Lewisham’s biggest
Beckenham Place Park
Park or garden
105 ha (259 acres)12.5 km of path
2 h 45 minto walk all 12.5 km of path
147 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Robin Stott · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Lewisham · parks, paths & countryside
Lewisham has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 394 km in the borough and the kilometre around it, 5.8 for every square kilometre. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 88% of residents. Parks and playing fields in Lewisham add up to 1.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Lewisham grades B for the outdoors: #19 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
88%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
394 km
5.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Kent Downs National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors borough is Lewisham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A borough of footpaths5.8 km of path per km², more than 96% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Hills with a view23 mapped viewpoints, about 2× as many per resident as the typical borough its size.On a National TrailThe Thames Path passes through.Less park per person1.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Lewisham’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by its views. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Lewisham grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Lewisham, 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 56% of UK towns#19 of 33 in London · 23rd of 40 UK boroughs its size
Public green space1.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
31out of
100
100
A park within a walk88%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
64out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths5.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
97out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 2.9% sea, under the 5% that counts
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
Lewisham is 23rd of 40 UK boroughs its size for the outdoors
The 40 UK towns and cities of 211,000 to 406,000 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
Lewisham5.8
Boroughs its size4.9
London towns5.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Lewisham1.6
Boroughs its size2.0
London towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Lewisham88%
Boroughs its size83%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against boroughs its size, Lewisham stands out most for path per km²: only 11 of the other 39 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 26 of the 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 | Brighton and Hove East Sussex | A | 1 | 77% | 5.2 | 51% |
| 5 | Hillingdon London | A | 2.9 | 86% | 4.9 | 2% |
| 6 | Bromley London | A− | 3.1 | 81% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 7 | Cardiff South Glamorgan | A− | 2.2 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 8 | Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire | A− | 5.5 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 9 | Merton London | A− | 3.3 | 89% | 5.5 | 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 | Luton Bedfordshire | A− | 1.9 | 78% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 14 | Portsmouth Hampshire | A− | 1.2 | 82% | 3.5 | 2% |
| 15 | Hounslow London | B+ | 3 | 83% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 16 | Nottingham Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.4 | 87% | 7 | 0% |
| 17 | Kingston upon Hull East Riding of Yorkshire | B+ | 1.7 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Hackney London | B | 1.4 | 97% | 8.6 | 0% |
| 19 | Northampton Northamptonshire | B | 2.6 | 85% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 20 | Southwark London | B | 1.3 | 96% | 7.8 | 0% |
| 21 | Redbridge London | B | 3 | 76% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 22 | Wandsworth London | B | 2.4 | 77% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 23 | Lewisham London | B | 1.6 | 88% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Tower Hamlets London | B− | 0.8 | 98% | 10.5 | 0% |
| 25 | Ealing London | B− | 1.8 | 87% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 26 | Haringey London | B− | 1.5 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Coventry West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Derby Derbyshire | B− | 2.3 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 29 | Barnet London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 30 | Islington London | B− | 0.6 | 98% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Enfield London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 32 | Lambeth London | B− | 1.2 | 87% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Bradford West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.4 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 34 | Havering London | C+ | 2.6 | 72% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 35 | Newham London | C+ | 1 | 83% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Harrow London | C+ | 1.6 | 81% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 37 | Barking and Dagenham London | C+ | 2.4 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Waltham Forest London | C+ | 1 | 80% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Brent London | C | 1.5 | 82% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 40 | 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 Lewisham’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 Lewisham
The biggest is Beckenham Place 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: 530 ha (1,310 acres) and 97 km of path
Parks & gardens 526 haPlaying fields 4.6 ha
The biggest is Beckenham Place Park, 105 ha (259 acres); no single park dominates.
