Sittingbourne’s biggest
Milton Creek Country Park
Park or garden
45 ha (110 acres)10.9 km of path
2 h 25 minto walk all 10.9 km of path
63 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi northfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Chris Whippet · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Sittingbourne · parks, paths & countryside
93% of Sittingbourne’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Kent Downs National Landscape begins 0.8 mi from the town’s edge. The sea makes up 8% of the area within 5 km. Parks and playing fields in Sittingbourne add up to 1.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Sittingbourne grades A for the outdoors: #23 of 87 in Kent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
93%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
126 km
2.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
17%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Kent Downs National Landscape
The sea
8%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Sittingbourne?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe Kent Downs National Landscape starts 0.8 mi south-west.On a National TrailThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes through.
Sittingbourne’s strongest suit is the Kent Downs National Landscape close by, followed by the King Charles III England Coast Path.
Outdoors grade
Sittingbourne grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Sittingbourne, 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 88% of UK towns#23 of 87 in Kent · 11th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
44out of
100
100
A park within a walk93%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
71out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape17%of the land within 5 km
76out of
100
100
Footpaths2.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
54out of
100
100
The sea8%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
Sittingbourne is 11th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 46,900 to 62,600 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
Sittingbourne2.8
Towns its size3.6
Kent towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Sittingbourne1.9
Towns its size2.3
Kent towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Sittingbourne93%
Towns its size84%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
Sittingbourne falls furthest behind on path per km², where 48 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Folkestone Kent | A+ | 2.3 | 95% | 4.9 | 45% |
| 2 | Havant Hampshire | A+ | 3.6 | 84% | 5.8 | 30% |
| 3 | Lancaster Lancashire | A+ | 2.4 | 96% | 3.5 | 22% |
| 4 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 5 | Scarborough North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 86% | 3.1 | 17% |
| 6 | Andover Hampshire | A | 2.7 | 91% | 4.4 | 21% |
| 7 | Gravesend Kent | A | 1.4 | 84% | 6.4 | 14% |
| 8 | Salisbury Wiltshire | A | 2.7 | 94% | 3.9 | 22% |
| 9 | Barry South Glamorgan | A | 2.9 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Weymouth Dorset | A | 2.6 | 55% | 3.5 | 35% |
| 11 | Sittingbourne Kent | A | 1.9 | 93% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 12 | Banbury Oxfordshire | A | 2.6 | 96% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 13 | Farnborough Hampshire | A | 4 | 77% | 4.9 | 3% |
| 14 | Eastleigh Hampshire | A− | 3 | 76% | 4.9 | 17% |
| 15 | Tynemouth Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.2 | 85% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 16 | Hereford Herefordshire | A− | 2.6 | 92% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 17 | Christchurch Dorset | A− | 2.1 | 70% | 3.3 | 14% |
| 18 | Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent | A− | 2.2 | 93% | 2.7 | 73% |
| 19 | Crosby Merseyside | A− | 4.6 | 89% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Washington Tyne and Wear | A− | 4.5 | 90% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Ashton-under-Lyne Greater Manchester | A− | 3.1 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 22 | Carlton Nottinghamshire | B+ | 4.9 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Bootle Merseyside | B+ | 2.1 | 93% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Canterbury Kent | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 5.7 | 19% |
| 25 | West Molesey Surrey | B+ | 4.4 | 80% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 26 | Torquay Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Thundersley and South Benfleet Essex | B+ | 3.2 | 69% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 28 | Bridgwater Somerset | B+ | 1.9 | 86% | 3.7 | 2% |
| 29 | Yeovil Somerset | B+ | 2 | 90% | 3.2 | 2% |
| 30 | Bebington Merseyside | B+ | 3 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 31 | Royal Leamington Spa Warwickshire | B+ | 2.7 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Huyton with Roby Merseyside | B+ | 3.7 | 89% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Cwmbrân Gwent | B+ | 2.1 | 84% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 34 | Wokingham Berkshire | B | 4 | 84% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Horsham West Sussex | B | 1.5 | 83% | 3.9 | 19% |
| 36 | Widnes Cheshire | B | 3 | 86% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Beeston Nottinghamshire | B | 2.7 | 77% | 6 | 0% |
| 38 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 39 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 40 | Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria | B | 2 | 91% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Macclesfield Cheshire | B | 1.8 | 80% | 3.3 | 18% |
| 42 | Winchester Hampshire | B | 1.2 | 79% | 3.8 | 35% |
| 43 | Altrincham Greater Manchester | B | 2.2 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Brentwood Essex | B− | 3.9 | 69% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Bloxwich West Midlands | B− | 3.6 | 74% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Tipton West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 79% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Smethwick West Midlands | C+ | 2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Wellingborough Northamptonshire | C+ | 2.7 | 95% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Hinckley Leicestershire | C+ | 1.8 | 87% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Halesowen West Midlands | C+ | 2.1 | 77% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Willenhall West Midlands | C+ | 3.4 | 66% | 3 | 0% |
| 53 | Kingswinford West Midlands | C+ | 2.6 | 71% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 54 | King's Lynn Norfolk | C+ | 1.3 | 80% | 2.2 | 23% |
| 55 | Clacton-on-Sea Essex | C | 1.7 | 73% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 56 | Durham County Durham | C | 1.1 | 68% | 6 | 0% |
| 57 | Stourbridge West Midlands | C | 1.9 | 72% | 3 | 0% |
