Sturminster Marshall’s biggest
Market Place
Park or garden
0.2 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Sturminster Marshall
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Bellminsterboy · CC BY-SA 3.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Sturminster Marshall · parks, paths & countryside
Almost everyone in Sturminster Marshall lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape begins 0.3 mi from the village’s edge. Footpaths add up to 12 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 1.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Sturminster Marshall add up to 2.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Sturminster Marshall grades B for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
12 km
1.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
30%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Sturminster Marshall?
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.Protected countryside30% of the land within 5 km is Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape.Few mapped footpaths1.4 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Sturminster Marshall’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Sturminster Marshall grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Sturminster Marshall, 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 62% of UK towns18th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space2.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
45out 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 Landscape30%of the land within 5 km
84out of
100
100
Footpaths1.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
15out 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
Sturminster Marshall is 18th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,400 to 1,600 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
Sturminster Marshall1.4
Villages its size1.8
Dorset towns3.2
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Sturminster Marshall2.0
Villages its size2.1
Dorset towns1.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Sturminster Marshall100%
Villages its size81%
Dorset towns77%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Sturminster Marshall stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 38 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chambercombe Devon | A+ | 8.7 | 100% | 2.8 | 29% |
| 2 | Ashurst Wood West Sussex | A+ | 4 | 100% | 3.4 | 81% |
| 3 | Heathfield Devon | A+ | 20.4 | 100% | 3 | 30% |
| 4 | Charlton Down Dorset | A | 4 | 100% | 2.3 | 58% |
| 5 | Ewhurst Surrey | A | 4.3 | 76% | 4.6 | 46% |
| 6 | Gargrave North Yorkshire | A | 5.2 | 100% | 1.9 | 41% |
| 7 | Denham Buckinghamshire | A− | 5.7 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 8 | Knowle Hampshire | A− | 2 | 100% | 3.1 | 7% |
| 9 | Hale Cheshire | A− | 4.8 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 10 | Littleton Hampshire | A− | 7.8 | 100% | 1.1 | 10% |
| 11 | Twyford Hampshire | A− | 6.8 | 49% | 3.3 | 44% |
| 12 | Temple Cloud Somerset | B+ | 2.6 | 77% | 3.9 | 15% |
| 13 | Caer-went Gwent | B+ | 1.8 | 100% | 0.8 | 8% |
| 14 | Great Bowden Leicestershire | B+ | 6.1 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 15 | Offenham Worcestershire | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 16 | Kensworth Bedfordshire | B | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 59% |
| 17 | Burford Oxfordshire | B | 3.5 | 84% | 1.2 | 53% |
| 18 | Sturminster Marshall Dorset | B | 2 | 100% | 1.4 | 30% |
| 19 | Pont Rhyd-y-cyff Mid Glamorgan | B | 4.9 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 20 | South Godstone Surrey | B | 2 | 100% | 1.8 | 5% |
| 21 | Houghton Cumbria | B | 1.7 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Wingrave Buckinghamshire | B− | 3.7 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Kingstone Herefordshire | B− | 3.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 24 | Kibblesworth Tyne and Wear | B− | 2.5 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 25 | Foxhole Cornwall | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Collingtree and Milton Malsor Northamptonshire | B− | 4.9 | 83% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 27 | Carharrack Cornwall | C+ | 0.7 | 80% | 4.2 | 2% |
| 28 | Trinant Gwent | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Nether Stowey Somerset | C+ | 1.9 | 18% | 3 | 39% |
| 30 | Langley Vale Surrey | C+ | 0.8 | 53% | 5.5 | 7% |
| 31 | Gretton Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.3 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Nether Heyford Northamptonshire | C+ | 1.4 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 33 | Bassingham Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.2 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Sibsey Lincolnshire | C | 2.4 | 100% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Connor Downs Cornwall | C | 0.5 | 79% | 0.7 | 8% |
| 36 | Geddington Northamptonshire | C | 3 | 82% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 37 | Barton Lancashire | C | 2.6 | 47% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Eythorne Kent | C | 0.5 | 79% | 2.5 | 9% |
| 39 | Horndon on the Hill Essex | C | 3.5 | 81% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Freeland Oxfordshire | C | 1.4 | 53% | 2.6 | 17% |
| 41 | Waresley Worcestershire | C | 1.7 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 42 | Alveley Shropshire | C− | 5.4 | 51% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Hartwell Northamptonshire | C− | 1.2 | 59% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Silverton Devon | C− | 1 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 45 | Denbury Devon | C− | 2.8 | 24% | 0.7 | 3% |
