Harrow’s biggest
Stanmore Country Park
Park or garden
75 ha (185 acres)12.4 km of path
2 h 45 minto walk all 12.4 km of path
105 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.4 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Viewpoint
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Des Blenkinsopp · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Harrow · parks, paths & countryside
Harrow has more footpath per square kilometre than 8 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 341 km in the borough and the kilometre around it, 4.1 for every square kilometre. The Chilterns National Landscape begins 4.8 mi from the borough’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Harrow add up to 1.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Harrow grades C+ for the outdoors: #30 of 33 in London. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
81%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
341 km
4.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Chilterns starts 4.8 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors borough is Harrow?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A borough of footpaths4.1 km of path per km², more than 82% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Chilterns National Landscape starts 4.8 mi north-west.Historic parks3 registered historic parks and gardens, including Bentley Priory.Less park per person1.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Harrow’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Chilterns National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Harrow grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Harrow, 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 39% of UK towns#30 of 33 in London
Public green space1.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
30out of
100
100
A park within a walk81%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
48out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Chilterns begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
83out 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 Harrow compares with UK boroughs of 182,000 to 352,000
The 50 UK towns and cities of 182,000 to 352,000 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
Harrow4.1
Boroughs its size4.9
London towns5.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Harrow1.6
Boroughs its size2.0
London towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Harrow81%
Boroughs its size84%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
Harrow falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 35 of the 49 others do better.
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 | Cardiff South Glamorgan | A− | 2.2 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 10 | Richmond upon Thames London | A− | 5.7 | 83% | 7.6 | 0% |
| 11 | Bournemouth Dorset | A− | 1.9 | 81% | 3.2 | 1% |
| 12 | Westminster London | A− | 2.6 | 98% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 13 | Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire | A− | 5.5 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 14 | Merton London | A− | 3.3 | 89% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Sutton London | A− | 2.9 | 85% | 3.8 | 1% |
| 16 | Greenwich London | A− | 2.7 | 90% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 17 | Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.9 | 91% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 18 | Luton Bedfordshire | A− | 1.9 | 78% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 19 | Portsmouth Hampshire | A− | 1.2 | 82% | 3.5 | 2% |
| 20 | Peterborough Cambridgeshire | B+ | 3.7 | 96% | 3.3 | 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 | Coventry West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 37 | Derby Derbyshire | B− | 2.3 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Islington London | B− | 0.6 | 98% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 39 | Hammersmith and Fulham London | B− | 1 | 93% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 40 | Enfield London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Lambeth London | B− | 1.2 | 87% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Bradford West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.4 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 43 | Havering London | C+ | 2.6 | 72% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Newham London | C+ | 1 | 83% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Southend-on-Sea Essex | C+ | 1.5 | 62% | 3 | 0% |
| 46 | Harrow London | C+ | 1.6 | 81% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Barking and Dagenham London | C+ | 2.4 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Waltham Forest London | C+ | 1 | 80% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Brent London | C | 1.5 | 82% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 50 | 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 Harrow’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 Harrow
The biggest is Stanmore Country Park, 75 ha (185 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 332 ha (821 acres) and 50 km of path
Parks & gardens 204 haPlaying fields 128 ha
The biggest is Stanmore Country Park, 75 ha (185 acres); no single park dominates.
Roxbourne Park
Park or garden
20 ha (50 acres)3.9 km of path
55 minto walk all 3.9 km of path
29 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Roxbourne Park
Park or garden
20 ha (50 acres)3.9 km of path
55 minto walk all 3.9 km of path
29 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.1 mi south-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Northwick Park
Playing field · 220 m outside town
32 ha (80 acres)2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
45 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade II
Canons Park
Park or garden
18 ha (45 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
26 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.3 mi north-eastfrom the centre
3 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Headstone Manor Recreation Ground
Playing field
24 ha (59 acres)3.5 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.5 km of path
33 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi north-westfrom the centre
Playground Headstone Manor Grade I Headstone Manor moated site monument +3 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Woodcock Park
Park or garden · 50 m outside town
11 ha (28 acres)2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
16 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Newton Park
Park or garden
10 ha (25 acres)1.7 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Stanmore Country ParkPark or garden · 75 ha · 12.4 km of path
DirectionsRoxbourne ParkPark or garden · 20 ha · 3.9 km of path
DirectionsRoxbourne ParkPark or garden · 20 ha · 3.9 km of path
DirectionsNorthwick ParkPlaying field · 32 ha · 2.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCanons ParkPark or garden · 18 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsHeadstone Manor Recreation GroundPlaying field · 24 ha · 3.5 km of path
DirectionsWoodcock ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsNewton ParkPark or garden · 10 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsAlexandra ParkPark or garden · 9.2 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsPinner Village GardensPark or garden · 6.6 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsChandos Recreation GroundPlaying field · 10 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsWest Harrow Recreation GroundPlaying field · 11 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsCentenary ParkPark or garden · 6.3 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsRoxeth Recreation GroundPlaying field · 7.2 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsPinner Memorial ParkPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsMontesole Playing FieldsPlaying field · 6.5 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsHarrow Weald Recreation GroundPlaying field · 6.5 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsSilkstream ParkPark or garden · 4.5 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsStonegrove ParkPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 1.0 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsGrove FieldPlaying field · 6.4 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsThe Grove Open SpacePark or garden · 3.4 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsSudbury Hill Playing FieldsPlaying field · 6.9 ha
DirectionsEton Grove Open SpacePlaying field · 4.3 ha · 0.8 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsThe John Lyon Playing FieldPlaying field · 5.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsThe CroftPlaying field · 4.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsStanmore Marsh NorthPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsCuckoo HillPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsShaftesbury Playing FieldsPlaying field · 4.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsDeane ParkPark or garden · 2.9 ha · just outside town
DirectionsNewton Farm Ecology ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Harrow 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 (81%)Further (19%)
Harrow81%
Boroughs its size84%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 51,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 151 playgrounds are mapped in and around the borough, about one for every 1,725 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Chilterns National Landscape is 4.8 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 Harrow scores 0% on it even though the Chilterns National Landscape is 4.8 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
23 waymarked walks pass through or near Harrow
341 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Harrow and the kilometre around it, 4.1 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
London LOOP (Section 15)12.5 km
Capital Ring (Section 09)8.9 km
Bentley Priory Circular Trail7.3 km
Willow Tree Wander5.8 km
Capital Ring (Section 10)5.8 km
Composers Park & Beyond5.3 km
Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) Walk4.8 km
London LOOP (Section 14)4.8 km
Celandine Route4.1 km
Merry Hill Circular Footpath3.7 km
Dog Rose Ramble3.2 km
Bentley Priory Nature Reserve Nature Trail3.0 km
Harrow Weald Common Nature Trail2.1 km
LOOP link to Stanmore Underground1.7 km
Stanmore Common Nature Trail - Long Trail1.1 km
LOOP link to Hatch End1.0 km
Plus 7 more waymarked walks on the map.
