Sutton’s biggest
Mitcham Common
Park or garden
187 ha (463 acres)25.1 km of path
5 h 35 minto walk all 25.1 km of path
262 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Peak
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: A P Monblat · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Sutton · parks, paths & countryside
85% of Sutton’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Surrey Hills National Landscape begins 2.0 mi from the borough’s edge. Footpaths add up to 308 km in the borough and the kilometre around it, 3.8 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Sutton add up to 2.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Sutton grades A− for the outdoors: #8 of 33 in London. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
85%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
308 km
3.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
1%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Surrey Hills National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors borough is Sutton?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A borough of footpaths3.8 km of path per km², more than 76% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Surrey Hills National Landscape starts 2.0 mi south.Historic parks2 registered historic parks and gardens, including Carshalton House (St Philomena's School).
Sutton’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Surrey Hills National Landscape close by.
Outdoors grade
Sutton grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Sutton, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 79% of UK towns#8 of 33 in London · 16th of 44 UK boroughs its size
Public green space2.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
67out of
100
100
A park within a walk85%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
57out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape1%of the land within 5 km
64out of
100
100
Footpaths3.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
77out 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
Sutton is 16th of 44 UK boroughs its size for the outdoors
The 44 UK towns and cities of 146,000 to 282,000 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
Sutton3.8
Boroughs its size4.4
London towns5.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Sutton2.9
Boroughs its size2.3
London towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Sutton85%
Boroughs its size83%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against boroughs its size, Sutton stands out most for park space per resident: only 11 of the other 43 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 29 of the 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 | Telford Shropshire | A | 3.2 | 96% | 4 | 6% |
| 7 | Kingswood and Fishponds Gloucestershire | A | 3.1 | 85% | 6.1 | 10% |
| 8 | Brighton and Hove East Sussex | A | 1 | 77% | 5.2 | 51% |
| 9 | Middlesbrough North Yorkshire | A | 2.6 | 85% | 2.9 | 3% |
| 10 | Swansea West Glamorgan | A | 3.2 | 86% | 2.1 | 9% |
| 11 | Richmond upon Thames London | A− | 5.7 | 83% | 7.6 | 0% |
| 12 | Bournemouth Dorset | A− | 1.9 | 81% | 3.2 | 1% |
| 13 | Westminster London | A− | 2.6 | 98% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 14 | Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire | A− | 5.5 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 15 | Merton London | A− | 3.3 | 89% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 16 | Sutton London | A− | 2.9 | 85% | 3.8 | 1% |
| 17 | Ipswich Suffolk | A− | 2.6 | 79% | 3.9 | 12% |
| 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 | Warrington Cheshire | B+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 22 | Oxford Oxfordshire | B+ | 2.4 | 90% | 5.4 | 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 | Kingston upon Thames London | B | 3.3 | 71% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Northampton Northamptonshire | B | 2.6 | 85% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Cambridge Cambridgeshire | B | 2.3 | 79% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Bolton Greater Manchester | B | 2.2 | 85% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Sunderland Tyne and Wear | B− | 1.5 | 76% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 33 | Haringey London | B− | 1.5 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Derby Derbyshire | B− | 2.3 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Islington London | B− | 0.6 | 98% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Hammersmith and Fulham London | B− | 1 | 93% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 37 | Havering London | C+ | 2.6 | 72% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 38 | Blackpool Lancashire | C+ | 1.6 | 75% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Southend-on-Sea Essex | C+ | 1.5 | 62% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Harrow London | C+ | 1.6 | 81% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Barking and Dagenham London | C+ | 2.4 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Waltham Forest London | C+ | 1 | 80% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Slough Berkshire | C | 1.9 | 82% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 44 | 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 Sutton’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 Sutton
The biggest is Mitcham Common, 187 ha (463 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 715 ha (1,766 acres) and 92 km of path
Parks & gardens 659 haPlaying fields 55 ha
The two biggest, Mitcham Common and Nonsuch Park, are 44% of the named green space and carry 45 km of path between them.
