Bexley’s biggest
Dartford Heath
Park or garden
171 ha (422 acres)19.2 km of path
4 h 15 minto walk all 19.2 km of path
239 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.2 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Heathwood Walk
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0A+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Bexley · parks, paths & countryside
Bexley has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 511 km in the borough and the kilometre around it, 5.2 for every square kilometre. The Kent Downs National Landscape begins 2.8 mi from the borough’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Bexley add up to 2.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Bexley grades A+ for the outdoors: #1 of 33 in London. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
84%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
511 km
5.2 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 2.8 mi out, past the 5 km
The sea
5%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors borough is Bexley?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A borough of footpaths5.2 km of path per km², more than 94% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Kent Downs National Landscape starts 2.8 mi south-east.On a National TrailThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes through.Historic parks4 registered historic parks and gardens, including Danson Park.
Bexley’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Kent Downs National Landscape close by.
Outdoors grade
Bexley grades A+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bexley, 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 96% of UK towns#1 of 33 in London · 3rd of 46 UK boroughs its size
Public green space2.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
66out of
100
100
A park within a walk84%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
54out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Kent Downs begins just past 5 km
61out of
100
100
Footpaths5.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
94out of
100
100
The sea5%of the area within 5 km
84out 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.
Boroughs its size
Bexley is 3rd of 46 UK boroughs its size for the outdoors
The 46 UK towns and cities of 172,000 to 332,000 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
Bexley5.2
Boroughs its size5.0
London towns5.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Bexley2.8
Boroughs its size2.2
London towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Bexley84%
Boroughs its size85%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against boroughs its size, Bexley stands out most for park space per resident: only 13 of the other 45 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swindon Wiltshire | A+ | 3.1 | 96% | 5.9 | 21% |
| 2 | Plymouth Devon | A+ | 1.7 | 87% | 4.9 | 35% |
| 3 | Bexley London | A+ | 2.8 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 4 | Southampton Hampshire | A | 2.3 | 80% | 5.6 | 13% |
| 5 | Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire | A | 8 | 99% | 6.3 | 0% |
| 6 | Brighton and Hove East Sussex | A | 1 | 77% | 5.2 | 51% |
| 7 | Hillingdon London | A | 2.9 | 86% | 4.9 | 2% |
| 8 | Bromley London | A− | 3.1 | 81% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 9 | Richmond upon Thames London | A− | 5.7 | 83% | 7.6 | 0% |
| 10 | Bournemouth Dorset | A− | 1.9 | 81% | 3.2 | 1% |
| 11 | Westminster London | A− | 2.6 | 98% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 12 | Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire | A− | 5.5 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 13 | Merton London | A− | 3.3 | 89% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 14 | Sutton London | A− | 2.9 | 85% | 3.8 | 1% |
| 15 | Greenwich London | A− | 2.7 | 90% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 16 | Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.9 | 91% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 17 | Luton Bedfordshire | A− | 1.9 | 78% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 18 | Portsmouth Hampshire | A− | 1.2 | 82% | 3.5 | 2% |
| 19 | Peterborough Cambridgeshire | B+ | 3.7 | 96% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Warrington Cheshire | B+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 21 | Hounslow London | B+ | 3 | 83% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Nottingham Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.4 | 87% | 7 | 0% |
| 23 | Norwich Norfolk | B+ | 1.9 | 77% | 5.4 | 4% |
| 24 | Camden London | B+ | 2 | 90% | 7.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Reading Berkshire | B+ | 1.7 | 73% | 4.6 | 26% |
| 26 | Kingston upon Hull East Riding of Yorkshire | B+ | 1.7 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 27 | Hackney London | B | 1.4 | 97% | 8.6 | 0% |
| 28 | Northampton Northamptonshire | B | 2.6 | 85% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Southwark London | B | 1.3 | 96% | 7.8 | 0% |
| 30 | Redbridge London | B | 3 | 76% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 31 | Wandsworth London | B | 2.4 | 77% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Bolton Greater Manchester | B | 2.2 | 85% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Lewisham London | B | 1.6 | 88% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Tower Hamlets London | B− | 0.8 | 98% | 10.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Haringey London | B− | 1.5 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Derby Derbyshire | B− | 2.3 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Islington London | B− | 0.6 | 98% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 38 | Hammersmith and Fulham London | B− | 1 | 93% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 39 | Enfield London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Lambeth London | B− | 1.2 | 87% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Havering London | C+ | 2.6 | 72% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 42 | Southend-on-Sea Essex | C+ | 1.5 | 62% | 3 | 0% |
| 43 | Harrow London | C+ | 1.6 | 81% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 44 | Barking and Dagenham London | C+ | 2.4 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 45 | Waltham Forest London | C+ | 1 | 80% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Wolverhampton West Midlands | C | 1.8 | 76% | 2.8 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bexley’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 Bexley
The biggest is Dartford Heath, 171 ha (422 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 1,090 ha (2,695 acres) and 163 km of path
Parks & gardens 1,069 haPlaying fields 21 ha
The biggest is Dartford Heath, 171 ha (422 acres); no single park dominates.
