloucestershire | A | 3.1 | 85% | 6.1 | 10% |
| 8 | Middlesbrough North Yorkshire | A | 2.6 | 85% | 2.9 | 3% |
| 9 | Swansea West Glamorgan | A | 3.2 | 86% | 2.1 | 9% |
| 10 | Richmond upon Thames London | A− | 5.7 | 83% | 7.6 | 0% |
| 11 | Bournemouth Dorset | A− | 1.9 | 81% | 3.2 | 1% |
| 12 | Westminster London | A− | 2.6 | 98% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 13 | Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire | A− | 5.5 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 14 | Merton London | A− | 3.3 | 89% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Sutton London | A− | 2.9 | 85% | 3.8 | 1% |
| 16 | Ipswich Suffolk | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 3.9 | 12% |
| 17 | Luton Bedfordshire | A− | 1.9 | 78% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 18 | Portsmouth Hampshire | A− | 1.2 | 82% | 3.5 | 2% |
| 19 | Peterborough Cambridgeshire | B+ | 3.7 | 96% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Warrington Cheshire | B+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 21 | Oxford Oxfordshire | B+ | 2.4 | 90% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 22 | Huddersfield West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.4 | 94% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 23 | Norwich Norfolk | B+ | 1.9 | 77% | 5.4 | 4% |
| 24 | Camden London | B+ | 2 | 90% | 7.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Reading Berkshire | B+ | 1.7 | 73% | 4.6 | 26% |
| 26 | York North Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Kensington and Chelsea London | B | 1.5 | 99% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 28 | Hackney London | B | 1.4 | 97% | 8.6 | 0% |
| 29 | Kingston upon Thames London | B | 3.3 | 71% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 30 | Northampton Northamptonshire | B | 2.6 | 85% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 31 | Cambridge Cambridgeshire | B | 2.3 | 79% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Bolton Greater Manchester | B | 2.2 | 85% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Sunderland Tyne and Wear | B− | 1.5 | 76% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 34 | Haringey London | B− | 1.5 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Islington London | B− | 0.6 | 98% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Hammersmith and Fulham London | B− | 1 | 93% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 37 | Havering London | C+ | 2.6 | 72% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 38 | Blackpool Lancashire | C+ | 1.6 | 75% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Southend-on-Sea Essex | C+ | 1.5 | 62% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Harrow London | C+ | 1.6 | 81% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Barking and Dagenham London | C+ | 2.4 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Slough Berkshire | C | 1.9 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Wolverhampton West Midlands | C | 1.8 | 76% | 2.8 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bournemouth’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 Bournemouth
The biggest is Turbary Common, 45 ha (111 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 171 ha (423 acres) and 32 km of path
Parks & gardens 162 haPlaying fields 8.9 haPlay spaces 0.9 ha
The two biggest, Turbary Common and King's Park, are 43% of the named green space and carry 8 km of path between them. 14 of the 30 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
King's Park
Park or garden
28 ha (70 acres)3.5 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.5 km of path
40 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Kinson Common
Park or garden
17 ha (43 acres)4.3 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.3 km of path
24 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.4 mi north-westfrom the centre
Playground 3 nature reserves
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Redhill Park
Park or garden
17 ha (43 acres)2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
24 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.4 mi north-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Upper Gardens
Park or garden
7.3 ha (18 acres)2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Boscombe Chine Gardens
Park or garden
6.1 ha (15 acres)2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade II
Lower Gardens
Park or garden
4.8 ha (12 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listedWestover Gardens
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Central Gardens
Park or garden
3.9 ha (10 acres)1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Playground Bournemouth War Memorial with associated steps, enclosure and balustrade Grade II*
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Turbary CommonPark or garden · 45 ha · 4.5 km of path
DirectionsKing's ParkPark or garden · 28 ha · 3.5 km of path
DirectionsKinson CommonPark or garden · 17 ha · 4.3 km of path
DirectionsRedhill ParkPark or garden · 17 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsUpper GardensPark or garden · 7.3 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsBoscombe Chine GardensPark or garden · 6.1 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsLower GardensPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsCentral GardensPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsHorseshoe CommonPark or garden · 5.0 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsShelley ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsMuscliffe ParkPlaying field · 6.2 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsCoy Pond GardensPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsPelhams ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsSeafield GardensPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsFishermans WalkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsKnyveton GardensPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsBoscombe Cliff GardensPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsRoi-mar Home ParkPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsThe RookeryPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsSwanmore GardensPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsChurchill GardensPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsDean Park Cricket GroundPlaying field · 2.7 ha
DirectionsPriory GardensPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMoore Avenue Community ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha
DirectionsSlades Farm Skateboard ParkPlay space · 0.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsWinter GardensPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsPrincess GardensPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCarnarvon Crescent GardensPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsFampoux GardensPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsVillage GreenPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Bournemouth 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 (81%)Further (19%)
Bournemouth81%
Cities its size85%
Dorset towns77%
All UK towns83%
About 37,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 122 playgrounds are mapped in and around the city, about one for every 1,610 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Dorset and New Forest both start about 3 miles from Bournemouth
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
Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
3.9 mi north-west986 km²since 1983
Official siteNew Forest National Park covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
7 waymarked walks pass through or near Bournemouth
256 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bournemouth and the kilometre around it, 3.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the city.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Stour Valley Way29.3 km
Bournemouth Coast Path13.1 km
Bourne Valley Greenway walk8.9 km
Poole Coast Path3.2 km
Avon Valley Path2.7 km
Ferndown, Stour and Forest Trail1.0 km
Boscombe Arts Trail.0.8 km
Close to home, the Bournemouth Coast Path has 13 km of local walk within 2 km of the city. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Stour Valley Way and Avon Valley Path.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
2 historic parks, and what stands in them
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Bournemouth’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Lower Gardens
4.8 ha. Part of Upper, Central and Lower Pleasure Gardens, and Coy Pond Gardens, a registered historic park (Grade II). 1 listed structure stands inside it or at its edge.