| 58 | Keighley West Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Kidderminster Worcestershire | D | 1.2 | 72% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Bridgend Mid Glamorgan | D | 0.9 | 78% | 2 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Sittingbourne’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 Sittingbourne
The biggest is Milton Creek Country Park, 45 ha (110 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 9 named parks by size: 70 ha (172 acres) and 12 km of path
Parks & gardens 53 haPlaying fields 17 haPlay spaces 0.1 ha
The two biggest, Milton Creek Country Park and Garden of England Crematorium and Memorial Gardens, are 73% of the named green space and carry 11 km of path between them. 4 of the 9 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Garden of England Crematorium and Memorial Gardens
Park or garden · 240 m outside town
6.2 ha (15 acres)
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
King George V Playing Field
Playing field
6.5 ha (16 acres)0.4 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Grove Park
Playing field
4.8 ha (12 acres)
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.4 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Rectory Playing Field
Playing field
3.7 ha (9 acres)0.3 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Johnson House Gardens
Park or garden
1.8 ha (4 acres)0.4 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
School Playing Field
Playing field
1.8 ha (5 acres)0.2 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Murston Heart Creative Community Hub
Park or garden
0.2 ha (1 acres)
0.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Murston Old Church, Sittingbourne monument
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 9 named parks and green spaces
Milton Creek Country ParkPark or garden · 45 ha · 10.9 km of path
DirectionsGarden of England Crematorium and Memorial GardensPark or garden · 6.2 ha · just outside town
DirectionsKing George V Playing FieldPlaying field · 6.5 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsThe Grove ParkPlaying field · 4.8 ha
DirectionsRectory Playing FieldPlaying field · 3.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsJohnson House GardensPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsSchool Playing FieldPlaying field · 1.8 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsMurston Heart Creative Community HubPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsSamuel Drive Play AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsClose to home
How close Sittingbourne’s homes are to 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 (93%)Further (8%)
Sittingbourne93%
Towns its size84%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
About 4,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 39 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,394 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 0.8 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
National Landscape
Kent Downs
0.8 mi south-west879 km²since 196817% of the land within 5 km
Official site17% of the land within 5 km of Sittingbourne is National Park or National Landscape, more than 76% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Sittingbourne is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
126 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Sittingbourne and the kilometre around it, 2.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegional
Saxon Shore Way17.4 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Whitstable to Iwade7.4 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Iwade to Grain2.4 km
Augustine Camino0.9 km
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Sittingbourne. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Saxon Shore Way and Augustine Camino.
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 Sittingbourne: 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 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 53 | 46 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 46 | 35 | 51 | 48 | 67 | 67 | 64 |
July is the driest month (35 mm) and the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 67 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 29 nights a year. The climate in Sittingbourne →
The coast
Sittingbourne is near the sea
8% of the area within 5 km of Sittingbourne is sea. 1 beach is mapped within 5 km, 0 with a name.
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.
Things to do
39 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
Hills and peaks 1
Keycol Hill0.5 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 4
The Meads11 ha · in town
DirectionsHighsted Chalk Pits (disused)12 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 39
Agate Court Play Areain town
DirectionsKemsley Rec Play Areain town
DirectionsMilton Regis Recreation Ground Playgroundin town
DirectionsSunstone Drive Play Areain town
DirectionsRose Walk Play Area0.0 mi from town
DirectionsThe Colson Drive Play Area0.4 mi from town
DirectionsBorden0.4 mi from town
DirectionsThe Mansfield Drive Play Area0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 31 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.
IwadeTeynhamNewingtonLower HalstowUpchurchQueenboroughSittingbourne
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sittingbourne | A | 1.9 | 93% | 17% |
| Iwade 2.3 mi | C+ | 0.8 | 100% | 0% |
| Teynham 2.9 mi | C | 0.8 | 55% | 13% |
| Newington 3.2 mi | A− | 2.3 | 78% | 21% |
| Lower Halstow 3.7 mi | A− | 1.5 | 100% | 4% |
| Upchurch 4.6 mi | A | 4.0 | 76% | 7% |
| Queenborough 5.0 mi | B | 1.6 | 100% | 0% |
Sittingbourne grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. Upchurch has at least twice Sittingbourne’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Sittingbourne
What is the biggest park in Sittingbourne?
Milton Creek Country Park, 45 ha (110 acres), with 10.9 km of path. Garden of England Crematorium and Memorial Gardens (6.2 ha) is second. 9 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Sittingbourne near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 0.8 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Sittingbourne?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Saxon Shore Way, King Charles III England Coast Path: Whitstable to Iwade and King Charles III England Coast Path: Iwade to Grain. Milton Creek Country Park alone has 10.9 km of path.
How many people in Sittingbourne live near a park?
93% 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 Sittingbourne?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Sittingbourne good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 54% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 44% (1.9 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 Sittingbourne’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Sittingbourne’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.