Paddock Wood’s biggest
St Andrews Recreation Ground
Playing field
2.2 ha (6 acres)0.1 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Paddock Wood
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: M J Roots · CC BY 3.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Paddock Wood · parks, paths & countryside
28% of the land within 5 km of Paddock Wood is National Park or National Landscape
The High Weald National Landscape begins 0.4 mi from the town’s edge. Footpaths add up to 32 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.1 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Paddock Wood add up to 1.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Paddock Wood grades C+ for the outdoors: #63 of 87 in Kent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
78%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
32 km
2.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
28%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: High Weald National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Paddock Wood?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside28% of the land within 5 km is High Weald National Landscape.Less park per person1.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Paddock Wood’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Paddock Wood grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Paddock Wood, 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 39% of UK towns#63 of 87 in Kent · 33rd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
33out of
100
100
A park within a walk78%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
43out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape28%of the land within 5 km
83out of
100
100
Footpaths2.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
33out 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.
Towns its size
Paddock Wood is 33rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 7,300 to 8,000 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
Paddock Wood2.1
Towns its size2.7
Kent towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Paddock Wood1.7
Towns its size2.1
Kent towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Paddock Wood78%
Towns its size78%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
Paddock Wood falls furthest behind on path per km², where 45 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freshwater and Totland Isle of Wight | A+ | 5 | 89% | 3.9 | 20% |
| 2 | Holbury Hampshire | A+ | 5.5 | 89% | 3.1 | 42% |
| 3 | Ruddington Nottinghamshire | A | 9.7 | 100% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 4 | Bude Cornwall | A | 3.1 | 78% | 3.3 | 9% |
| 5 | Bolton upon Dearne South Yorkshire | A | 5.6 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 6 | Prestwood and Great Missenden Buckinghamshire | A− | 5.5 | 65% | 3.2 | 94% |
| 7 | Dinas Powis South Glamorgan | A− | 3 | 73% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 8 | Burnham-on-Crouch Essex | A− | 5.3 | 86% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 9 | City of London London | A− | 2 | 100% | 11 | 0% |
| 10 | Seaton Devon | A− | 1.1 | 84% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 11 | Cam Gloucestershire | A− | 2.8 | 57% | 5 | 34% |
| 12 | Otford and Kemsing Kent | A− | 3.3 | 53% | 3.6 | 73% |
| 13 | Goldthorpe South Yorkshire | A− | 8.4 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Annfield Plain County Durham | B+ | 3.4 | 93% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 15 | Great Notley Essex | B+ | 6.4 | 79% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 16 | Cromer Norfolk | B+ | 1.4 | 74% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 17 | Gowerton West Glamorgan | B+ | 3.2 | 79% | 1.2 | 14% |
| 18 | Partington Greater Manchester | B | 2.8 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Edenbridge Kent | B | 2.6 | 64% | 3 | 42% |
| 20 | Barugh Green and Redbrook South Yorkshire | B | 2.1 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Rusthall and Langton Green Kent | B | 2.1 | 69% | 2.7 | 79% |
| 22 | Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire | B | 1.4 | 78% | 3.2 | 57% |
| 23 | Ashley Hampshire | B | 2.2 | 53% | 1.7 | 47% |
| 24 | Berechurch Essex | B− | 2.1 | 72% | 10.4 | 0% |
| 25 | Wootton Bedfordshire | B− | 2.5 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 26 | Rogerstone Gwent | B− | 3.1 | 60% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Eckington Derbyshire | B− | 1.8 | 80% | 6 | 0% |
| 28 | Crawcrook and Greenside Tyne and Wear | B− | 3.2 | 86% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Yatton Somerset | B− | 3.7 | 40% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Abersychan Gwent | B− | 2.8 | 83% | 1.1 | 17% |
| 31 | Buntingford Hertfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 95% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Ystalyfera West Glamorgan | C+ | 2.6 | 84% | 0.8 | 15% |
| 33 | Paddock Wood Kent | C+ | 1.7 | 78% | 2.1 | 28% |
| 34 | Countesthorpe Leicestershire | C+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Sprotbrough South Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Holywell Clwyd | C | 0.9 | 68% | 3 | 0% |
| 37 | Mablethorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.1 | 66% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 38 | Elworth Cheshire | C | 1.8 | 83% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 39 | Castle Donington Leicestershire | C | 1.8 | 85% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Newbridge Gwent | C | 2.2 | 94% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Fazeley Staffordshire | C | 3.2 | 35% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Norton-on-Derwent North Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 58% | 2.4 | 16% |
