Faringdon’s biggest
Folly Park
Park or garden
6.2 ha (15 acres)1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: David Martin · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Faringdon · parks, paths & countryside
94% of Faringdon’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape begins 4.3 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Faringdon add up to 1.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 31 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.5 for every square kilometre. Faringdon grades C for the outdoors: #30 of 38 in Oxfordshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
94%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
31 km
2.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
North Wessex Downs starts 4.3 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Faringdon?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside both waysNorth Wessex Downs starts 4.3 mi south, Cotswolds 6.0 mi north-west.Less park per person1.3 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Faringdon’s strongest suit is two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Faringdon grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Faringdon, 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 30% of UK towns#30 of 38 in Oxfordshire · 41st of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
21out of
100
100
A park within a walk94%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
73out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · North Wessex Downs begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
47out 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.
Towns its size
Faringdon is 41st of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 8,300 to 9,000 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
Faringdon2.5
Towns its size2.7
Oxfordshire towns2.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Faringdon1.3
Towns its size2.2
Oxfordshire towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Faringdon94%
Towns its size81%
Oxfordshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Faringdon stands out most for homes near a park: only 11 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 46 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upton Dorset | A+ | 9.1 | 84% | 4.7 | 18% |
| 2 | Hawkinge Kent | A+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3.2 | 74% |
| 3 | Pool and Illogan Cornwall | A+ | 3.7 | 81% | 4 | 5% |
| 4 | Worsbrough South Yorkshire | A | 10.1 | 100% | 6 | 0% |
| 5 | Storrington West Sussex | A | 5.5 | 85% | 3.2 | 54% |
| 6 | Wallingford Oxfordshire | A | 3.1 | 85% | 3.7 | 61% |
| 7 | Warlingham Surrey | A | 4.2 | 81% | 4.3 | 13% |
| 8 | East Cowes Isle of Wight | A | 1.4 | 96% | 3 | 8% |
| 9 | Ledbury Herefordshire | A | 3.3 | 89% | 3.1 | 34% |
| 10 | Penistone South Yorkshire | A | 2.6 | 97% | 3.9 | 9% |
| 11 | Bearsted Kent | A | 5.5 | 76% | 3.5 | 39% |
| 12 | Maryport Cumbria | A− | 1.4 | 100% | 2.4 | 5% |
| 13 | Brightlingsea Essex | A− | 3 | 97% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 14 | Ryton Tyne and Wear | A− | 5.5 | 85% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 15 | Alfreton Derbyshire | B+ | 4.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 16 | Longridge Lancashire | B+ | 1.9 | 89% | 3 | 32% |
| 17 | Winnersh Berkshire | B+ | 9.6 | 80% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 18 | Hadleigh Suffolk | B+ | 2.6 | 87% | 2.7 | 10% |
| 19 | Higham Ferrers Northamptonshire | B+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Banstead Surrey | B+ | 2.4 | 66% | 5.2 | 3% |
| 21 | Cinderford Gloucestershire | B+ | 1.7 | 80% | 4.7 | 4% |
| 22 | Ashbourne Derbyshire | B | 1.9 | 92% | 2.7 | 14% |
| 23 | Cockermouth Cumbria | B | 2.6 | 81% | 2.2 | 42% |
| 24 | Ampthill Bedfordshire | B | 6.8 | 71% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Clay Cross Derbyshire | B | 2.6 | 88% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 26 | South Kirkby West Yorkshire | B | 3 | 97% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Marlborough Wiltshire | B | 1.2 | 72% | 3.8 | 100% |
| 28 | Abergele Clwyd | B | 2.9 | 78% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Wendover Buckinghamshire | B | 1 | 58% | 5.6 | 60% |
| 30 | Hornsea East Riding of Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 90% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 31 | Alnwick Northumberland | B− | 2.2 | 67% | 3.4 | 7% |
| 32 | Whitnash Warwickshire | B− | 2 | 95% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 33 | Cullompton Devon | B− | 3.2 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Meltham West Yorkshire | B− | 1 | 63% | 5.3 | 27% |
| 35 | Stansted Mountfitchet Essex | B− | 0.8 | 96% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 36 | West End and Chobham Surrey | B− | 3.3 | 65% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 37 | Hoo St Werburgh Kent | C+ | 1.4 | 92% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Fakenham Norfolk | C+ | 5.2 | 81% | 2 | 0% |
| 39 | Atherstone Warwickshire | C+ | 2.7 | 88% | 2 | 0% |
| 40 | Brinsworth South Yorkshire | C | 1.3 | 76% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Faringdon Oxfordshire | C | 1.3 | 94% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Silsden West Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 67% | 3.5 | 1% |
