Liss’ biggest
The Newman Collard Playing Fields
Playing field
4.3 ha (11 acres)0.1 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Liss
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: CT Cooper · Public domainA−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Liss · parks, paths & countryside
Liss is inside the South Downs National Park
87% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Parks and playing fields in Liss add up to 2.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Liss grades A− for the outdoors: #41 of 76 in Hampshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
87%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
38 km
2.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
98%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: South Downs National Park
Outdoors grade
Liss grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Liss, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 77% of UK towns#41 of 76 in Hampshire · 13th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
53out of
100
100
A park within a walk87%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
61out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape98%of the land within 5 km
99out of
100
100
Footpaths2.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
49out 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
Liss is 13th 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.
Outdoors score: the share of UK towns each one beats
Footpath, km per km²
Liss2.6
Towns its size2.7
Hampshire towns3.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Liss2.3
Towns its size2.3
Hampshire towns2.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Liss87%
Towns its size81%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frinton-on-Sea Essex | A+ | 7.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 2 | Windermere Cumbria | A+ | 3 | 94% | 3.6 | 100% |
| 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 | Chalfont St Giles Buckinghamshire | B− | 1.8 | 57% | 3.5 | 37% |
| 27 | Kelvedon and Feering Essex | B− | 3.5 | 94% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Astley Greater Manchester | B− | 3.5 | 78% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Bromham Bedfordshire | B− | 3.8 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 30 | Llay Clwyd | B− | 10.6 | 85% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Handsacre and Armitage Staffordshire | B− | 1.8 | 89% | 2.1 | 12% |
| 32 | Dudley Tyne and Wear | C+ | 2.6 | 69% | 4 | 0% |
| 33 | Bramley Hampshire | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 34 | Dickens Heath West Midlands | C+ | 3.2 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Loughor West Glamorgan | C+ | 2.1 | 70% | 1.2 | 6% |
| 36 | Cross Hills North Yorkshire | C+ | 1.9 | 86% | 3 | 0% |
| 37 | Ripponden West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.1 | 75% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Edwalton Nottinghamshire | C+ | 2.1 | 58% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Shortstown Bedfordshire | C | 2.4 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Datchet Berkshire | C | 8.4 | 72% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Bowburn County Durham | C | 1.5 | 71% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Minster (Thanet) Kent | C | 2.3 | 64% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 43 | Makeney Derbyshire | C | 2.1 | 56% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Mynydd Isa Clwyd | C | 0.9 | 87% | 2 | 3% |
| 45 | Northway Gloucestershire | C | 0.9 | 58% | 3.1 | 13% |
| 46 | Winterton Lincolnshire | C | 1.6 | 82% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Kinver Staffordshire | C | 3.1 | 60% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Woodhall Spa Lincolnshire | C− | 1.9 | 61% | 3 | 0% |
| 49 | Barton-under-Needwood Staffordshire | C− | 2.3 | 70% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Preesall and Knott End-on-Sea Lancashire | C− | 0.7 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Bricket Wood Hertfordshire | C− | 1.7 | 43% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Middleton St George County Durham | C− | 1.8 | 94% | 1 | 0% |
| 53 | Sowerby North Yorkshire | C− | 1.5 | 77% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 54 | Bailrigg Lancashire | C− | 0 | 0% | 3.4 | 18% |
| 55 | Stretton Staffordshire | C− | 3.7 | 49% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Melbourne Derbyshire | C− | 1.5 | 67% | 2.7 | 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% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Liss’ 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 Liss
The biggest is The Newman Collard Playing Fields, 4.3 ha (11 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
9 in 10 Liss 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 (87%)Further (13%)
Liss87%
Towns its size81%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
About 600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 5 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 950 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Liss
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
National Park
South Downs
Liss is inside it1,653 km²since 201098% of the land within 5 km
Official site98% of the land within 5 km of Liss is National Park or National Landscape, more than 98% of UK towns. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Liss
38 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Liss and the kilometre around it, 2.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
The Shipwrights Way13.7 km
Sussex Border Path6.0 km
The Serpent Trail3.5 km
Liss Riverside Railway Wallk1.8 km
3 regional routes pass through, including the The Shipwrights Way, Sussex Border Path and The Serpent Trail.
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 Liss: 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 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 107 | 79 | 69 | 68 | 58 | 62 | 62 | 75 | 74 | 118 | 120 | 113 |
May is the driest month (58 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 120 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 50 nights a year. The climate in Liss →
Things to do
5 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
Liss is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Penguin Beach8.7 mi from Liss’ edge
DirectionsPrinsted Beach13 mi from Liss’ edge
DirectionsBosham Foreshore15 mi from Liss’ edge
DirectionsSword Sands16 mi from Liss’ edge
DirectionsEastney Beach18 mi from Liss’ 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.
Up high. Palmer's Ball, at 103 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Liss.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 2
Palmer's Ball103 m (338 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsCombe Hill162 m (531 ft) · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 5
Liss Forestin town
DirectionsWest Liss Play Areain town
DirectionsGretham Village Hall1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 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.
Hill Brow and RakePetersfieldWhitehillLiphookBordonLindfordLiss
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liss | A− | 2.3 | 87% | 98% |
| Hill Brow and Rake 1.1 mi | C− | 0.0 | 0% | 97% |
| Petersfield 3.3 mi | A | 3.2 | 93% | 100% |
| Whitehill 4.0 mi | A+ | 10.2 | 74% | 58% |
| Liphook 4.3 mi | A | 3.1 | 86% | 64% |
| Bordon 4.8 mi | A | 8.6 | 54% | 49% |
| Lindford 5.4 mi | A+ | 17.1 | 100% | 42% |
Lindford, 5.4 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Whitehill, Bordon and Lindford have at least twice Liss’ green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Liss
What is the biggest park in Liss?
The Newman Collard Playing Fields, 4.3 ha (11 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
What are the best walks near Liss?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the The Shipwrights Way, Sussex Border Path and The Serpent Trail.
What is the nearest beach to Liss?
Penguin Beach, 8.7 mi from the edge of the town, then Prinsted Beach (13 mi). Liss itself is inland.
How many people in Liss live near a park?
87% 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 Liss?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Liss good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 49% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 53% (2.3 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 Liss’ overall grade.
Sources
Where Liss’ 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.