Close to home, the Bentley Priory Circular Trail has 7 km of local walk within 2 km of the borough. 11 regional routes pass through, including the London LOOP (Section 15), Capital Ring (Section 09), Capital Ring (Section 10) and Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) Walk.
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 Harrow’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Canons Park
18 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 3 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
IIGarden Temple, Supporting Walls and Raised Paved Area in Canons ParkIIWall Enclosing Garden to North West of George V Memorial Garden in Canons ParkIIWall enclosing George V Memorial Garden in Canons Park
Registered · Grade IIBentley Priory21 ha
Registered · Grade IIHarrow Park (Formerly Flambards)15 ha
Listed buildings insideHeadstone Manor Recreation GroundHeadstone Manor, Headstone Manor moated site and Barn South West of Headstone Manor and 2 more
Heritage walks
Bentley Priory Circular Trail 7.3 km Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) Walk 4.8 km Bentley Priory Nature Reserve Nature Trail 3.0 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 Harrow: 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 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 68 | 49 | 42 | 46 | 50 | 53 | 48 | 58 | 53 | 74 | 73 | 67 |
March is the driest month (42 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 74 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in Harrow →
Things to do
10 viewpoints, 151 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.
10Viewpointsabout the same as boroughs its size5Hills and peaksabout the same as boroughs its size7Nature reserves0.6× boroughs its size7Picnic sitesabout the same as boroughs its size151Playgrounds0.7× boroughs its size1Dog parks2Campsites
The nearest beaches
Harrow is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the borough.
The Hollows5.1 mi from Harrow’s edge
DirectionsHog Hole5.2 mi from Harrow’s edge
DirectionsAmity Beach12 mi from Harrow’s edge
DirectionsKelson Beach13 mi from Harrow’s edge
DirectionsDock Beach14 mi from Harrow’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.
Up high. Harrow Hill, at 124 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Harrow.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 10
Wood Farm London Viewpoint0.1 mi from town
DirectionsGotford's Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 8 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 5
Harrow Hill124 m (407 ft) · in town
DirectionsPotter Street Hill134 m (440 ft) · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsCaldecote Hill155 m (509 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsHaste Hill0.8 mi from town
DirectionsHorsenden Hill85 m (279 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 7
Local Wildlife Site (Herts LA)2.7 ha · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPrestwick Road Meadows2.6 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsHill Mead Nature Park1.3 ha · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsParadise Fields11 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPerivale Wood Local Nature Reserve13 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 7
Plus 7 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 151
Centenary Play Parkin town
DirectionsCourtyardin town
DirectionsHeadstone Manor Play Areain town
DirectionsPerceval Square Play Areain town
DirectionsRoxbourne Playgroundin town
DirectionsWood End East Recreation Ground Playground0.1 mi from town
DirectionsLindsay Park playground0.2 mi from town
DirectionsAshridge Play Area0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 143 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Northern Heights0.9 mi from town
DirectionsHome Farm Glamping1.0 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.
ElstreeBusheyBrentMoor ParkEalingHillingdonHarrow
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Elstree, 4 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Elstree, Bushey and Moor Park have at least twice Harrow’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Harrow
What is the biggest park in Harrow?
Stanmore Country Park, 75 ha (185 acres), with 12.4 km of path. Roxbourne Park (20 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the borough or within 400 m of it.
Is Harrow near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Chilterns National Landscape, 4.8 mi north-west of the borough’s edge. It covers 838 km² and was designated in 1990.
What are the best walks near Harrow?
23 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the borough, including the London LOOP (Section 15), Capital Ring (Section 09) and Bentley Priory Circular Trail. Stanmore Country Park alone has 12.4 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Harrow?
The Hollows, 5.1 mi from the edge of the borough, then Hog Hole (5.2 mi). Harrow itself is inland.
How many people in Harrow live near a park?
81% 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 Harrow?
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 Harrow are historic?
Bentley Priory (Grade II), Canons Park (Grade II) and Harrow Park (Formerly Flambards) (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Harrow good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 83% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 30% (1.6 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 Harrow’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Harrow’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.