Croydon’s biggest
Mitcham Common
Park or garden
187 ha (463 acres)25.1 km of path
5 h 35 minto walk all 25.1 km of path
262 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi north-westfrom the centre
Peak
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Stephen Richards · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Croydon · parks, paths & countryside
Croydon has more footpath per square kilometre than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 617 km in the borough and the kilometre around it, 4.6 for every square kilometre. The Surrey Hills National Landscape begins 0.8 mi from the borough’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Croydon add up to 2.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Croydon grades A− for the outdoors: #10 of 33 in London. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
77%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
617 km
4.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
6%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Surrey Hills National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors borough is Croydon?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A borough of footpaths4.6 km of path per km², more than 89% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside both waysSurrey Hills starts 0.8 mi south, Kent Downs 3.0 mi south-east.Historic parks3 registered historic parks and gardens, including Addington Palace.
Croydon’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by two protected landscapes close by.
Outdoors grade
Croydon grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Croydon, 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 76% of UK towns#10 of 33 in London · 10th of 29 UK boroughs its size
Public green space2.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
60out of
100
100
A park within a walk77%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
41out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape6%of the land within 5 km
68out of
100
100
Footpaths4.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
89out 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
Croydon is 10th of 29 UK boroughs its size for the outdoors
The 29 UK towns and cities of 272,000 to 525,000 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
Croydon4.6
Boroughs its size4.9
London towns5.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Croydon2.5
Boroughs its size2.2
London towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Croydon77%
Boroughs its size85%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against boroughs its size, Croydon stands out most for park space per resident: only 8 of the other 28 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol Bristol | A | 2.9 | 90% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 2 | Sheffield South Yorkshire | A | 2.7 | 85% | 6.8 | 15% |
| 3 | Brighton and Hove East Sussex | A | 1 | 77% | 5.2 | 51% |
| 4 | Hillingdon London | A | 2.9 | 86% | 4.9 | 2% |
| 5 | Bromley London | A− | 3.1 | 81% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 6 | Cardiff South Glamorgan | A− | 2.2 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 7 | Liverpool Merseyside | A− | 2.5 | 87% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 8 | Greenwich London | A− | 2.7 | 90% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 9 | Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.9 | 91% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 10 | Croydon London | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 4.6 | 6% |
| 11 | Hounslow London | B+ | 3 | 83% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Nottingham Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.4 | 87% | 7 | 0% |
| 13 | Leicester Leicestershire | B | 2.3 | 89% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 14 | Southwark London | B | 1.3 | 96% | 7.8 | 0% |
| 15 | Redbridge London | B | 3 | 76% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 16 | Wandsworth London | B | 2.4 | 77% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 17 | Lewisham London | B | 1.6 | 88% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Manchester Greater Manchester | B− | 1.8 | 85% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 19 | Tower Hamlets London | B− | 0.8 | 98% | 10.5 | 0% |
| 20 | Ealing London | B− | 1.8 | 87% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 21 | Coventry West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 22 | Derby Derbyshire | B− | 2.3 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 23 | Barnet London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 24 | Enfield London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 25 | Lambeth London | B− | 1.2 | 87% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 26 | Bradford West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.4 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 27 | Newham London | C+ | 1 | 83% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 28 | Waltham Forest London | C+ | 1 | 80% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 29 | 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 Croydon’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 Croydon
The biggest is Mitcham Common, 187 ha (463 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 834 ha (2,060 acres) and 146 km of path
Parks & gardens 760 haPlaying fields 74 ha
The biggest is Mitcham Common, 187 ha (463 acres); no single park dominates.