Historic park · Grade II
Nonsuch Park
Park or garden
128 ha (316 acres)19.8 km of path
4 h 25 minto walk all 19.8 km of path
179 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.8 mi westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Roundshaw Park
Park or garden
81 ha (201 acres)10.1 km of path
2 h 15 minto walk all 10.1 km of path
114 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.2 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Beddington Park
Park or garden
59 ha (145 acres)5.9 km of path
1 h 20 minto walk all 5.9 km of path
82 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.4 mi eastfrom the centre
5 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Morden Park
Park or garden
43 ha (107 acres)4.7 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 4.7 km of path
61 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.9 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Warren Farm
Park or garden
24 ha (59 acres)5.7 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.7 km of path
33 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.2 mi south-westfrom the centre
Nature reserve
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Cheam Park
Park or garden
23 ha (57 acres)1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
32 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.6 mi westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Poulter Park
Park or garden
17 ha (41 acres)2.6 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.6 km of path
23 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre
2 nature reserves
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Mitcham CommonPark or garden · 187 ha · 25.1 km of path
DirectionsNonsuch ParkPark or garden · 128 ha · 19.8 km of path
DirectionsRoundshaw ParkPark or garden · 81 ha · 10.1 km of path
DirectionsBeddington ParkPark or garden · 59 ha · 5.9 km of path
DirectionsMorden ParkPark or garden · 43 ha · 4.7 km of path
DirectionsWarren FarmPark or garden · 24 ha · 5.7 km of path
DirectionsCheam ParkPark or garden · 23 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsPoulter ParkPark or garden · 17 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsWorcester ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsRosehill Park EastPark or garden · 13 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsRosehill Recreation GroundPlaying field · 18 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsRavensbury ParkPark or garden · 8.5 ha · 1.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMellows ParkPark or garden · 7.6 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsStag FieldPark or garden · 8.6 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsCarshalton ParkPark or garden · 9.2 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsThe GrovePark or garden · 7.4 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsCuddington Recreation GroundPlaying field · 10 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsPerrett's FieldPark or garden · 6.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsKing George's Playing FieldPlaying field · 8.0 ha · 1.0 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMill GreenPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsWaddon Ponds ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 0.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsShadbolt ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha · 0.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsRoyston ParkPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsCollingwood Recreation GroundPlaying field · 6.9 ha
DirectionsMoreton GreenPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsThe Thomas Wall ParkPlaying field · 6.7 ha
DirectionsManor ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsReigate Avenue Recreation GroundPlaying field · 6.0 ha
DirectionsSeears ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsBeddington Park and the GrangePark or garden · 3.2 ha
DirectionsClose to home
How close Sutton’s homes are to 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 (85%)Further (15%)
Sutton85%
Boroughs its size83%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 31,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 144 playgrounds are mapped in and around the borough, about one for every 1,450 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Surrey Hills National Landscape is 2.0 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
1% of the land within 5 km of Sutton is National Park or National Landscape, more than 63% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
18 waymarked walks pass through or near Sutton
308 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Sutton and the kilometre around it, 3.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the borough.
RegionalLocal
Wandle Trail13.3 km
Sutton Countryside Walk7.9 km
London LOOP (Section 6)7.6 km
London LOOP (Section 8)7.5 km
Town and Down Circular Walk6.8 km
London LOOP (Section 7)5.7 km
Hogsmill Valley Walk5.5 km
Wandle-Oaks Link4.7 km
Thames Down Link4.4 km
Reigate and Banstead Millennium Trail3.8 km
A suburban oasis: Morden Hall Park walk, Morden3.0 km
Banstead Countryside Walk1.2 km
London LOOP (Section 5)1.2 km
Happy Valley & Farthing Downs Nature Trail1.0 km
LOOP link to Banstead station0.5 km
London Loop Diversion0.5 km
Plus 2 more waymarked walks on the map.
Close to home, the Wandle Trail has 13 km of local walk within 2 km of the borough. 10 regional routes pass through, including the London LOOP (Section 6), London LOOP (Section 8), London LOOP (Section 7) and Thames Down Link.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
2 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 Sutton’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Nonsuch Park
128 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 1 listed structure stands inside it or at its edge.
