Dartford’s biggest
Dartford Heath
Park or garden
171 ha (422 acres)19.2 km of path
4 h 15 minto walk all 19.2 km of path
239 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Heathwood Walk
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Chris Heaton · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Dartford · parks, paths & countryside
Dartford has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
235 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 5.1 for every square kilometre. The Kent Downs National Landscape begins 2.3 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Dartford add up to 3.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Dartford grades A for the outdoors: #13 of 87 in Kent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
72%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
235 km
5.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
1%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Kent Downs National Landscape
The sea
7%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Dartford?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths5.1 km of path per km², more than 93% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Room to roam3.9 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 80% of UK towns.Countryside close byThe Kent Downs National Landscape starts 2.3 mi south.On a National TrailThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes through.
Dartford’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Dartford grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Dartford, 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 95% of UK towns#13 of 87 in Kent · 3rd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
81out of
100
100
A park within a walk72%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
33out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape1%of the land within 5 km
64out of
100
100
Footpaths5.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
93out of
100
100
The sea7%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
Dartford is 3rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 56,300 to 84,900 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
Dartford5.1
Towns its size3.7
Kent towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Dartford3.9
Towns its size2.5
Kent towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Dartford72%
Towns its size86%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Dartford stands out most for park space per resident: only 6 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 54 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 | Burnley Lancashire | A+ | 3.4 | 95% | 5.7 | 7% |
| 3 | Dartford Kent | A | 3.9 | 72% | 5.1 | 1% |
| 4 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 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 | Scarborough North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 86% | 3.1 | 17% |
| 9 | Gravesend Kent | A | 1.4 | 84% | 6.4 | 14% |
| 10 | Chatham Kent | A | 1.6 | 78% | 6.4 | 26% |
| 11 | Barry South Glamorgan | A | 2.9 | 94% | 3.3 | 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 | Farnborough Hampshire | A | 4 | 77% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 17 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 18 | Weston-super-Mare Somerset | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 3.7 | 8% |
| 19 | Tynemouth Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.2 | 85% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 20 | Chesterfield Derbyshire | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 21 | Hereford Herefordshire | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 22 | Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire | A− | 5.2 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 23 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 24 | Carlisle Cumbria | A− | 3.2 | 91% | 3.1 | 4% |
| 25 | St Albans Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 95% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 26 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Harrogate North Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 86% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 28 | Redditch Worcestershire | A− | 4.1 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 30 | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.6 | 68% | 5.4 | 67% |
| 31 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 32 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 33 | Bebington Merseyside | B+ | 3 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Huyton with Roby Merseyside | B+ | 3.7 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Ellesmere Port Cheshire | B | 2.8 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Widnes Cheshire | B | 3 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 38 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Wigan Greater Manchester | B | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 0% |
| 42 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Rugby Warwickshire | B− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Tamworth Staffordshire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 3 | 0% |
| 45 | Bury Greater Manchester | B− | 2.4 | 82% | 3.8 | 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 | Stockton-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 2 | 83% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Halesowen West Midlands | C+ | 2.1 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Woking Surrey | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Shrewsbury Shropshire | C+ | 1.6 | 87% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Walsall West Midlands | C+ | 2.5 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Bognor Regis West Sussex | C | 1.1 | 78% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Loughborough Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 73% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Scunthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Stourbridge West Midlands | C | 1.9 | 72% | 3 | 0% |
| 58 | Crewe Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 88% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Burton upon Trent Staffordshire | C− | 1.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Kidderminster Worcestershire | D | 1.2 | 72% | 2.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Dartford’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 Dartford
The biggest is Dartford Heath, 171 ha (422 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 18 named parks by size: 255 ha (629 acres) and 31 km of path
Parks & gardens 235 haPlaying fields 18 haPlay spaces 1.7 ha
The two biggest, Dartford Heath and Darenth Country Park, are 79% of the named green space and carry 23 km of path between them. 8 of the 18 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Darenth Country Park
Park or garden
31 ha (75 acres)4.0 km of path
55 minto walk all 4 km of path
