Stroud’s biggest
Stratford Park
Park or garden
6.4 ha (16 acres)1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Stroud
4 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Air1jwilkins1212 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Stroud · parks, paths & countryside
70% of the land within 5 km of Stroud is National Park or National Landscape
The Cotswolds National Landscape reaches the edge of Stroud. 188 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 5.8 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Stroud add up to 4.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Stroud grades A+ for the outdoors: #6 of 48 in Gloucestershire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
4.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
79%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
188 km
5.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
70%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Cotswolds National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Stroud?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside70% of the land within 5 km is Cotswolds National Landscape.A town of footpaths5.8 km of path per km², more than 96% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Room to roam4.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 84% of UK towns.Hills with a view8 mapped viewpoints, about 7× as many per resident as the typical town its size.
Stroud’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by dense footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Stroud grades A+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Stroud, 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 96% of UK towns#6 of 48 in Gloucestershire · 2nd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space4.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
85out of
100
100
A park within a walk79%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
45out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape70%of the land within 5 km
96out of
100
100
Footpaths5.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
97out 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
Stroud is 2nd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 24,000 to 28,200 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
Stroud5.8
Towns its size3.4
Gloucestershire towns3.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Stroud4.6
Towns its size2.4
Gloucestershire towns2.4
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Stroud79%
Towns its size83%
Gloucestershire towns84%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Stroud stands out most for park space per resident: only 10 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee-on-the-Solent Hampshire | A+ | 5.7 | 96% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 2 | Stroud Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.6 | 79% | 5.8 | 70% |
| 3 | Falmouth Cornwall | A | 1.3 | 96% | 3.5 | 41% |
| 4 | Sevenoaks Kent | A | 8.1 | 76% | 3.8 | 70% |
| 5 | Stalybridge Greater Manchester | A | 5 | 82% | 4.8 | 12% |
| 6 | Newport Isle of Wight | A | 1.8 | 80% | 3.8 | 37% |
| 7 | Ash and Ash Vale Surrey | A | 4.3 | 72% | 5.4 | 20% |
| 8 | Huntingdon Cambridgeshire | A | 5.7 | 99% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Woodley Berkshire | A | 5 | 81% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 10 | Lancing and Sompting West Sussex | A | 1.8 | 80% | 3 | 37% |
| 11 | Totton Hampshire | A | 1.6 | 94% | 4.4 | 50% |
| 12 | Burntwood Staffordshire | A− | 5.3 | 81% | 3.4 | 12% |
| 13 | Larkfield Kent | A− | 5.6 | 75% | 3.4 | 27% |
| 14 | Rickmansworth Hertfordshire | A− | 2.9 | 81% | 4.4 | 11% |
| 15 | Ewell Surrey | A− | 7.5 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Felixstowe Suffolk | A− | 2 | 88% | 1.9 | 28% |
| 17 | Stretford Greater Manchester | A− | 3.7 | 92% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 18 | Tadworth and Epsom Downs Surrey | A− | 3.4 | 65% | 5.3 | 16% |
| 19 | Heanor Derbyshire | A− | 4.2 | 92% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 20 | Gorleston-on-Sea Norfolk | A− | 1.4 | 81% | 3.2 | 17% |
| 21 | Little Hulton Greater Manchester | A− | 8.6 | 87% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 22 | East Grinstead West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 87% | 3.7 | 58% |
| 23 | Wilmslow Cheshire | A− | 4.4 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 24 | Newton-le-Willows Merseyside | A− | 5.2 | 99% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 25 | Ryde Isle of Wight | A− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.6 | 19% |
| 26 | Daventry Northamptonshire | A− | 4.1 | 99% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 27 | Herne Bay Kent | B+ | 2.3 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Portishead Somerset | B+ | 2 | 82% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Haverhill Suffolk | B+ | 2.4 | 91% | 5 | 0% |
| 30 | Longbenton Tyne and Wear | B+ | 3.3 | 80% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Thatcham Berkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 87% | 3.1 | 27% |
| 32 | Fleetwood Lancashire | B+ | 2.7 | 92% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Cheadle Hulme Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.9 | 80% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 34 | Bradley Stoke Gloucestershire | B+ | 2 | 93% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 35 | Darwen Lancashire | B | 2.2 | 89% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Newton Aycliffe County Durham | B | 2.1 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Rugeley Staffordshire | B | 1.2 | 94% | 2.7 | 37% |