| 46 | Greens Norton Northamptonshire | C− | 1.2 | 66% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Pontyberem Dyfed | C− | 4.7 | 58% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 48 | North Somercotes Lincolnshire | D | 1.7 | 44% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Cawood North Yorkshire | D | 1.9 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Braunston Northamptonshire | D | 1.8 | 50% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Croft Cheshire | D | 1.1 | 79% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Oakington Cambridgeshire | D | 2.1 | 52% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Stockton Warwickshire | D | 1.5 | 44% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 54 | Newton-with-Scales Lancashire | D | 1.4 | 76% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Badersfield Norfolk | D− | 0.3 | 53% | 1 | 2% |
| 56 | Gayton Norfolk | D− | 1.6 | 62% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Sturton by Stow Lincolnshire | D− | 1.7 | 41% | 1 | 0% |
| 58 | Tilney St Lawrence Norfolk | D− | 1.5 | 53% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 59 | South Broomhill Northumberland | D− | 0 | 0% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Great Bricett Suffolk | D− | 1.2 | 0% | 1.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Sturminster Marshall’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 Sturminster Marshall
The biggest is Market Place, 0.2 ha (0 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Sturminster Marshall’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%)
Sturminster Marshall100%
Villages its size81%
Dorset towns77%
All UK towns83%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs and Dorset both start about 5 miles from Sturminster Marshall
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
0.3 mi north986 km²since 198330% of the land within 5 km
Official site30% of the land within 5 km of Sturminster Marshall is National Park or National Landscape, more than 83% of UK towns. New Forest National Park covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
6 waymarked walks pass through or near Sturminster Marshall
12 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Sturminster Marshall and the kilometre around it, 1.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
RegionalLocal
Walk at White Mill and Shapwick, Kingston Lacy6.9 km
The Hardy Way6.7 km
Stour Valley Way6.2 km
Walk at White Mill and the Droves, Kingston Lacy5.5 km
Wareham Forest Way5.2 km
Walk at the Beech Avenue and Droves, Kingston Lacy1.6 km
Close to home, the Walk at White Mill and Shapwick, Kingston Lacy has 7 km of local walk within 2 km of the village. 2 regional routes pass through, including the The Hardy Way and Stour Valley 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 Sturminster Marshall: 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) | 8.4 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 105 | 72 | 65 | 62 | 52 | 53 | 51 | 65 | 70 | 107 | 116 | 111 |
July is the driest month (51 mm) and the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 116 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 45 nights a year. The climate in Sturminster Marshall →
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
Sturminster Marshall is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Lake North Beach5.4 mi from Sturminster Marshall’s edge
DirectionsShipstal Beach7.0 mi from Sturminster Marshall’s edge
DirectionsSandbanks Beach9.2 mi from Sturminster Marshall’s edge
DirectionsBranksome Chine Beach9.2 mi from Sturminster Marshall’s edge
DirectionsBranksome Dene Chine Beach9.3 mi from Sturminster Marshall’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.
Up high. West Wood, at 85 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Sturminster Marshall.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
West Wood85 m (279 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 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.
Lytchett MatraversCorfe MullenCharlton MarshallWimborne MinsterUptonMerleySturminster Marshall
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sturminster Marshall | B | 2.0 | 100% | 30% |
| Lytchett Matravers 2.7 mi | C− | 1.2 | 83% | 5% |
| Corfe Mullen 3.1 mi | B+ | 3.1 | 72% | 13% |
| Charlton Marshall 4.0 mi | C | 0.5 | 78% | 50% |
| Wimborne Minster 4.7 mi | B | 2.7 | 51% | 17% |
| Upton 4.7 mi | A+ | 9.1 | 84% | 18% |
| Merley 4.9 mi | B+ | 3.9 | 64% | 6% |
Upton, 4.7 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 84% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Upton has at least twice Sturminster Marshall’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Sturminster Marshall
What is the biggest park in Sturminster Marshall?
Market Place, 0.2 ha (0 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Sturminster Marshall near a National Park?
Yes. New Forest National Park begins 12 mi east of the village’s edge. It covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape, 0.3 mi away.
What are the best walks near Sturminster Marshall?
6 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Walk at White Mill and Shapwick, Kingston Lacy, The Hardy Way and Stour Valley Way.
What is the nearest beach to Sturminster Marshall?
Lake North Beach, 5.4 mi from the edge of the village, then Shipstal Beach (7.0 mi). Sturminster Marshall itself is inland.
How many people in Sturminster Marshall 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 Sturminster Marshall?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Sturminster Marshall good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 15% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 45% (2.0 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 Sturminster Marshall’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Sturminster Marshall’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.