Fareham’s biggest
Blackbrook Recreation Ground
Park or garden
2.6 ha (6 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Tim Sheerman-Chase · CC BY 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Fareham · parks, paths & countryside
Fareham has more footpath per square kilometre than 8 in 10 UK towns
153 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.0 for every square kilometre. The South Downs National Park begins 2.0 mi from the town’s edge. The sea makes up 18% of the area within 5 km. Fareham grades B for the outdoors: #61 of 76 in Hampshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
48%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
153 km
4.0 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
2%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: South Downs National Park
The sea
18%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Fareham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths4.0 km of path per km², more than 81% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside both waysSouth Downs starts 2.0 mi north, New Forest 3.4 mi south-west.On a National TrailThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes through.Less park per person1.1 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Fareham’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Fareham grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Fareham, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B
Better than 55% of UK towns#61 of 76 in Hampshire · 41st of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
16out of
100
100
A park within a walk48%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
12out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape2%of the land within 5 km
65out of
100
100
Footpaths4.0 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
81out of
100
100
The sea18%of the area within 5 km
89out 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.
Towns its size
Fareham is 41st of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 37,600 to 48,600 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
Fareham4.0
Towns its size3.7
Hampshire towns3.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Fareham1.1
Towns its size2.5
Hampshire towns2.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Fareham48%
Towns its size84%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Fareham falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 58 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Havant Hampshire | A+ | 3.6 | 84% | 5.8 | 30% |
| 2 | Andover Hampshire | A | 2.7 | 91% | 4.4 | 21% |
| 3 | Wrexham Clwyd | A | 3.8 | 92% | 3.9 | 2% |
| 4 | Salisbury Wiltshire | A | 2.7 | 94% | 3.9 | 22% |
| 5 | Aldershot Hampshire | A | 3.4 | 77% | 6.3 | 17% |
| 6 | Wallsend Tyne and Wear | A | 6 | 93% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 7 | Merthyr Tydfil Mid Glamorgan | A | 3.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 29% |
| 8 | Haywards Heath West Sussex | A | 2.4 | 84% | 4.2 | 44% |
| 9 | Bexhill-on-Sea East Sussex | A | 1.7 | 83% | 3.4 | 13% |
| 10 | Ilkeston Derbyshire | A | 3.7 | 98% | 5 | 0% |
| 11 | Bletchley Buckinghamshire | A | 4.1 | 91% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 12 | Eastleigh Hampshire | A− | 3 | 76% | 4.9 | 17% |
| 13 | Llanelli Dyfed | A− | 2.3 | 85% | 2.4 | 18% |
| 14 | Trowbridge Wiltshire | A− | 2.3 | 91% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 15 | Ashton-under-Lyne Greater Manchester | A− | 3.1 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 16 | Chorley Lancashire | A− | 5 | 88% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 17 | Bamber Bridge Lancashire | A− | 6.4 | 88% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 18 | Hoddesdon Hertfordshire | A− | 6.5 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Leyland Lancashire | B+ | 4.6 | 91% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 20 | Cheshunt Hertfordshire | B+ | 4.8 | 79% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Newbury Berkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 81% | 3.3 | 50% |
| 22 | Hatfield Hertfordshire | B+ | 2.8 | 84% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 23 | West Molesey Surrey | B+ | 4.4 | 80% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 24 | Fleet Hampshire | B+ | 3.3 | 79% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 25 | Bridgwater Somerset | B+ | 1.9 | 86% | 3.7 | 2% |
| 26 | Aberdare Mid Glamorgan | B+ | 4.6 | 84% | 1.8 | 19% |
| 27 | Rowley Regis West Midlands | B+ | 4.1 | 71% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Batley West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.7 | 94% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Cwmbrân Gwent | B+ | 2.1 | 84% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 30 | Middleton Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.5 | 80% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Leigh Greater Manchester | B | 5.3 | 77% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Arnold Nottinghamshire | B | 3 | 81% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Bishop's Stortford Hertfordshire | B | 2.3 | 80% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Ramsgate Kent | B | 1.2 | 89% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Borehamwood Hertfordshire | B | 1.8 | 97% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Winchester Hampshire | B | 1.2 | 79% | 3.8 | 35% |
| 37 | Prescot Merseyside | B | 3.5 | 94% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 38 | Bicester Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 99% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 39 | Blyth Northumberland | B | 1.6 | 83% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 40 | Castleford West Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 92% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 41 | Fareham Hampshire | B | 1.1 | 48% | 4 | 2% |