Scadbury Park
Park or garden · 20 m outside town
133 ha (329 acres)12.4 km of path
2 h 45 minto walk all 12.4 km of path
186 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
3.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Scadbury Park
Park or garden · 20 m outside town
133 ha (329 acres)12.4 km of path
2 h 45 minto walk all 12.4 km of path
186 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
3.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Scadbury Park
Park or garden · 20 m outside town
133 ha (329 acres)12.4 km of path
2 h 45 minto walk all 12.4 km of path
186 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
3.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Stable Meadow
Park or garden
86 ha (213 acres)17.3 km of path
3 h 50 minto walk all 17.3 km of path
121 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi southfrom the centre
4 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Bostall Heath
Park or garden
72 ha (178 acres)22.7 km of path
5 hto walk all 22.7 km of path
101 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Lesnes Abbey Park
Park or garden
67 ha (166 acres)17.7 km of path
3 h 55 minto walk all 17.7 km of path
94 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.6 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade II
Danson Park
Park or garden
74 ha (184 acres)6.2 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.2 km of path
104 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi westfrom the centre
Danson Park Mansion Grade I Stables to Danson Park Grade II*
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Dartford HeathPark or garden · 171 ha · 19.2 km of path
DirectionsScadbury ParkPark or garden · 133 ha · 12.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsScadbury ParkPark or garden · 133 ha · 12.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsScadbury ParkPark or garden · 133 ha · 12.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsStable MeadowPark or garden · 86 ha · 17.3 km of path
DirectionsBostall HeathPark or garden · 72 ha · 22.7 km of path
DirectionsLesnes Abbey ParkPark or garden · 67 ha · 17.7 km of path
DirectionsDanson ParkPark or garden · 74 ha · 6.2 km of path
DirectionsEast Wickham Open SpacePark or garden · 29 ha · 8.2 km of path
DirectionsEltham Park NorthPark or garden · 30 ha · 7.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFrank's ParkPark or garden · 18 ha · 3.6 km of path
DirectionsMartens Grove ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 3.1 km of path
DirectionsEltham Park SouthPark or garden · 9.7 ha · 2.8 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSouthmere ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsSouthmere ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsSouthmere ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsLamorbey ParkPark or garden · 9.6 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsBirchmere ParkPark or garden · 9.3 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsAbbey Wood ParkPark or garden · 5.0 ha · 2.0 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsNorthumberland Heath Recreation GroundPlaying field · 9.3 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsPenhill ParkPark or garden · 7.7 ha
DirectionsFalconwood FieldPark or garden · 5.9 ha · 0.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFootscray Recreation GroundPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsShenstone ParkPark or garden · 6.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsHollyoak Wood ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsAbbeyhill ParkPark or garden · 4.5 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsRussell ParkPlaying field · 6.8 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsParish WoodPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsMarlborough ParkPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsWaring ParkPlaying field · 5.3 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Bexley 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%)
Bexley84%
Boroughs its size85%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 40,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 157 playgrounds are mapped in and around the borough, about one for every 1,567 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 2.8 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Bexley scores 0% on it even though the Kent Downs National Landscape is 2.8 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
38 waymarked walks pass through or near Bexley
511 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bexley and the kilometre around it, 5.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the borough.
NationalRegionalLocal
King Charles III England Coast Path: Grain to Woolwich23.0 km
Cray Riverway21.0 km
London LOOP (Section 1)13.5 km
Thames Path12.2 km
London LOOP (Section 2)9.4 km
Southwark Cathedral to Otford9.1 km
Shuttle Riverway9.1 km
London LOOP (Section 24)7.6 km
Green Chain Walk section 76.6 km
Darent Valley Path6.5 km
Green Chain Walk section 25.5 km
Green Chain Walk section 35.1 km
The Ridgeway4.5 km
Green Chain Walk section 64.3 km
Capital Ring (Section 01)4.0 km
Green Chain Walk section 13.9 km
Plus 22 more waymarked walks on the map.
