Newham’s biggest
Wanstead Flats
Park or garden
164 ha (404 acres)42.0 km of path
9 h 20 minto walk all 42 km of path
229 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.5 mi northfrom the centre
Horse RideThe Avenue
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Chris Whippet · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Newham · parks, paths & countryside
Newham has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 461 km in the borough and the kilometre around it, 7.1 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Newham add up to 1.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 83% of residents. Newham grades C+ for the outdoors: #28 of 33 in London. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
83%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
461 km
7.1 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 Newham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A borough of footpaths7.1 km of path per km², more than 99% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.On a National TrailThe Thames Path passes through.Historic parksWest Ham Park is a registered historic park (Grade II).Less park per person1.0 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Newham’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Thames Path. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Newham grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Newham, 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 40% of UK towns#28 of 33 in London
Public green space1.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
12out of
100
100
A park within a walk83%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
52out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths7.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
99out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 4.8% 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
How Newham compares with UK boroughs of 246,000 to 474,000
The 36 UK towns and cities of 246,000 to 474,000 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
Newham7.1
Boroughs its size4.9
London towns5.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Newham1.0
Boroughs its size2.0
London towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Newham83%
Boroughs its size85%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against boroughs its size, Newham stands out most for path per km²: only 3 of the other 35 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 33 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 | Bristol Bristol | A | 2.9 | 90% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 5 | Brighton and Hove East Sussex | A | 1 | 77% | 5.2 | 51% |
| 6 | Hillingdon London | A | 2.9 | 86% | 4.9 | 2% |
| 7 | Bromley London | A− | 3.1 | 81% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 8 | Cardiff South Glamorgan | A− | 2.2 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 9 | Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire | A− | 5.5 | 95% | 3.6 | 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 | Hounslow London | B+ | 3 | 83% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 14 | Nottingham Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.4 | 87% | 7 | 0% |
| 15 | Kingston upon Hull East Riding of Yorkshire | B+ | 1.7 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Leicester Leicestershire | B | 2.3 | 89% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Hackney London | B | 1.4 | 97% | 8.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Southwark London | B | 1.3 | 96% | 7.8 | 0% |
| 19 | Redbridge London | B | 3 | 76% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 20 | Wandsworth London | B | 2.4 | 77% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 21 | Lewisham London | B | 1.6 | 88% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Manchester Greater Manchester | B− | 1.8 | 85% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Tower Hamlets London | B− | 0.8 | 98% | 10.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Ealing London | B− | 1.8 | 87% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Haringey London | B− | 1.5 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Coventry West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Derby Derbyshire | B− | 2.3 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 28 | Barnet London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Enfield London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Lambeth London | B− | 1.2 | 87% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Bradford West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.4 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 32 | Havering London | C+ | 2.6 | 72% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 33 | Newham London | C+ | 1 | 83% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Harrow London | C+ | 1.6 | 81% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Waltham Forest London | C+ | 1 | 80% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 36 | 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 Newham’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 Newham
The biggest is Wanstead Flats, 164 ha (404 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 379 ha (935 acres) and 99 km of path
Parks & gardens 349 haPlaying fields 30 ha
The two biggest, Wanstead Flats and Beckton District Park, are 52% of the named green space and carry 50 km of path between them. 3 of the 30 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Beckton District Park
Park or garden
34 ha (85 acres)7.7 km of path
1 h 45 minto walk all 7.7 km of path
48 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi southfrom the centre
Second World War anti-aircraft gun emplacements, Beckton monumentQueen Elizabeth Memorial WalkwayHadleigh Walk
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade II
West Ham Park
Park or garden
26 ha (65 acres)7.2 km of path
1 h 35 minto walk all 7.2 km of path
37 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi north-westfrom the centre
Aileen Walk
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Park or garden
28 ha (68 acres)3.9 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.9 km of path
39 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.2 mi north-westfrom the centre
Playground PeakEssex WayMiddlesex WayArena Fields
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Little Ilford Park
Park or garden
10 ha (26 acres)3.0 km of path
40 minto walk all 3 km of path
15 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Central Park
Park or garden
9.8 ha (24 acres)3.1 km of path
40 minto walk all 3.1 km of path
14 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Thames Barrier Park
Park or garden
7.0 ha (17 acres)3.4 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.4 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.1 mi southfrom the centre
Playground Nature reserveWest PeripheryNorth PeripheryEast Periphery+1 path
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Plashet Park
Park or garden
7.6 ha (19 acres)2.4 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.4 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Wanstead FlatsPark or garden · 164 ha · 42.0 km of path
DirectionsBeckton District ParkPark or garden · 34 ha · 7.7 km of path
DirectionsWest Ham ParkPark or garden · 26 ha · 7.2 km of path
DirectionsQueen Elizabeth Olympic ParkPark or garden · 28 ha · 3.9 km of path
DirectionsLittle Ilford ParkPark or garden · 10 ha · 3.0 km of path
DirectionsCentral ParkPark or garden · 9.8 ha · 3.1 km of path
DirectionsThames Barrier ParkPark or garden · 7.0 ha · 3.4 km of path
DirectionsPlashet ParkPark or garden · 7.6 ha · 2.4 km of path
DirectionsMemorial Recreation GroundPlaying field · 13 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsNew Beckton ParkPark or garden · 7.1 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsCanning Town Recreation GroundPlaying field · 7.4 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsGooseley's Playing FieldsPlaying field · 6.9 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsVictory ParkPark or garden · 3.4 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsStratford ParkPark or garden · 4.3 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsPlaistow ParkPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsKing George V ParkPark or garden · 4.2 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsRoyal Victoria GardensPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsBarrier ParkPark or garden · 3.7 ha · 1.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsAbbey Playing FieldPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 1.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsAbbey Playing FieldPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 1.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsStar ParkPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsBrampton ParkPark or garden · 3.6 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsPriory ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsThree Mills GreenPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsLyle ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsLangthorne ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 1.0 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCundy Road Open SpacePark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsForest Lane ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsDrapers FieldPlaying field · 2.6 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsBow Green Ecology ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Newham 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 (18%)
Newham83%
Boroughs its size85%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 61,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 566 playgrounds are mapped in and around the borough, about one for every 620 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 9.2 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
36 waymarked walks pass through or near Newham
461 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Newham and the kilometre around it, 7.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the borough.
