Hounslow has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
566 km of footpaths run through the borough and the kilometre around it, 5.7 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Hounslow add up to 3.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 83% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Hounslow grades B+ for the outdoors: #11 of 33 in London. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Hounslow’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Thames Path.
Outdoors grade
Hounslow grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Hounslow, 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 70% of UK towns#11 of 33 in London · 16th of 42 UK boroughs its size
Public green space3.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
69out of 100
A park within a walk83%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
52out of 100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of 100
Footpaths5.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
96out of 100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 1% sea, under the 5% that counts
42out of 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
Hounslow is 16th of 42 UK boroughs its size for the outdoors
The 42 UK towns and cities of 201,000 to 387,000 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
Hounslow5.7
Boroughs its size4.9
London towns5.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Hounslow3.0
Boroughs its size1.9
London towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Hounslow83%
Boroughs its size84%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against boroughs its size, Hounslow stands out most for park space per resident: only 4 of the other 41 have more.
8 in 10 Hounslow 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 (83%)Further (17%)
Hounslow83%
Boroughs its size84%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 50,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 308 playgrounds are mapped in and around the borough, about one for every 930 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Surrey Hills National Landscape is 9.7 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
566 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Hounslow and the kilometre around it, 5.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the borough.
NationalRegionalLocalOther waymarked
Thames Path - northern bank20.5 km
Thames Path17.7 km
Grand Union Canal Walk11.8 km
London LOOP (Section 9)11.4 km
Capital Ring (Section 07)6.3 km
London LOOP (Section 10)6.0 km
Thames Path Kew Gardens diverted due to bank collapse5.9 km
Barnes Trail Extension5.1 km
Beverley Brook Walk4.3 km
Hillingdon Trail4.1 km
Brent River Park footpath3.9 km
Barnes Trail3.6 km
Long Estate Walk, Osterley3.6 km
Osterley Trail, Osterley3.0 km
Richmond Station to Ham House Historic Scenic Walk, Ham House3.0 km
Historic views of Ham House walk, Ham House2.9 km
Plus 13 more waymarked walks on the map.
The Thames Path, a national route, passes Hounslow. Close to home, the Barnes Trail Extension has 5 km of local walk within 2 km of the borough. 15 regional routes pass through, including the Thames Path - northern bank, Grand Union Canal Walk, London LOOP (Section 9) and Capital Ring (Section 07).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
6 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 Hounslow’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II*
Gunnersbury Park
75 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II*). 15 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
II*East Stables in Gunnersbury ParkII*Gunnersbury Park MuseumIIArchway at East End of Terrace, Gunnersbury Park MansionIIArchway to Gunnersbury Park (West of East Entrance Lodge to Gunnersbury Lane)IIArchway to South West of Gunnersbury Park HouseIIDairy at GunnersburyIIEast Lodge of Gunnersbury Park with Archway and Entrance GatewayIIGateway near Princess Amelia's Bath House, Gunnersbury ParkIIGothic boathouse and pavilion on south shore of Potomac fish pond.IIGothic outbuildings East of Gunnersbury House including arcade grotto shelter and room known as Princess Amelia's Bath HouseIIGunnersbury HouseIISeries of 6 Iron Lampstandards in Front of Gunnersbury Park MansionIIStone Fountain near Refreshment Room, Gunnersbury ParkIIWest LodgeIIWest Stables in Gunnersbury Park
Registered · Grade IChiswick House27 ha
Registered · Grade ISyon Park9.1 haInside: Syon House and 2 more
Registered · Grade II*Osterley Park1.7 haInside: Entrance Lodges to Osterley Park and 1 more
Registered · Grade IIStrawberry House0.1 ha
Registered · Grade IIWalpole House0.3 ha
Listed buildings insideBoston Manor ParkBoston Manor House, Boston Manor Park, Garden Wall, 2 Sets of Iron Gates Gateposts to Boston Manor House and Stables of Boston Manor House
Heritage walks
Grand Union Canal Walk 11.8 km Richmond Station to Ham House Historic Scenic Walk, Ham House 3.0 km Historic views of Ham House walk, Ham House 2.9 km Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) Walk 2.2 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 Hounslow: 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
10.5
8.8
7.9
High (°C)
8
9
12
15
18
21
24
23
20
16
11
9
Rain (mm)
61
45
39
43
44
50
44
55
52
67
70
61
March is the driest month (39 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 24 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 70 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 31 nights a year. The climate in Hounslow →
The coast
Beaches near Hounslow
1% of the area within 5 km of Hounslow is sea, so the Outdoors Grade counts it as inland. 73 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 3 with a name.
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
12 viewpoints and 308 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.
Richmond upon Thames, 2.2 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 83% 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 Hounslow
What is the biggest park in Hounslow?
Royal Botanic Gardens, 129 ha (319 acres), with 29.8 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Bedfont Lakes (106 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the borough or within 400 m of it.
Is Hounslow near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, 9.7 mi south of the borough’s edge. It covers 422 km² and was designated in 1958.
What are the best walks near Hounslow?
29 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the borough, including the Thames Path - northern bank, Thames Path and Grand Union Canal Walk. Royal Botanic Gardens alone has 29.8 km of path.
How many people in Hounslow live near a park?
83% 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 Hounslow?
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 Hounslow are historic?
Chiswick House (Grade I), Syon Park (Grade I), Strawberry House (Grade II) and Walpole House (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Hounslow good for walking?
For paths, yes: 5.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 96% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 69% (3.0 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 Hounslow’s overall grade.
National Parks and National Landscapes: Natural England and Natural Resources Wales boundaries, areas and designation dates, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Photo: KTo288 · CC BY-SA 3.0