Photo: Mike Faherty · CC BY-SA 2.0Ashurst is inside the New Forest National Park
Parks and playing fields in Ashurst add up to 0.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 40 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 3.6 for every square kilometre. Ashurst grades B− for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Ashurst?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Ashurst’s strongest suit is a protected landscape all round. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Ashurst grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Ashurst, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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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.
Ashurst is 22nd of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,300 to 2,500 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Ashurst stands out most for path per km²: only 5 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 50 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reydon Suffolk | A+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.6 | 49% |
| 2 | Aldeburgh Suffolk | A | 2.3 | 88% | 2.3 | 41% |
| 3 | St Margaret's at Cliffe Kent | A | 2.3 | 90% | 2.4 | 15% |
| 4 | Upton upon Severn Worcestershire | A− | 4.9 | 90% | 2.8 | 2% |
| 5 | Colerne Wiltshire | A− | 3.1 | 86% | 2.4 | 84% |
| 6 | Picket Piece Hampshire | A− | 3.9 | 100% | 1.3 | 33% |
| 7 | West Wick Somerset | A− | 1.6 | 100% | 3.5 | 16% |
| 8 | Tanfield Lea County Durham | A− | 3.8 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Y Felinheli Gwynedd | B+ | 4.9 | 65% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 10 | Kington Herefordshire | B+ | 3.9 | 89% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 11 | Cotford St Luke Somerset | B+ | 2.2 | 100% | 2.2 | 6% |
| 12 | Nant-y-moel Mid Glamorgan | B | 7 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 13 | Chattenden Kent | B | 1.4 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 14 | Middlestown and Overton West Yorkshire | B− | 1.5 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Stalbridge Dorset | B− | 3.3 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Narberth Dyfed | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 1.6 | 4% |
| 17 | Creech St Michael Somerset | B− | 1.2 | 88% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 18 | Upper Halliford Surrey | B− | 5.1 | 44% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 19 | Bassingbourn Cambridgeshire | B− | 3.8 | 85% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 20 | Riccall North Yorkshire | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 21 | Wiveliscombe Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Ashurst Hampshire | B− | 0.9 | 65% | 3.6 | 72% |
| 23 | St Dennis Cornwall | C+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Padstow Cornwall | C+ | 0.6 | 33% | 2.5 | 37% |
| 25 | Pentyrch South Glamorgan | C+ | 2.6 | 50% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Renishaw Derbyshire | C+ | 0.6 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Bramford Suffolk | C+ | 3.2 | 76% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 28 | Shelley Essex | C+ | 0.7 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Mickleton Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.2 | 52% | 2.1 | 45% |
| 30 | Witchford Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Coven Staffordshire | C+ | 3.6 | 87% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Lingwood Norfolk | C+ | 1.2 | 73% | 2.6 | 26% |
| 33 | Pontycymer Mid Glamorgan | C | 2.2 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 34 | Stanton Suffolk | C | 2.6 | 87% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 35 | Woolavington Somerset | C | 1.6 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Dearham Cumbria | C | 0.6 | 72% | 1.4 | 6% |
| 37 | South Milford North Yorkshire | C | 1.7 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 38 | West Rainton County Durham | C | 2.1 | 73% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 39 | Bletchingley Surrey | C | 0.5 | 10% | 3.9 | 18% |
| 40 | Credenhill Herefordshire | C− | 1.5 | 87% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Wilstead Bedfordshire | C− | 1.7 | 88% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Marshfield Gwent | C− | 1 | 85% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Hathern Leicestershire | C− | 1.8 | 50% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Knowsley Merseyside | C− | 3.1 | 77% | 1 | 0% |
| 45 | Cornforth County Durham | C− | 1.9 | 66% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 46 | Collingham West Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 47 | Reepham Norfolk | C− | 2.3 | 66% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 48 | Stilton Cambridgeshire | C− | 0.8 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Dinnington Tyne and Wear | C− | 1.6 | 89% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Brown Edge Staffordshire | C− | 1.1 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 51 | Goxhill Lincolnshire | C− | 1.5 | 69% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Eastry Kent | D | 2 | 77% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Netherton (Wakefield) West Yorkshire | D | 0.7 | 27% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 54 | St Stephen Cornwall | D | 1.2 | 88% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Leyburn North Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 22% | 2 | 16% |
| 56 | Fishburn County Durham | D | 1.5 | 76% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Parbold Lancashire | D | 1.5 | 36% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Burton upon Stather Lincolnshire | D | 1.5 | 75% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Myerscough Smithy Lancashire | D | 0.5 | 45% | 3 | 0% |
| 60 | Leven East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.2 | 64% | 0.7 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ashurst’s built-up area.
7 in 10 Ashurst 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).
About 800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 16 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 148 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Ashurst
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.
New Forest
Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
72% of the land within 5 km of Ashurst is National Park or National Landscape, more than 96% of UK towns. New Forest National Park covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006.
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Ashurst
40 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Ashurst and the kilometre around it, 3.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
The regional route here is the Test Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in Ashurst: 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 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 106 | 75 | 64 | 60 | 52 | 58 | 50 | 64 | 66 | 103 | 112 | 106 |
July is the driest month (50 mm) and the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 112 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 38 nights a year. The climate in Ashurst →
16 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
Ashurst is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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. Irons Hill, at 43 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Ashurst.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 2
Picnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 16
Plus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashurst | B− | 0.9 | 65% | 72% |
| Totton 1.6 mi | A | 1.6 | 94% | 50% |
| Cadnam and Bartley 2.4 mi | C− | 0.9 | 30% | 79% |
| Marchwood 2.9 mi | B+ | 2.0 | 87% | 38% |
| Lyndhurst 3.1 mi | A | 3.6 | 73% | 100% |
| Rownhams and Nursling 4.2 mi | A+ | 4.9 | 86% | 12% |
| Hythe and Dibden Purlieu 5.5 mi | B+ | 0.8 | 49% | 44% |
Rownhams and Nursling, 4.2 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 86% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Marchwood, Lyndhurst and Rownhams and Nursling have at least twice Ashurst’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Ashurst
What are the best walks near Ashurst?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Test Way.
What is the nearest beach to Ashurst?
Brockenhurst Beach, 4.8 mi from the edge of the village, then Family Beach (10 mi). Ashurst itself is inland.
How many people in Ashurst live near a park?
65% 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 Ashurst?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Ashurst good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 72% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 11% (0.9 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 Ashurst’s overall grade.
Where Ashurst’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.