Roundshaw Park
Park or garden
81 ha (201 acres)10.1 km of path
2 h 15 minto walk all 10.1 km of path
114 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Kenley Common
Park or garden
72 ha (178 acres)7.6 km of path
1 h 40 minto walk all 7.6 km of path
101 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
3.7 mi southfrom the centre
Hawkhirst RoadLongwood Road
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Crystal Palace Park
Park or garden · 90 m outside town
59 ha (146 acres)14.0 km of path
3 h 5 minto walk all 14 km of path
83 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
3.2 mi northfrom the centre
2 playgrounds Nature reserveLower TerraceUpper TerraceCentral steps
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Farthing Downs
Park or garden
50 ha (123 acres)17.7 km of path
3 h 55 minto walk all 17.7 km of path
70 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
4.4 mi south-westfrom the centre
Drive Road
Directionsto the nearest entrance
South Norwood Country Park
Park or garden
52 ha (128 acres)10.5 km of path
2 h 20 minto walk all 10.5 km of path
73 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
ViewpointFoot Path 664
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Lloyd Park
Park or garden
44 ha (108 acres)8.9 km of path
2 hto walk all 8.9 km of path
61 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Riddlesdown Common
Park or garden
41 ha (102 acres)9.2 km of path
2 h 5 minto walk all 9.2 km of path
58 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
3 mi southfrom the centre
Newe (or Wide) Ditch, Riddlesdown monumentRiddlesdown Road
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Mitcham CommonPark or garden · 187 ha · 25.1 km of path
DirectionsRoundshaw ParkPark or garden · 81 ha · 10.1 km of path
DirectionsKenley CommonPark or garden · 72 ha · 7.6 km of path
DirectionsCrystal Palace ParkPark or garden · 59 ha · 14.0 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFarthing DownsPark or garden · 50 ha · 17.7 km of path
DirectionsSouth Norwood Country ParkPark or garden · 52 ha · 10.5 km of path
DirectionsLloyd ParkPark or garden · 44 ha · 8.9 km of path
DirectionsRiddlesdown CommonPark or garden · 41 ha · 9.2 km of path
DirectionsStreatham CommonPark or garden · 27 ha · 5.8 km of path
DirectionsShirley HeathPark or garden · 21 ha · 3.8 km of path
DirectionsCoombe ParkPark or garden · 17 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsNorwood ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsGrangewood ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 3.7 km of path
DirectionsAshburton Playing FieldsPlaying field · 20 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsNorbury ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsNorwood GrovePark or garden · 12 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsWandle ParkPark or garden · 8.5 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsSouth Norwood Lake and GroundsPark or garden · 8.8 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsAddington ParkPark or garden · 11 ha
DirectionsThe LawnsPark or garden · 6.1 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsAshburton ParkPark or garden · 7.7 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsPurley BeechesPark or garden · 7.2 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsBetts ParkPark or garden · 5.5 ha · 2.0 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsRowdown FieldsPlaying field · 12 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsCoombe WoodPark or garden · 6.3 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsMilne Park Recreation GroundPlaying field · 7.7 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsSanderstead Recreation GroundPlaying field · 7.7 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsPark HillPlaying field · 6.2 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsNorth Down Recreation GroundPlaying field · 12 ha
DirectionsWhyteleafe Recreation GroundPlaying field · 7.9 ha · 1.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Croydon 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 (77%)Further (23%)
Croydon77%
Boroughs its size85%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 90,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 234 playgrounds are mapped in and around the borough, about one for every 1,663 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Surrey Hills and Kent Downs both start about 3 miles from Croydon
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
6% of the land within 5 km of Croydon is National Park or National Landscape, more than 68% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
29 waymarked walks pass through or near Croydon
617 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Croydon and the kilometre around it, 4.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the borough.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Tandridge Border Path19.7 km
London LOOP (Section 4)14.2 km
Vanguard Way11.3 km
Greenwich Meridian Trail10.3 km
London LOOP (Section 5)10.2 km
Sutton Countryside Walk7.9 km
Caterham Circular Walk7.2 km
Capital Ring (Section 04)6.7 km
Downlands Circular Walk6.0 km
London LOOP (Section 6)5.0 km
Wandle Trail4.8 km
Capital Ring (Section 03)3.5 km
Banstead Countryside Walk3.3 km
Green Chain Walk section 113.0 km
Wandle-Oaks Link2.9 km
Wood Pigeon Way2.9 km
Plus 13 more waymarked walks on the map.
Close to home, the Sutton Countryside Walk has 8 km of local walk within 2 km of the borough. 16 regional routes pass through, including the Tandridge Border Path, London LOOP (Section 4), Vanguard Way and Greenwich Meridian Trail.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
3 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 Croydon’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Norwood Grove
12 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 0 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
Registered · Grade IIAddington Palace15 ha
Registered · Grade IIPromenade de Verdun Memorial Landscape1.0 ha
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 Croydon: 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 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 75 | 57 | 45 | 50 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 62 | 57 | 80 | 81 | 77 |
March is the driest month (45 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 November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 34 nights a year. The climate in Croydon →
Things to do
16 viewpoints, 234 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
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.
