Outdoors in Westminster · parks, paths & countryside
Westminster has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
391 km of footpaths run through the borough and the kilometre around it, 8.2 for every square kilometre. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 98% of residents. Parks and playing fields in Westminster add up to 2.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Westminster grades A− for the outdoors: #5 of 33 in London. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Westminster’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by parks close to every home.
Outdoors grade
Westminster grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Westminster, 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 81% of UK towns#5 of 33 in London · 12th of 42 UK boroughs its size
Public green space2.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
62out of 100
A park within a walk98%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
78out of 100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of 100
Footpaths8.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
100out of 100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 2.3% 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
Westminster is 12th of 42 UK boroughs its size for the outdoors
The 42 UK towns and cities of 142,000 to 275,000 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
Westminster8.2
Boroughs its size4.4
London towns5.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Westminster2.6
Boroughs its size2.3
London towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Westminster98%
Boroughs its size85%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
Against boroughs its size, Westminster stands out most for path per km²: only 1 of the other 41 has more.
The biggest is Hyde Park, 130 ha (320 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 598 ha (1,478 acres) and 147 km of path
Parks & gardens 584 haPlaying fields 14 ha
The two biggest, Hyde Park and Regent's Park, are 44% of the named green space and carry 66 km of path between them. 8 of the 30 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
2 playgrounds Prince Consort National Memorial (Albert Memorial) Grade I Gates, Gatepiers and Railings to Queen's Gate Grade II* +10 listedLancaster WalkBudge's WalkSouth Flower Walk+3 paths
Queen Victoria Memorial Gates and Gatepiers, Balustrades, Steps and Retaining Wall with Fountain Framing West End of the Mall Grade I Devonshire House Gates to Green Park and Gatepiers (Opposite to Number 90 Piccadilly) Grade II* +5 listed
Almost everyone in Westminster lives 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 (98%)Further (2%)
Westminster98%
Boroughs its size85%
London towns85%
All UK towns83%
About 4,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 472 playgrounds are mapped in and around the borough, about one for every 431 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Surrey Hills National Landscape is 13 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
24 waymarked walks pass through or near Westminster
391 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Westminster and the kilometre around it, 8.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the borough.
NationalRegionalLocal
Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk11.5 km
Thames Path10.5 km
Thames Path - northern bank9.9 km
Jubilee Walkway (Western Loop)9.4 km
Jubilee Walkway (Camden Loop)6.6 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 1)6.2 km
Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) Walk4.9 km
The Barbican Highwalks4.8 km
Green Link Walk (Section 3)3.8 km
Belsize Walk3.8 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 2)3.7 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 9)3.6 km
Jubilee Walkway (City Loop)3.4 km
Jubilee Greenway (section 8)3.3 km
Jubilee Walkway (Eastern Loop)3.1 km
Green Link Walk (Section 4)3.1 km
Plus 8 more waymarked walks on the map.
The Thames Path, a national route, passes Westminster. Close to home, the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk has 11 km of local walk within 2 km of the borough. 16 regional routes pass through, including the Thames Path - northern bank, Jubilee Walkway (Western Loop), Jubilee Walkway (Camden Loop) and Jubilee Greenway (section 1).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
27 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 Westminster’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade I
Regent's Park
136 ha. A registered historic park (Grade I). 16 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge, including Chimps Breeding Colony the Gorilla House (Grade I).
