Whitstable’s biggest
Duncan Down
Park or garden
16 ha (40 acres)3.9 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.9 km of path
23 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Whitstable
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Paste at English Wikipedia · Public domainB−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Whitstable · parks, paths & countryside
Whitstable is on the coast, on the King Charles III England Coast Path
The sea makes up 40% of the area within 5 km. The Kent Downs National Landscape begins 4.4 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Whitstable add up to 1.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Whitstable grades B− for the outdoors: #56 of 87 in Kent. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
84%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
81 km
2.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Kent Downs starts 4.4 mi out, past the 5 km
The sea
40%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Whitstable?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast40% of the area within 5 km is sea; 12 beaches mapped.Countryside close byThe Kent Downs National Landscape starts 4.4 mi south-west.On a National TrailThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes through.Less park per person1.5 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Whitstable’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by the Kent Downs National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Whitstable grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Whitstable, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B−
Better than 48% of UK towns#56 of 87 in Kent · 38th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
29out of
100
100
A park within a walk84%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
55out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Kent Downs begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
39out of
100
100
The sea40%of the area within 5 km
96out 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
Whitstable is 38th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 29,500 to 35,000 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
Whitstable2.3
Towns its size3.4
Kent towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Whitstable1.5
Towns its size2.2
Kent towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Whitstable84%
Towns its size84%
Kent towns78%
All UK towns83%
Whitstable falls furthest behind on path per km², where 51 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Malvern Worcestershire | A+ | 3.9 | 90% | 6 | 38% |
| 2 | Northfleet Kent | A | 2 | 85% | 7.7 | 4% |
| 3 | Burgess Hill West Sussex | A | 2.4 | 87% | 5 | 27% |
| 4 | Skelmersdale Lancashire | A | 7.8 | 91% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 5 | Witney Oxfordshire | A | 2.5 | 88% | 4.6 | 19% |
| 6 | Prestwich Greater Manchester | A | 9 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 7 | Redhill Surrey | A− | 2.2 | 91% | 4.3 | 14% |
| 8 | Rustington West Sussex | A− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.7 | 25% |
| 9 | Chandler's Ford Hampshire | A− | 2.7 | 80% | 5.3 | 6% |
| 10 | Dunstable Bedfordshire | A− | 2 | 78% | 8 | 29% |
| 11 | Caversham Berkshire | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 4.3 | 32% |
| 12 | Accrington Lancashire | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 13 | Nelson Lancashire | A− | 1.8 | 85% | 5.2 | 15% |
| 14 | St Neots Cambridgeshire | A− | 3.5 | 91% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Didcot Oxfordshire | A− | 1.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 39% |
| 16 | Cleethorpes Lincolnshire | A− | 3 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 17 | Eston North Yorkshire | B+ | 2.9 | 93% | 2.8 | 2% |
| 18 | Waterlooville Hampshire | B+ | 1 | 66% | 5.2 | 18% |
| 19 | Harpenden Hertfordshire | B+ | 3.5 | 84% | 2.9 | 2% |
| 20 | Fulwood Lancashire | B+ | 3.5 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Swadlincote Derbyshire | B+ | 4.1 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Chichester West Sussex | B+ | 1.6 | 89% | 3 | 40% |
| 23 | Lichfield Staffordshire | B+ | 2.7 | 82% | 3.1 | 2% |
| 24 | Brierley Hill West Midlands | B+ | 3.1 | 82% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 25 | Pudsey West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 94% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Windsor Berkshire | B | 5.5 | 83% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 27 | Consett County Durham | B | 1.7 | 87% | 3.1 | 19% |
| 28 | Brighouse West Yorkshire | B | 2.5 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Wigston Leicestershire | B | 2.9 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 30 | Billingham County Durham | B | 4.7 | 86% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Loughton Essex | B | 2.9 | 74% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Letchworth Hertfordshire | B | 2.2 | 85% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Abingdon-on-Thames Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 91% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Caerphilly Gwent | B | 2.6 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Morecambe Lancashire | B− | 0.8 | 84% | 2.2 | 2% |
| 36 | Radcliffe Greater Manchester | B− | 1.7 | 86% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Stanford-le-Hope Essex | B− | 2.6 | 84% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 38 | Whitstable Kent | B− | 1.5 | 84% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Billericay Essex | C+ | 4.1 | 70% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Winsford Cheshire | C+ | 1.3 | 92% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Pontefract West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.6 | 84% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 42 | New Haw, West Byfleet and Sheerwater Surrey | C+ | 2.2 | 69% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Newton Abbot Devon | C+ | 2.6 | 62% | 2.3 | 6% |
| 44 | Morley West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.2 | 87% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Horndean Hampshire | C+ | 0.9 | 57% | 3.3 | 53% |
| 46 | Newark-on-Trent Nottinghamshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 2 | 0% |
