Lambeth has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 379 km in the borough and the kilometre around it, 6.4 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Lambeth add up to 1.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 87% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Lambeth grades B− for the outdoors: #27 of 33 in London. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Lambeth’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Thames Path. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Lambeth grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Lambeth, 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 48% of UK towns#27 of 33 in London · 32nd of 39 UK boroughs its size
Public green space1.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
18out of 100
A park within a walk87%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
62out of 100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of 100
Footpaths6.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
98out of 100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 1.8% 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
Lambeth is 32nd of 39 UK boroughs its size for the outdoors
The 39 UK towns and cities of 222,000 to 428,000 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
Lambeth6.4
Boroughs its size4.9
London towns5.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Lambeth1.2
Boroughs its size2.0
London towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Lambeth87%
Boroughs its size84%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against boroughs its size, Lambeth stands out most for path per km²: only 7 of the other 38 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 34 of the others do better.
9 in 10 Lambeth 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 (87%)Further (13%)
Lambeth87%
Boroughs its size84%
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; 498 playgrounds are mapped in and around the borough, about one for every 637 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Surrey Hills National Landscape is 8.3 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
379 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Lambeth and the kilometre around it, 6.4 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 Path11.0 km
Jubilee Walkway (Western Loop)9.4 km
Thames Path - northern bank9.0 km
Green Link Walk (Section 4)7.2 km
Capital Ring (Section 04)6.7 km
Capital Ring (Section 05)6.2 km
The Barbican Highwalks4.8 km
Jubilee Walkway (Camden Loop)4.3 km
Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk3.9 km
Green Chain Walk section 113.9 km
Jubilee Walkway (Eastern Loop)3.8 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 8)3.7 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 9)3.6 km
Jubilee Walkway (City Loop)3.4 km
Capital Ring (Section 03)3.2 km
link to West Dulwich station3.1 km
Plus 11 more waymarked walks on the map.
The Thames Path, a national route, passes Lambeth. 19 regional routes pass through, including the Jubilee Walkway (Western Loop), Thames Path - northern bank, Green Link Walk (Section 4) and Capital Ring (Section 04).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
7 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 Lambeth’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Kennington Park
15 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 2 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
II*Lodge at Entrance to Kennington ParkIIQueen's London Regiment 24th Battalion War Memorial
Registered · Grade II*West Norwood Cemetery and Crematorium16 ha
Registered · Grade IIBrockwell Park7.4 haInside: Brockwell Lido and 2 more
Registered · Grade IILambeth Palace4.0 ha
Registered · Grade IIMyatt's Fields5.0 ha
Registered · Grade IIRuskin Park2.3 ha
Registered · Grade IIST MICHAEL'S CONVENT (formerly PARK HILL)1.9 ha
Listed buildings insideMyatt's Fields ParkBandstand and Forecourt Walls, Piers and Gates to St Gabriel's College
Listed buildings insideClapham CommonForecourt Walls, Railings and Gates to Numbers 12 to 21 (Consecutive), Clapham Common War Memorial and Clapham South Deep Tube Shelter and Surface Building at Lambeth Entrance and 1 more
Listed buildings insideStreatham CommonGates, Gates Piers and Flanking Walls at Main Entrance to St Michael's Convent and Trough with Drinking Fountain
Heritage walks
Southwark Cathedral to Otford 2.7 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 Lambeth: April 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)
9
9
12
15
18
21
24
23
20
16
12
9
Rain (mm)
57
42
37
42
46
50
45
55
50
66
64
58
March is the driest month (37 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 24 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 66 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 21 nights a year. The climate in Lambeth →
Things to do
22 viewpoints, 498 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.
City of London, 4.5 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Wandsworth and Merton have at least twice Lambeth’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Lambeth
What is the biggest park in Lambeth?
Clapham Common, 76 ha (187 acres), with 16.6 km of path. Crystal Palace Park (59 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the borough or within 400 m of it.
Is Lambeth near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, 8.3 mi south of the borough’s edge. It covers 422 km² and was designated in 1958.
What are the best walks near Lambeth?
27 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the borough, including the Thames Path, Jubilee Walkway (Western Loop) and Thames Path - northern bank. Clapham Common alone has 16.6 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Lambeth?
Kelson Beach, 4.1 mi from the edge of the borough, then Dock Beach (5.3 mi). Lambeth itself is inland.
How many people in Lambeth live near a park?
87% 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 Lambeth?
April 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 Lambeth are historic?
Brockwell Park (Grade II), Kennington Park (Grade II), Lambeth Palace (Grade II) and Myatt's Fields (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Lambeth good for walking?
For paths, yes: 6.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 98% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 18% (1.2 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 Lambeth’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: Len Williams · CC BY-SA 2.0