| 38 | Witham Essex | B | 1.9 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Egham Surrey | B | 4.1 | 63% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Broadstairs Kent | B | 1.7 | 76% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Atherton Greater Manchester | B | 3.8 | 83% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Rhyl Clwyd | B | 1 | 84% | 2.2 | 7% |
| 43 | Droitwich Spa Worcestershire | B | 2.5 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Thetford Norfolk | B− | 2.9 | 65% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 45 | St Austell Cornwall | B− | 1.2 | 71% | 2.5 | 7% |
| 46 | Ashton-in-Makerfield Greater Manchester | B− | 2.6 | 93% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Melton Mowbray Leicestershire | B− | 3.3 | 84% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Hindley Greater Manchester | C+ | 2.5 | 77% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Coseley West Midlands | C+ | 1.4 | 84% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Newquay Cornwall | C+ | 1.6 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Horley Surrey | C+ | 1.9 | 84% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Market Harborough Leicestershire | C+ | 1.9 | 94% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Stratford-upon-Avon Warwickshire | C | 1.6 | 84% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Walton-on-Thames Surrey | C | 1.6 | 81% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Golborne Greater Manchester | C | 3 | 66% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Frome Somerset | C | 1.3 | 78% | 2.4 | 9% |
| 57 | Wickersley and Bramley South Yorkshire | C | 1.7 | 77% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Wickford Essex | C | 2.4 | 59% | 3 | 0% |
| 59 | Ormskirk Lancashire | D | 1.5 | 80% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Wisbech Cambridgeshire | D | 1.2 | 79% | 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 Stroud’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 Stroud
The biggest is Stratford Park, 6.4 ha (16 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 9 named parks by size: 21 ha (52 acres) and 4 km of path
Parks & gardens 11 haPlaying fields 10 ha
The two biggest, Stratford Park and Victory Park, are 48% of the named green space and carry 2 km of path between them. 5 of the 9 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Victory Park
Playing field
3.8 ha (9 acres)0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Stroud Cricket Club
Playing field · 50 m outside town
3.6 ha (9 acres)0.4 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi westfrom the centre
MST34
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Lake at the Lawn
Park or garden
1.6 ha (4 acres)0.4 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Park Gardens
Park or garden
1.1 ha (3 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
0.5 mi eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Fromehall Park
Playing field
2.7 ha (7 acres)0.1 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Stroud
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Queen Elizabeth II field
Park or garden
1.5 ha (4 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Bank Gardens
Park or garden
0.3 ha (1 acres)0.3 km of path
0.4 mi eastfrom the centre
3 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 9 named parks and green spaces
Stratford ParkPark or garden · 6.4 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsVictory ParkPlaying field · 3.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsStroud Cricket ClubPlaying field · 3.6 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsThe Lake at the LawnPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsPark GardensPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsFromehall ParkPlaying field · 2.7 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsQueen Elizabeth II fieldPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBank GardensPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsRectory GardensPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Stroud 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 (79%)Further (21%)
Stroud79%
Towns its size83%
Gloucestershire towns84%
All UK towns83%
About 5,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 46 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 567 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Stroud
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
Cotswolds
At the edge north-east2,041 km²since 196670% of the land within 5 km
Official site70% of the land within 5 km of Stroud is National Park or National Landscape, more than 95% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Stroud is on the Cotswold Way
188 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Stroud and the kilometre around it, 5.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocalOther waymarked
Walk Around Stroud (The WAS Way)16.4 km
Cotswold Way10.7 km
Thames & Severn Way9.3 km
Cotswold Way (Selsley Common route)5.4 km
Bruce Trail Friendship Trail3.7 km
MST270.8 km
Wheelchair Accessible (Thames & Severn Way)0.5 km
The Cotswold Way, a national route, passes Stroud. Close to home, the Walk Around Stroud (The WAS Way) has 16 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Thames & Severn Way and Wheelchair Accessible (Thames & Severn Way).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
History inside Stroud’s parks
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Stroud’s named parks.