| 47 | Bedworth Warwickshire | C | 1.5 | 87% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Barnstaple Devon | C | 1.6 | 92% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Rayleigh Essex | C | 2 | 71% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Beverley East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.7 | 92% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Sedgley West Midlands | C | 1.5 | 65% | 4 | 0% |
| 52 | Congleton Cheshire | C | 1.7 | 72% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 80% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Bilston West Midlands | C− | 1.5 | 76% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Rushden Northamptonshire | C− | 1.5 | 84% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Heywood Greater Manchester | C− | 1.3 | 80% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Bromsgrove Worcestershire | C− | 1.4 | 75% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Port Talbot West Glamorgan | C− | 1.3 | 68% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Spalding Lincolnshire | D | 1.1 | 85% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Pontypridd Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.5 | 70% | 1.9 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Whitstable’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 Whitstable
The biggest is Duncan Down, 16 ha (40 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 8 named parks by size: 24 ha (60 acres) and 6 km of path
Parks & gardens 22 haPlaying fields 2.7 ha
The two biggest, Duncan Down and Hampton Coastal Park, are 79% of the named green space and carry 5 km of path between them. 6 of the 8 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Hampton Coastal Park
Park or garden · 170 m outside town
3.0 ha (7 acres)1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.3 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Propsect Field
Park or garden
2.0 ha (5 acres)0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Chestfield Recreation Ground
Playing field
1.4 ha (4 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Cornwallis Circle Recreation Ground
Playing field
0.9 ha (2 acres)0.1 km of path
0.6 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Chestfield Village Green
Park or garden
0.3 ha (1 acres)
1.4 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Tankerton Circus Gardens
Park or garden
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.8 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
8 in 10 Whitstable 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 (84%)Further (16%)
Whitstable84%
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; 32 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,006 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 4.4 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Whitstable scores 0% on it even though the Kent Downs National Landscape is 4.4 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Whitstable is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
81 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Whitstable and the kilometre around it, 2.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocal
Saxon Shore Way13.8 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Whitstable to Iwade6.5 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Ramsgate to Whitstable6.4 km
Chestfield Walk0.9 km
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Whitstable. 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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Whitstable: 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 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 50 | 43 | 37 | 36 | 42 | 45 | 44 | 54 | 65 | 66 | 64 | 66 |
April is the driest month (36 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 66 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 19 nights a year. The climate in Whitstable →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Whitstable
40% of the area within 5 km of Whitstable is sea. 12 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 4 with a name.
Herne Bay Beach1.9 mi from town
DirectionsSouth Shellness Beach2.1 mi from town
DirectionsShellness Beach2.6 mi from town
DirectionsShellbeach2.9 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
32 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 1
Victory Woods Link Sculpture1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 32
Plough Lane Parkin town
DirectionsWestmeads Recreation Groundin town
DirectionsWhite Willows Playground0.8 mi from town
DirectionsHampton Pleasure Grounds0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 28 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 4
Homing Parkin town
DirectionsPrimrose Cottage Caravan Parkin town
DirectionsHampton Bay Park0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 6
R.N.L.I. Lifeboat Whitstable0.0 mi from town
DirectionsWhitstable Yacht Club0.0 mi from town
DirectionsStudd Hill slipway0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 3 slipways 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.
BleanHerneRough CommonHerne BaySturryCanterburyWhitstable
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitstable | B− | 1.5 | 84% | 0% |
| Blean 3.1 mi | A− | 5.9 | 80% | 0% |
| Herne 3.9 mi | C+ | 1.2 | 54% | 0% |
| Rough Common 4.1 mi | A+ | 11.0 | 100% | 1% |
| Herne Bay 4.2 mi | B+ | 2.3 | 83% | 0% |
| Sturry 5.2 mi | B+ | 2.7 | 80% | 1% |
| Canterbury 5.2 mi | B+ | 1.6 | 77% | 19% |
Rough Common, 4.1 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Blean and Rough Common have at least twice Whitstable’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Whitstable
What is the biggest park in Whitstable?
Duncan Down, 16 ha (40 acres), with 3.9 km of path. Hampton Coastal Park (3.0 ha) is second. 8 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Whitstable near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 4.4 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Whitstable?
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: Ramsgate to Whitstable. Duncan Down alone has 3.9 km of path.
How many people in Whitstable live near a park?
84% 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 Whitstable?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Whitstable good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 39% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 29% (1.5 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 Whitstable’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Whitstable’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.