IChimps Breeding Colony the Gorilla HouseIPenguin PoolII*Elephant and Rhinoceros Pavilion, London ZooII*Snowdon Aviary London ZooIIEast Tunnel Beneath Roadway of Outer CircleIIForecourt Garden RailingsIIGiraffe House and Hippopotamus House on the Cotton TerracesIIK3 Type Telephone Kiosk Underneath the Portals of the Parrot HouseIILampstandards in Centre of Road by Park Square West of Junction Lampstandards in Centre of Road by Park Square West of Junction, Outer CircleIILondon Zoo War MemorialIIRaven CageIIThe Clock TowerIIThe Mappin Terraces, Including the Mappin Cafe
Registered · Grade IHyde Park19 haInside: Decimus Burton Screen (Apsley Gate) and 6 more
Registered · Grade IKensington Gardens3.4 haInside: Prince Consort National Memorial (Albert Memorial) and 11 more
Registered · Grade ISt James's Park37 haInside: The Guards Memorial and 7 more
Registered · Grade ITrafalgar Square0.9 ha
Registered · Grade II*Buckingham Palace21 ha
Registered · Grade II*Green Park21 haInside: Queen Victoria Memorial Gates and Gatepiers, Balustrades, Steps and Retaining Wall with Fountain Framing West End of the Mall and 6 more
Registered · Grade II*Victoria Embankment Gardens2.7 haInside: Queen Mary's Steps and Fragment of Whitehall Palace and 15 more
Registered · Grade IIBerkeley Square1.0 ha
Registered · Grade IIBrunel Estate2.9 ha
Show 20 more
Registered · Grade IIDolphin Square Gardens1.0 ha
Registered · Grade IIEccleston Square1.0 ha
Registered · Grade IIGrosvenor Square1.9 ha
Registered · Grade IILandscape to Churchill Gardens Estate12 ha
Registered · Grade IIParliament Square0.7 ha
Registered · Grade IIPimlico Gardens0.1 ha
Registered · Grade IIPortman Square and Manchester Square1.4 ha
Registered · Grade IIROYAL HOSPITAL, CHELSEA and RANELAGH GARDENS0.6 ha
Registered · Grade IISt George's Square Garden0.3 ha
Registered · Grade IISt James's Square0.9 ha
Registered · Grade IIThe Grosvenor Estate: Belgrave Square1.9 ha
Registered · Grade IIThe Grosvenor Estate: Chester Square0.4 ha
Registered · Grade IIThe Grosvenor Estate: Eaton Square2.6 ha
Registered · Grade IIThe Grosvenor Estate: Wilton Crescent0.2 ha
Registered · Grade IIThe Water Gardens Designed Landscape0.6 ha
Registered · Grade IIVictoria Tower Gardens0.4 ha
Registered · Grade IIWarwick Square0.9 ha
Listed buildings insideGrosvenor Square GardensEagle Squadron Memorial, Police Public Callbox to North East of American Embassy and Statue of President Roosevelt in Centre of Square Gardens
Listed buildings insidePaddington Recreation GroundK2 Telephone Kiosk Adjacent to Entrance to Paddington Recreation Ground and K2 Telephone Kiosk Outside Numbers 104-114 Essendine Mansions
Listed buildings insideSt Mary's GardensPair of K6 Telephone Kiosks at Edge of Paddington Green, Opposite Numbers 8 to 10 and Statue of Mrs Siddons
Heritage walks
Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) Walk 4.9 km Southwark Cathedral to Otford 1.0 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 Westminster: 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
21
24
23
20
16
12
9
Rain (mm)
60
45
38
44
46
51
46
56
53
68
68
60
March is the driest month (38 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 24 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 68 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 20 nights a year. The climate in Westminster →
Things to do
16 viewpoints, 472 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.
Westminster grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Westminster
What is the biggest park in Westminster?
Hyde Park, 130 ha (320 acres), with 38 km of path. Regent's Park (136 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the borough or within 400 m of it.
Is Westminster near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, 13 mi south of the borough’s edge. It covers 422 km² and was designated in 1958.
What are the best walks near Westminster?
24 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the borough, including the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk, Thames Path and Thames Path - northern bank. Hyde Park alone has 38 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Westminster?
The Hollows, 4.2 mi from the edge of the borough, then Hog Hole (4.4 mi). Westminster itself is inland.
How many people in Westminster live near a park?
98% 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 Westminster?
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 Westminster are historic?
Hyde Park (Grade I), Kensington Gardens (Grade I), Regent's Park (Grade I) and St James's Park (Grade I) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Westminster good for walking?
For paths, yes: 8.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 100% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 62% (2.6 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 Westminster’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: Mайкл Гиммельфарб (Mike Gimelfarb) · Public domain