Hereford’s biggest
Aylestone Park
Park or garden
20 ha (48 acres)3.0 km of path
40 minto walk all 3 km of path
27 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Dave Croker · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Hereford · parks, paths & countryside
92% of Hereford’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Wye Valley National Landscape begins 1.5 mi from the town’s edge. 172 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.6 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Hereford add up to 2.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Hereford grades A− for the outdoors: #2 of 5 in Herefordshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
92%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
172 km
3.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
6%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Wye Valley National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Hereford?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe Wye Valley National Landscape starts 1.5 mi south-east.Hills with a view5 mapped viewpoints, about 2× as many per resident as the typical town its size.
Hereford’s strongest suit is the Wye Valley National Landscape close by, followed by its views.
Outdoors grade
Hereford grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Hereford, 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 82% of UK towns#2 of 5 in Herefordshire · 18th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
61out of
100
100
A park within a walk92%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
70out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape6%of the land within 5 km
68out of
100
100
Footpaths3.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
74out 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
Hereford is 18th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 50,500 to 71,700 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
Hereford3.6
Towns its size3.5
Herefordshire towns2.8
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Hereford2.6
Towns its size2.4
Herefordshire towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Hereford92%
Towns its size86%
Herefordshire towns89%
All UK towns83%
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 | Rochester Kent | A+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.6 | 23% |
| 3 | Lancaster Lancashire | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.5 | 22% |
| 4 | Dartford Kent | A | 3.9 | 72% | 5.1 | 1% |
| 5 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 6 | Scarborough North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 86% | 3.1 | 17% |
| 7 | Cannock Staffordshire | A | 5.5 | 88% | 3.5 | 26% |
| 8 | Gravesend Kent | A | 1.4 | 84% | 6.4 | 14% |
| 9 | Barry South Glamorgan | A | 2.9 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Weymouth Dorset | A | 2.6 | 55% | 3.5 | 35% |
| 11 | Sittingbourne Kent | A | 1.9 | 93% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 12 | Barnsley South Yorkshire | A | 4.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Banbury Oxfordshire | A | 2.6 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 14 | Gosport Hampshire | A | 3 | 85% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Farnborough Hampshire | A | 4 | 77% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 16 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 17 | Tynemouth Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.2 | 85% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Hereford Herefordshire | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 19 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 20 | Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent | A− | 2.2 | 93% | 2.7 | 73% |
| 21 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Washington Tyne and Wear | A− | 4.5 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 23 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 24 | Carlton Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.9 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Bootle Merseyside | B+ | 2.1 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Canterbury Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 5.7 | 19% |
| 28 | Torquay Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 29 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 30 | Bebington Merseyside | B+ | 3 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Royal Leamington Spa Warwickshire | B+ | 2.7 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Huyton with Roby Merseyside | B+ | 3.7 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Ellesmere Port Cheshire | B | 2.8 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Widnes Cheshire | B | 3 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Beeston Nottinghamshire | B | 2.7 | 77% | 6 | 0% |
| 36 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 37 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria | B | 2 | 91% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Macclesfield Cheshire | B | 1.8 | 80% | 3.3 | 18% |
| 40 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 41 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 44 | Brentwood Essex | B− | 3.9 | 69% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 45 | Bloxwich West Midlands | B− | 3.6 | 74% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Kettering Northamptonshire | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Stafford Staffordshire | B− | 1.9 | 70% | 3.1 | 11% |
| 48 | Smethwick West Midlands | C+ | 2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Wellingborough Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.7 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Hinckley Leicestershire | C+ | 1.8 | 87% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Halesowen West Midlands | C+ | 2.1 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Kingswinford West Midlands | C+ | 2.6 | 71% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Walsall West Midlands | C+ | 2.5 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Clacton-on-Sea Essex | C | 1.7 | 73% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Bognor Regis West Sussex | C | 1.1 | 78% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Loughborough Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 73% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Durham County Durham | C | 1.1 | 68% | 6 | 0% |
| 58 | Stourbridge West Midlands | C | 1.9 | 72% | 3 | 0% |
| 59 | Kidderminster Worcestershire | D | 1.2 | 72% | 2.6 | 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 Hereford’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 Hereford
The biggest is Aylestone Park, 20 ha (48 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 15 named parks by size: 63 ha (155 acres) and 14 km of path
Parks & gardens 50 haPlaying fields 13 haPlay spaces 0.2 ha
The two biggest, Aylestone Park and Abbey View East, are 48% of the named green space and carry 5 km of path between them. 4 of the 15 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Abbey View East
Park or garden
11 ha (27 acres)2.5 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.5 km of path
15 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Quarry Park
Park or garden
6.9 ha (17 acres)2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi eastfrom the centre
Nature reserve
