Chatham’s biggest
Capstone Farm Country Park
Park or garden · 140 m outside town
65 ha (159 acres)12.4 km of path
2 h 45 minto walk all 12.4 km of path
90 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: David Martin · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Chatham · parks, paths & countryside
Chatham has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
280 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 6.4 for every square kilometre. The Kent Downs National Landscape reaches the edge of Chatham. Parks and playing fields in Chatham add up to 1.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Chatham grades A for the outdoors: #21 of 87 in Kent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
78%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
280 km
6.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
26%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Kent Downs National Landscape
The sea
8%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Chatham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths6.4 km of path per km², more than 98% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Protected countryside26% of the land within 5 km is Kent Downs National Landscape.Hills with a view6 mapped viewpoints, about 3× as many per resident as the typical town its size.Less park per person1.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Chatham’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Chatham grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Chatham, 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 91% of UK towns#21 of 87 in Kent · 8th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
32out of
100
100
A park within a walk78%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
42out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape26%of the land within 5 km
81out of
100
100
Footpaths6.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
98out of
100
100
The sea8%of the area within 5 km
85out 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
Chatham is 8th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 63,000 to 94,600 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
Chatham6.4
Towns its size3.7
Kent towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Chatham1.6
Towns its size2.4
Kent towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Chatham78%
Towns its size86%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Chatham stands out most for path per km²: only 4 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 50 of the others do better.
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 | Cannock Staffordshire | A | 5.5 | 88% | 3.5 | 26% |
| 8 | Chatham Kent | A | 1.6 | 78% | 6.4 | 26% |
| 9 | Bath Somerset | A | 1.8 | 89% | 5.6 | 50% |
| 10 | Harlow Essex | A | 3.7 | 99% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 11 | Barnsley South Yorkshire | A | 4.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 12 | Bracknell Berkshire | A | 3.7 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 13 | Gosport Hampshire | A | 3 | 85% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 14 | South Shields Tyne and Wear | A | 2.4 | 80% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 15 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 16 | Weston-super-Mare Somerset | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 3.7 | 8% |
| 17 | Chesterfield Derbyshire | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 18 | Stevenage Hertfordshire | A− | 3 | 98% | 7.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire | A− | 5.2 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 20 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 21 | Aylesbury Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 9.5 | 5% |
| 22 | Carlisle Cumbria | A− | 3.2 | 91% | 3.1 | 4% |
| 23 | St Albans Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 95% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Harrogate North Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 86% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 26 | Redditch Worcestershire | A− | 4.1 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 28 | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.6 | 68% | 5.4 | 67% |
| 29 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 31 | Ellesmere Port Cheshire | B | 2.8 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 32 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 33 | Wallasey Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 90% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Preston Lancashire | B | 3 | 80% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Wigan Greater Manchester | B | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 0% |
| 37 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 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 | Grimsby Lincolnshire | B− | 1.3 | 75% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 43 | Bury Greater Manchester | B− | 2.4 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Halifax West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Kettering Northamptonshire | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 3.3 | 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 Chatham’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 Chatham
The biggest is Capstone Farm Country Park, 65 ha (159 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 18 named parks by size: 114 ha (281 acres) and 22 km of path
Parks & gardens 84 haPlaying fields 29 ha
The two biggest, Capstone Farm Country Park and Gillingham Park, are 62% of the named green space and carry 14 km of path between them. 8 of the 18 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Gillingham Park
Park or garden · 180 m outside town
6.3 ha (16 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Luton Recreation Ground
Playing field
11 ha (28 acres)0.5 km of path
16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Jackson Recreation Ground
Playing field
6.7 ha (16 acres)1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Victoria Gardens
Park or garden
3.6 ha (9 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi northfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Millennium Green
Park or garden
3.6 ha (9 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Podkin Meadow
Park or garden · 10 m outside town
2.4 ha (6 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Maidstone Road Sports Ground
Playing field
5.1 ha (13 acres)0.2 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 18 named parks and green spaces
