Basingstoke’s biggest
Basingstoke Common
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
47 ha (116 acres)4.1 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.1 km of path
65 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.6 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Mr Ignavy · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Basingstoke · parks, paths & countryside
Basingstoke has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 386 km in the city and the kilometre around it, 5.8 for every square kilometre. The North Wessex Downs National Landscape begins 0.6 mi from the city’s edge. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 94% of residents. Basingstoke grades A for the outdoors: #21 of 76 in Hampshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
94%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
386 km
5.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
6%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Wessex Downs National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors city is Basingstoke?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A city of footpaths5.8 km of path per km², more than 96% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe North Wessex Downs National Landscape starts 0.6 mi north-west.Historic parksMountbatten House (formerly Gateway House): roof gardens and perimeter landscaping is a registered historic park (Grade II).
Basingstoke’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the North Wessex Downs National Landscape close by.
Outdoors grade
Basingstoke grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Basingstoke, 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 92% of UK towns#21 of 76 in Hampshire · 10th of 59 UK cities its size
Public green space2.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
58out of
100
100
A park within a walk94%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
74out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape6%of the land within 5 km
69out 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.
Cities its size
Basingstoke is 10th of 59 UK cities its size for the outdoors
The 59 UK towns and cities of 82,000 to 158,000 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
Basingstoke5.8
Cities its size4.1
Hampshire towns3.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Basingstoke2.5
Cities its size2.4
Hampshire towns2.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Basingstoke94%
Cities its size86%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Against cities its size, Basingstoke stands out most for path per km²: only 7 of the other 58 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hastings East Sussex | A+ | 3.1 | 76% | 4.3 | 42% |
| 2 | Gloucester Gloucestershire | A | 2.7 | 93% | 6 | 22% |
| 3 | Gillingham Kent | A | 1.6 | 86% | 5.3 | 23% |
| 4 | Ashford Kent | A | 2.7 | 94% | 5.2 | 23% |
| 5 | Poole Dorset | A | 2.5 | 81% | 3.4 | 20% |
| 6 | Crawley West Sussex | A | 2.6 | 85% | 10.5 | 33% |
| 7 | Stockport Greater Manchester | A | 4 | 93% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 8 | Eastbourne East Sussex | A | 2 | 75% | 4.3 | 23% |
| 9 | Telford Shropshire | A | 3.2 | 96% | 4 | 6% |
| 10 | Basingstoke Hampshire | A | 2.5 | 94% | 5.8 | 6% |
| 11 | Colchester Essex | A | 3.2 | 86% | 5.4 | 10% |
| 12 | Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire | A | 3 | 95% | 3.6 | 18% |
| 13 | Bath Somerset | A | 1.8 | 89% | 5.6 | 50% |
| 14 | Harlow Essex | A | 3.7 | 99% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 15 | Middlesbrough North Yorkshire | A | 2.6 | 85% | 2.9 | 3% |
| 16 | Watford Hertfordshire | A | 2.8 | 88% | 4.5 | 1% |
| 17 | Weston-super-Mare Somerset | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 3.7 | 8% |
| 18 | Stevenage Hertfordshire | A− | 3 | 98% | 7.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Gateshead Tyne and Wear | A− | 3.3 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Basildon Essex | A− | 3 | 95% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 21 | Aylesbury Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 9.5 | 5% |
| 22 | Maidstone Kent | A− | 2.9 | 81% | 3.5 | 20% |
| 23 | Cheltenham Gloucestershire | A− | 1.4 | 87% | 4.5 | 44% |
| 24 | Worthing West Sussex | A− | 1.2 | 78% | 2.9 | 38% |
| 25 | Ipswich Suffolk | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 3.9 | 12% |
| 26 | Newport Gwent | A− | 2.8 | 85% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Bedford Bedfordshire | B+ | 4.2 | 88% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Wakefield West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.9 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Oldham Greater Manchester | B+ | 1.7 | 87% | 5 | 0% |
| 30 | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.6 | 68% | 5.4 | 67% |
