Old Basing’s biggest
Basingstoke Common
Park or garden
47 ha (116 acres)4.1 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.1 km of path
65 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Old Basing
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: wx8 · Public domainA−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Old Basing · parks, paths & countryside
Old Basing has more park space per resident than 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Old Basing add up to 13.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. The North Wessex Downs National Landscape begins 3.9 mi from the town’s edge. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 92% of residents. Old Basing grades A− for the outdoors: #42 of 76 in Hampshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
13.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
92%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
36 km
3.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
North Wessex Downs starts 3.9 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Old Basing?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam13.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 97% of UK towns.Countryside close byThe North Wessex Downs National Landscape starts 3.9 mi west.Historic parksBasing House is a registered historic park (Grade II).
Old Basing’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by the North Wessex Downs National Landscape close by.
Outdoors grade
Old Basing grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Old Basing, 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#42 of 76 in Hampshire · 10th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space13.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
98out of
100
100
A park within a walk92%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
71out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · North Wessex Downs begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
63out 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
Old Basing is 10th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 3,700 to 4,000 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
Old Basing3.1
Towns its size2.5
Hampshire towns3.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Old Basing13.6
Towns its size2.0
Hampshire towns2.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Old Basing92%
Towns its size82%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Old Basing stands out most for park space per resident: only 1 of the other 59 has more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Batheaston Somerset | A | 3 | 84% | 4.6 | 71% |
| 2 | Cuckfield West Sussex | A | 6.7 | 70% | 4.9 | 49% |
| 3 | Walter's Ash and Naphill Buckinghamshire | A | 3.7 | 50% | 5.3 | 79% |
| 4 | Bethesda Gwynedd | A | 2.5 | 90% | 3.2 | 49% |
| 5 | Disley Cheshire | A− | 1.2 | 100% | 4.6 | 22% |
| 6 | Mulbarton Norfolk | A− | 7 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 7 | Kingswood Surrey | A− | 4.6 | 27% | 6.3 | 17% |
| 8 | Welwyn Hertfordshire | A− | 2.6 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 9 | Esh Winning County Durham | A− | 3.2 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 10 | Old Basing Hampshire | A− | 13.6 | 92% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Colden Common Hampshire | B+ | 2.7 | 82% | 2.8 | 35% |
| 12 | Barnt Green Worcestershire | B+ | 37.8 | 81% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 13 | Stanstead Abbotts Hertfordshire | B+ | 2.5 | 92% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 14 | Long Melford Suffolk | B+ | 6.9 | 87% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 15 | Papworth Everard Cambridgeshire | B+ | 4.3 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 16 | Chirk Clwyd | B+ | 1.8 | 100% | 2.3 | 15% |
| 17 | Locking Somerset | B+ | 2.7 | 84% | 2.4 | 23% |
| 18 | Lyme Regis Dorset | B | 1.4 | 60% | 2.5 | 56% |
| 19 | Greasbrough South Yorkshire | B | 2.9 | 80% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Queenborough Kent | B | 1.6 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 21 | Mayland Essex | B | 2.6 | 91% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire | B | 7.7 | 76% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Romanby North Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 24 | Framlingham Suffolk | B | 3.7 | 73% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Mytholmroyd West Yorkshire | B | 1.8 | 88% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 26 | Pirbright Surrey | B | 2 | 84% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Rhuddlan Clwyd | B− | 1.8 | 85% | 0.9 | 8% |
| 28 | Glanaman Dyfed | B− | 3.3 | 83% | 0.8 | 29% |
| 29 | Cholsey Oxfordshire | B− | 2.3 | 55% | 2.5 | 81% |
| 30 | Alford Lincolnshire | B− | 2.1 | 85% | 1.5 | 26% |
| 31 | Cardigan Dyfed | B− | 1.9 | 69% | 1.4 | 13% |
| 32 | New Romney Kent | C+ | 2.5 | 79% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 33 | Kingskerswell Devon | C+ | 3.5 | 76% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Chipping Ongar Essex | C+ | 2.5 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Bar Hill Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.4 | 93% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Pewsey Wiltshire | C+ | 1 | 64% | 3 | 91% |
| 37 | Troedyrhiw and Pentrebach Mid Glamorgan | C+ | 2.5 | 84% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 38 | Norton Fitzwarren Somerset | C+ | 1.3 | 35% | 5.2 | 6% |
| 39 | Forest Row East Sussex | C+ | 0.3 | 51% | 3.4 | 94% |
| 40 | Coggeshall Essex | C | 2.1 | 84% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Silver End Essex | C | 2 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 42 | Cubbington Warwickshire | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 43 | Bromyard Herefordshire | C | 0.9 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 44 | Desford Leicestershire | C− | 1.6 | 90% | 2 | 0% |
| 45 | Holton le Clay Lincolnshire | C− | 2 | 59% | 1.4 | 8% |