Capstone Farm Country ParkPark or garden · 65 ha · 12.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsGillingham ParkPark or garden · 6.3 ha · 2.0 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsLuton Recreation GroundPlaying field · 11 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsJackson Recreation GroundPlaying field · 6.7 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsVictoria GardensPark or garden · 3.6 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsMillennium GreenPark or garden · 3.6 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsPodkin MeadowPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.8 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMaidstone Road Sports GroundPlaying field · 5.1 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsOfficers' Recreation GroundPlaying field · 3.0 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsTown Hall GardensPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsRiverside GardensPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsHook MeadowPlaying field · 2.4 ha
DirectionsTunbury Recreation GroundPlaying field · 1.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsThe PaddockPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsChestnut Ave Open SpacePark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsMead GreenPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsOpal GreenPark or garden · 0.0 ha
DirectionsMillennium Memorial GardenPark or garden · 0.1 ha
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Chatham 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 (78%)Further (22%)
Chatham78%
Towns its size86%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
About 17,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 102 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 754 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Chatham
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 south-west879 km²since 196826% of the land within 5 km
Official site26% of the land within 5 km of Chatham is National Park or National Landscape, more than 81% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
9 waymarked walks pass through or near Chatham
280 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Chatham and the kilometre around it, 6.4 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
King Charles III England Coast Path: Iwade to Grain16.6 km
Saxon Shore Way13.7 km
Otford to Canterbury Cathedral10.5 km
North Downs Way (Eastern)10.5 km
Augustine Camino7.3 km
Strood Community Trail3.9 km
Medway Valley Walk3.5 km
1066 Harold's Way2.6 km
Rochester Riverside Walk1.8 km
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Chatham. 5 regional routes pass through, including the Saxon Shore Way, Otford to Canterbury Cathedral, Augustine Camino and Medway Valley Walk.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
2 registered historic parks in Chatham
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Chatham’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIJewish Burial Ground, Chatham Memorial Synagogue0.1 ha
Registered · Grade IIThe Officers' Terrace, The Historic Dockyard0.3 ha
Heritage walks
Otford to Canterbury Cathedral 10.5 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 Chatham: 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 | 16.2 | 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) | 67 | 55 | 45 | 48 | 52 | 51 | 46 | 59 | 57 | 80 | 80 | 75 |
March is the driest month (45 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 80 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 37 nights a year. The climate in Chatham →
The coast
Chatham is near the sea
8% of the area within 5 km of Chatham is sea. 1 beach is mapped within 5 km, 0 with a name.
The King Charles III England Coast Path passes the town.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
Things to do
6 viewpoints and 102 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.
6Viewpoints3.3× towns its size4Hills and peaks4× towns its size3Nature reservesabout the same as towns its size2Picnic sites102Playgrounds1.5× towns its size1Dog parks3Campsites3.3× towns its size6Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
Plus 6 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 4
Darland Hill0.3 mi from town
DirectionsBluebell Hill0.4 mi from town
DirectionsTower Hill34 m (112 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsBeacon Hill59 m (194 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 3
Darland Banks56 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsWatts Meadow5.5 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsWestfield Wood Reserve0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Bluebell Hill Picnic Area0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 102
Chalk Pit Community Parkin town
DirectionsChildren's Play Area - Town Hall Gardensin town
DirectionsChildren's Play Area - Victoria Gardensin town
DirectionsPerry Street Recreation Groundin town
DirectionsRosebery Recreation Ground Play Area0.1 mi from town
DirectionsChildren's Play Area - Pasley Road North0.2 mi from town
DirectionsFurrell's Park Playground0.2 mi from town
DirectionsChildren's Play Area - Gillingham Park0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 94 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 3
Buckmore Park Scout Campsite0.5 mi from town
DirectionsKits Coty Glamping0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 6
Medway Yacht Club Slipway0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 5 slipways 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.
GillinghamRochesterBurhamCuxtonEcclesHallingChatham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Halling, 3.7 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Cuxton, Eccles and Halling have at least twice Chatham’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Chatham
What is the biggest park in Chatham?
Capstone Farm Country Park, 65 ha (159 acres), with 12.4 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Gillingham Park (6.3 ha) is second. 18 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Chatham near a National Park?
It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Chatham?
9 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: Iwade to Grain, Saxon Shore Way and Otford to Canterbury Cathedral. Capstone Farm Country Park alone has 12.4 km of path.
How many people in Chatham live near a park?
78% 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 Chatham?
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 Chatham are historic?
Jewish Burial Ground, Chatham Memorial Synagogue (Grade II) and The Officers' Terrace, The Historic Dockyard (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Chatham good for walking?
For paths, yes: 6.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 98% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 32% (1.6 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 Chatham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Chatham’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.