Ashford’s biggest
Conningbrook Lakes Country Park
Park or garden
34 ha (83 acres)2.6 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.6 km of path
47 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.6 mi north-eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Chris Whippet · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Ashford · parks, paths & countryside
Ashford has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
291 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 5.2 for every square kilometre. The Kent Downs National Landscape reaches the edge of Ashford. 94% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Ashford grades A for the outdoors: #16 of 87 in Kent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
94%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
291 km
5.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
23%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Kent Downs National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Ashford?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths5.2 km of path per km², more than 94% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside both waysKent Downs starts 0.0 mi north-west, High Weald 6.0 mi south-west.On a National TrailThe North Downs Way passes through.Historic parksGodinton Park is a registered historic park (Grade II*).
Ashford’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by two protected landscapes close by.
Outdoors grade
Ashford grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Ashford, 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 94% of UK towns#16 of 87 in Kent · 5th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
65out of
100
100
A park within a walk94%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
73out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape23%of the land within 5 km
80out of
100
100
Footpaths5.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
94out 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
Ashford is 5th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 64,800 to 103,100 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
Ashford5.2
Towns its size3.8
Kent towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Ashford2.7
Towns its size2.5
Kent towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Ashford94%
Towns its size86%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Ashford stands out most for path per km²: only 12 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester Kent | A+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.6 | 23% |
| 2 | Hastings East Sussex | A+ | 3.1 | 76% | 4.3 | 42% |
| 3 | Burnley Lancashire | A+ | 3.4 | 95% | 5.7 | 7% |
| 4 | Dartford Kent | A | 3.9 | 72% | 5.1 | 1% |
| 5 | Ashford Kent | A | 2.7 | 94% | 5.2 | 23% |
| 6 | Guildford Surrey | A | 2.8 | 86% | 6.1 | 31% |
| 7 | Eastbourne East Sussex | A | 2 | 75% | 4.3 | 23% |
| 8 | Chatham Kent | A | 1.6 | 78% | 6.4 | 26% |
| 9 | Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire | A | 3 | 95% | 3.6 | 18% |
| 10 | Bath Somerset | A | 1.8 | 89% | 5.6 | 50% |
| 11 | Harlow Essex | A | 3.7 | 99% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 12 | Barnsley South Yorkshire | A | 4.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Bracknell Berkshire | A | 3.7 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 14 | Gosport Hampshire | A | 3 | 85% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 15 | South Shields Tyne and Wear | A | 2.4 | 80% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 16 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 17 | Weston-super-Mare Somerset | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 3.7 | 8% |
| 18 | Chesterfield Derbyshire | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 19 | Stevenage Hertfordshire | A− | 3 | 98% | 7.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire | A− | 5.2 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 22 | Aylesbury Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 9.5 | 5% |
| 23 | Carlisle Cumbria | A− | 3.2 | 91% | 3.1 | 4% |
| 24 | St Albans Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 95% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Harrogate North Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 86% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 26 | Redditch Worcestershire | A− | 4.1 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Bedford Bedfordshire | B+ | 4.2 | 88% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Wakefield West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.9 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 29 | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.6 | 68% | 5.4 | 67% |
| 30 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 31 | Ellesmere Port Cheshire | B | 2.8 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 32 | Wythenshawe Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 33 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 34 | Wallasey Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 90% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Preston Lancashire | B | 3 | 80% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Wigan Greater Manchester | B | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 0% |
| 38 | Hartlepool County Durham | B− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Nuneaton Warwickshire | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Rugby Warwickshire | B− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Tamworth Staffordshire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 3 | 0% |
| 42 | West Bromwich West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 83% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Grimsby Lincolnshire | B− | 1.3 | 75% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 44 | Bury Greater Manchester | B− | 2.4 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 45 | Halifax West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Stafford Staffordshire | B− | 1.9 | 70% | 3.1 | 11% |
| 47 | Royal Sutton Coldfield West Midlands | B− | 6.1 | 64% | 3 | 0% |
| 48 | Stockton-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 2 | 83% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Woking Surrey | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Shrewsbury Shropshire | C+ | 1.6 | 87% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Walsall West Midlands | C+ | 2.5 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 52 | Darlington County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Bognor Regis West Sussex | C | 1.1 | 78% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 54 | Loughborough Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 73% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Doncaster South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Scunthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Chester Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Crewe Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 88% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Southport Merseyside | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Burton upon Trent Staffordshire | C− | 1.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ashford’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 Ashford
The biggest is Conningbrook Lakes Country Park, 34 ha (83 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 17 named parks by size: 101 ha (250 acres) and 12 km of path
