Hook’s biggest
Whitewater Meadows
Park or garden
12 ha (29 acres)3.3 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.3 km of path
16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Mr Ignavy · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Hook · parks, paths & countryside
80% of Hook’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Footpaths add up to 49 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Hook add up to 2.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Hook grades B− for the outdoors: #64 of 76 in Hampshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
80%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
49 km
3.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Wessex Downs National Landscape
Outdoors grade
Hook grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Hook, 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 45% of UK towns#64 of 76 in Hampshire · 42nd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
57out of
100
100
A park within a walk80%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
47out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
68out 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.
Towns its size
Hook is 42nd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 8,700 to 9,400 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
Hook3.4
Towns its size3.2
Hampshire towns3.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Hook2.4
Towns its size2.7
Hampshire towns2.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Hook80%
Towns its size84%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swanage Dorset | A+ | 6.9 | 95% | 4.2 | 47% |
| 2 | Worsbrough South Yorkshire | A | 10.1 | 100% | 6 | 0% |
| 3 | Brynteg Clwyd | A | 8.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 7% |
| 4 | Ilfracombe Devon | A | 2 | 86% | 3 | 28% |
| 5 | Killamarsh Derbyshire | A | 10.6 | 97% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 6 | Bordon Hampshire | A | 8.6 | 54% | 6.7 | 49% |
| 7 | Linthwaite and Slaithwaite West Yorkshire | A | 2.2 | 97% | 4.8 | 12% |
| 8 | New Mills Derbyshire | A | 2.4 | 84% | 5.1 | 34% |
| 9 | Warlingham Surrey | A | 4.2 | 81% | 4.3 | 13% |
| 10 | Greasby Merseyside | A | 5.9 | 74% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 11 | Whiteley Hampshire | A− | 3 | 52% | 4.4 | 2% |
| 12 | Hetton-le-Hole Tyne and Wear | A− | 7.8 | 95% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 13 | Shelf and Northowram West Yorkshire | A− | 5.3 | 88% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 14 | Billingshurst West Sussex | A− | 2.9 | 95% | 3.1 | 3% |
| 15 | Ryton Tyne and Wear | A− | 5.5 | 85% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 16 | Thurnscoe South Yorkshire | A− | 9.4 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 17 | Shaftesbury Dorset | A− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.3 | 44% |
| 18 | Aveley Essex | A− | 3.4 | 84% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 19 | Shanklin Isle of Wight | A− | 1.4 | 33% | 4.5 | 29% |
| 20 | Irthlingborough Northamptonshire | A− | 4.7 | 94% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 21 | Alfreton Derbyshire | B+ | 4.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Winnersh Berkshire | B+ | 9.6 | 80% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 23 | Frodsham Cheshire | B+ | 2.5 | 67% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 24 | Higham Ferrers Northamptonshire | B+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Hayle Cornwall | B+ | 1.4 | 72% | 3.4 | 6% |
| 26 | Banstead Surrey | B+ | 2.4 | 66% | 5.2 | 3% |
| 27 | Cinderford Gloucestershire | B+ | 1.7 | 80% | 4.7 | 4% |
| 28 | Ashbourne Derbyshire | B | 1.9 | 92% | 2.7 | 14% |
| 29 | Cockermouth Cumbria | B | 2.6 | 81% | 2.2 | 42% |
| 30 | Pontllanfraith Gwent | B | 3.7 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Ampthill Bedfordshire | B | 6.8 | 71% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 32 | Hemsworth West Yorkshire | B | 3.6 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Gatley Greater Manchester | B | 5.7 | 66% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Clay Cross Derbyshire | B | 2.6 | 88% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 35 | South Kirkby West Yorkshire | B | 3 | 97% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Marlborough Wiltshire | B | 1.2 | 72% | 3.8 | 100% |
| 37 | Tiptree Essex | B | 2.7 | 90% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Perton Staffordshire | B | 2.4 | 93% | 3 | 0% |
| 39 | Hornsea East Riding of Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 90% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Whitnash Warwickshire | B− | 2 | 95% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Cullompton Devon | B− | 3.2 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Hook Hampshire | B− | 2.4 | 80% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 43 | West End and Chobham Surrey | B− | 3.3 | 65% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Caister-on-Sea Norfolk | C+ | 1.1 | 58% | 2.1 | 21% |
| 45 | Wideopen Tyne and Wear | C+ | 2.1 | 75% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Okehampton Devon | C+ | 0.9 | 85% | 2.2 | 37% |
| 47 | Barwell Leicestershire | C | 1.7 | 90% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 48 | Milnrow Greater Manchester | C | 2.9 | 58% | 3 | 0% |