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Bexley. Close to home, the Cray Riverway has 21 km of local walk within 2 km of the borough. 30 regional routes pass through, including the London LOOP (Section 1), London LOOP (Section 2), Southwark Cathedral to Otford and London LOOP (Section 24).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
4 historic parks, and what stands in them
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Bexley’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Danson Park
74 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 2 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge, including Danson Park Mansion (Grade I).
IDanson Park MansionII*Stables to Danson Park
Registered · Grade IIFoots Cray Place12 ha
Registered · Grade IIHall Place1.9 ha
Registered · Grade IILamorbey Park46 haInside: Dairy at Lamorbey Park and 1 more
Listed buildings insideStable MeadowBowling Pavilion, Foots Cray Place, North Cray War Memorial and Stable Block to Former Foots Cray Place and 1 more
Heritage walks
Southwark Cathedral to Otford 9.1 km link to Abbey Wood station 0.8 km
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bexley: May to September
The borough’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 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 57 | 44 | 36 | 40 | 46 | 47 | 43 | 53 | 48 | 64 | 63 | 59 |
March 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 64 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 32 nights a year. The climate in Bexley →
The coast
Bexley is near the sea
5% of the area within 5 km of Bexley is sea. 5 beaches are 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
11 viewpoints and 157 playgrounds
Mapped within 2 km of the borough in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK borough its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
11Viewpointsabout the same as boroughs its size2Hills and peaks8Nature reservesabout the same as boroughs its size11Picnic sitesabout the same as boroughs its size157Playgroundsabout the same as boroughs its size3Campsites3.7× boroughs its size1Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 11
Plus 11 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Pilgrim Hill81 m (266 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsShooters Hill132 m (433 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 8
Braeburn Park20 ha · in town
DirectionsRectory Lane Pond Nature Reserve0.9 ha · in town
DirectionsCrossness Nature Reserve31 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsRuxley Gravel Pits27 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsRipple Nature Reserve7.8 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsThe Wilds Ecology Park3.3 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsThe Tarn Bird Sanctuary1.7 ha · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 11
Pier Square Gardensin town
DirectionsPicnic Area0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 9 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 157
Belvedere Beach Playgroundin town
DirectionsCarlton Rd Playgroundin town
DirectionsCrayford Way Playgroundin town
DirectionsCrayzee Barnin town
DirectionsLodge Hill Playgroundin town
DirectionsManor Way Playgroundin town
DirectionsRiverside Walk Playgroundin town
DirectionsWharfside Close Play Areain town
DirectionsPlus 149 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 3
Woollett Hall Farm0.0 mi from town
DirectionsThe Naturist Foundation1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPaxwood1.2 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 1
Erith Yacht Club0.1 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.
Joyden's WoodGreenwichDartfordHextablePurfleet-on-ThamesSwanleyBexley
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley | A+ | 2.8 | 84% | 0% |
| Joyden's Wood 2.9 mi | A− | 2.7 | 82% | 4% |
| Greenwich 3.4 mi | A− | 2.7 | 90% | 0% |
| Dartford 3.9 mi | A | 3.9 | 72% | 1% |
| Hextable 4.0 mi | A+ | 6.7 | 100% | 9% |
| Purfleet-on-Thames 4.6 mi | C− | 0.9 | 64% | 0% |
| Swanley 4.7 mi | B+ | 1.8 | 78% | 20% |
Hextable, 4 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Hextable has at least twice Bexley’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Bexley
What is the biggest park in Bexley?
Dartford Heath, 171 ha (422 acres), with 19.2 km of path. Scadbury Park (133 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the borough or within 400 m of it.
Is Bexley near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 2.8 mi south-east of the borough’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Bexley?
38 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the borough, including the King Charles III England Coast Path: Grain to Woolwich, Cray Riverway and London LOOP (Section 1). Dartford Heath alone has 19.2 km of path.
How many people in Bexley 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 Bexley?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Bexley are historic?
Danson Park (Grade II), Foots Cray Place (Grade II), Hall Place (Grade II) and Lamorbey Park (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Bexley good for walking?
For paths, yes: 5.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 94% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 66% (2.8 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 Bexley’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Bexley’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.