| 46 | Lydd Kent | C− | 1.7 | 66% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 47 | Kingston Bagpuize Oxfordshire | C− | 0.8 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Sutton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.9 | 82% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Kempsey Worcestershire | D | 0.9 | 40% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Glyn-neath West Glamorgan | D | 1.3 | 57% | 1.1 | 22% |
| 51 | Pen-pedair-heol Gwent | D | 0.9 | 80% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 52 | Puckeridge and Standon Hertfordshire | D | 0.9 | 59% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Wilsden West Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 61% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Sutton Bridge Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 79% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Willingham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.4 | 73% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Llanbradach Gwent | D− | 1.2 | 52% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Long Buckby Northamptonshire | D− | 0.6 | 52% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 58 | Penyffordd Clwyd | D− | 0.7 | 36% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Llanharry Mid Glamorgan | D− | 0.6 | 50% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Indian Queens, Fraddon and St Columb Road Cornwall | D− | 0.7 | 27% | 1.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Old Basing’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 Old Basing
The biggest is Basingstoke Common, 47 ha (116 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Cowdery's Downs
Park or garden
20 ha (49 acres)4.2 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.2 km of path
28 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi north-westfrom the centre
Nature reserve
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
9 in 10 Old Basing 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 (92%)Further (8%)
Old Basing92%
Towns its size82%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
About 300 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 101 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape is 3.9 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Old Basing scores 0% on it even though the North Wessex Downs National Landscape is 3.9 mi away. 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 Old Basing
36 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Old Basing and the kilometre around it, 3.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalOther waymarked
Basingstoke Canal7.1 km
Great Binfield,Basingstoke1.8 km
The regional route here is the Basingstoke Canal.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A registered historic park in Old Basing
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Old Basing’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIBasing House1.1 ha
Heritage walks
Basingstoke Canal 7.1 km
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Old Basing: 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 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 81 | 57 | 48 | 53 | 47 | 49 | 47 | 57 | 55 | 80 | 85 | 77 |
July is the driest month (47 mm) and the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 85 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 43 nights a year. The climate in Old Basing →
Things to do
38 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
Old Basing is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Penguin Beach9.8 mi from Old Basing’s edge
DirectionsAmity Beach24 mi from Old Basing’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.
Up high. White Hill, at 113 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Old Basing.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
White Hill113 m (371 ft) · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Mill Field0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 38
Basingfield Close Open Space Play Areain town
DirectionsBelle Vue Road Play Areain town
DirectionsBinfields Wood Play Area0.6 mi from town
DirectionsSt Joseph's Playground0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPlaydays0.9 mi from town
DirectionsSimons Road Play Area0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPetersfield Close play area1.1 mi from town
DirectionsHanmore Road Youth Facility1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 30 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.
BasingstokeSherfield on LoddonHookOdihamBramleyOakleyOld Basing
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Basing | A− | 13.6 | 92% | 0% |
| Basingstoke 2.7 mi | A | 2.5 | 94% | 6% |
| Sherfield on Loddon 3.6 mi | A− | 8.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Hook 3.7 mi | B− | 2.4 | 80% | 0% |
| Odiham 4.1 mi | C | 1.9 | 72% | 0% |
| Bramley 4.2 mi | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 0% |
| Oakley 6.0 mi | C | 1.7 | 56% | 21% |
Basingstoke, 2.7 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 94% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Old Basing
What is the biggest park in Old Basing?
Basingstoke Common, 47 ha (116 acres), with 4.1 km of path. Cowdery's Downs (20 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Old Basing near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 8.3 mi south-east 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, 3.9 mi away.
What are the best walks near Old Basing?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Basingstoke Canal and Great Binfield,Basingstoke. Basingstoke Common alone has 4.1 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Old Basing?
Penguin Beach, 9.8 mi from the edge of the town, then Amity Beach (24 mi). Old Basing itself is inland.
How many people in Old Basing live near a park?
92% 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 Old Basing?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Old Basing are historic?
Basing House (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Old Basing good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 63% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 98% (13.6 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 Old Basing’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Old Basing’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.