Ightham’s biggest
Ightham Cricket Club
Playing field
1.2 ha (3 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Ightham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Church of St Peter · Photo: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Ightham · parks, paths & countryside
Ightham is inside the Kent Downs National Landscape
30% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. 44 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 3.0 for every square kilometre. Ightham grades C+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
30%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
44 km
3.0 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
56%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Kent Downs National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Ightham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Inside the Kent Downs National LandscapeIghtham sits inside it: 879 km² of protected landscape.Parks can be a walk away70% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Ightham’s strongest suit is a protected landscape all round. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Ightham grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Ightham, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C+
Better than 45% of UK towns29th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space2.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
45out of
100
100
A park within a walk30%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
6out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape56%of the land within 5 km
93out of
100
100
Footpaths3.0 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
58out 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.
Villages its size
Ightham is 29th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,000 to 2,100 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
Ightham3.0
Villages its size2.4
Kent towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Ightham2.0
Villages its size2.3
Kent towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Ightham30%
Villages its size75%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Ightham stands out most for path per km²: only 16 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 | Hay-on-Wye Powys | A+ | 9.3 | 100% | 3.8 | 21% |
| 2 | Vigo Village Kent | A+ | 33.3 | 100% | 2.9 | 44% |
| 3 | Wye Kent | A+ | 4.7 | 100% | 3.1 | 71% |
| 4 | Llanfoist Gwent | A+ | 10.7 | 86% | 4.2 | 57% |
| 5 | Seaview and Nettlestone Isle of Wight | A+ | 3.6 | 89% | 2.8 | 8% |
| 6 | Fowey Cornwall | A | 3.2 | 91% | 2.1 | 32% |
| 7 | Lower Kingswood Surrey | A | 4.7 | 75% | 6.6 | 22% |
| 8 | Chiseldon Wiltshire | A | 1.8 | 100% | 3.4 | 69% |
| 9 | Highfields Caldecote Cambridgeshire | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 10 | Bishops Lydeard Somerset | A− | 3.2 | 100% | 1.8 | 23% |
| 11 | Great Haywood Staffordshire | A− | 7.1 | 27% | 4.1 | 29% |
| 12 | Stowupland Suffolk | A− | 5.3 | 83% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 13 | Yealmpton Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 1.8 | 50% |
| 14 | Culverstone Green Kent | B+ | 5.3 | 61% | 2.7 | 42% |
| 15 | Brompton North Yorkshire | B+ | 4.7 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Valley Gwynedd | B+ | 5 | 33% | 1.2 | 37% |
| 17 | Bermuda Warwickshire | B | 4.7 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 18 | Sandford Dorset | B | 0.3 | 43% | 4.7 | 41% |
| 19 | Alveston Gloucestershire | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Meppershall Bedfordshire | B | 2.3 | 83% | 3 | 2% |
| 21 | Needingworth Cambridgeshire | B− | 4.6 | 85% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 22 | Dyserth Clwyd | B− | 0.5 | 54% | 3.6 | 22% |
| 23 | Felbridge Surrey | B− | 2 | 80% | 2.4 | 25% |
| 24 | Trelewis Mid Glamorgan | B− | 2.6 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Uffculme Devon | B− | 2.8 | 86% | 1.3 | 14% |
| 26 | Edenfield Lancashire | B− | 2.7 | 69% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Rothbury Northumberland | B− | 1 | 76% | 3.8 | 21% |
| 28 | Exning Suffolk | B− | 3.6 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Ightham Kent | C+ | 2 | 30% | 3 | 56% |
| 30 | Kintbury Berkshire | C+ | 1.9 | 71% | 1.8 | 92% |
| 31 | Langtoft Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 32 | Read Lancashire | C+ | 1.6 | 71% | 2.5 | 21% |
| 33 | Wychbold Worcestershire | C | 2.1 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 34 | Clenchwarton Norfolk | C | 2.2 | 87% | 0.3 | 3% |
| 35 | Goodwick Dyfed | C | 0.2 | 47% | 1.9 | 25% |
| 36 | Marcham Oxfordshire | C | 1.2 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Bredon Worcestershire | C | 2.1 | 66% | 1.6 | 25% |
| 38 | Hightown Merseyside | C | 1.7 | 44% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Benllech Gwynedd | C | 0.1 | 17% | 1.8 | 27% |
| 40 | Barrowby Lincolnshire | C− | 3.5 | 66% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Keyingham East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.7 | 100% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Micklefield West Yorkshire | C− | 2.1 | 48% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 43 | Cadnam and Bartley Hampshire | C− | 0.9 | 30% | 2.4 | 79% |