IIPark Cottages
Registered · Grade IICarshalton House (St Philomena's School)9.9 ha
Listed buildings insideBeddington ParkGates and Wrought Iron Screen at West Entrance to Beddington Place, Lychgate at Entrance to West Churchyard Extension and Lychgate at West Entrance to Churchyard of St Mary's and 2 more
Listed buildings insideThe GroveGates adjoining No 1 at south-west entrance to The Grove, The Leoni Bridge. North retaining wall of the pond to the east of North Street and Water Wheel in Grounds of the Grove and 1 more
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 Sutton: 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 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 65 | 48 | 41 | 44 | 47 | 49 | 48 | 57 | 52 | 70 | 72 | 66 |
March is the driest month (41 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 72 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 34 nights a year. The climate in Sutton →
Things to do
3 viewpoints, 144 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.
3Viewpoints0.4× boroughs its size1Hills and peaks18Nature reserves1.9× boroughs its size144Playgroundsabout the same as boroughs its size2Campsites
The nearest beaches
Sutton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the borough.
Hog Hole7.2 mi from Sutton’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows7.2 mi from Sutton’s edge
DirectionsKelson Beach9.1 mi from Sutton’s edge
DirectionsDock Beach10 mi from Sutton’s edge
DirectionsAmity Beach12 mi from Sutton’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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Mill Hill0.5 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 18
Devonshire Avenue Nature Area0.4 ha · in town
DirectionsThe Pastures1.4 ha · in town
DirectionsThe Spinney Local Nature Reserve0.5 ha · in town
DirectionsThe Warren0.8 ha · in town
DirectionsWilderness Island3.4 ha · in town
DirectionsPyl Brook Nature Reserve0.3 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsBennett's Hole2.4 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsHowell Hill Nature Reserve4.6 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 10 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 144
Manor Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsOverton Parkin town
DirectionsThe Beeches Play Area0.3 mi from town
DirectionsKidspace Adventures0.4 mi from town
DirectionsCanons Playground0.7 mi from town
DirectionsLakers Rise Playground0.7 mi from town
DirectionsNork park playground0.7 mi from town
DirectionsNatural Play Area0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 136 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
1st Malden Scout Group Grounds0.9 mi from town
DirectionsGirl Guides Marion Hill House Group Grounds0.9 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.
Worcester Park and StoneleighMertonBansteadEwellChipstead and WoodmansterneCroydonSutton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton | A− | 2.9 | 85% | 1% |
| Worcester Park and Stoneleigh 2.9 mi | B+ | 7.3 | 76% | 0% |
| Merton 3.0 mi | A− | 3.3 | 89% | 0% |
| Banstead 3.1 mi | B+ | 2.4 | 66% | 3% |
| Ewell 3.5 mi | A− | 7.5 | 89% | 0% |
| Chipstead and Woodmansterne 3.7 mi | A+ | 10.3 | 92% | 12% |
| Croydon 4.1 mi | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 6% |
Chipstead and Woodmansterne, 3.7 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 92% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Worcester Park and Stoneleigh, Ewell and Chipstead and Woodmansterne have at least twice Sutton’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Sutton
What is the biggest park in Sutton?
Mitcham Common, 187 ha (463 acres), with 25.1 km of path. Nonsuch Park (128 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the borough or within 400 m of it.
Is Sutton near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, 2.0 mi south of the borough’s edge. It covers 422 km² and was designated in 1958.
What are the best walks near Sutton?
18 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the borough, including the Wandle Trail, Sutton Countryside Walk and London LOOP (Section 6). Mitcham Common alone has 25.1 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Sutton?
Hog Hole, 7.2 mi from the edge of the borough, then The Hollows (7.2 mi). Sutton itself is inland.
How many people in Sutton live near a park?
85% 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 Sutton?
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 Sutton are historic?
Carshalton House (St Philomena's School) (Grade II) and Nonsuch Park (Grade II) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Sutton good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 77% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 67% (2.9 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 Sutton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Sutton’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.