Weymouth’s biggest
Lodmoor Country Park
Park or garden
106 ha (262 acres)6.0 km of path
1 h 20 minto walk all 6 km of path
148 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Viewpoint
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: ITookSomePhotos · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Weymouth · parks, paths & countryside
Weymouth is on the coast, on the King Charles III England Coast Path
The sea makes up 41% of the area within 5 km. The Dorset National Landscape reaches the edge of Weymouth. 197 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.5 for every square kilometre. Weymouth grades A for the outdoors: #8 of 30 in Dorset. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
55%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
197 km
3.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
35%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Dorset National Landscape
The sea
41%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Weymouth?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast41% of the area within 5 km is sea; 20 beaches mapped.Hills with a view18 mapped viewpoints, about 9× as many per resident as the typical town its size.Protected countryside35% of the land within 5 km is Dorset National Landscape.Parks can be a walk away45% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Weymouth’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by its views. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Weymouth grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Weymouth, 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 89% of UK towns#8 of 30 in Dorset · 9th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
62out of
100
100
A park within a walk55%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
17out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape35%of the land within 5 km
86out of
100
100
Footpaths3.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
70out of
100
100
The sea41%of the area within 5 km
96out 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
Weymouth is 9th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 47,800 to 64,300 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
Weymouth3.5
Towns its size3.5
Dorset towns3.2
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Weymouth2.6
Towns its size2.3
Dorset towns1.9
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Weymouth55%
Towns its size86%
Dorset towns77%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Weymouth stands out most for park space per resident: only 26 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 59 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Folkestone Kent | A+ | 2.3 | 95% | 4.9 | 45% |
| 2 | Lancaster Lancashire | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.5 | 22% |
| 3 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 4 | Scarborough North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 86% | 3.1 | 17% |
| 5 | Cannock Staffordshire | A | 5.5 | 88% | 3.5 | 26% |
| 6 | Andover Hampshire | A | 2.7 | 91% | 4.4 | 21% |
| 7 | Gravesend Kent | A | 1.4 | 84% | 6.4 | 14% |
| 8 | Barry South Glamorgan | A | 2.9 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 9 | Weymouth Dorset | A | 2.6 | 55% | 3.5 | 35% |
| 10 | Sittingbourne Kent | A | 1.9 | 93% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 11 | Banbury Oxfordshire | A | 2.6 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 12 | Farnborough Hampshire | A | 4 | 77% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 13 | Eastleigh Hampshire | A− | 3 | 76% | 4.9 | 17% |
| 14 | Tynemouth Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.2 | 85% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 15 | Hereford Herefordshire | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 16 | Christchurch Dorset | A− | 2.1 | 70% | 3.3 | 14% |
| 17 | Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent | A− | 2.2 | 93% | 2.7 | 73% |
| 18 | Crosby Merseyside | A− | 4.6 | 89% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Washington Tyne and Wear | A− | 4.5 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Ashton-under-Lyne Greater Manchester | A− | 3.1 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 22 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 23 | Carlton Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.9 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 24 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 25 | Bootle Merseyside | B+ | 2.1 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Canterbury Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 5.7 | 19% |
| 27 | Torquay Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Thundersley and South Benfleet Essex | B+ | 3.2 | 69% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Bridgwater Somerset | B+ | 1.9 | 86% | 3.7 | 2% |
| 30 | Yeovil Somerset | B+ | 2 | 90% | 3.2 | 2% |
| 31 | Bebington Merseyside | B+ | 3 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Royal Leamington Spa Warwickshire | B+ | 2.7 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Huyton with Roby Merseyside | B+ | 3.7 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Wokingham Berkshire | B | 4 | 84% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Horsham West Sussex | B | 1.5 | 83% | 3.9 | 19% |
| 36 | Widnes Cheshire | B | 3 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Beeston Nottinghamshire | B | 2.7 | 77% | 6 | 0% |
| 38 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 39 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 40 | Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria | B | 2 | 91% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Macclesfield Cheshire | B | 1.8 | 80% | 3.3 | 18% |
| 42 | Winchester Hampshire | B | 1.2 | 79% | 3.8 | 35% |
| 43 | Altrincham Greater Manchester | B | 2.2 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Brentwood Essex | B− | 3.9 | 69% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Bloxwich West Midlands | B− | 3.6 | 74% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Kettering Northamptonshire | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Smethwick West Midlands | C+ | 2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Wellingborough Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.7 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Hinckley Leicestershire | C+ | 1.8 | 87% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 52 | Halesowen West Midlands | C+ | 2.1 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Willenhall West Midlands | C+ | 3.4 | 66% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Kingswinford West Midlands | C+ | 2.6 | 71% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Clacton-on-Sea Essex | C | 1.7 | 73% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 56 | Durham County Durham | C | 1.1 | 68% | 6 | 0% |
| 57 | Stourbridge West Midlands | C | 1.9 | 72% | 3 | 0% |