| 43 | Rothwell Northamptonshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Burscough Lancashire | C | 2.6 | 76% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Sherburn in Elmet North Yorkshire | C− | 1.8 | 93% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 46 | Ferryhill County Durham | C− | 1.5 | 94% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Glastonbury Somerset | C− | 2 | 69% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 48 | East Leake Nottinghamshire | C− | 2.4 | 68% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Launceston Cornwall | C− | 2.1 | 66% | 0.9 | 1% |
| 50 | Penkridge Staffordshire | C− | 0.8 | 70% | 2.1 | 7% |
| 51 | Sileby Leicestershire | C− | 1 | 80% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Adlington Lancashire | C− | 1.3 | 64% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Swaffham Norfolk | D | 1 | 68% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Harworth and Bircotes Nottinghamshire | D | 1.9 | 64% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Holbeach Lincolnshire | D | 1 | 91% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Ashford Common Surrey | D | 0.8 | 62% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Tarleton and Hesketh Bank Lancashire | D | 1.5 | 63% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Coxheath Kent | D | 1.2 | 48% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Clydach West Glamorgan | D | 1.7 | 68% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Kirkham Lancashire | D− | 1.3 | 66% | 1.3 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Faringdon’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 Faringdon
The biggest is Folly Park, 6.2 ha (15 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Faringdon’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 (94%)Further (6%)
Faringdon94%
Towns its size81%
Oxfordshire towns81%
All UK towns83%
About 600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 11 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 784 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
North Wessex Downs and Cotswolds both start about 6 miles from Faringdon
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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Faringdon scores 0% on it even though the North Wessex Downs National Landscape is 4.3 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Faringdon
31 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Faringdon and the kilometre around it, 2.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Local
The Vale Way8.4 km
Faringdon Walk, Coleshill6.9 km
Ancient History & Agriculture Walk (Formerly the Orange Walk)3.7 km
Badbury Hill Fort, Badbury Clump1.0 km
Close to home, the The Vale Way has 8 km of local walk within 2 km of the town.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
When to get out
The best walking months in Faringdon: May to September
The town’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 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 62 | 48 | 43 | 48 | 54 | 53 | 49 | 60 | 52 | 72 | 72 | 67 |
March is the driest month (43 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °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 46 nights a year. The climate in Faringdon →
Things to do
11 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the town in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK town its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Faringdon is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
The Leys Park9.1 mi from Faringdon’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.
Up high. Folly Hill, at 136 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Faringdon.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Folly Hill136 m (446 ft) · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsBadbury Hill174 m (571 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 11
Volunteer Way playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds 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.
Stanford in the ValeShrivenham and WatchfieldHighworthLechlade-on-ThamesBamptonAstonFaringdon
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faringdon | C | 1.3 | 94% | 0% |
| Stanford in the Vale 3.5 mi | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Shrivenham and Watchfield 4.4 mi | B+ | 3.5 | 96% | 6% |
| Highworth 5.5 mi | C− | 0.4 | 59% | 0% |
| Lechlade-on-Thames 5.5 mi | B− | 6.7 | 66% | 6% |
| Bampton 5.5 mi | D | 1.1 | 63% | 0% |
| Aston 6.1 mi | D | 2.2 | 62% | 0% |
Shrivenham and Watchfield, 4.4 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 96% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Shrivenham and Watchfield and Lechlade-on-Thames have at least twice Faringdon’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Faringdon
What is the biggest park in Faringdon?
Folly Park, 6.2 ha (15 acres), with 1.6 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Faringdon near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, 4.3 mi south of the town’s edge. It covers 1,731 km² and was designated in 1972.
What are the best walks near Faringdon?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the The Vale Way, Faringdon Walk, Coleshill and Ancient History & Agriculture Walk (Formerly the Orange Walk).
What is the nearest beach to Faringdon?
The Leys Park, 9.1 mi from the edge of the town. Faringdon itself is inland.
How many people in Faringdon live near a park?
94% 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 Faringdon?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Faringdon good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 47% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 21% (1.3 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 Faringdon’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Faringdon’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.