Dover’s biggest
Kearsney Park
Park or garden
14 ha (33 acres)1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
19 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi north-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: John Baker · CC BY-SA 2.0A+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Dover · parks, paths & countryside
Dover is on the coast, on the King Charles III England Coast Path
The sea makes up 39% of the area within 5 km. The Kent Downs National Landscape reaches the edge of Dover. Parks and playing fields in Dover add up to 3.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Dover grades A+ for the outdoors: #11 of 87 in Kent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
86%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
110 km
2.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
29%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Kent Downs National Landscape
The sea
39%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Dover?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast39% of the area within 5 km is sea; 16 beaches mapped.Protected countryside29% of the land within 5 km is Kent Downs National Landscape.Hills with a view11 mapped viewpoints, about 6× as many per resident as the typical town its size.On a National TrailThe Via Francigena - 01 part Great Britain passes through.
Dover’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep.
Outdoors grade
Dover grades A+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Dover, 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 96% of UK towns#11 of 87 in Kent · 3rd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
69out of
100
100
A park within a walk86%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
60out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape29%of the land within 5 km
83out of
100
100
Footpaths2.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
57out of
100
100
The sea39%of the area within 5 km
95out 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
Dover is 3rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 32,900 to 40,100 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
Dover2.9
Towns its size3.9
Kent towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Dover3.0
Towns its size2.6
Kent towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Dover86%
Towns its size84%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Dover stands out most for park space per resident: only 21 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 46 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Locks Heath Hampshire | A+ | 3.5 | 91% | 3.7 | 4% |
| 2 | Great Malvern Worcestershire | A+ | 3.9 | 90% | 6 | 38% |
| 3 | Dover Kent | A+ | 3 | 86% | 2.9 | 29% |
| 4 | Hyde Greater Manchester | A | 4.3 | 91% | 3.9 | 1% |
| 5 | Epsom Surrey | A | 5.7 | 80% | 4.8 | 2% |
| 6 | Burgess Hill West Sussex | A | 2.4 | 87% | 5 | 27% |
| 7 | Aldershot Hampshire | A | 3.4 | 77% | 6.3 | 17% |
| 8 | Skelmersdale Lancashire | A | 7.8 | 91% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Merthyr Tydfil Mid Glamorgan | A | 3.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 29% |
| 10 | Ilkeston Derbyshire | A | 3.7 | 98% | 5 | 0% |
| 11 | Rustington West Sussex | A− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.7 | 25% |
| 12 | Dunstable Bedfordshire | A− | 2 | 78% | 8 | 29% |
| 13 | Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire | A− | 4.3 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 14 | Caversham Berkshire | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 4.3 | 32% |
| 15 | Accrington Lancashire | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 16 | Chorley Lancashire | A− | 5 | 88% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 17 | Nelson Lancashire | A− | 1.8 | 85% | 5.2 | 15% |
| 18 | St Neots Cambridgeshire | A− | 3.5 | 91% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 19 | Didcot Oxfordshire | A− | 1.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 39% |
| 20 | Exmouth Devon | A− | 1.4 | 82% | 2.6 | 21% |
| 21 | Leyland Lancashire | B+ | 4.6 | 91% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 22 | Waterlooville Hampshire | B+ | 1 | 66% | 5.2 | 18% |
| 23 | Chippenham Wiltshire | B+ | 2.8 | 76% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 24 | Fulwood Lancashire | B+ | 3.5 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Swadlincote Derbyshire | B+ | 4.1 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 26 | Fleet Hampshire | B+ | 3.3 | 79% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Pudsey West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 94% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 28 | Hucknall Nottinghamshire | B+ | 3 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 29 | Aberdare Mid Glamorgan | B+ | 4.6 | 84% | 1.8 | 19% |
| 30 | Hitchin Hertfordshire | B+ | 1.5 | 83% | 4.4 | 10% |
| 31 | Rowley Regis West Midlands | B+ | 4.1 | 71% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 32 | West Bridgford Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.2 | 86% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Brighouse West Yorkshire | B | 2.5 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Wigston Leicestershire | B | 2.9 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 35 | Arnold Nottinghamshire | B | 3 | 81% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 36 | Billingham County Durham | B | 4.7 | 86% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear | B | 1.9 | 82% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Warwick Warwickshire | B | 3 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Denton Greater Manchester | B | 2.4 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Letchworth Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 85% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Loughton Essex | B | 2.9 | 74% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Abingdon-on-Thames Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 91% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Borehamwood Hertfordshire | B | 1.8 | 97% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Bicester Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 99% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Prescot Merseyside | B | 3.5 | 94% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Blyth Northumberland | B | 1.6 | 83% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 47 | Chadderton Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 48 | Caerphilly Gwent | B | 2.6 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Redcar North Yorkshire | B− | 2.6 | 79% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Canvey Island Essex | B− | 1.5 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Tonbridge Kent | B− | 2.1 | 65% | 2.6 | 38% |
| 52 | Camberley Surrey | C+ | 2 | 73% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Billericay Essex | C+ | 4.1 | 70% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Pontefract West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.6 | 84% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 55 | New Haw, West Byfleet and Sheerwater Surrey | C+ | 2.2 | 69% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Horndean Hampshire | C+ | 0.9 | 57% | 3.3 | 53% |
| 57 | Long Eaton Derbyshire | C | 1.8 | 74% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 80% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Bilston West Midlands | C− | 1.5 | 76% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 60 | Bromsgrove Worcestershire | C− | 1.4 | 75% | 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 Dover’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 Dover