| 58 | Keighley West Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Kidderminster Worcestershire | D | 1.2 | 72% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Bridgend Mid Glamorgan | D | 0.9 | 78% | 2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Weymouth’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 Weymouth
The biggest is Lodmoor Country Park, 106 ha (262 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 7 named parks by size: 123 ha (304 acres) and 12 km of path
Parks & gardens 120 haPlaying fields 2.6 ha
The two biggest, Lodmoor Country Park and Nothe Gardens, are 91% of the named green space and carry 8 km of path between them. 3 of the 7 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Nothe Gardens
Park or garden
6.6 ha (16 acres)2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Slipway 1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Radipole Park Gardens
Park or garden
5.9 ha (14 acres)1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Weymouth
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Greenhill Gardens
Park or garden
1.3 ha (3 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Weymouth Rugby Pitch
Playing field
2.6 ha (7 acres)
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Sandsfoot Castle Gardens
Park or garden
0.7 ha (2 acres)0.5 km of path
1.5 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
St John's Gardens
Park or garden
0.1 ha (0 acres)0.1 km of path
0.7 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
6 in 10 Weymouth 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 (55%)Further (45%)
Weymouth55%
Towns its size86%
Dorset towns77%
All UK towns83%
About 25,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 45 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,234 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Weymouth
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
18 mi north-east986 km²since 1983
Official site35% of the land within 5 km of Weymouth is National Park or National Landscape, more than 86% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Weymouth is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
197 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Weymouth and the kilometre around it, 3.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegional
King Charles III England Coast Path: Portland to Lulworth15.1 km
South West Coast Path (Section 50: Ferrybridge to Lulworth Cove)11.2 km
South Dorset Ridgeway11.2 km
South West Coast Path (Section 48: Abbotsbury to Ferrybridge)8.4 km
Jubilee Trail (Dorset)7.2 km
South West Coast Path (Section 49: Isle of Portland Circuit)5.5 km
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Weymouth. 2 regional routes pass through, including the South Dorset Ridgeway and Jubilee Trail (Dorset).
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 Weymouth: 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) | 8.4 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 10 |
| Rain (mm) | 93 | 60 | 60 | 53 | 48 | 45 | 60 | 67 | 61 | 97 | 113 | 98 |
June is the driest month (45 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 113 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 19 nights a year. The climate in Weymouth →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Weymouth
41% of the area within 5 km of Weymouth is sea. 20 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 5 with a name.
Castle Cove0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPortland Beach1.0 mi from town
DirectionsChesil Beach1.2 mi from town
DirectionsRingstead Beach2.5 mi from town
DirectionsThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes the town.
Sea: 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
18 viewpoints and 45 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.
18Viewpoints9.3× towns its size8Hills and peaks3.9× towns its size1Nature reserves45Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks12Campsites13.3× towns its size8Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 18
Saltmarsh Viewpoint0.1 mi from town
DirectionsView to Osmington White Horse0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 16 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 8
West Hill149 m (489 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsCrook Hill0.2 mi from town
DirectionsBayard Hill0.2 mi from town
DirectionsRidgeway Hill0.3 mi from town
DirectionsEast Hill158 m (518 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsOsmington Hill111 m (364 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsWhite Horse Hill140 m (459 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsSunnt Hill0.8 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Plus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 45
Dorchester Road Playgroundin town
DirectionsLudlow Road Playgroundin town
DirectionsThe Springhead Pubin town
DirectionsPlus 42 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Pavillion end0.0 mi from town
DirectionsCampsites 12
Pebble Bank Caravan Parkin town
DirectionsLittlesea Holiday Park0.0 mi from town
DirectionsMartleaves Farm Campsite0.0 mi from town
DirectionsSeaview Holiday Park0.0 mi from town
DirectionsWych Elm Caravan Park0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPebble Bank0.0 mi from town
DirectionsHigher Moor Farm Campsite0.1 mi from town
DirectionsNorthdown Farm0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 campsites more.
Slipways 8
Weymouth Harbour Slipwayin town
DirectionsNothe Slipway0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 6 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.
ChickerellFortuneswellGroveWestonSouthwellDorchesterWeymouth
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weymouth | A | 2.6 | 55% | 35% |
| Chickerell 1.6 mi | A | 1.5 | 88% | 27% |
| Fortuneswell 4.0 mi | A | 1.1 | 100% | 0% |
| Grove 5.1 mi | A+ | 6.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Weston 5.3 mi | A+ | 2.5 | 95% | 0% |
| Southwell 6.1 mi | A | 0.7 | 100% | 0% |
| Dorchester 6.4 mi | B | 1.6 | 78% | 53% |
Grove, 5.1 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Grove has at least twice Weymouth’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Weymouth
What is the biggest park in Weymouth?
Lodmoor Country Park, 106 ha (262 acres), with 6 km of path. Nothe Gardens (6.6 ha) is second. 7 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Weymouth near a National Park?
It covers 1,129 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near Weymouth?
6 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: Portland to Lulworth, South West Coast Path (Section 50: Ferrybridge to Lulworth Cove) and South Dorset Ridgeway. Lodmoor Country Park alone has 6 km of path.
How many people in Weymouth live near a park?
55% 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 Weymouth?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Weymouth good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 70% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 62% (2.6 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 Weymouth’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Weymouth’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.