Blackheath
Park or garden
80 ha (198 acres)18.0 km of path
4 hto walk all 18 km of path
112 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.3 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Chesterfield Walk
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Greenwich Park
Park or garden · 300 m outside town
73 ha (182 acres)15.0 km of path
3 h 20 minto walk all 15 km of path
103 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Cross AvenueLovers WalkTemple Walk
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Crystal Palace Park
Park or garden
59 ha (146 acres)14.0 km of path
3 h 5 minto walk all 14 km of path
83 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.6 mi south-westfrom the centre
Nature reserve 2 playgroundsLower TerraceUpper TerraceCentral steps
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Southwark Park
Park or garden · 180 m outside town
27 ha (66 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
37 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.9 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Ladywell Fields
Park or garden
19 ha (47 acres)2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
26 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Lewisham
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Hilly Fields Park
Park or garden
18 ha (46 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
26 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Lewisham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Forster Park
Park or garden
17 ha (41 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
23 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Beckenham Place ParkPark or garden · 105 ha · 12.5 km of path
DirectionsBlackheathPark or garden · 80 ha · 18.0 km of path
DirectionsGreenwich ParkPark or garden · 73 ha · 15.0 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCrystal Palace ParkPark or garden · 59 ha · 14.0 km of path
DirectionsSouthwark ParkPark or garden · 27 ha · 1.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsLadywell FieldsPark or garden · 19 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsHilly Fields ParkPark or garden · 18 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsForster ParkPark or garden · 17 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsMountsfield ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsChinbrook MeadowsPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsSydenham Wells ParkPark or garden · 8.1 ha · 2.5 km of path
DirectionsHorn ParkPark or garden · 6.7 ha · 3.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsDownham FieldsPark or garden · 13 ha
DirectionsRussia Dock WoodlandPark or garden · 9.9 ha · 1.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHorniman GardensPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsDeptford ParkPark or garden · 6.8 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsMayow ParkPark or garden · 7.0 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsBlythe Hill FieldsPark or garden · 7.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsTelegraph Hill ParkPark or garden · 4.1 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsManor House GardensPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsLewisham ParkPark or garden · 4.2 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsNorthbrook ParkPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsAlexandra Recreation GroundPlaying field · 4.6 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsSouthend ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsBrenchley GardensPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsShaftesbury ParkPark or garden · 3.6 ha · 0.6 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsPepys ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsHome ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsFordham ParkPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsBrookmill ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsClose to home
9 in 10 Lewisham 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 (88%)Further (12%)
Lewisham88%
Boroughs its size83%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 35,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 448 playgrounds are mapped in and around the borough, about one for every 671 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 6.3 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
Footpaths & waymarked walks
38 waymarked walks pass through or near Lewisham
394 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Lewisham and the kilometre around it, 5.8 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
Greenwich Meridian Trail20.3 km
Capital Ring (Section 03)13.5 km
Southwark Cathedral to Otford13.1 km
Thames Path10.8 km
Waterlink Way10.1 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 7)9.1 km
Green Chain Walk section 118.6 km
Thames Path - northern bank7.9 km
Green Chain Walk section 87.6 km
Green Chain Walk section 9A7.3 km
Green Chain Walk section 106.6 km
London to Walsingham - stage 013.5 km
Literary Heritage Trail3.3 km
Capital Ring (Section 02)3.2 km
link to West Dulwich station3.1 km
Lewisham Promenade2.8 km
Plus 22 more waymarked walks on the map.
The Thames Path, a national route, passes Lewisham. Close to home, the Waterlink Way has 10 km of local walk within 2 km of the borough. 29 regional routes pass through, including the Greenwich Meridian Trail, Capital Ring (Section 03), Southwark Cathedral to Otford and Jubilee Greenway (section 7).