43 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.4 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Central Park
Park or garden
13 ha (31 acres)2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
18 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Dartford
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Heath Lane Open Space
Park or garden
6.0 ha (15 acres)1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Worcester Park
Park or garden · 120 m outside town
4.8 ha (12 acres)1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi eastfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Hesketh Park
Park or garden
4.4 ha (11 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Stone Recreation Ground
Playing field · 140 m outside town
5.6 ha (14 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Oakfield Park
Playing field
6.1 ha (15 acres)0.3 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 18 named parks and green spaces
Dartford HeathPark or garden · 171 ha · 19.2 km of path
DirectionsDarenth Country ParkPark or garden · 31 ha · 4.0 km of path
DirectionsCentral ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsHeath Lane Open SpacePark or garden · 6.0 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsWorcester ParkPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 1.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHesketh ParkPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsStone Recreation GroundPlaying field · 5.6 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsOakfield ParkPlaying field · 6.1 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsWilmington CommonPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsSaxon ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsDartford Valley Rugby ClubPlaying field · 3.7 ha
DirectionsEnchanted WoodlandPark or garden · 1.7 ha
DirectionsWilmot Road Recreation GroundPlaying field · 1.5 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsGoals Soccer CentrePlaying field · 1.2 ha
DirectionsPlaygroundPlay space · 0.7 ha
DirectionsAttlee Drive Play AreaPlay space · 0.4 ha
DirectionsThe Copse and the Firs Children's Play AreaPlay space · 0.4 ha
DirectionsJessamine Place Play AreaPlay space · 0.3 ha
DirectionsClose to home
7 in 10 Dartford 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 (72%)Further (28%)
Dartford72%
Towns its size86%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
About 19,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 90 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 768 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 2.3 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
1% of the land within 5 km of Dartford is National Park or National Landscape, more than 63% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
15 waymarked walks pass through or near Dartford
235 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Dartford and the kilometre around it, 5.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocal
King Charles III England Coast Path: Grain to Woolwich17.3 km
Cray Riverway15.9 km
Darent Valley Path10.8 km
London LOOP (Section 1)10.5 km
1066 Harold's Way6.9 km
Faesten Dic Path3.1 km
Shuttle Riverway1.5 km
LOOP link to Slade Green station1.3 km
Shuttle to Cray Link1.3 km
Circular Walk from Darent Valley Path D1.0 km
London LOOP (Section 24)1.0 km
Thames Path0.8 km
London LOOP (Section 2)0.8 km
LOOP link to Crayford station0.8 km
LOOP link to Purfleet station0.5 km
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Dartford. Close to home, the Cray Riverway has 16 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 7 regional routes pass through, including the London LOOP (Section 1), 1066 Harold's Way, LOOP link to Slade Green station and London LOOP (Section 24).
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 Dartford: 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 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 55 | 46 | 37 | 40 | 46 | 48 | 42 | 54 | 49 | 64 | 64 | 59 |
March is the driest month (37 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 24 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 64 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 35 nights a year. The climate in Dartford →
The coast
Dartford is near the sea
7% of the area within 5 km of Dartford is sea. 4 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 1 with a name.
Northfleet Beach2.0 mi from town
DirectionsThe 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
3 viewpoints and 90 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.
3Viewpointsabout the same as towns its size2Nature reserves6Picnic sites3.3× towns its size90Playgrounds1.4× towns its size3Campsites3.3× towns its size
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 2
Braeburn Park20 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 6
Plus 6 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 90
Cedar Road Play Areain town
DirectionsCritchley Avenue Playgroundin town
DirectionsJessamine Place Play Areain town
DirectionsLagonda Way Playgroundin town
DirectionsPenney Close Playgroundin town
DirectionsQueens Gardens Playgroundin town
DirectionsThe Romansin town
DirectionsWillow Walk Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 82 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 3
Paxwood0.3 mi from town
DirectionsWoollett Hall Farm1.2 mi from town
DirectionsCherrywood Campsite1.2 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
HawleyStoneDarenthJoyden's WoodHextablePurfleet-on-ThamesDartford
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartford | A | 3.9 | 72% | 1% |
| Hawley 1.7 mi | D | 0.7 | 24% | 3% |
| Stone 2.1 mi | A+ | 3.1 | 100% | 0% |
| Darenth 2.2 mi | A− | 1.8 | 100% | 1% |
| Joyden's Wood 2.7 mi | A− | 2.7 | 82% | 4% |
| Hextable 2.8 mi | A+ | 6.7 | 100% | 9% |
| Purfleet-on-Thames 2.8 mi | C− | 0.9 | 64% | 0% |
Hextable, 2.8 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Dartford
What is the biggest park in Dartford?
Dartford Heath, 171 ha (422 acres), with 19.2 km of path. Darenth Country Park (31 ha) is second. 18 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Dartford near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 2.3 mi south of the town’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Dartford?
15 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: Grain to Woolwich, Cray Riverway and Darent Valley Path. Dartford Heath alone has 19.2 km of path.
How many people in Dartford live near a park?
72% 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 Dartford?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Dartford good for walking?
For paths, yes: 5.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 93% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 81% (3.9 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 Dartford’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Dartford’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.