16Viewpointsabout the same as boroughs its size7Hills and peaksabout the same as boroughs its size18Nature reservesabout the same as boroughs its size4Picnic sites0.3× boroughs its size234Playgroundsabout the same as boroughs its size7Campsites5.4× boroughs its size
The nearest beaches
Croydon is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the borough.
Kelson Beach6.1 mi from Croydon’s edge
DirectionsDock Beach7.3 mi from Croydon’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows8.7 mi from Croydon’s edge
DirectionsHog Hole8.8 mi from Croydon’s edge
DirectionsNorthfleet Beach16 mi from Croydon’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
Hills and peaks 7
Breakneck Hillin town
DirectionsSanderstead Hill175 m (574 ft) · in town
DirectionsJoysons Hill0.2 mi from town
DirectionsBiggin Hill0.7 mi from town
DirectionsBurntwood Hill0.8 mi from town
DirectionsMill Hill0.8 mi from town
DirectionsSydenham Hill112 m (367 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 18
Bramley Bank10 ha · in town
DirectionsBywood Avenue Bird Sancturyin town
DirectionsCroydon Ecology Centrein town
DirectionsHamsey Green Pond0.1 ha · in town
DirectionsLittleheath Woods25 ha · in town
DirectionsMaggie's Gardenin town
DirectionsManor Farm Nature Reserve0.2 ha · in town
DirectionsHutchinson's Bank22 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 10 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 234
Addiscombe Recreation Groundin town
DirectionsApsley Road Playgroundin town
DirectionsBoulogne Road Playgroundin town
DirectionsCourtwood Playgroundin town
DirectionsEdgecoombe Playgroundin town
DirectionsKidspace Adventuresin town
DirectionsNorthwood Playgroundin town
DirectionsRoke Open Spacein town
DirectionsPlus 226 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 7
Coombe view farm campsitein town
DirectionsPinewood Scout Centrein town
DirectionsBears Wood Scout Campsite0.0 mi from town
DirectionsFrylands Wood Scout Outdoor Centre0.3 mi from town
DirectionsAlderstead Heath Club Campsite1.0 mi from town
DirectionsBanstead & District Scout Campsite1.0 mi from town
DirectionsAlderstead Heath1.0 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.
SuttonWarlinghamWhyteleafeMertonChipstead and WoodmansterneBromleyCroydon
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croydon | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 6% |
| Sutton 4.1 mi | A− | 2.9 | 85% | 1% |
| Warlingham 4.5 mi | A | 4.2 | 81% | 13% |
| Whyteleafe 4.6 mi | A+ | 16.3 | 100% | 15% |
| Merton 5.2 mi | A− | 3.3 | 89% | 0% |
| Chipstead and Woodmansterne 5.3 mi | A+ | 10.3 | 92% | 12% |
| Bromley 5.3 mi | A− | 3.1 | 81% | 18% |
Whyteleafe, 4.6 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Whyteleafe and Chipstead and Woodmansterne have at least twice Croydon’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Croydon
What is the biggest park in Croydon?
Mitcham Common, 187 ha (463 acres), with 25.1 km of path. Roundshaw Park (81 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the borough or within 400 m of it.
Is Croydon near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, 0.8 mi south of the borough’s edge. It covers 422 km² and was designated in 1958.
What are the best walks near Croydon?
29 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the borough, including the Tandridge Border Path, London LOOP (Section 4) and Vanguard Way. Mitcham Common alone has 25.1 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Croydon?
Kelson Beach, 6.1 mi from the edge of the borough, then Dock Beach (7.3 mi). Croydon itself is inland.
How many people in Croydon live near a park?
77% 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 Croydon?
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 Croydon are historic?
Addington Palace (Grade II), Norwood Grove (Grade II) and Promenade de Verdun Memorial Landscape (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Croydon good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 89% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 60% (2.5 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 Croydon’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Croydon’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.