Photo: MarkS at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Almost everyone in Bramley lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape begins 3.2 mi from the town’s edge. Footpaths add up to 19 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 1.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Bramley add up to 2.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Bramley grades C+ for the outdoors: #66 of 76 in Hampshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Bramley?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Bramley’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by the North Wessex Downs National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Bramley grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bramley, 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.
Bramley is 34th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 4,600 to 4,900 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Bramley stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 51 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Windermere Cumbria | A+ | 3 | 94% | 3.6 | 100% |
| 2 | Hamble-le-Rice Hampshire | A+ | 12.7 | 67% | 3.6 | 7% |
| 3 | Rownhams and Nursling Hampshire | A+ | 4.9 | 86% | 6.7 | 12% |
| 4 | Marple Bridge Greater Manchester | A | 9.9 | 80% | 4.4 | 13% |
| 5 | Wilford Nottinghamshire | A | 7.7 | 93% | 9.6 | 0% |
| 6 | Huntington Staffordshire | A | 3.7 | 74% | 4.6 | 27% |
| 7 | Carleton Lancashire | A | 3 | 86% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 8 | Rudheath Cheshire | A | 5.5 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Writtle Essex | A− | 5.8 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Cringleford Norfolk | A− | 1.7 | 94% | 7.4 | 0% |
| 11 | Dersingham Norfolk | A− | 3.1 | 76% | 1.9 | 39% |
| 12 | Brampton South Yorkshire | A− | 4.4 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 13 | Liss Hampshire | A− | 2.3 | 87% | 2.6 | 98% |
| 14 | Binfield Berkshire | A− | 8.5 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Saxmundham Suffolk | B+ | 3.3 | 100% | 1.9 | 3% |
| 16 | Hugglescote Leicestershire | B+ | 4.2 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 17 | Borough Green Kent | B+ | 2.5 | 93% | 1.9 | 50% |
| 18 | Bodicote Oxfordshire | B+ | 10.2 | 86% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Kings Worthy Hampshire | B+ | 3.9 | 66% | 3 | 23% |
| 20 | Sturry Kent | B+ | 2.7 | 80% | 3.4 | 1% |
| 21 | Callington Cornwall | B | 2.1 | 100% | 1.1 | 21% |
| 22 | Whaley Bridge Derbyshire | B | 1.6 | 44% | 4.3 | 53% |
| 23 | Coedpoeth Clwyd | B | 1.4 | 100% | 1.9 | 24% |
| 24 | Lyneham Wiltshire | B− | 1.5 | 94% | 2.7 | 6% |
| 25 | Lenham and Harrietsham Kent | B− | 1.4 | 88% | 2.4 | 47% |
| 26 | High Lane Greater Manchester | B− | 1.5 | 67% | 4.6 | 12% |
| 27 | Chalfont St Giles Buckinghamshire | B− | 1.8 | 57% | 3.5 | 37% |
| 28 | Kelvedon and Feering Essex | B− | 3.5 | 94% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Astley Greater Manchester | B− | 3.5 | 78% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Bromham Bedfordshire | B− | 3.8 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Llay Clwyd | B− | 10.6 | 85% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 32 | Handsacre and Armitage Staffordshire | B− | 1.8 | 89% | 2.1 | 12% |
| 33 | Dudley Tyne and Wear | C+ | 2.6 | 69% | 4 | 0% |
| 34 | Bramley Hampshire | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 35 | Dickens Heath West Midlands | C+ | 3.2 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Loughor West Glamorgan | C+ | 2.1 | 70% | 1.2 | 6% |
| 37 | Cross Hills North Yorkshire | C+ | 1.9 | 86% | 3 | 0% |
| 38 | Ripponden West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.1 | 75% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Edwalton Nottinghamshire | C+ | 2.1 | 58% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Shortstown Bedfordshire | C | 2.4 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Datchet Berkshire | C | 8.4 | 72% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Bowburn County Durham | C | 1.5 | 71% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Minster (Thanet) Kent | C | 2.3 | 64% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Makeney Derbyshire | C | 2.1 | 56% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Mynydd Isa Clwyd | C | 0.9 | 87% | 2 | 3% |
| 46 | Northway Gloucestershire | C | 0.9 | 58% | 3.1 | 13% |
| 47 | Winterton Lincolnshire | C | 1.6 | 82% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 48 | Kinver Staffordshire | C | 3.1 | 60% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Woodhall Spa Lincolnshire | C− | 1.9 | 61% | 3 | 0% |
| 50 | Barton-under-Needwood Staffordshire | C− | 2.3 | 70% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Preesall and Knott End-on-Sea Lancashire | C− | 0.7 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Bricket Wood Hertfordshire | C− | 1.7 | 43% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Middleton St George County Durham | C− | 1.8 | 94% | 1 | 0% |
| 54 | Sowerby North Yorkshire | C− | 1.5 | 77% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Bailrigg Lancashire | C− | 0 | 0% | 3.4 | 18% |
| 56 | Stretton Staffordshire | C− | 3.7 | 49% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Crowland Lincolnshire | C− | 2.8 | 70% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 58 | South Cave East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.5 | 43% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 59 | Markfield Leicestershire | D | 0.8 | 63% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Chilton County Durham | D− | 1.1 | 68% | 1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bramley’s built-up area.
How close Bramley’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; 12 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 394 residents.
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape is 3.2 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.
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Bramley scores 0% on it even though the North Wessex Downs National Landscape is 3.2 mi away. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
5 waymarked walks pass through or near Bramley
19 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bramley and the kilometre around it, 1.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
The regional route here is the St James' 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 Bramley: 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 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 74 | 52 | 54 | 58 | 46 | 57 | 53 | 56 | 56 | 80 | 85 | 71 |
May is the driest month (46 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 85 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 48 nights a year. The climate in Bramley →
12 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.
The nearest beaches
Bramley is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
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
Playgrounds 12
Plus 7 playgrounds 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bramley | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 0% |
| Sherfield on Loddon 1.3 mi | A− | 8.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Mortimer 3.4 mi | A | 2.4 | 100% | 0% |
| Tadley 4.1 mi | A+ | 11.4 | 96% | 9% |
| Old Basing 4.2 mi | A− | 13.6 | 92% | 0% |
| Basingstoke 4.7 mi | A | 2.5 | 94% | 6% |
| Burghfield Common 5.0 mi | A− | 2.1 | 100% | 8% |
Tadley, 4.1 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 96% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Sherfield on Loddon, Tadley and Old Basing have at least twice Bramley’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Bramley
Is Bramley near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 12 mi south-east of the town’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, 3.2 mi away.
What are the best walks near Bramley?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Silchester Trail, St James' Way and Woodland Walk at The Vyne.
What is the nearest beach to Bramley?
Penguin Beach, 13 mi from the edge of the town, then Amity Beach (24 mi). Bramley itself is inland.
How many people in Bramley 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 Bramley?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Bramley good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 15% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 66% (2.8 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 Bramley’s overall grade.
Where Bramley’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.