Brent’s biggest
Fryent Country Park
Park or garden
105 ha (259 acres)29.0 km of path
6 h 25 minto walk all 29 km of path
147 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi northfrom the centre
Viewpoint
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Robert Lamb · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Brent · parks, paths & countryside
82% of Brent’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
279 km of footpaths run through the borough and the kilometre around it, 3.5 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Brent add up to 1.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Brent grades C for the outdoors. 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
82%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
279 km
3.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Chilterns National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors borough is Brent?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Historic parks4 registered historic parks and gardens, including Kensal Green (All Souls) Cemetery.Less park per person1.5 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Brent’s strongest suit is its historic parks. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Brent grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Brent, 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 34% of UK towns#33 of 33 in London
Public green space1.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
29out of
100
100
A park within a walk82%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
51out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
71out 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.
Boroughs its size
How Brent compares with UK boroughs of 238,000 to 460,000
The 36 UK towns and cities of 238,000 to 460,000 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
Brent3.5
Boroughs its size4.9
London towns5.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Brent1.5
Boroughs its size2.1
London towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Brent82%
Boroughs its size84%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
Brent falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 26 of the 35 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plymouth Devon | A+ | 1.7 | 87% | 4.9 | 35% |
| 2 | Bexley London | A+ | 2.8 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Southampton Hampshire | A | 2.3 | 80% | 5.6 | 13% |
| 4 | Bristol Bristol | A | 2.9 | 90% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 5 | Brighton and Hove East Sussex | A | 1 | 77% | 5.2 | 51% |
| 6 | Hillingdon London | A | 2.9 | 86% | 4.9 | 2% |
| 7 | Bromley London | A− | 3.1 | 81% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 8 | Cardiff South Glamorgan | A− | 2.2 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 9 | Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire | A− | 5.5 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 10 | Greenwich London | A− | 2.7 | 90% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.9 | 91% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 12 | Croydon London | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 4.6 | 6% |
| 13 | Hounslow London | B+ | 3 | 83% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 14 | Nottingham Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.4 | 87% | 7 | 0% |
| 15 | Kingston upon Hull East Riding of Yorkshire | B+ | 1.7 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Leicester Leicestershire | B | 2.3 | 89% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Hackney London | B | 1.4 | 97% | 8.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Northampton Northamptonshire | B | 2.6 | 85% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 19 | Southwark London | B | 1.3 | 96% | 7.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Redbridge London | B | 3 | 76% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 21 | Wandsworth London | B | 2.4 | 77% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Lewisham London | B | 1.6 | 88% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 23 | Tower Hamlets London | B− | 0.8 | 98% | 10.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Ealing London | B− | 1.8 | 87% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Haringey London | B− | 1.5 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Coventry West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Derby Derbyshire | B− | 2.3 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 28 | Barnet London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Enfield London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Lambeth London | B− | 1.2 | 87% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Bradford West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.4 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 32 | Havering London | C+ | 2.6 | 72% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 33 | Newham London | C+ | 1 | 83% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Harrow London | C+ | 1.6 | 81% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Waltham Forest London | C+ | 1 | 80% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Brent London | C | 1.5 | 82% | 3.5 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Brent’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 Brent
The biggest is Fryent Country Park, 105 ha (259 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 432 ha (1,069 acres) and 76 km of path
Parks & gardens 285 haPlaying fields 147 ha
The biggest is Fryent Country Park, 105 ha (259 acres); no single park dominates.
Gladstone Park
Park or garden
43 ha (106 acres)3.0 km of path
40 minto walk all 3 km of path
60 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Woodfield Park
Park or garden
24 ha (59 acres)3.2 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.2 km of path
34 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Northwick Park
Playing field
32 ha (80 acres)2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
45 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.3 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
West Hendon Playing Fields
Playing field
28 ha (70 acres)3.5 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.5 km of path
39 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade II
Roundwood Park
Park or garden
14 ha (34 acres)2.8 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.8 km of path
19 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Peak
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Neasden Recreation Ground
Park or garden
12 ha (31 acres)3.0 km of path
40 minto walk all 3 km of path
17 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Silver Jubilee Park
Park or garden
15 ha (36 acres)1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
21 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.6 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Fryent Country ParkPark or garden · 105 ha · 29.0 km of path
DirectionsGladstone ParkPark or garden · 43 ha · 3.0 km of path
DirectionsWoodfield ParkPark or garden · 24 ha · 3.2 km of path
DirectionsNorthwick ParkPlaying field · 32 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsWest Hendon Playing FieldsPlaying field · 28 ha · 3.5 km of path
DirectionsRoundwood ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsNeasden Recreation GroundPark or garden · 12 ha · 3.0 km of path
DirectionsSilver Jubilee ParkPark or garden · 15 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsRoe Green ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.5 km of path
DirectionsQueen's ParkPark or garden · 9.6 ha · 3.3 km of path
DirectionsWoodcock ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsKing Edward VII ParkPark or garden · 10 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsBarham ParkPark or garden · 10 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsPaddington Recreation GroundPlaying field · 11 ha · 2.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMontrose Playing FieldsPlaying field · 11 ha · 1.6 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsOne Tree Hill Recreation GroundPlaying field · 10 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsTokyngton Recreation GroundPlaying field · 6.6 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsPreston ParkPlaying field · 7.5 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsChurch Lane Recreation GroundPlaying field · 6.6 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsVale Farm Sports GroundPlaying field · 8.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsVale Farm Sports GroundPlaying field · 8.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsKilburn Grange ParkPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsCoronation GardensPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsRushgrove ParkPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSilkstream ParkPark or garden · 4.5 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSudbury Hill Playing FieldsPlaying field · 6.9 ha
DirectionsEton Grove Open SpacePlaying field · 4.3 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsTiverton GreenPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsThe John Lyon Playing FieldPlaying field · 5.4 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsChalkhill ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsClose to home
How close Brent’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 (82%)Further (18%)
Brent82%
Boroughs its size84%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 62,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 302 playgrounds are mapped in and around the borough, about one for every 1,128 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Chilterns National Landscape is 8.9 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
Footpaths & waymarked walks
15 waymarked walks pass through or near Brent
279 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Brent and the kilometre around it, 3.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the borough.
