Winchester’s biggest
King George V Playing Field
Playing field
7.5 ha (19 acres)
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Robin Drayton · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Winchester · parks, paths & countryside
35% of the land within 5 km of Winchester is National Park or National Landscape
The South Downs National Park reaches the edge of Winchester. 152 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.8 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Winchester add up to 1.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Winchester grades B for the outdoors: #58 of 76 in Hampshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
79%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
152 km
3.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
35%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: South Downs National Park
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Winchester?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside35% of the land within 5 km is South Downs National Park.Hills with a view11 mapped viewpoints, about 6× as many per resident as the typical town its size.A town of footpaths3.8 km of path per km², more than 76% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Less park per person1.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Winchester’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by its views. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Winchester grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Winchester, 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 57% of UK towns#58 of 76 in Hampshire · 37th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
17out of
100
100
A park within a walk79%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
44out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape35%of the land within 5 km
86out of
100
100
Footpaths3.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
76out 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
Winchester is 37th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 42,600 to 55,200 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
Winchester3.8
Towns its size3.6
Hampshire towns3.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Winchester1.2
Towns its size2.3
Hampshire towns2.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Winchester79%
Towns its size83%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Winchester falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 56 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Folkestone Kent | A+ | 2.3 | 95% | 4.9 | 45% |
| 2 | Havant Hampshire | A+ | 3.6 | 84% | 5.8 | 30% |
| 3 | Lancaster Lancashire | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.5 | 22% |
| 4 | Andover Hampshire | A | 2.7 | 91% | 4.4 | 21% |
| 5 | Salisbury Wiltshire | A | 2.7 | 94% | 3.9 | 22% |
| 6 | Wrexham Clwyd | A | 3.8 | 92% | 3.9 | 2% |
| 7 | Wallsend Tyne and Wear | A | 6 | 93% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 8 | Sittingbourne Kent | A | 1.9 | 93% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 9 | Bexhill-on-Sea East Sussex | A | 1.7 | 83% | 3.4 | 13% |
| 10 | Banbury Oxfordshire | A | 2.6 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Bletchley Buckinghamshire | A | 4.1 | 91% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 12 | Eastleigh Hampshire | A− | 3 | 76% | 4.9 | 17% |
| 13 | Trowbridge Wiltshire | A− | 2.3 | 91% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 14 | Christchurch Dorset | A− | 2.1 | 70% | 3.3 | 14% |
| 15 | Crosby Merseyside | A− | 4.6 | 89% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent | A− | 2.2 | 93% | 2.7 | 73% |
| 17 | Washington Tyne and Wear | A− | 4.5 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 18 | Ashton-under-Lyne Greater Manchester | A− | 3.1 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 19 | Cheshunt Hertfordshire | B+ | 4.8 | 79% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 20 | Carlton Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.9 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 21 | Bootle Merseyside | B+ | 2.1 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Canterbury Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 5.7 | 19% |
| 23 | West Molesey Surrey | B+ | 4.4 | 80% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 24 | Torquay Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Thundersley and South Benfleet Essex | B+ | 3.2 | 69% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 26 | Bridgwater Somerset | B+ | 1.9 | 86% | 3.7 | 2% |
| 27 | Yeovil Somerset | B+ | 2 | 90% | 3.2 | 2% |
| 28 | Royal Leamington Spa Warwickshire | B+ | 2.7 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Batley West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.7 | 94% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Cwmbrân Gwent | B+ | 2.1 | 84% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 31 | Middleton Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.5 | 80% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Horsham West Sussex | B | 1.5 | 83% | 3.9 | 19% |
| 33 | Wokingham Berkshire | B | 4 | 84% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Leigh Greater Manchester | B | 5.3 | 77% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Beeston Nottinghamshire | B | 2.7 | 77% | 6 | 0% |
| 36 | Macclesfield Cheshire | B | 1.8 | 80% | 3.3 | 18% |
| 37 | Winchester Hampshire | B | 1.2 | 79% | 3.8 | 35% |
| 38 | Altrincham Greater Manchester | B | 2.2 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 39 | Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Castleford West Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 92% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 41 | Bloxwich West Midlands | B− | 3.6 | 74% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Oldbury West Midlands | B− | 3 | 68% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Lytham St Anne's Lancashire | B− | 2.4 | 83% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Braintree Essex | B− | 1.7 | 89% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 45 | Tipton West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 79% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Hinckley Leicestershire | C+ | 1.8 | 87% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Wellingborough Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.7 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Willenhall West Midlands | C+ | 3.4 | 66% | 3 | 0% |
| 49 | Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Kingswinford West Midlands | C+ | 2.6 | 71% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 51 | King's Lynn Norfolk | C+ | 1.3 | 80% | 2.2 | 23% |
| 52 | Clacton-on-Sea Essex | C | 1.7 | 73% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 53 | Kirkby Merseyside | C | 2.2 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Grays Essex | C | 1.2 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Durham County Durham | C | 1.1 | 68% | 6 | 0% |
| 56 | Keighley West Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Boston Lincolnshire | C− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Worksop Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.3 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 59 | Grantham Lincolnshire | D | 0.9 | 69% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Bridgend Mid Glamorgan | D | 0.9 | 78% | 2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Winchester’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 Winchester
The biggest is King George V Playing Field, 7.5 ha (19 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 11 named parks by size: 19 ha (48 acres) and 2 km of path
Parks & gardens 5.3 haPlaying fields 14 haPlay spaces 0.2 ha
The two biggest, King George V Playing Field and Oram's Arbour, are 50% of the named green space. 7 of the 11 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Oram's Arbour
