Oakley’s biggest
Peter Houseman Recreation Ground
Playing field
2.5 ha (6 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Oakley
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Mr Ignavy · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Oakley · parks, paths & countryside
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape begins 0.3 mi from Oakley
A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 56% of residents. Parks and playing fields in Oakley add up to 1.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 37 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.6 for every square kilometre. Oakley grades C for the outdoors: #71 of 76 in Hampshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
56%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
37 km
2.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
21%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Wessex Downs National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Oakley?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe North Wessex Downs National Landscape starts 0.3 mi north-west.Less park per person1.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Oakley’s strongest suit is the North Wessex Downs National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Oakley grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Oakley, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C
Better than 33% of UK towns#71 of 76 in Hampshire · 38th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
33out of
100
100
A park within a walk56%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
17out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape21%of the land within 5 km
79out 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
Oakley is 38th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 5,100 to 5,500 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
Oakley2.6
Towns its size2.7
Hampshire towns3.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Oakley1.7
Towns its size2.1
Hampshire towns2.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Oakley56%
Towns its size75%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Oakley falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 48 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cookham Berkshire | A+ | 8.3 | 96% | 4.3 | 19% |
| 2 | Weston Dorset | A+ | 2.5 | 95% | 7.6 | 0% |
| 3 | Whitehill Hampshire | A+ | 10.2 | 74% | 5.1 | 58% |
| 4 | Hungerford Berkshire | A+ | 9.1 | 85% | 3.2 | 100% |
| 5 | St Ives Cornwall | A | 0.8 | 89% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 6 | Budleigh Salterton Devon | A− | 2.7 | 70% | 2.3 | 38% |
| 7 | Edwinstowe Nottinghamshire | A− | 5.6 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 8 | Hoylake Merseyside | A− | 3.5 | 83% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 9 | Brotton North Yorkshire | A− | 1.4 | 89% | 3 | 2% |
| 10 | Eynsham Oxfordshire | A− | 3 | 94% | 2.8 | 1% |
| 11 | Northam Devon | A− | 6.8 | 43% | 2 | 16% |
| 12 | Highbridge Somerset | B+ | 2.9 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 13 | Sonning Common Oxfordshire | B+ | 2.6 | 60% | 3.7 | 74% |
| 14 | Llantwit Major South Glamorgan | B+ | 3.2 | 83% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Drighlington West Yorkshire | B+ | 4.1 | 92% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Whitchurch Hampshire | B+ | 2.3 | 75% | 3.3 | 43% |
| 17 | New Alresford Hampshire | B+ | 2 | 94% | 2.3 | 38% |
| 18 | Waverley and Catcliffe South Yorkshire | B+ | 8.8 | 65% | 5 | 0% |
| 19 | Shrivenham and Watchfield Oxfordshire | B+ | 3.5 | 96% | 1.7 | 6% |
| 20 | Long Ashton Somerset | B+ | 10.2 | 66% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 21 | Dartmouth Devon | B+ | 2.1 | 71% | 1.8 | 45% |
| 22 | Newent Gloucestershire | B+ | 3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Battle East Sussex | B+ | 1.7 | 64% | 4.3 | 84% |
| 24 | Fremington Devon | B+ | 1.4 | 88% | 2.1 | 10% |
| 25 | Benson Oxfordshire | B | 6 | 44% | 2.3 | 50% |
| 26 | Longstanton and Northstowe Cambridgeshire | B | 4.3 | 86% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 27 | Rowlands Gill Tyne and Wear | B | 4.9 | 84% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 28 | Shinfield Berkshire | B | 1.6 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Redbourn Hertfordshire | B | 2.4 | 70% | 3.2 | 11% |
| 30 | Iver Heath Buckinghamshire | B | 28.9 | 53% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Virginia Water Surrey | B | 14.5 | 72% | 3 | 0% |
| 32 | Hebden Bridge West Yorkshire | B− | 1.6 | 84% | 7.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Abercarn Gwent | B− | 3 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Midhurst West Sussex | C+ | 0.3 | 28% | 4.3 | 100% |
| 35 | Brynmawr Gwent | C+ | 1.2 | 68% | 2.9 | 45% |
| 36 | Sacriston County Durham | C+ | 2.1 | 72% | 4 | 0% |
| 37 | Helsby Cheshire | C+ | 1.4 | 66% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Oakley Hampshire | C | 1.7 | 56% | 2.6 | 21% |
| 39 | Havercroft and Ryhill West Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 81% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 40 | Bovingdon Hertfordshire | C | 1.4 | 55% | 2.3 | 26% |
| 41 | Shevington Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 73% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Waterbeach Cambridgeshire | C | 1.5 | 94% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Looe Cornwall | C− | 0.1 | 47% | 1.7 | 6% |