RegionalLocal
Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) Walk14.3 km
Capital Ring (Section 10)10.1 km
Capital Ring (Section 09)8.9 km
Brent River Park footpath4.1 km
Belsize Walk3.0 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 2)2.9 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 1)1.9 km
Capital Ring link to Wembley Park underground station1.3 km
Capital Ring (Section 11)1.1 km
Capital Ring link to Harrow-on-the-Hill station1.0 km
Capital Ring link to Hendon Central underground station0.7 km
Capital Ring (Section 08)0.6 km
Capital Ring link to Northwick Park tube station0.6 km
The Gruffalo Trail0.5 km
Capital Ring link to Hendon station0.5 km
12 regional routes pass through, including the Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) Walk, Capital Ring (Section 10), Capital Ring (Section 09) and Jubilee Greenway (section 2).
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 Brent’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Roundwood Park
14 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 0 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
Registered · Grade IKensal Green (All Souls) Cemetery0.7 ha
Registered · Grade IIPaddington Cemetery10 ha
Registered · Grade IIWillesden Jewish Cemetery (United Synagogue Cemetery)8.0 ha
Listed buildings insideQueen's ParkBandstand in Queen's Park and K6 Telephone Kiosk near Milman Road, Entrance to Queens Park
Heritage walks
Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) Walk 14.3 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 Brent: 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 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.8 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 65 | 49 | 41 | 45 | 48 | 53 | 50 | 58 | 54 | 73 | 72 | 63 |
March is the driest month (41 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 73 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 30 nights a year. The climate in Brent →
The coast
Beaches near Brent
0% of the area within 5 km of Brent is sea, so the Outdoors Grade counts it as inland. 16 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 3 with a name.
The Hollows2.9 mi from town
DirectionsHog Hole3.0 mi from town
DirectionsSea: 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 302 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 size4Hills and peaksabout the same as boroughs its size12Nature reservesabout the same as boroughs its size7Picnic sites0.7× boroughs its size302Playgroundsabout the same as boroughs its size10Dog parks3.1× boroughs its size1Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 11
Gotford's Hillin town
DirectionsThe Platform0.0 mi from town
DirectionsAussichtspunkt H&MV Office0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 8 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 4
Park Hillin town
DirectionsHorsenden Hill85 m (279 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsHarrow Hill124 m (407 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPrimrose Hill64 m (210 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 12
WISE Project0.3 ha · in town
DirectionsGreville Place Nature Reserve0.1 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsJane Evans Nature Reserve0.2 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsWestbere Copse0.2 mi from town
DirectionsMontpelier Park Woodland0.6 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsParadise Fields11 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPerivale Wood Local Nature Reserve13 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsAdelaide Nature Reserve0.3 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 7
Plus 7 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 302
Brondesbury Park Open Spacein town
DirectionsCarlton Vale Playgroundin town
DirectionsCavendish Play Areain town
DirectionsCraik and Crone playareain town
DirectionsLindsay Park playgroundin town
DirectionsOwen Way Playgroundin town
DirectionsRainbow Parkin town
DirectionsSpringfield Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 294 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 10
Dogs Off Lead Areain town
DirectionsDog Exercise Area0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 8 dog parks without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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.
EalingHarrowBarnetCamdenKensington and ChelseaHammersmith and FulhamBrent
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent | C | 1.5 | 82% | 0% |
| Ealing 3.7 mi | B− | 1.8 | 87% | 0% |
| Harrow 4.1 mi | C+ | 1.6 | 81% | 0% |
| Barnet 4.4 mi | B− | 2.0 | 82% | 0% |
| Camden 4.6 mi | B+ | 2.0 | 90% | 0% |
| Kensington and Chelsea 4.6 mi | B | 1.5 | 99% | 0% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham 4.7 mi | B− | 1.0 | 93% | 0% |
Camden, 4.6 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 90% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Brent
What is the biggest park in Brent?
Fryent Country Park, 105 ha (259 acres), with 29 km of path. Gladstone Park (43 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the borough or within 400 m of it.
Is Brent near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Chilterns National Landscape, 8.9 mi north-west of the borough’s edge. It covers 838 km² and was designated in 1990.
What are the best walks near Brent?
15 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the borough, including the Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) Walk, Capital Ring (Section 10) and Capital Ring (Section 09). Fryent Country Park alone has 29 km of path.
How many people in Brent live near a park?
82% 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 Brent?
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 Brent are historic?
Kensal Green (All Souls) Cemetery (Grade I), Paddington Cemetery (Grade II), Roundwood Park (Grade II) and Willesden Jewish Cemetery (United Synagogue Cemetery) (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Brent good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 71% 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 Brent’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Brent’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.