IIBrookside and Brookside Cottage
Registered · Grade IIWimborne Road Cemetery9.6 ha
Listed buildings insidePelhams ParkKinson Vicarage, Pelhams and Wall to Road South-West of Pelhams
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bournemouth: May to September
The city’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) | 8.4 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 95 | 68 | 61 | 57 | 49 | 54 | 49 | 59 | 69 | 101 | 110 | 105 |
July is the driest month (49 mm) and the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 110 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 34 nights a year. The climate in Bournemouth →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Bournemouth
31% of the area within 5 km of Bournemouth is sea. 31 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 10 with a name.
Alum Chine Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsSouthbourne Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsBournemouth West Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsFisherman's Walk Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsBournemouth East Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsBranksome Dene Chine Beach0.1 mi from town
DirectionsBranksome Chine Beach0.3 mi from town
DirectionsWhite Pits0.8 mi from town
DirectionsAvon Beach1.9 mi from town
DirectionsSandbanks Beach2.3 mi from town
DirectionsSea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
Things to do
17 viewpoints and 122 playgrounds
Mapped within 2 km of the city in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK city its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
17Viewpoints2.2× cities its size4Hills and peaksabout the same as cities its size9Nature reservesabout the same as cities its size122Playgroundsabout the same as cities its size1Dog parks2Campsites2Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 17
Site of Kinson Village Poundin town
DirectionsFisherman's Walk Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsBournemouth Beach0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 14 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 4
Blackwater Hill49 m (161 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsSt Catherine's Hill53 m (174 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsRams Down55 m (180 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsWarren Hill36 m (118 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 9
Blanchard's Copse2.2 ha · in town
DirectionsFernheath Valley3.0 ha · in town
DirectionsKinson Common17 ha · in town
DirectionsPoole Lane Meadows3.1 ha · in town
DirectionsTurbary Common Local Nature Reserve42 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsStour Valley Local Nature Reserve35 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsHolmwood Park SANG5.7 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsCanford Bottom nature reserve1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 122
Alum Chine Play Areain town
DirectionsFisherman's Walk Play Areain town
DirectionsJurassic Play Junglein town
DirectionsPoole Lane Meadows play areain town
DirectionsQuuens Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsRedhill Basket Ball Courtin town
DirectionsSpringbourne Gardensin town
DirectionsTimber Tangle Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 114 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Slades Farm Doggy Play Patch0.0 mi from town
DirectionsCampsites 2
Butcher's Coppicein town
DirectionsGrove Farm Meadow Holiday and Touring Park0.3 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 2
Plus 2 slipways 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.
West ParleyBearwoodPooleFerndownChristchurchMerleyBournemouth
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth | A− | 1.9 | 81% | 1% |
| West Parley 3.5 mi | C− | 1.6 | 20% | 0% |
| Bearwood 3.6 mi | B+ | 2.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Poole 4.4 mi | A | 2.5 | 81% | 20% |
| Ferndown 4.6 mi | C | 0.7 | 13% | 0% |
| Christchurch 4.7 mi | A− | 2.1 | 70% | 14% |
| Merley 5.5 mi | B+ | 3.9 | 64% | 6% |
Poole, 4.4 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 81% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Merley has at least twice Bournemouth’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Bournemouth
What is the biggest park in Bournemouth?
Turbary Common, 45 ha (111 acres), with 4.5 km of path. King's Park (28 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the city or within 400 m of it.
Is Bournemouth near a National Park?
Yes. New Forest National Park begins 2.7 mi north-east of the city’s edge. It covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Dorset National Landscape, 2.4 mi away.
What are the best walks near Bournemouth?
7 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the city, including the Stour Valley Way, Bournemouth Coast Path and Bourne Valley Greenway walk. Turbary Common alone has 4.5 km of path.
How many people in Bournemouth live near a park?
81% 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 Bournemouth?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Bournemouth are historic?
Upper, Central and Lower Pleasure Gardens, and Coy Pond Gardens (Grade II) and Wimborne Road Cemetery (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Bournemouth good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 64% 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 Bournemouth’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Bournemouth’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.