| 31 | Huddersfield West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.4 | 94% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 32 | Birkenhead Merseyside | B+ | 3.1 | 71% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 33 | York North Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 34 | Salford Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 91% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Kensington and Chelsea London | B | 1.5 | 99% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Chelmsford Essex | B | 2.4 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 37 | Wythenshawe Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 38 | St Helens Merseyside | B | 3.4 | 91% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Preston Lancashire | B | 3 | 80% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Wallasey Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 90% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Cambridge Cambridgeshire | B | 2.3 | 79% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Hartlepool County Durham | B− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Nuneaton Warwickshire | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 44 | West Bromwich West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 83% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Grimsby Lincolnshire | B− | 1.3 | 75% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 46 | Halifax West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Blackburn Lancashire | B− | 2.2 | 71% | 3.1 | 1% |
| 48 | Exeter Devon | B− | 1.8 | 81% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Royal Sutton Coldfield West Midlands | B− | 6.1 | 64% | 3 | 0% |
| 50 | Lincoln Lincolnshire | B− | 2.5 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Rochdale Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.7 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Stockton-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 2 | 83% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Blackpool Lancashire | C+ | 1.6 | 75% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 54 | Darlington County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Worcester Worcestershire | C | 1.5 | 77% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Doncaster South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Solihull West Midlands | C | 2.9 | 54% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Chester Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Southport Merseyside | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Basingstoke’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 Basingstoke
The biggest is Basingstoke Common, 47 ha (116 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 21 named parks by size: 171 ha (422 acres) and 23 km of path
Parks & gardens 147 haPlaying fields 24 haPlay spaces 0.0 ha
The biggest is Basingstoke Common, 47 ha (116 acres); no single park dominates. 6 of the 21 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Cowdery's Downs
Park or garden
20 ha (49 acres)4.2 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.2 km of path
28 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.1 mi eastfrom the centre
Nature reserve
Directionsto the nearest entrance
War Memorial Park
Park or garden
19 ha (47 acres)2.8 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.8 km of path
27 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi south-eastfrom the centre
War Memorial Park
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Binfields Woodland Park
Park or garden
15 ha (37 acres)1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
21 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.2 mi north-eastfrom the centre
PlaygroundBinfields Woodland Park
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Stratton Park
Park or garden
12 ha (30 acres)1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
17 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.4 mi south-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Popley Community Park
Park or garden
7.8 ha (19 acres)1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi northfrom the centre
Popley Community Park
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Down Grange Meadow
Park or garden
5.8 ha (14 acres)1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Eastrop Park
Park or garden
6.4 ha (16 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 21 named parks and green spaces
Basingstoke CommonPark or garden · 47 ha · 4.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCowdery's DownsPark or garden · 20 ha · 4.2 km of path
DirectionsWar Memorial ParkPark or garden · 19 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsBinfields Woodland ParkPark or garden · 15 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsStratton ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsPopley Community ParkPark or garden · 7.8 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsDown Grange MeadowPark or garden · 5.8 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsEastrop ParkPark or garden · 6.4 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsWinklebury ParkPlaying field · 8.8 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsRussell Howard ParkPlaying field · 7.1 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsChineham ParkPark or garden · 5.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsHatch Warren ParkPark or garden · 4.3 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsGlebe GardensPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBasingstoke Rugby Football ClubPlaying field · 2.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsWhiteditch Playing FieldPlaying field · 2.4 ha
DirectionsChapel GatePark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsVictory ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsKing George V Playing FieldsPlaying field · 1.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsMay's BountyPlaying field · 1.9 ha
DirectionsDandelion MeadowPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsTreetop Avenue Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsClose to home