| 43 | Marske-by-the-Sea North Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 66% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Dalton-in-Furness Cumbria | C | 0.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Histon and Impington Cambridgeshire | C | 1.5 | 66% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 46 | Heathfield East Sussex | C | 0.9 | 53% | 2.3 | 79% |
| 47 | Wivenhoe Essex | C− | 0.9 | 65% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 48 | Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt Leicestershire | C− | 2.1 | 82% | 2 | 0% |
| 49 | Southwell Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 59% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Breaston and Draycott Derbyshire | C− | 1.1 | 73% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Tenterden Kent | C− | 0.8 | 58% | 1.8 | 48% |
| 52 | Cotgrave Nottinghamshire | C− | 1 | 47% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Godmanchester Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.6 | 66% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 54 | Clowne Derbyshire | C− | 1.4 | 67% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross Berkshire | D | 0.7 | 78% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Polesworth and Dordon Warwickshire | D | 1.6 | 68% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Old Windsor and Wraysbury Berkshire | D | 1.2 | 52% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Beddau Mid Glamorgan | D | 1 | 77% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 59 | Market Weighton East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 79% | 1 | 0% |
| 60 | Treorchy Mid Glamorgan | D− | 1 | 57% | 1.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Paddock Wood’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 Paddock Wood
The biggest is St Andrews Recreation Ground, 2.2 ha (6 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
8 in 10 Paddock Wood 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%)
Paddock Wood78%
Towns its size78%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
About 1,700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 9 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 846 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Paddock Wood
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
High Weald
0.4 mi south-west1,462 km²since 198328% of the land within 5 km
Official site28% of the land within 5 km of Paddock Wood is National Park or National Landscape, more than 82% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Paddock Wood
32 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Paddock Wood and the kilometre around it, 2.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Regional
High Weald Landscape Trail3.9 km
Medway Valley Walk3.6 km
2 regional routes pass through, including the High Weald Landscape Trail and Medway Valley Walk.
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 Paddock Wood: 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 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 75 | 53 | 44 | 44 | 48 | 43 | 44 | 55 | 53 | 81 | 77 | 76 |
June is the driest month (43 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 81 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 47 nights a year. The climate in Paddock Wood →
Things to do
9 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
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.
The nearest beaches
Paddock Wood is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
The Beach11 mi from Paddock Wood’s edge
DirectionsNorthfleet Beach19 mi from Paddock Wood’s edge
DirectionsEgypt Bay Beach21 mi from Paddock Wood’s edge
DirectionsSt Mary's Bay Beach21 mi from Paddock Wood’s edge
DirectionsCoombe Point Beach22 mi from Paddock Wood’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.
Playgrounds 9
Plus 9 playgrounds 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.
Five Oak GreenEast PeckhamHorsmondenPemburyYaldingHadlowPaddock Wood
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddock Wood | C+ | 1.7 | 78% | 28% |
| Five Oak Green 1.6 mi | A− | 3.0 | 100% | 30% |
| East Peckham 2.4 mi | B− | 14.5 | 66% | 1% |
| Horsmonden 3.3 mi | C− | 0.5 | 79% | 50% |
| Pembury 3.5 mi | C− | 1.1 | 45% | 58% |
| Yalding 3.8 mi | C− | 7.1 | 21% | 0% |
| Hadlow 4.0 mi | C− | 1.7 | 61% | 11% |
Five Oak Green, 1.6 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. East Peckham and Yalding have at least twice Paddock Wood’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Paddock Wood
What is the biggest park in Paddock Wood?
St Andrews Recreation Ground, 2.2 ha (6 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Paddock Wood near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the High Weald National Landscape, 0.4 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,462 km² and was designated in 1983.
What are the best walks near Paddock Wood?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the High Weald Landscape Trail and Medway Valley Walk.
What is the nearest beach to Paddock Wood?
The Beach, 11 mi from the edge of the town, then Northfleet Beach (19 mi). Paddock Wood itself is inland.
How many people in Paddock Wood 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 Paddock Wood?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Paddock Wood good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 33% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 33% (1.7 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 Paddock Wood’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Paddock Wood’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.