The biggest is Kearsney Park, 14 ha (33 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 13 named parks by size: 42 ha (105 acres) and 5 km of path
Parks & gardens 30 haPlaying fields 13 haPlay spaces 0.0 ha
The two biggest, Kearsney Park and Connaught Park, are 52% of the named green space and carry 4 km of path between them. 7 of the 13 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Connaught Park
Park or garden
8.7 ha (21 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Bushy Ruff
Park or garden
4.9 ha (12 acres)
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Elms Vale Recreation Ground
Playing field
5.3 ha (13 acres)
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Pencester Gardens
Park or garden
1.3 ha (3 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
River Recreation Ground
Playing field
3.4 ha (8 acres)0.3 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Danes Recreation Ground
Playing field · 80 m outside town
3.3 ha (8 acres)
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Marine Parade Gardens
Park or garden
0.8 ha (2 acres)
1.1 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 13 named parks and green spaces
Kearsney ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsConnaught ParkPark or garden · 8.7 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsBushy RuffPark or garden · 4.9 ha
DirectionsElms Vale Recreation GroundPlaying field · 5.3 ha
DirectionsPencester GardensPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsRiver Recreation GroundPlaying field · 3.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsDanes Recreation GroundPlaying field · 3.3 ha · just outside town
DirectionsMarine Parade GardensPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsGranville GardensPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsKing George's FieldPlaying field · 0.7 ha
DirectionsMaison Dieu GardensPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsCharlton GreenPark or garden · 0.0 ha
DirectionsAspen Drive Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha · just outside town
DirectionsClose to home
9 in 10 Dover 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 (86%)Further (14%)
Dover86%
Towns its size84%
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; 36 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,010 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Dover
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 196829% of the land within 5 km
Official site29% of the land within 5 km of Dover is National Park or National Landscape, more than 82% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Dover is on the Via Francigena - 01 part Great Britain
110 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Dover and the kilometre around it, 2.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalOther waymarked
Via Francigena - 01 part Great Britain12.4 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Folkestone to Ramsgate10.7 km
Saxon Shore Way10.2 km
North Downs Way (Canterbury loop)6.1 km
European walking route E2, UK, Dover-Calais ferry6.0 km
North Downs Way (Eastern)5.5 km
European walking route E9, Rye to Dover5.5 km
Visitor Centre to Fan Bay Deep Shelter and South Foreland Lighthouse Circiular Trail, White Cliffs4.6 km
Dover Cruise Terminal to National Trust White Cliffs Visitor Centre Walking Trail, White Cliffs3.5 km
Visitor Centre to Dover Castle Trail, White Cliffs2.1 km
Additional parking to Fan Bay and South Foreland Lighthouse Circular Trail, White Cliffs1.9 km
Visitor Centre to Langdon Stairs Trail, White Cliffs1.6 km
The Via Francigena - 01 part Great Britain, a national route, passes Dover. The regional route here is the Saxon Shore Way.
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 Dover
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Dover’s named parks.
Registered · Grade IIKearsney Court3.8 ha
Heritage walks
Visitor Centre to Dover Castle Trail, White Cliffs 2.1 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 Dover: 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 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 88 | 71 | 53 | 52 | 58 | 57 | 58 | 68 | 71 | 110 | 106 | 108 |
April is the driest month (52 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 110 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 26 nights a year. The climate in Dover →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Dover
39% of the area within 5 km of Dover is sea. 16 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 4 with a name.
Shakespeare's Beach0.1 mi from town
DirectionsLangdon Beach0.3 mi from town
DirectionsAbbot's Cliff Beach1.7 mi from town
DirectionsSt Margaret's Bay2.3 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
11 viewpoints and 36 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.
11Viewpoints6× towns its size3Nature reserves1.4× towns its size7Picnic sites7× towns its size36Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks3Campsites1Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 11
Plus 11 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
High Meadow24 ha · in town
DirectionsWhinless Down34 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsNemo Down14 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 7
Plus 7 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 36
Evison Close Play Areain town
DirectionsSt. Radigunds Public Play Areain town
DirectionsSiege Play Area0.1 mi from town
DirectionsFitzwarin Place Play Area0.2 mi from town
DirectionsNatural Play Area0.4 mi from town
DirectionsArable Drive Play Area1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 30 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park 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.
GustonWhitfieldSt Margaret's at CliffeCapel-le-FerneSibertswoldEythorneDover
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | A+ | 3.0 | 86% | 29% |
| Guston 1.3 mi | A+ | 5.8 | 100% | 25% |
| Whitfield 1.8 mi | A− | 2.3 | 79% | 32% |
| St Margaret's at Cliffe 4.0 mi | A | 2.3 | 90% | 15% |
| Capel-le-Ferne 4.1 mi | A+ | 21.8 | 88% | 52% |
| Sibertswold 4.7 mi | B− | 1.9 | 79% | 38% |
| Eythorne 4.7 mi | C | 0.5 | 79% | 9% |
Capel-le-Ferne, 4.1 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 88% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Capel-le-Ferne has at least twice Dover’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Dover
What is the biggest park in Dover?
Kearsney Park, 14 ha (33 acres), with 1.6 km of path. Connaught Park (8.7 ha) is second. 13 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Dover near a National Park?
It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Dover?
12 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Via Francigena - 01 part Great Britain, King Charles III England Coast Path: Folkestone to Ramsgate and Saxon Shore Way.
How many people in Dover live near a park?
86% 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 Dover?
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 Dover are historic?
Kearsney Court (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Dover good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 57% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 69% (3.0 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 Dover’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Dover’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.