Grays’ biggest
Chadwell Recreation Ground
Playing field
18 ha (45 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
25 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Bikeboy · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Grays · parks, paths & countryside
Grays is on the coast, on the King Charles III England Coast Path
The sea makes up 9% of the area within 5 km. The Kent Downs National Landscape begins 4.6 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Grays add up to 1.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Grays grades C for the outdoors: #62 of 81 in Essex. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
83%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
57 km
2.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Kent Downs starts 4.6 mi out, past the 5 km
The sea
9%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Grays?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast9% of the area within 5 km is sea; 12 beaches mapped.Countryside close byThe Kent Downs National Landscape starts 4.6 mi south-east.On a National TrailThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes through.Less park per person1.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Grays’ strongest suit is the sea, followed by the Kent Downs National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Grays grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Grays, 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 33% of UK towns#62 of 81 in Essex
Public green space1.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
19out of
100
100
A park within a walk83%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
53out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Kent Downs begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
32out of
100
100
The sea9%of the area within 5 km
86out 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
How Grays compares with UK towns of 39,200 to 50,400
The 60 UK towns and cities of 39,200 to 50,400 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
Grays2.1
Towns its size3.7
Essex towns2.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Grays1.2
Towns its size2.4
Essex towns2.4
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Grays83%
Towns its size83%
Essex towns84%
All UK towns83%
Grays falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 55 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Havant Hampshire | A+ | 3.6 | 84% | 5.8 | 30% |
| 2 | Andover Hampshire | A | 2.7 | 91% | 4.4 | 21% |
| 3 | Wrexham Clwyd | A | 3.8 | 92% | 3.9 | 2% |
| 4 | Salisbury Wiltshire | A | 2.7 | 94% | 3.9 | 22% |
| 5 | Aldershot Hampshire | A | 3.4 | 77% | 6.3 | 17% |
| 6 | Wallsend Tyne and Wear | A | 6 | 93% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 7 | Merthyr Tydfil Mid Glamorgan | A | 3.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 29% |
| 8 | Haywards Heath West Sussex | A | 2.4 | 84% | 4.2 | 44% |
| 9 | Bexhill-on-Sea East Sussex | A | 1.7 | 83% | 3.4 | 13% |
| 10 | Bletchley Buckinghamshire | A | 4.1 | 91% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 11 | Eastleigh Hampshire | A− | 3 | 76% | 4.9 | 17% |
| 12 | Llanelli Dyfed | A− | 2.3 | 85% | 2.4 | 18% |
| 13 | Trowbridge Wiltshire | A− | 2.3 | 91% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 14 | Christchurch Dorset | A− | 2.1 | 70% | 3.3 | 14% |
| 15 | Crosby Merseyside | A− | 4.6 | 89% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Ashton-under-Lyne Greater Manchester | A− | 3.1 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 17 | Chorley Lancashire | A− | 5 | 88% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 18 | Bamber Bridge Lancashire | A− | 6.4 | 88% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Hoddesdon Hertfordshire | A− | 6.5 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Leyland Lancashire | B+ | 4.6 | 91% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 21 | Cheshunt Hertfordshire | B+ | 4.8 | 79% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 22 | Newbury Berkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 81% | 3.3 | 50% |
| 23 | Hatfield Hertfordshire | B+ | 2.8 | 84% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 24 | West Molesey Surrey | B+ | 4.4 | 80% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 25 | Thundersley and South Benfleet Essex | B+ | 3.2 | 69% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 26 | Bridgwater Somerset | B+ | 1.9 | 86% | 3.7 | 2% |
| 27 | Yeovil Somerset | B+ | 2 | 90% | 3.2 | 2% |
| 28 | Batley West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.7 | 94% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Cwmbrân Gwent | B+ | 2.1 | 84% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 30 | Middleton Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.5 | 80% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Horsham West Sussex | B | 1.5 | 83% | 3.9 | 19% |
| 32 | Wokingham Berkshire | B | 4 | 84% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 33 | Leigh Greater Manchester | B | 5.3 | 77% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Arnold Nottinghamshire | B | 3 | 81% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Bishop's Stortford Hertfordshire | B | 2.3 | 80% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 36 | Ramsgate Kent | B | 1.2 | 89% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Borehamwood Hertfordshire | B | 1.8 | 97% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Winchester Hampshire | B | 1.2 | 79% | 3.8 | 35% |
| 39 | Altrincham Greater Manchester | B | 2.2 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Prescot Merseyside | B | 3.5 | 94% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Blyth Northumberland | B | 1.6 | 83% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Castleford West Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 92% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 43 | Fareham Hampshire | B | 1.1 | 48% | 4 | 2% |
