Church of St Mary · Photo: Simon Burchell · CC BY-SA 3.0Almost everyone in Bentley lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
The South Downs National Park begins 0.5 mi from the village’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Bentley add up to 1.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 17 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 2.1 for every square kilometre. Bentley grades B for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Bentley?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Bentley’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Bentley grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bentley, 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.
Bentley is 25th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,300 to 1,500 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Bentley stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 44 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dwygyfylchi Clwyd | A+ | 3.2 | 83% | 4.3 | 28% |
| 2 | Trull Somerset | A+ | 5.9 | 100% | 3.9 | 20% |
| 3 | Troon Cornwall | A+ | 6.2 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 4 | Kingswood Gloucestershire | A | 2.1 | 100% | 3.7 | 45% |
| 5 | Tir-y-berth and Glan-y-nant Gwent | A | 22.1 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 6 | Cromford Derbyshire | A | 1.8 | 100% | 6.6 | 12% |
| 7 | New Houghton Derbyshire | A | 33.8 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 8 | Jump South Yorkshire | A | 5.1 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 9 | Startforth County Durham | A | 6 | 78% | 4.3 | 4% |
| 10 | Sherston Wiltshire | A | 3.7 | 100% | 1.4 | 75% |
| 11 | Sherfield on Loddon Hampshire | A− | 8.3 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 12 | Hallow Worcestershire | A− | 3.7 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 13 | Wharncliffe Side South Yorkshire | A− | 3.3 | 47% | 6.4 | 22% |
| 14 | Wigginton North Yorkshire | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Shotley Gate Suffolk | A− | 1 | 100% | 1.5 | 34% |
| 16 | Grundisburgh Suffolk | B+ | 2.2 | 100% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 17 | Carway Dyfed | B+ | 17 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Stanwell Moor Surrey | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 19 | Brookwood Surrey | B+ | 8.5 | 59% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Handcross West Sussex | B | 9.6 | 58% | 1.9 | 87% |
| 21 | Wedmore Somerset | B | 4.7 | 60% | 3.1 | 1% |
| 22 | Barrow Lancashire | B | 0.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 27% |
| 23 | Trevor Clwyd | B | 2 | 60% | 3.5 | 55% |
| 24 | Woolmer Green Hertfordshire | B | 1.3 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Bentley Hampshire | B | 1.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 22% |
| 26 | Tye Green Essex | B | 2 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 27 | Abertysswg Gwent | B | 2.5 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 28 | Warkworth Northumberland | B− | 1.8 | 76% | 1.3 | 9% |
| 29 | Bishop Sutton Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 64% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 30 | Orsett Essex | B− | 4.4 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Clwt-y-bont Gwynedd | B− | 0.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 19% |
| 32 | Ashton Keynes Wiltshire | C+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 33 | Trub Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.9 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 34 | Pilning Gloucestershire | C+ | 2 | 54% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 35 | Shortlanesend Cornwall | C+ | 1 | 100% | 1.7 | 2% |
| 36 | Thorner West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.1 | 74% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 37 | Benenden Kent | C | 2 | 57% | 1.7 | 83% |
| 38 | Barlaston Staffordshire | C | 2.7 | 80% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 39 | Brailsford Derbyshire | C | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Slip End Bedfordshire | C | 1.9 | 22% | 2.3 | 28% |
| 41 | Hurley Warwickshire | C | 2.8 | 75% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 42 | Stewkley Buckinghamshire | C | 4.2 | 74% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 43 | Tickton East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 2 | 100% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Easebourne West Sussex | C | 0.4 | 0% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 45 | Blunham Bedfordshire | C | 2.2 | 77% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Salhouse Norfolk | C− | 1.9 | 71% | 1 | 17% |
| 47 | Offord D'Arcy and Offord Cluny Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.7 | 78% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Penperlleni Gwent | C− | 0.6 | 80% | 1.7 | 17% |
| 49 | Blofield Heath Norfolk | C− | 2.5 | 43% | 0.9 | 17% |
| 50 | Newton Flotman Norfolk | C− | 2.5 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Thorrington Essex | C− | 1.2 | 65% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Hawley Kent | D | 0.7 | 24% | 2.8 | 3% |
| 53 | Perham Down Wiltshire | D | 0.8 | 42% | 2.2 | 17% |
| 54 | Billingborough Lincolnshire | D | 2.4 | 45% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Meon Vale Warwickshire | D | 0.4 | 50% | 1.4 | 19% |
| 56 | Stillington County Durham | D | 1.4 | 77% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Barford Warwickshire | D | 2.1 | 58% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Friday Bridge Cambridgeshire | D− | 1 | 79% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Woodmansey East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 0% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 60 | Langham Rutland | D− | 0.3 | 23% | 1.3 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bentley’s built-up area.
How close Bentley’s homes are to 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).
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
South Downs and Surrey Hills both start about 3 miles from Bentley
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.
South Downs
22% of the land within 5 km of Bentley is National Park or National Landscape, more than 79% of UK towns. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Bentley
17 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bentley 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 village.
2 regional routes pass through, including the St Swithun's Way and The Shipwrights 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 Bentley: 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 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 87 | 62 | 55 | 59 | 50 | 53 | 54 | 61 | 61 | 94 | 98 | 89 |
May is the driest month (50 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 98 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 55 nights a year. The climate in Bentley →
Beaches near Bentley
0% of the area within 5 km of Bentley is sea, so the Outdoors Grade counts it as inland. 1 beach is mapped within 5 km.
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.
Viewpoints, hills and nature near Bentley
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.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 1
Plus 1 playground without a name on the map.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley | B | 1.3 | 100% | 22% |
| Wrecclesham 2.7 mi | C+ | 1.2 | 50% | 37% |
| Crondall 3.1 mi | C+ | 3.6 | 73% | 1% |
| Holybourne 3.6 mi | A+ | 12.2 | 100% | 23% |
| Farnham 3.8 mi | A | 5.1 | 73% | 35% |
| Weybourne 4.7 mi | A+ | 7.1 | 86% | 14% |
| Alton 5.0 mi | B+ | 2.6 | 82% | 27% |
Weybourne, 4.7 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 86% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Crondall, Holybourne and Farnham have at least twice Bentley’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Bentley
Is Bentley near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 0.5 mi south-east of the village’s edge. It covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
What are the best walks near Bentley?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the St Swithun's Way, Food and Farming Trails and The Shipwrights Way.
How many people in Bentley live near a park?
100% 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 Bentley?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Bentley good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 34% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 21% (1.3 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 Bentley’s overall grade.
Where Bentley’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.