| 44 | Carlton North Yorkshire | C− | 0.7 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 45 | Sutton Bonington Nottinghamshire | C− | 2.7 | 28% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 46 | Crich Derbyshire | C− | 0.6 | 69% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Urpeth County Durham | C− | 1.3 | 0% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Winwick Cheshire | C− | 3.2 | 48% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Ilchester Somerset | C− | 3.5 | 40% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Hibaldstow Lincolnshire | C− | 1.7 | 89% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Stoke Golding Leicestershire | C− | 1.4 | 85% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Bishop Burton and Cherry Burton East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 2.5 | 78% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Bardney Lincolnshire | D | 4.1 | 49% | 1 | 0% |
| 54 | Stretham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.4 | 60% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Merriott Somerset | D | 1.1 | 39% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Baschurch Shropshire | D | 2.3 | 72% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 57 | Curry Rivel Somerset | D | 1.9 | 33% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Haxey Lincolnshire | D | 1.6 | 46% | 2 | 0% |
| 59 | Westwoodside Lincolnshire | D− | 1.2 | 33% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Wilberfoss East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 69% | 0.3 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Ightham’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 Ightham
The biggest is Ightham Cricket Club, 1.2 ha (3 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
3 in 10 Ightham 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 (30%)Further (70%)
Ightham30%
Villages its size75%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
About 1,400 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 7 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 291 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Ightham
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
Ightham is inside it879 km²since 196856% of the land within 5 km
Official site56% of the land within 5 km of Ightham is National Park or National Landscape, more than 93% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
6 waymarked walks pass through or near Ightham
44 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Ightham and the kilometre around it, 3.0 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
RegionalLocal
Ightham Mote Circular Walk to Oldbury Hill, Ightham Mote8.3 km
Ightham Mote Circular Walk to Knole, Ightham Mote5.6 km
Ightham Mote Circular Walk to Wilmot Hill, Ightham Mote5.4 km
Ightham Mote Circular Walk to Shipbourne and Fairlawne, Ightham Mote5.3 km
Ightham Mote Circular Walk to Old Soar Manor, Ightham Mote4.9 km
Greensand Way3.5 km
Close to home, the Ightham Mote Circular Walk to Oldbury Hill, Ightham Mote has 8 km of local walk within 2 km of the village. The regional route here is the Greensand Way.
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 Ightham: May to September
The village’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 | 16.1 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 80 | 65 | 54 | 56 | 56 | 59 | 52 | 62 | 62 | 96 | 94 | 93 |
July is the driest month (52 mm) and the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 96 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 53 nights a year. The climate in Ightham →
Things to do
7 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Ightham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Northfleet Beach12 mi from Ightham’s edge
DirectionsThe Beach15 mi from Ightham’s edge
DirectionsEgypt Bay Beach17 mi from Ightham’s edge
DirectionsSt Mary's Bay Beach18 mi from Ightham’s edge
DirectionsDock Beach19 mi from Ightham’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.
Hills and peaks 3
Raspit Hillin town
DirectionsOldbury Hill0.1 mi from town
DirectionsWilmot Hill1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 7
plaxtol primary school playground1.0 mi from town
DirectionsWinnie Bowes Play Area1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Oldbury Hill Camping and Caravanning Club Site0.5 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.
Borough GreenPlaxtolWrothamSealOtford and KemsingSevenoaksIghtham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ightham | C+ | 2.0 | 30% | 56% |
| Borough Green 1.3 mi | B+ | 2.5 | 93% | 50% |
| Plaxtol 1.9 mi | B− | 2.6 | 57% | 40% |
| Wrotham 2.2 mi | B | 1.6 | 100% | 49% |
| Seal 2.8 mi | B+ | 3.3 | 78% | 77% |
| Otford and Kemsing 4.0 mi | A− | 3.3 | 53% | 73% |
| Sevenoaks 4.3 mi | A | 8.1 | 76% | 70% |
Sevenoaks, 4.3 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 76% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Sevenoaks has at least twice Ightham’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Ightham
What is the biggest park in Ightham?
Ightham Cricket Club, 1.2 ha (3 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
What are the best walks near Ightham?
6 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Ightham Mote Circular Walk to Oldbury Hill, Ightham Mote, Ightham Mote Circular Walk to Knole, Ightham Mote and Ightham Mote Circular Walk to Wilmot Hill, Ightham Mote.
What is the nearest beach to Ightham?
Northfleet Beach, 12 mi from the edge of the village, then The Beach (15 mi). Ightham itself is inland.
How many people in Ightham live near a park?
30% 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 Ightham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Ightham good for walking?
About average for paths: 3.0 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 58% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 45% (2.0 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 Ightham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Ightham’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.