NationalRegionalLocalOther waymarked
Thames Path13.5 km
Greenwich Meridian Trail10.1 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 6)8.5 km
London to Walsingham - stage 017.7 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 5)6.8 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 4)6.5 km
Capital Ring (Section 14)6.4 km
Capital Ring (Section 15)6.1 km
The Greenway6.1 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Grain to Woolwich5.4 km
Lea Valley Walk4.9 km
Epping Forest Big Walk4.4 km
The Line4.2 km
Capital Ring (Section 01)4.0 km
Thames Path North Extension3.9 km
Explore Charlton Trail3.6 km
Plus 20 more waymarked walks on the map.
The Thames Path, a national route, passes Newham. Close to home, the London to Walsingham - stage 01 has 8 km of local walk within 2 km of the borough. 24 regional routes pass through, including the Greenwich Meridian Trail, Jubilee Greenway (section 6), Jubilee Greenway (section 5) and Jubilee Greenway (section 4).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
A historic park in the middle of Newham
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Newham’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
West Ham Park
26 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 0 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
Heritage walks
Heritage Trail 1.5 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 Newham: 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 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.8 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 53 | 41 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 48 | 44 | 53 | 47 | 64 | 62 | 55 |
March is the driest month (35 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 24 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 64 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 23 nights a year. The climate in Newham →
The coast
Beaches near Newham
5% of the area within 5 km of Newham is sea, so the Outdoors Grade counts it as inland. 9 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 2 with a name.
Dock BeachIn town
DirectionsKelson Beach1.0 mi from town
DirectionsThe King Charles III England Coast Path passes the town.
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
19 viewpoints and 566 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.
19Viewpoints1.4× boroughs its size6Hills and peaksabout the same as boroughs its size3Waterfalls2.9× boroughs its size18Nature reservesabout the same as boroughs its size9Picnic sitesabout the same as boroughs its size566Playgrounds2× boroughs its size12Dog parks3.6× boroughs its size9Slipways3.5× boroughs its size
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 19
Greenwayin town
DirectionsLookout Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsGallions Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsView of O2 Arena0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 15 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 6
Beckton Alps35 m (115 ft) · in town
DirectionsOlympic Rings0.0 mi from town
DirectionsCox's Mount27 m (89 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 3 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 3
Plus 3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 18
Bombardier Beetle Relocation Areain town
DirectionsCody Wilds Nature Space0.1 ha · in town
DirectionsEast Ham Nature Reserve3.7 ha · in town
DirectionsGalleons Point Riverside Wildlife Area0.3 ha · in town
DirectionsMiers Close Wildlife Area0.2 ha · in town
DirectionsOld Ford Island1.1 ha · in town
DirectionsCuckold Haven Nature Reserve2.9 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsEast India Dock Basin4.0 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 10 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 9
Plus 9 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 566
Camel Road Play Areain town
DirectionsChatsworth Active Games Enclosurein town
DirectionsChildren's Gardenin town
DirectionsChildren's Play Areain town
DirectionsDisney Playworldin town
DirectionsGooseley Children's Play Areain town
DirectionsLyle Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsPrize Walk Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 558 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 12
Storey House Green Dog Park0.7 mi from town
DirectionsNewby Place Dog Park0.7 mi from town
DirectionsBartlett Dog Park0.7 mi from town
DirectionsDuff Street Dog Park0.7 mi from town
DirectionsBirchfield Dog Walking Area 11.0 mi from town
DirectionsMile End Park Dog Agility Trail1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 6 dog parks without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
Tower HamletsRedbridgeGreenwichBarking and DagenhamWaltham ForestHackneyNewham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newham | C+ | 1.0 | 83% | 0% |
| Tower Hamlets 3.2 mi | B− | 0.8 | 98% | 0% |
| Redbridge 3.6 mi | B | 3.0 | 76% | 0% |
| Greenwich 4.1 mi | A− | 2.7 | 90% | 0% |
| Barking and Dagenham 4.2 mi | C+ | 2.4 | 82% | 0% |
| Waltham Forest 4.3 mi | C+ | 1.0 | 80% | 0% |
| Hackney 4.6 mi | B | 1.4 | 97% | 0% |
Greenwich, 4.1 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 90% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Redbridge, Greenwich and Barking and Dagenham have at least twice Newham’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Newham
What is the biggest park in Newham?
Wanstead Flats, 164 ha (404 acres), with 42 km of path. Beckton District Park (34 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the borough or within 400 m of it.
Is Newham near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 9.2 mi south-east of the borough’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Newham?
36 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the borough, including the Thames Path, Greenwich Meridian Trail and Jubilee Greenway (section 6). Wanstead Flats alone has 42 km of path.
How many people in Newham 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 Newham?
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 Newham are historic?
West Ham Park (Grade II) is on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Newham good for walking?
For paths, yes: 7.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 99% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 12% (1.0 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 Newham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Newham’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.