| 44 | Bury St Edmunds Suffolk | B− | 3 | 78% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Oldbury West Midlands | B− | 3 | 68% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Eccles Greater Manchester | B− | 2.7 | 93% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Lytham St Anne's Lancashire | B− | 2.4 | 83% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Braintree Essex | B− | 1.7 | 89% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Tipton West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 79% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Willenhall West Midlands | C+ | 3.4 | 66% | 3 | 0% |
| 51 | Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Urmston Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.7 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 53 | King's Lynn Norfolk | C+ | 1.3 | 80% | 2.2 | 23% |
| 54 | Neath West Glamorgan | C | 2 | 80% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Kirkby Merseyside | C | 2.2 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Grays Essex | C | 1.2 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 57 | Keighley West Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Boston Lincolnshire | C− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Worksop Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.3 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 60 | Grantham Lincolnshire | D | 0.9 | 69% | 2.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Grays’ 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 Grays
The biggest is Chadwell Recreation Ground, 18 ha (45 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 6 named parks by size: 28 ha (68 acres) and 3 km of path
Parks & gardens 5.7 haPlaying fields 22 ha
The two biggest, Chadwell Recreation Ground and Grays Beach Riverside Park, are 80% of the named green space.
Grays Beach Riverside Park
Playing field
4.0 ha (10 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Elm Road Open Space
Park or garden
2.4 ha (6 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Grays Park
Park or garden
2.7 ha (7 acres)0.3 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Jubilee Gardens
Park or garden
0.5 ha (1 acres)
1 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Herbert E Brooks Memorial Rest Gardens
Park or garden
0.1 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Grays
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
8 in 10 Grays 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 (83%)Further (17%)
Grays83%
Towns its size83%
Essex towns84%
All UK towns83%
About 7,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 41 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,081 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 4.6 mi away
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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Grays scores 0% on it even though the Kent Downs National Landscape is 4.6 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Grays is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
57 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Grays and the kilometre around it, 2.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
National
King Charles III England Coast Path: Grain to Woolwich4.3 km
Thames Estuary Path1.6 km
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Grays.
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 Grays: 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) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.6 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.5 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 48 | 37 | 32 | 34 | 41 | 49 | 40 | 54 | 44 | 55 | 58 | 52 |
March is the driest month (32 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 24 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 58 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 30 nights a year. The climate in Grays →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Grays
9% of the area within 5 km of Grays is sea. 12 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 1 with a name.
Northfleet Beach0.7 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
3 viewpoints and 41 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.
3Viewpoints1.5× towns its size1Nature reserves41Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Chafford Gorges Visitor Centre0.6 mi from town
DirectionsHeron Point0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Plus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 41
Chafford Hundred Park0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 40 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 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.
Chadwell St MaryChafford Hundred and West ThurrockTilburyOrsettSouth OckendonSouthfieldsGrays
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grays | C | 1.2 | 83% | 0% |
| Chadwell St Mary 1.7 mi | A− | 3.2 | 97% | 0% |
| Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock 1.7 mi | B+ | 2.2 | 97% | 0% |
| Tilbury 2.1 mi | B | 1.4 | 98% | 0% |
| Orsett 2.3 mi | B− | 4.4 | 100% | 0% |
| South Ockendon 2.6 mi | A− | 2.6 | 88% | 0% |
| Southfields 2.9 mi | C− | 2.8 | 0% | 0% |
South Ockendon, 2.6 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 88% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Chadwell St Mary, Orsett and South Ockendon have at least twice Grays’ green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Grays
What is the biggest park in Grays?
Chadwell Recreation Ground, 18 ha (45 acres), with 0.7 km of path. Grays Beach Riverside Park (4.0 ha) is second. 6 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Grays near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 4.6 mi south-east of the town’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Grays?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: Grain to Woolwich and Thames Estuary Path.
How many people in Grays live near a park?
83% 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 Grays?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Grays good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 32% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 19% (1.2 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 Grays’ overall grade.
Sources
Where Grays’ 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.