Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: Shazz · CC BY-SA 2.0The New Forest National Park begins 3.0 mi from the town’s edge. Footpaths add up to 54 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.8 for every square kilometre. The sea makes up 19% of the area within 5 km. Bursledon grades A for the outdoors: #27 of 76 in Hampshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Bursledon’s strongest suit is two protected landscapes close by, followed by dense footpaths.
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bursledon, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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.
The 60 UK towns and cities of 7,700 to 8,500 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Bursledon stands out most for park space per resident: only 19 of the other 59 have more.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upton Dorset | A+ | 9.1 | 84% | 4.7 | 18% |
| 2 | Chipping Sodbury Gloucestershire | A+ | 5.2 | 93% | 8.2 | 29% |
| 3 | Ecclesfield and Grenoside South Yorkshire | A+ | 5.1 | 94% | 5.2 | 2% |
| 4 | Stakeford Northumberland | A+ | 10 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 5 | Bargod Gwent | A | 13.6 | 100% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 6 | Dursley Gloucestershire | A | 1.8 | 90% | 7.2 | 52% |
| 7 | Grove Oxfordshire | A | 2.2 | 92% | 4.7 | 27% |
| 8 | Brecon Powys | A | 3.2 | 86% | 3.2 | 61% |
| 9 | East Cowes Isle of Wight | A | 1.4 | 96% | 3 | 8% |
| 10 | Ledbury Herefordshire | A | 3.3 | 89% | 3.1 | 34% |
| 11 | Bearsted Kent | A | 5.5 | 76% | 3.5 | 39% |
| 12 | Stonehouse Gloucestershire | A | 1.8 | 94% | 4.6 | 36% |
| 13 | Bursledon Hampshire | A | 2.6 | 90% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Richmond North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 96% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 15 | Norton Canes Staffordshire | A− | 13.3 | 97% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 16 | Dinas Powis South Glamorgan | A− | 3 | 73% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 17 | London Colney Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 96% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Burnham-on-Crouch Essex | A− | 5.3 | 86% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 19 | City of London London | A− | 2 | 100% | 11 | 0% |
| 20 | Cam Gloucestershire | A− | 2.8 | 57% | 5 | 34% |
| 21 | Pembroke Dyfed | B+ | 2.2 | 91% | 1 | 31% |
| 22 | Annfield Plain County Durham | B+ | 3.4 | 93% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Coppull Lancashire | B+ | 4.6 | 85% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Runwell Essex | B+ | 5.1 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Pershore Worcestershire | B | 2.7 | 76% | 3.2 | 7% |
| 26 | Edenbridge Kent | B | 2.6 | 64% | 3 | 42% |
| 27 | Rusthall and Langton Green Kent | B | 2.1 | 69% | 2.7 | 79% |
| 28 | Clayton-le-Moors Lancashire | B | 1.1 | 86% | 4.2 | 2% |
| 29 | Ashley Hampshire | B | 2.2 | 53% | 1.7 | 47% |
| 30 | Alnwick Northumberland | B− | 2.2 | 67% | 3.4 | 7% |
| 31 | Twyford Berkshire | B− | 2.4 | 86% | 2.1 | 5% |
| 32 | Meltham West Yorkshire | B− | 1 | 63% | 5.3 | 27% |
| 33 | Denbigh Clwyd | B− | 1.3 | 96% | 2.3 | 5% |
| 34 | Buntingford Hertfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 95% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Fakenham Norfolk | C+ | 5.2 | 81% | 2 | 0% |
| 36 | Ystalyfera West Glamorgan | C+ | 2.6 | 84% | 0.8 | 15% |
| 37 | Bewdley Worcestershire | C+ | 1.7 | 88% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 38 | Crediton Devon | C+ | 2.4 | 89% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 39 | Seaton Delaval Northumberland | C+ | 0.5 | 66% | 4 | 0% |
| 40 | Ammanford Dyfed | C+ | 2.8 | 70% | 1.5 | 9% |
| 41 | Holywell Clwyd | C | 0.9 | 68% | 3 | 0% |
| 42 | Silsden West Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 67% | 3.5 | 1% |
| 43 | Norton-on-Derwent North Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 58% | 2.4 | 16% |
| 44 | Southam Warwickshire | C | 2.3 | 86% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 45 | Histon and Impington Cambridgeshire | C | 1.5 | 66% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 46 | Gerrards Cross Buckinghamshire | C | 2.1 | 38% | 2.3 | 2% |
| 47 | Hedon East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 0.9 | 74% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 48 | Glastonbury Somerset | C− | 2 | 69% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Llanharan and Brynna Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1.7 | 97% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Hilton Derbyshire | C− | 1.1 | 89% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Radlett Hertfordshire | C− | 2.1 | 60% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 52 | Rainworth Nottinghamshire | C− | 0.5 | 65% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Tenterden Kent | C− | 0.8 | 58% | 1.8 | 48% |
| 54 | Penkridge Staffordshire | C− | 0.8 | 70% | 2.1 | 7% |
| 55 | Launceston Cornwall | C− | 2.1 | 66% | 0.9 | 1% |
| 56 | Cotgrave Nottinghamshire | C− | 1 | 47% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 57 | Highworth Wiltshire | C− | 0.4 | 59% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Clowne Derbyshire | C− | 1.4 | 67% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Swaffham Norfolk | D | 1 | 68% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Ashford Common Surrey | D | 0.8 | 62% | 2.5 | 0% |
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bursledon’s built-up area.
The biggest is River Hamble Country Park, 164 ha (405 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
The two biggest, River Hamble Country Park and Bursledon Common, are 97% of the named green space and carry 18 km of path between them.
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; 41 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 197 residents.
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 Bursledon scores 0% on it even though the New Forest National Park is 3.0 mi away. New Forest National Park covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006.
54 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bursledon and the kilometre around it, 3.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
The European walking route E9, Milford on Sea to Queen Elizabeth Country Park, a national route, passes Bursledon. Close to home, the Strawberry Trail has 13 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. The regional route here is the Solent Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
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) | 8.4 | 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 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 91 | 65 | 55 | 56 | 47 | 55 | 52 | 59 | 65 | 89 | 102 | 103 |
May is the driest month (47 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 103 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 29 nights a year. The climate in Bursledon →
19% of the area within 5 km of Bursledon is sea. 8 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 0 with a name.
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.
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.
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Plus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Plus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Plus 5 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Plus 35 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bursledon | A | 2.6 | 90% | 0% |
| Netley 1.6 mi | A+ | 16.3 | 100% | 4% |
| Hamble-le-Rice 2.0 mi | A+ | 12.7 | 67% | 7% |
| Hedge End 2.1 mi | A− | 5.5 | 87% | 0% |
| Whiteley 2.6 mi | A− | 3.0 | 52% | 2% |
| Locks Heath 2.7 mi | A+ | 3.5 | 91% | 4% |
| West End 3.0 mi | A | 9.1 | 100% | 0% |
Netley, 1.6 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Netley, Hamble-le-Rice and Hedge End have at least twice Bursledon’s green space per resident.
River Hamble Country Park, 164 ha (405 acres), with 18 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Bursledon Common (3.8 ha) is second. 4 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Yes. New Forest National Park begins 3.0 mi south of the town’s edge. It covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006.
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Strawberry Trail, Hamble Rail Trail Route and European walking route E9, Milford on Sea to Queen Elizabeth Country Park. River Hamble Country Park alone has 18 km of path.
90% 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%.
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
For paths, yes: 3.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 77% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 63% (2.6 ha per 1,000 residents).
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 Bursledon’s overall grade.
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.