Parks & gardens 101 haPlaying fields 0.1 haPlay spaces 0.4 ha
The two biggest, Conningbrook Lakes Country Park and Victoria Park, are 56% of the named green space and carry 6 km of path between them. 8 of the 17 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Victoria Park
Park or garden
23 ha (57 acres)3.2 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.2 km of path
32 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Ashford
Playground Hubert Fountain Grade II* +1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Little Burton
Park or garden
12 ha (29 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Bucksford Park
Park or garden
8.5 ha (21 acres)1.3 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Bridgefield Park
Park or garden
7.5 ha (19 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.2 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Queen Mother's Park
Park or garden
6.1 ha (15 acres)0.4 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Kestrel Park
Park or garden
2.5 ha (6 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Kingsnorth Community Orchard
Park or garden · 20 m outside town
2.7 ha (7 acres)0.5 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi southfrom the centre
Hillary's Way
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 17 named parks and green spaces
Conningbrook Lakes Country ParkPark or garden · 34 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 23 ha · 3.2 km of path
DirectionsLittle BurtonPark or garden · 12 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsBucksford ParkPark or garden · 8.5 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsBridgefield ParkPark or garden · 7.5 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsQueen Mother's ParkPark or garden · 6.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsKestrel ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsKingsnorth Community OrchardPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBowens FieldPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsGodinton ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsNew Town GreenPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsVicarage FieldPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsLime Row Play AreaPlay space · 0.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsFoxglove GreenPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsKennington Garden of RemembrancePark or garden · 0.1 ha
DirectionsThe Ryan Clements Skate ParkPlay space · 0.2 ha
DirectionsBromley Green Football ClubPlaying field · 0.1 ha
DirectionsClose to home
9 in 10 Ashford 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 (94%)Further (7%)
Ashford94%
Towns its size86%
Kent towns78%
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; 76 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,081 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Kent Downs and High Weald both start about 6 miles from Ashford
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
Kent Downs
At the edge north-west879 km²since 196823% of the land within 5 km
Official site23% of the land within 5 km of Ashford is National Park or National Landscape, more than 80% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
5 waymarked walks pass through or near Ashford
291 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Ashford and the kilometre around it, 5.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocal
Stour Valley Walk14.3 km
Greensand Way13.8 km
Godinton Park Circular Walk4.1 km
North Downs Way (Eastern)3.1 km
Otford to Canterbury Cathedral3.1 km
The North Downs Way, a national route, passes Ashford. 3 regional routes pass through, including the Stour Valley Walk, Greensand Way and Otford to Canterbury Cathedral.
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 Ashford
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Ashford’s named parks.
Registered · Grade II*Godinton Park1.4 ha
Listed buildings insideVictoria ParkHubert Fountain and Stone setts, balustraded piers and curved stairs adjoining the Hubert Fountain
Heritage walks
Otford to Canterbury Cathedral 3.1 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 Ashford: 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 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 75 | 59 | 46 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 63 | 62 | 91 | 92 | 89 |
March is the driest month (46 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 92 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 36 nights a year. The climate in Ashford →
Things to do
76 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.
1Viewpoints2Hills and peaks1Nature reserves76Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size2Campsites1Slipways
The nearest beaches
Ashford is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Seabrook Beach9.4 mi from Ashford’s edge
DirectionsGreatstone beach9.6 mi from Ashford’s edge
DirectionsSandgate Beach10 mi from Ashford’s edge
DirectionsBroomhill Sands11 mi from Ashford’s edge
DirectionsThe Beach11 mi from Ashford’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
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Plus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 76
Asda Parkin town
DirectionsEastry Close Play Areain town
DirectionsEvolution Playgroundin town
DirectionsHunter Avenue Parkin town
DirectionsImaginein town
DirectionsJohn Wesley Parkin town
DirectionsKings Avenue Play Areain town
DirectionsMonkey Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 68 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Broadhembury Caravan & Camping Park0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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.
FinberryShadoxhurstWyeBrabourne LeesAldingtonBethersdenAshford
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford | A | 2.7 | 94% | 23% |
| Finberry 2.0 mi | A+ | 4.0 | 100% | 2% |
| Shadoxhurst 3.2 mi | D | 1.8 | 44% | 0% |
| Wye 4.0 mi | A+ | 4.7 | 100% | 71% |
| Brabourne Lees 4.8 mi | C | 0.9 | 0% | 34% |
| Aldington 4.8 mi | A+ | 4.6 | 100% | 11% |
| Bethersden 5.1 mi | C+ | 2.4 | 100% | 0% |
Wye, 4 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Ashford
What is the biggest park in Ashford?
Conningbrook Lakes Country Park, 34 ha (83 acres), with 2.6 km of path. Victoria Park (23 ha) is second. 17 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Ashford near a National Park?
It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Ashford?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Stour Valley Walk, Greensand Way and Godinton Park Circular Walk. Conningbrook Lakes Country Park alone has 2.6 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Ashford?
Seabrook Beach, 9.4 mi from the edge of the town, then Greatstone beach (9.6 mi). Ashford itself is inland.
How many people in Ashford live near a park?
94% 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 Ashford?
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 Ashford are historic?
Godinton Park (Grade II*) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Ashford good for walking?
For paths, yes: 5.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 94% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 65% (2.7 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 Ashford’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Ashford’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.