Park with listed buildings
Stratford Park
6.4 ha. 4 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
IIConservatory to North East of Stratford ParkIIKitchen Garden Walls and Gateway Immediately to the North of Stratford ParkIIStratford ParkIIUrn in Stratford Park to the North of the House
Listed buildings insideBank GardensCounty Library, K6 Telephone Kiosk, High Street and Lansdown Hall
Listed buildings insideRectory GardensRaised Pavement, Immediately East of Rose Cottage and Rose Cottage
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 Stroud: 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 | 16.7 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 87 | 52 | 52 | 51 | 59 | 59 | 57 | 64 | 60 | 79 | 82 | 83 |
April is the driest month (51 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 87 mm of rain falls in January, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 38 nights a year. The climate in Stroud →
Things to do
8 viewpoints, 46 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
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.
8Viewpoints7.5× towns its size9Hills and peaks3Nature reserves3× towns its size1Picnic sites46Playgrounds1.5× towns its size1Slipways
The nearest beaches
Stroud is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Fossil Beach18 mi from Stroud’s edge
DirectionsSugar Loaf Beach29 mi from Stroud’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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 8
The Rock0.6 mi from town
DirectionsHaresfield Topograph1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 6 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 9
Maiden Hill0.2 mi from town
DirectionsSelsley Common210 m (689 ft) · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsWickridge Hill219 m (719 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsDoverow Hill140 m (459 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsVinegar Hill0.8 mi from town
DirectionsSwifts Hill209 m (686 ft) · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsBown Hill230 m (755 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsJuniper Hill237 m (778 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak more.
Nature reserves 3
Summer Crescent Wildlife Area0.1 ha · in town
DirectionsArundel Mill Ponds0.8 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsElliott Nature Reserve at Swift's Hill8.6 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 46
Kingscourt Playgroundin town
DirectionsPaganhill Playgroundin town
DirectionsStratford Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsRandwick School Playground0.3 mi from town
DirectionsWhiteshill Playground0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 41 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Strachan's Close Slipwayin town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
Whiteshill and RandwickAmberleyBrimscombe and ThruppStonehouseLeonard Stanley and King's StanleyChalfordStroud
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroud | A+ | 4.6 | 79% | 70% |
| Whiteshill and Randwick 1.4 mi | A | 4.5 | 60% | 64% |
| Amberley 2.2 mi | A | 13.7 | 0% | 87% |
| Brimscombe and Thrupp 2.4 mi | B+ | 2.1 | 12% | 89% |
| Stonehouse 2.5 mi | A | 1.8 | 94% | 36% |
| Leonard Stanley and King's Stanley 2.5 mi | A | 2.0 | 100% | 51% |
| Chalford 3.1 mi | A | 1.6 | 96% | 94% |
Stroud grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. Amberley has at least twice Stroud’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Stroud
What is the biggest park in Stroud?
Stratford Park, 6.4 ha (16 acres), with 1.7 km of path. Victory Park (3.8 ha) is second. 9 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Stroud near a National Park?
It covers 2,041 km² and was designated in 1966.
What are the best walks near Stroud?
7 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Walk Around Stroud (The WAS Way), Cotswold Way and Thames & Severn Way.
What is the nearest beach to Stroud?
Fossil Beach, 18 mi from the edge of the town, then Sugar Loaf Beach (29 mi). Stroud itself is inland.
How many people in Stroud live near a park?
79% 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 Stroud?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Stroud good for walking?
For paths, yes: 5.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 97% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 85% (4.6 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 Stroud’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Stroud’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.