9 in 10 Basingstoke 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 (94%)Further (6%)
Basingstoke94%
Cities its size86%
Hampshire towns80%
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; 170 playgrounds are mapped in and around the city, about one for every 689 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape is 0.6 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
National Landscape
North Wessex Downs
0.6 mi north-west1,731 km²since 19726% of the land within 5 km
Official site6% of the land within 5 km of Basingstoke is National Park or National Landscape, more than 68% of UK towns. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
12 waymarked walks pass through or near Basingstoke
386 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Basingstoke 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 city.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
St James' Way14.3 km
Wayfarers Walk5.1 km
Basingstoke Canal4.2 km
Basing Wood3.6 km
Woodland Walk at The Vyne3.5 km
Morgaston Woods Yellow Route, The Vyne2.5 km
Morgaston Woods Green Route, The Vyne2.2 km
Steps Through Time Walk2.2 km
Great Binfield,Basingstoke1.8 km
Wetlands Walk1.5 km
Beech Walk1.0 km
Basing Wood Red Trail0.4 km
3 regional routes pass through, including the St James' Way, Wayfarers Walk and Basingstoke Canal.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A registered historic park in Basingstoke
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Basingstoke’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIMountbatten House (formerly Gateway House): roof gardens and perimeter landscaping1.5 ha
Listed buildings insideGlebe GardensChurch Cottage and Chute House
Heritage walks
Basingstoke Canal 4.2 km
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 Basingstoke: May to September
The city’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 | 16.1 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 85 | 63 | 53 | 58 | 51 | 54 | 53 | 61 | 60 | 88 | 93 | 86 |
May 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 93 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 45 nights a year. The climate in Basingstoke →
Things to do
170 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the city in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK city its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Basingstoke is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the city.
Penguin Beach11 mi from Basingstoke’s edge
DirectionsAmity Beach24 mi from Basingstoke’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. Farleigh Hill, at 208 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Basingstoke.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
The Old Climbing Treein town
DirectionsHills and peaks 2
Farleigh Hill208 m (682 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Mill Field0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 170
Arcadia Close Play Areain town
DirectionsBernstein Road (A) Play Areain town
DirectionsBernstein Road (B) play areain town
DirectionsBinfields Wood Play Areain town
DirectionsBottom Park (Big)in town
DirectionsBottom Park (Small)in town
DirectionsBreadels Field Play Areain town
DirectionsBrighton Hill Play Areain town
DirectionsPlus 162 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.
Old BasingOakleyBramleySherfield on LoddonTadleyHookBasingstoke
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basingstoke | A | 2.5 | 94% | 6% |
| Old Basing 2.7 mi | A− | 13.6 | 92% | 0% |
| Oakley 3.4 mi | C | 1.7 | 56% | 21% |
| Bramley 4.7 mi | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 0% |
| Sherfield on Loddon 4.8 mi | A− | 8.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Tadley 6.3 mi | A+ | 11.4 | 96% | 9% |
| Hook 6.3 mi | B− | 2.4 | 80% | 0% |
Tadley, 6.3 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 96% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Old Basing, Sherfield on Loddon and Tadley have at least twice Basingstoke’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Basingstoke
What is the biggest park in Basingstoke?
Basingstoke Common, 47 ha (116 acres), with 4.1 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Cowdery's Downs (20 ha) is second. 21 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the city or within 400 m of it.
Is Basingstoke near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 8.6 mi south-east of the city’s edge. It covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, 0.6 mi away.
What are the best walks near Basingstoke?
12 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the city, including the St James' Way, Wayfarers Walk and Basingstoke Canal. Basingstoke Common alone has 4.1 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Basingstoke?
Penguin Beach, 11 mi from the edge of the city, then Amity Beach (24 mi). Basingstoke itself is inland.
How many people in Basingstoke live near a park?
94% 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 Basingstoke?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Basingstoke are historic?
Mountbatten House (formerly Gateway House): roof gardens and perimeter landscaping (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Basingstoke 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 58% (2.5 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 Basingstoke’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Basingstoke’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.