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Castle Green
Park or garden
2.9 ha (7 acres)1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Hereford
Hereford Castle monument Nelson Column Grade II* +5 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Redcliffe Gardens
Park or garden
2.7 ha (7 acres)1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Hereford
Hereford Castle monument Nelson Column Grade II* +4 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Abbey View West
Park or garden
2.7 ha (7 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.6 mi south-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Viewing Point
Playing field
4.5 ha (11 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Churchill Gardens
Park or garden
3.5 ha (9 acres)0.3 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi north-eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 15 named parks and green spaces
Aylestone ParkPark or garden · 20 ha · 3.0 km of path
DirectionsAbbey View EastPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.5 km of path
DirectionsQuarry ParkPark or garden · 6.9 ha · 2.9 km of path
DirectionsCastle GreenPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsRedcliffe GardensPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsAbbey View WestPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsViewing PointPlaying field · 4.5 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsChurchill GardensPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBishop's MeadowPlaying field · 3.5 ha
DirectionsPlaygroundPlaying field · 2.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsWidemarsh CommonPlaying field · 2.4 ha
DirectionsBeaumont GardensPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBlackfriars GardensPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsCantilupe GardensPark or garden · 0.1 ha
DirectionsCentral ParkPlay space · 0.2 ha
DirectionsClose to home
How close Hereford’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 (92%)Further (8%)
Hereford92%
Towns its size86%
Herefordshire towns89%
All UK towns83%
About 5,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 48 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,260 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Wye Valley National Landscape is 1.5 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
National Landscape
Wye Valley
1.5 mi south-east655 km²since 19716% of the land within 5 km
Official siteNational Park
Brecon Beacons
12 mi south-west1,350 km²since 1955
6% of the land within 5 km of Hereford is National Park or National Landscape, more than 67% of UK towns. Brecon Beacons National Park covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Hereford
172 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Hereford and the kilometre around it, 3.6 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
Three Choirs Way (Woolhope to Withington)13.1 km
Wye Valley Walk12.4 km
Three Choirs Way (Gloucester to Hereford)7.1 km
Three Choirs Way (Hereford to Worcester)6.2 km
4 regional routes pass through, including the Three Choirs Way (Woolhope to Withington), Wye Valley Walk, Three Choirs Way (Gloucester to Hereford) and Three Choirs Way (Hereford to Worcester).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
History inside Hereford’s parks
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Hereford’s named parks.
Park with listed buildings
Castle Green
2.9 ha. 7 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge, including Hereford Castle (a scheduled monument).
SMHereford CastleII*Nelson ColumnIICasle Green House Castle Pool HouseIICastle Cliffe Hereford Association of Youth Clubs Technical College AnnexeIISaint Ethelbert's WellIIThe FosseIIWalls and Gate at the Fosse
Listed buildings insideBlackfriars GardensBlackfriars Friary, preaching cross and cemetery, and hospital and chapel of St John in Hereford, Preaching Cross in Grounds of Coningsby Hospital and Remains of Blackfriars Priory
Listed buildings insideRedcliffe GardensHereford Castle, Nelson Column and Castle Cliffe Hereford Association of Youth Clubs Technical College Annexe and 3 more
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 Hereford: 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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.7 | 16.3 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 69 | 51 | 49 | 51 | 52 | 51 | 46 | 57 | 55 | 73 | 70 | 70 |
July is the driest month (46 mm) and the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 73 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 45 nights a year. The climate in Hereford →
Things to do
5 viewpoints and 48 playgrounds
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.
5Viewpoints2.4× towns its size3Hills and peaks2.6× towns its size1Nature reserves3Picnic sites1.6× towns its size48Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size3Dog parks1Campsites
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Plus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Dinedor Hill0.2 mi from town
DirectionsDinedor Camp200 m (656 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
The Rough Quarry2.3 ha · in town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 48
Benjamin Parkin town
DirectionsCanterbury Closein town
DirectionsCentral Parkin town
DirectionsHereford Point Play Park (Residents Funded)in town
DirectionsSt. George's Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 43 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 3
Marilyn's Meadow - Secure Dog Park0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks 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.
BartestreeClehongerCredenhillKingstoneWeobleyEwyas HaroldHereford
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hereford | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 6% |
| Bartestree 3.4 mi | C+ | 2.1 | 81% | 10% |
| Clehonger 3.9 mi | C+ | 0.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Credenhill 4.2 mi | C− | 1.5 | 87% | 0% |
| Kingstone 5.6 mi | B− | 3.1 | 100% | 0% |
| Weobley 9.6 mi | C+ | 1.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Ewyas Harold 10.0 mi | C− | 2.1 | 55% | 0% |
Hereford grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table.
Questions about the outdoors in Hereford
What is the biggest park in Hereford?
Aylestone Park, 20 ha (48 acres), with 3 km of path. Abbey View East (11 ha) is second. 15 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Hereford near a National Park?
Yes. Brecon Beacons National Park begins 12 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,350 km² and has been a National Park since 1955. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Wye Valley National Landscape, 1.5 mi away.
What are the best walks near Hereford?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Three Choirs Way (Woolhope to Withington), Wye Valley Walk and Three Choirs Way (Gloucester to Hereford). Aylestone Park alone has 3 km of path.
How many people in Hereford 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 Hereford?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Hereford good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 74% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 61% (2.6 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 Hereford’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Hereford’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.