| 42 | Chadderton Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Redcar North Yorkshire | B− | 2.6 | 79% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Bury St Edmunds Suffolk | B− | 3 | 78% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Oldbury West Midlands | B− | 3 | 68% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Eccles Greater Manchester | B− | 2.7 | 93% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Lytham St Anne's Lancashire | B− | 2.4 | 83% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Canvey Island Essex | B− | 1.5 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Braintree Essex | B− | 1.7 | 89% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Tipton West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 79% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Urmston Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.7 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 53 | King's Lynn Norfolk | C+ | 1.3 | 80% | 2.2 | 23% |
| 54 | Neath West Glamorgan | C | 2 | 80% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Long Eaton Derbyshire | C | 1.8 | 74% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Kirkby Merseyside | C | 2.2 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Grays Essex | C | 1.2 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Boston Lincolnshire | C− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Worksop Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.3 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 60 | Grantham Lincolnshire | D | 0.9 | 69% | 2.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Fareham’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 Fareham
The biggest is Blackbrook Recreation Ground, 2.6 ha (6 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
5 in 10 Fareham 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 (48%)Further (52%)
Fareham48%
Towns its size84%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
About 22,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 38 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,122 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
South Downs and New Forest both start about 3 miles from Fareham
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
2% of the land within 5 km of Fareham is National Park or National Landscape, more than 64% of UK towns. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Fareham
153 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Fareham and the kilometre around it, 4.0 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegional
King Charles III England Coast Path: Gosport to Portsmouth12.2 km
Allan King Way9.7 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Gosport to Portsmouth: Wicor Marine Alt Route0.7 km
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Fareham. The regional route here is the Allan King Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
When to get out
The best walking months in Fareham: 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) | 8.4 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 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 | 17 | 12 | 10 |
| Rain (mm) | 85 | 57 | 51 | 52 | 42 | 51 | 49 | 60 | 65 | 89 | 97 | 91 |
May is the driest month (42 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 97 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 24 nights a year. The climate in Fareham →
The coast
Fareham is near the sea
18% of the area within 5 km of Fareham is sea. 41 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 1 with a name.
Hill Head Beach1.7 mi from town
DirectionsThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes the town.
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.
Things to do
38 playgrounds
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.
1Viewpoints2Hills and peaks1Nature reserves38Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size3Dog parks2Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Fiddlers Green50 m (164 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsSager's Down51 m (167 ft) · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Berry Coppice9.9 ha · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 38
Bath Park Playground0.0 mi from town
DirectionsDore Avenue Play Area0.5 mi from town
DirectionsMetcalfe Avenue Play Area0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPortchester Park Play Area0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 34 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 3
Tukes Avenue Field0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPaw Paddock Portsdown Hill0.4 mi from town
DirectionsStanleys Meadow0.9 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 2
Plus 2 slipways 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.
KnowleLee-on-the-SolentWickhamLocks HeathWhiteleyGosportFareham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fareham | B | 1.1 | 48% | 2% |
| Knowle 1.9 mi | A− | 2.0 | 100% | 7% |
| Lee-on-the-Solent 3.0 mi | A+ | 5.7 | 96% | 1% |
| Wickham 3.1 mi | D | 0.8 | 26% | 13% |
| Locks Heath 3.4 mi | A+ | 3.5 | 91% | 4% |
| Whiteley 3.4 mi | A− | 3.0 | 52% | 2% |
| Gosport 3.9 mi | A | 3.0 | 85% | 0% |
Lee-on-the-Solent, 3 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 96% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Lee-on-the-Solent, Locks Heath and Whiteley have at least twice Fareham’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Fareham
What is the biggest park in Fareham?
Blackbrook Recreation Ground, 2.6 ha (6 acres), with 1 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Fareham near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 2.0 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
What are the best walks near Fareham?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: Gosport to Portsmouth, Allan King Way and King Charles III England Coast Path: Gosport to Portsmouth: Wicor Marine Alt Route.
How many people in Fareham live near a park?
48% 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 Fareham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Fareham good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.0 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 81% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 16% (1.1 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 Fareham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Fareham’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.