Playing field
2.2 ha (5 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Winchester
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
North Walls Recreation Ground
Playing field
4.2 ha (10 acres)0.2 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
St Cross Park
Park or garden
2.6 ha (6 acres)
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi southfrom the centre
Hospital of St Cross and Almshouses of Noble Poverty Grade I
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Abbey Grounds
Park or garden
0.9 ha (2 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
0.7 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Abbey House Grade II* +3 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Hilliers Haven
Park or garden
1.2 ha (3 acres)0.3 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Hyde Abbey Gardens
Park or garden
0.4 ha (1 acres)0.1 km of path
0.6 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Joyce Gardens
Park or garden
0.2 ha (1 acres)0.1 km of path
0.8 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 11 named parks and green spaces
King George V Playing FieldPlaying field · 7.5 ha
DirectionsOram's ArbourPlaying field · 2.2 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsNorth Walls Recreation GroundPlaying field · 4.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSt Cross ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha
DirectionsAbbey GroundsPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsHilliers HavenPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsHyde Abbey GardensPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsJoyce GardensPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsFriary GardensPark or garden · 0.1 ha
DirectionsKing George V Play AreaPlay space · 0.2 ha
DirectionsPlaygroundPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Winchester 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 (79%)Further (21%)
Winchester79%
Towns its size83%
Hampshire towns80%
All UK towns83%
About 10,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 39 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,243 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Winchester
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
35% of the land within 5 km of Winchester is National Park or National Landscape, more than 86% of UK towns. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Winchester is on the South Downs Way
152 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Winchester and the kilometre around it, 3.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocalOther waymarked
St James' Way11.2 km
Itchen Way10.4 km
Clarendon Way9.3 km
Allan King Way6.5 km
Kingfisher Trail6.3 km
Three Castles Path6.0 km
Pilgrims' Trail5.9 km
St Swithun's Way5.5 km
South Downs Way4.7 km
Keble Way2.6 km
Monarch's Way1.3 km
The South Downs Way, a national route, passes Winchester. Close to home, the Kingfisher Trail has 6 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 8 regional routes pass through, including the St James' Way, Itchen Way, Clarendon Way and 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 Winchester: 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 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 99 | 67 | 62 | 63 | 52 | 55 | 52 | 63 | 65 | 97 | 105 | 89 |
July is the driest month (52 mm) and the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 105 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 45 nights a year. The climate in Winchester →
Things to do
11 viewpoints, 39 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.
11Viewpoints6.2× towns its size12Hills and peaks11.2× towns its size9Nature reserves4.8× towns its size39Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Campsites
The nearest beaches
Winchester is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Calshot Beach16 mi from Winchester’s edge
DirectionsHill Head Beach16 mi from Winchester’s edge
DirectionsBrockenhurst Beach17 mi from Winchester’s edge
DirectionsThe Spit18 mi from Winchester’s edge
DirectionsFamily Beach18 mi from Winchester’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. Oliver Cromwell's Battery, at 124 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Winchester.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 11
Beech Lookoutin town
DirectionsMilner Viewpointin town
DirectionsSt Giles Hill Lower Viewpointin town
DirectionsSt Giles Hill Viewpointin town
DirectionsSt. Catherine’s Viewpointin town
DirectionsSaint Catherine's Hill0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 12
Oliver Cromwell's Battery124 m (407 ft) · in town
DirectionsSt. Catherine's Hill117 m (384 ft) · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsMagdalen Hill Down124 m (407 ft) · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsYew Hill134 m (440 ft) · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsEaston Down90 m (295 ft) · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsDeacon Hill143 m (469 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsWinnall Down100 m (328 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsTeg Down164 m (538 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 9
Whiteshute Ridge4.6 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsBarton Meadows0.0 mi from town
DirectionsFallodon Nature Reserve18 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsMagdalen Hill Down45 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsYew Hill Nature Reserve5.7 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsHockley Meadows Nature Reserve8.6 ha · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsShawford Knoll1.8 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsCrab Wood SSSI42 ha · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Playgrounds 39
Abbotts Walk Play Area (Planned)in town
DirectionsChaundler Road Play Areain town
DirectionsKing George V Playgroundin town
DirectionsLittleton Play area0.5 mi from town
DirectionsEversley Park Play Area1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 34 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite 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.
LittletonKings WorthyTwyfordComptonSouth WonstonOtterbourneWinchester
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester | B | 1.2 | 79% | 35% |
| Littleton 1.8 mi | A− | 7.8 | 100% | 10% |
| Kings Worthy 2.6 mi | B+ | 3.9 | 66% | 23% |
| Twyford 3.0 mi | A− | 6.8 | 49% | 44% |
| Compton 3.4 mi | A− | 18.8 | 61% | 28% |
| South Wonston 3.8 mi | C− | 1.6 | 42% | 7% |
| Otterbourne 3.9 mi | A | 2.9 | 100% | 25% |
Otterbourne, 3.9 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Littleton, Kings Worthy and Twyford have at least twice Winchester’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Winchester
What is the biggest park in Winchester?
King George V Playing Field, 7.5 ha (19 acres). Oram's Arbour (2.2 ha) is second. 11 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Winchester near a National Park?
South Downs National Park reaches the edge of Winchester. It covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
What are the best walks near Winchester?
11 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the St James' Way, Itchen Way and Clarendon Way.
What is the nearest beach to Winchester?
Calshot Beach, 16 mi from the edge of the town, then Hill Head Beach (16 mi). Winchester itself is inland.
How many people in Winchester live near a park?
79% 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 Winchester?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Winchester good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 76% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 17% (1.2 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 Winchester’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Winchester’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.