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 Lewisham’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Manor House Gardens
4.0 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 5 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
IIForecourt Walls at Lee Public LibraryIIGate Piers at Lee Public LibraryIIK2 Telephone Kiosk Outside Manor House (Public Library)IIWall with Entrance to Underground Ice House in Back Garden of Number 43 and Running Underneath Manor House GardensIIWalls Along West Boundary and South East Boundary of Pentland House Grounds
Registered · Grade IIGrove Park Cemetery1.0 ha
Registered · Grade IIHorniman Gardens3.1 ha
Heritage walks
Southwark Cathedral to Otford 13.1 km Literary Heritage Trail 3.3 km Silk Mill Path 0.6 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 Lewisham: 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 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 56 | 46 | 38 | 44 | 46 | 50 | 47 | 58 | 50 | 67 | 66 | 60 |
March is the driest month (38 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 67 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 25 nights a year. The climate in Lewisham →
The coast
Beaches near Lewisham
3% of the area within 5 km of Lewisham is sea, so the Outdoors Grade counts it as inland. 12 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 2 with a name.
Kelson Beach1.0 mi from town
DirectionsDock Beach2.3 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
23 viewpoints and 448 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.
23Viewpoints2× boroughs its size3Hills and peaks0.7× boroughs its size3Waterfalls7.3× boroughs its size26Nature reserves1.8× boroughs its size9Picnic sitesabout the same as boroughs its size448Playgrounds1.8× boroughs its size14Dog parks5.6× boroughs its size1Campsites8Slipways3.9× boroughs its size
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 23
The Point0.1 mi from town
DirectionsStave Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsView of O2 Arena1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 20 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Forest Hillin town
DirectionsSydenham Hill112 m (367 ft) · in town
DirectionsMartin's Hill64 m (210 ft) · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 3
River Beck Stepping Stones1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 26
Brockley Nature Reserve5.3 ha · in town
DirectionsBrookmill Road Local Nature Reserve0.4 ha · in town
DirectionsBurst Ash Pond0.1 ha · in town
DirectionsCreekside Discovery Centre0.3 ha · in town
DirectionsDacres Wood Nature Reserve0.6 ha · in town
DirectionsDeptford Railway Meadow0.1 ha · in town
DirectionsDevonshire Road Nature Reserve2.1 ha · in town
DirectionsHither Green Nature Triangle1.4 ha · in town
DirectionsPlus 18 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 9
Eddystone Road0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 8 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 448
Dalmain Under 5's play areain town
DirectionsEckington Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsFolkestone Gardens Play Areain town
DirectionsHome Park Adventure Playgroundin town
DirectionsHonor Oak Adventure Playgroundin town
DirectionsLadywell Adventure Playgroundin town
DirectionsOslac Play Park (Evens)in town
DirectionsOslac Play Park (Odds)in town
DirectionsPlus 440 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 14
Mudchute Dog Park0.7 mi from town
DirectionsRopemakers Dog Park1.2 mi from town
DirectionsBirchfield Dog Walking Area 11.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 11 dog parks without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
South London Scout Centre0.3 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.
SouthwarkGreenwichLambethTower HamletsBromleyCity of LondonLewisham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewisham | B | 1.6 | 88% | 0% |
| Southwark 2.9 mi | B | 1.3 | 96% | 0% |
| Greenwich 4.0 mi | A− | 2.7 | 90% | 0% |
| Lambeth 4.0 mi | B− | 1.2 | 87% | 0% |
| Tower Hamlets 4.5 mi | B− | 0.8 | 98% | 0% |
| Bromley 4.7 mi | A− | 3.1 | 81% | 18% |
| City of London 5.4 mi | A− | 2.0 | 100% | 0% |
Bromley, 4.7 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 81% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Lewisham
What is the biggest park in Lewisham?
Beckenham Place Park, 105 ha (259 acres), with 12.5 km of path. Blackheath (80 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the borough or within 400 m of it.
Is Lewisham near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 6.3 mi south-east of the borough’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Lewisham?
38 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the borough, including the Greenwich Meridian Trail, Capital Ring (Section 03) and Southwark Cathedral to Otford. Beckenham Place Park alone has 12.5 km of path.
How many people in Lewisham live near a park?
88% 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 Lewisham?
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 Lewisham are historic?
Grove Park Cemetery (Grade II), Horniman Gardens (Grade II) and Manor House Gardens (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Lewisham good for walking?
For paths, yes: 5.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 97% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 31% (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 Lewisham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Lewisham’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.