| 49 | Kinmel Bay Clwyd | C | 1.8 | 76% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Totnes Devon | C | 0.4 | 65% | 3.3 | 11% |
| 51 | Burscough Lancashire | C | 2.6 | 76% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Ferryhill County Durham | C− | 1.5 | 94% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 53 | Pencoed Mid Glamorgan | C− | 2.8 | 52% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Sileby Leicestershire | C− | 1 | 80% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Adlington Lancashire | C− | 1.3 | 64% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Shifnal Shropshire | D | 1 | 89% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Brandon Suffolk | D | 0.8 | 39% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Littleport Cambridgeshire | D | 1 | 71% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Harworth and Bircotes Nottinghamshire | D | 1.9 | 64% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Kirkham Lancashire | D− | 1.3 | 66% | 1.3 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Hook’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 Hook
The biggest is Whitewater Meadows, 12 ha (29 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 5 named parks by size: 23 ha (58 acres) and 6 km of path
Parks & gardens 18 haPlaying fields 5.4 ha
The two biggest, Whitewater Meadows and Bassett's Mead, are 73% of the named green space and carry 5 km of path between them.
Bassett's Mead
Park or garden
5.3 ha (13 acres)1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Hartletts Park
Playing field
3.3 ha (8 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Hook
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Wellworth Park
Park or garden
0.9 ha (2 acres)0.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Hook
Directionsto the nearest entrance
King George V Playing Fields
Playing field · 140 m outside town
2.1 ha (5 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Hook’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).
Within 400 m (80%)Further (20%)
Hook80%
Towns its size84%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
About 1,800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 10 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 906 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape is 6.6 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
South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Hook
49 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Hook and the kilometre around it, 3.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Regional
Basingstoke Canal5.2 km
Three Castles Path2.6 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the Basingstoke Canal and Three Castles Path.
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 Hook: 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 | 16.1 | 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) | 78 | 53 | 47 | 52 | 46 | 49 | 53 | 53 | 55 | 78 | 80 | 73 |
May is the driest month (46 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 80 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 44 nights a year. The climate in Hook →
Things to do
10 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
Hook is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Penguin Beach8.1 mi from Hook’s edge
DirectionsAmity Beach20 mi from Hook’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.
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 1
Coal House Corner Nature Reserve0.2 ha · in town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 10
Plus 10 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.
OdihamHartley WintneyOld BasingSherfield on LoddonElvetham HeathBramleyHook
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | B− | 2.4 | 80% | 0% |
| Odiham 2.3 mi | C | 1.9 | 72% | 0% |
| Hartley Wintney 2.5 mi | B+ | 6.1 | 82% | 0% |
| Old Basing 3.7 mi | A− | 13.6 | 92% | 0% |
| Sherfield on Loddon 3.9 mi | A− | 8.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Elvetham Heath 4.5 mi | A− | 8.7 | 100% | 0% |
| Bramley 5.1 mi | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 0% |
Sherfield on Loddon, 3.9 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Hartley Wintney, Old Basing and Sherfield on Loddon have at least twice Hook’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Hook
What is the biggest park in Hook?
Whitewater Meadows, 12 ha (29 acres), with 3.3 km of path. Bassett's Mead (5.3 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Hook near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 7.5 mi south 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, 6.6 mi away.
What are the best walks near Hook?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Basingstoke Canal and Three Castles Path. Whitewater Meadows alone has 3.3 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Hook?
Penguin Beach, 8.1 mi from the edge of the town, then Amity Beach (20 mi). Hook itself is inland.
How many people in Hook live near a park?
80% 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 Hook?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Hook good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 68% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 57% (2.4 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 Hook’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Hook’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.