| 44 | Long Stratton Norfolk | C− | 1 | 89% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Bayston Hill Shropshire | C− | 1.8 | 70% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Ludgershall Wiltshire | C− | 0.7 | 72% | 1.9 | 32% |
| 47 | Llangefni Gwynedd | C− | 1.8 | 95% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Ingatestone Essex | C− | 3.2 | 56% | 2 | 0% |
| 49 | Measham Leicestershire | C− | 1.3 | 83% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Littlestone-on-Sea Kent | C− | 1.4 | 37% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 51 | Long Sutton Lincolnshire | D | 2.2 | 81% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 52 | Potton Bedfordshire | D | 1.3 | 77% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Blackrod Greater Manchester | D | 1 | 83% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 54 | Wigton Cumbria | D | 2.4 | 65% | 1 | 0% |
| 55 | Thornton West Yorkshire | D | 0.4 | 54% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Eye Cambridgeshire | D | 1.4 | 77% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Moorends South Yorkshire | D | 2.2 | 39% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Winslow Buckinghamshire | D− | 1.4 | 59% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Appley Bridge Greater Manchester | D− | 0.5 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Ravenshead Nottinghamshire | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.9 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Oakley’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 Oakley
The biggest is Peter Houseman Recreation Ground, 2.5 ha (6 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Beach Park
Playing field
1.6 ha (4 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi north-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
6 in 10 Oakley 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 (56%)Further (45%)
Oakley56%
Towns its size75%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
About 2,300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 21 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 251 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Oakley
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 Landscape
North Wessex Downs
0.3 mi north-west1,731 km²since 197221% of the land within 5 km
Official site21% of the land within 5 km of Oakley is National Park or National Landscape, more than 78% of UK towns. 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 Oakley
37 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Oakley 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.
Regional
Wayfarers Walk9.9 km
St James' Way7.6 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the Wayfarers Walk and St James' 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 Oakley: 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) | 93 | 66 | 55 | 60 | 52 | 56 | 54 | 61 | 60 | 91 | 97 | 89 |
May is the driest month (52 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °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 49 nights a year. The climate in Oakley →
Things to do
21 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
Oakley is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Penguin Beach15 mi from Oakley’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
Playgrounds 21
Beach Park Play Areain town
DirectionsKennet Way Play Areain town
DirectionsSaint Johns Piece Play Areain town
DirectionsUpper Farm Road Play Areain town
DirectionsHeron Way Playground1.1 mi from town
DirectionsOld Down Play Area1.1 mi from town
DirectionsThe Bunny Hole Play Area1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 14 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.
BasingstokeOvertonOld BasingKingsclereWhitchurchTadleyOakley
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakley | C | 1.7 | 56% | 21% |
| Basingstoke 3.4 mi | A | 2.5 | 94% | 6% |
| Overton 3.9 mi | A | 3.7 | 92% | 45% |
| Old Basing 6.0 mi | A− | 13.6 | 92% | 0% |
| Kingsclere 6.1 mi | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 50% |
| Whitchurch 7.1 mi | B+ | 2.3 | 75% | 43% |
| Tadley 7.3 mi | A+ | 11.4 | 96% | 9% |
Tadley, 7.3 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 96% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Overton, Old Basing and Tadley have at least twice Oakley’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Oakley
What is the biggest park in Oakley?
Peter Houseman Recreation Ground, 2.5 ha (6 acres). Beach Park (1.6 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Oakley near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 9.8 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, 0.3 mi away.
What are the best walks near Oakley?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Wayfarers Walk and St James' Way.
What is the nearest beach to Oakley?
Penguin Beach, 15 mi from the edge of the town. Oakley itself is inland.
How many people in Oakley live near a park?
56% 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 Oakley?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Oakley 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 33% (1.7 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 Oakley’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Oakley’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.