Photo: Clem Rutter, Rochester Kent · CC BY-SA 3.0Hoo St Werburgh is on the coast, on the King Charles III England Coast Path
The sea makes up 20% of the area within 5 km. The Kent Downs National Landscape begins 3.9 mi from the town’s edge. 92% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Hoo St Werburgh grades C+ for the outdoors: #59 of 87 in Kent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Hoo St Werburgh?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Hoo St Werburgh’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by the Kent Downs National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Hoo St Werburgh grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Hoo St Werburgh, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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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.
Hoo St Werburgh is 39th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 8,400 to 9,200 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Hoo St Werburgh falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 44 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawkinge Kent | A+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3.2 | 74% |
| 2 | Pool and Illogan Cornwall | A+ | 3.7 | 81% | 4 | 5% |
| 3 | Worsbrough South Yorkshire | A | 10.1 | 100% | 6 | 0% |
| 4 | Storrington West Sussex | A | 5.5 | 85% | 3.2 | 54% |
| 5 | Killamarsh Derbyshire | A | 10.6 | 97% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 6 | Wallingford Oxfordshire | A | 3.1 | 85% | 3.7 | 61% |
| 7 | Warlingham Surrey | A | 4.2 | 81% | 4.3 | 13% |
| 8 | East Cowes Isle of Wight | A | 1.4 | 96% | 3 | 8% |
| 9 | Penistone South Yorkshire | A | 2.6 | 97% | 3.9 | 9% |
| 10 | Maryport Cumbria | A− | 1.4 | 100% | 2.4 | 5% |
| 11 | Hetton-le-Hole Tyne and Wear | A− | 7.8 | 95% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Ryton Tyne and Wear | A− | 5.5 | 85% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 13 | Brightlingsea Essex | A− | 3 | 97% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 14 | Alfreton Derbyshire | B+ | 4.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 15 | Longridge Lancashire | B+ | 1.9 | 89% | 3 | 32% |
| 16 | Winnersh Berkshire | B+ | 9.6 | 80% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 17 | Frodsham Cheshire | B+ | 2.5 | 67% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 18 | Hadleigh Suffolk | B+ | 2.6 | 87% | 2.7 | 10% |
| 19 | Higham Ferrers Northamptonshire | B+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Hayle Cornwall | B+ | 1.4 | 72% | 3.4 | 6% |
| 21 | Banstead Surrey | B+ | 2.4 | 66% | 5.2 | 3% |
| 22 | Cinderford Gloucestershire | B+ | 1.7 | 80% | 4.7 | 4% |
| 23 | Ashbourne Derbyshire | B | 1.9 | 92% | 2.7 | 14% |
| 24 | Cockermouth Cumbria | B | 2.6 | 81% | 2.2 | 42% |
| 25 | Ampthill Bedfordshire | B | 6.8 | 71% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Clay Cross Derbyshire | B | 2.6 | 88% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 27 | South Kirkby West Yorkshire | B | 3 | 97% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 28 | Marlborough Wiltshire | B | 1.2 | 72% | 3.8 | 100% |
| 29 | Abergele Clwyd | B | 2.9 | 78% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Wendover Buckinghamshire | B | 1 | 58% | 5.6 | 60% |
| 31 | Hornsea East Riding of Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 90% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 32 | Alnwick Northumberland | B− | 2.2 | 67% | 3.4 | 7% |
| 33 | Whitnash Warwickshire | B− | 2 | 95% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 34 | Cullompton Devon | B− | 3.2 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Stansted Mountfitchet Essex | B− | 0.8 | 96% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Hook Hampshire | B− | 2.4 | 80% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 37 | West End and Chobham Surrey | B− | 3.3 | 65% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 38 | Caister-on-Sea Norfolk | C+ | 1.1 | 58% | 2.1 | 21% |
| 39 | Hoo St Werburgh Kent | C+ | 1.4 | 92% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Okehampton Devon | C+ | 0.9 | 85% | 2.2 | 37% |
| 41 | Atherstone Warwickshire | C+ | 2.7 | 88% | 2 | 0% |
| 42 | Brinsworth South Yorkshire | C | 1.3 | 76% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Faringdon Oxfordshire | C | 1.3 | 94% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Kinmel Bay Clwyd | C | 1.8 | 76% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Rothwell Northamptonshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Burscough Lancashire | C | 2.6 | 76% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Sherburn in Elmet North Yorkshire | C− | 1.8 | 93% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Ferryhill County Durham | C− | 1.5 | 94% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 49 | East Leake Nottinghamshire | C− | 2.4 | 68% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Launceston Cornwall | C− | 2.1 | 66% | 0.9 | 1% |
| 51 | Sileby Leicestershire | C− | 1 | 80% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Adlington Lancashire | C− | 1.3 | 64% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Shifnal Shropshire | D | 1 | 89% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Swaffham Norfolk | D | 1 | 68% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Harworth and Bircotes Nottinghamshire | D | 1.9 | 64% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Holbeach Lincolnshire | D | 1 | 91% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Tarleton and Hesketh Bank Lancashire | D | 1.5 | 63% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Coxheath Kent | D | 1.2 | 48% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Clydach West Glamorgan | D | 1.7 | 68% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Kirkham Lancashire | D− | 1.3 | 66% | 1.3 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Hoo St Werburgh’s built-up area.
9 in 10 Hoo St Werburgh 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).
About 700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 26 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 337 residents.
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 3.9 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.
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Hoo St Werburgh scores 0% on it even though the Kent Downs National Landscape is 3.9 mi away.
Hoo St Werburgh is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
27 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Hoo St Werburgh and the kilometre around it, 1.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Hoo St Werburgh. 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.
The best walking months in Hoo St Werburgh: 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 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 49 | 40 | 32 | 38 | 40 | 46 | 44 | 42 | 47 | 63 | 59 | 50 |
March is the driest month (32 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 63 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 28 nights a year. The climate in Hoo St Werburgh →
The coast and beaches near Hoo St Werburgh
20% of the area within 5 km of Hoo St Werburgh is sea.
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.
2 viewpoints and 26 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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Playgrounds 26
Plus 21 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 4
Plus 3 slipways without a name on the map.
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoo St Werburgh | C+ | 1.4 | 92% | 0% |
| Chattenden 1.2 mi | B | 1.4 | 100% | 0% |
| High Halstow 1.9 mi | B− | 1.7 | 76% | 0% |
| Cliffe Woods 2.7 mi | B− | 1.7 | 62% | 1% |
| Gillingham 3.5 mi | A | 1.6 | 86% | 23% |
| Cliffe 3.6 mi | C− | 1.1 | 55% | 0% |
| Rochester 3.8 mi | A+ | 2.4 | 92% | 23% |
Rochester, 3.8 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 92% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Hoo St Werburgh
Is Hoo St Werburgh near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 3.9 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Hoo St Werburgh?
3 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 Chattenden Woods Walk.
How many people in Hoo St Werburgh 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 Hoo St Werburgh?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Hoo St Werburgh good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 29% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 23% (1.4 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 Hoo St Werburgh’s overall grade.
Where Hoo St Werburgh’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.