Oakham’s biggest
Cutts Close
Park or garden
2.0 ha (5 acres)0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Oakham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Colin Park · CC BY-SA 2.0C−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Oakham · parks, paths & countryside
86% of Oakham’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
36 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 1.8 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Oakham add up to 1.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Oakham grades C− for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
86%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
36 km
1.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Outdoors grade
Oakham grades C− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Oakham, 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 21% of UK towns52nd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
38out of
100
100
A park within a walk86%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
59out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths1.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
24out 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
Oakham is 52nd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 11,500 to 12,800 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
Oakham1.8
Towns its size3.2
Rutland towns1.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Oakham1.8
Towns its size2.1
Rutland towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Oakham86%
Towns its size85%
Rutland towns71%
All UK towns83%
Oakham falls furthest behind on path per km², where 50 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitby North Yorkshire | A+ | 4 | 100% | 2.9 | 53% |
| 2 | Tring Hertfordshire | A+ | 5.7 | 95% | 4.8 | 57% |
| 3 | Snodland Kent | A+ | 7.7 | 97% | 4.4 | 44% |
| 4 | Chepstow Gwent | A+ | 1.9 | 100% | 3.3 | 30% |
| 5 | Minehead Somerset | A+ | 1.4 | 95% | 4.3 | 47% |
| 6 | Brockworth Gloucestershire | A+ | 2.5 | 95% | 5.1 | 46% |
| 7 | Waltham Cross Hertfordshire | A | 10.6 | 100% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 8 | Holyhead Gwynedd | A | 3.4 | 78% | 2.3 | 31% |
| 9 | Southwick West Sussex | A | 1.1 | 100% | 2.6 | 34% |
| 10 | Houghton-le-Spring Tyne and Wear | A | 4.8 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 11 | Sandown Isle of Wight | A | 1.4 | 74% | 4.5 | 28% |
| 12 | Killingworth Tyne and Wear | A | 4.7 | 97% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 13 | Little Lever Greater Manchester | A | 4.5 | 97% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 14 | Dawlish Devon | A | 2.1 | 93% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Bradwell Norfolk | A− | 2 | 80% | 2.7 | 31% |
| 16 | Matlock Derbyshire | A− | 2.9 | 76% | 4.7 | 20% |
| 17 | Blackwood Gwent | A− | 3.6 | 97% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 18 | Bridport Dorset | A− | 0.9 | 75% | 3.7 | 71% |
| 19 | Flackwell Heath and Wooburn Green Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.7 | 90% | 3.9 | 30% |
| 20 | Guiseley West Yorkshire | A− | 2.5 | 75% | 5.7 | 6% |
| 21 | Lees Greater Manchester | A− | 2.5 | 80% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 22 | Barton-upon-Humber Lincolnshire | A− | 5.9 | 97% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Tavistock Devon | A− | 5.9 | 83% | 1.6 | 72% |
| 24 | Cleckheaton West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 98% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 25 | New Milton Hampshire | B+ | 2.3 | 75% | 1.9 | 38% |
| 26 | Ivybridge Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 86% | 3.4 | 38% |
| 27 | Blandford Forum Dorset | B+ | 2.1 | 90% | 2.2 | 72% |
| 28 | Chorleywood Hertfordshire | B+ | 2.7 | 37% | 5.7 | 22% |
| 29 | Haslemere Surrey | B+ | 1 | 78% | 5.1 | 80% |
| 30 | Bentley South Yorkshire | B+ | 3.4 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Worsley Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.7 | 86% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Cudworth and Shafton South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 88% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire | B | 2.4 | 70% | 2.9 | 53% |
| 34 | Buckhurst Hill Essex | B | 4.5 | 64% | 6.3 | 0% |
| 35 | Littleborough Greater Manchester | B | 5 | 85% | 3 | 0% |
| 36 | Stotfold Bedfordshire | B | 2.1 | 96% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 37 | Shirebrook Derbyshire | B | 1.8 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 38 | Ystrad Mynach Gwent | B− | 5.4 | 85% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Honiton Devon | B− | 1.3 | 90% | 2 | 73% |
| 40 | Chigwell Essex | B− | 2.9 | 64% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Wells Somerset | B− | 1.7 | 65% | 3.4 | 26% |
| 42 | Ince-in-Makerfield Greater Manchester | B− | 2 | 74% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Rochford Essex | B− | 2 | 71% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Kingsteignton Devon | B− | 1.9 | 95% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 45 | Huntington North Yorkshire | C+ | 2 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 46 | Street Somerset | C+ | 0.7 | 96% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Stanwell Surrey | C+ | 1.4 | 93% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Hersham Surrey | C | 2.5 | 73% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Featherstone West Yorkshire | C | 2 | 77% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Bridgnorth Shropshire | C− | 2.4 | 66% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Haverfordwest Dyfed | C− | 1 | 85% | 1.4 | 8% |
| 52 | Oakham Rutland | C− | 1.8 | 86% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Market Drayton Shropshire | C− | 1.5 | 88% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Codsall Staffordshire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Sarn Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.8 | 75% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Amesbury Wiltshire | D | 1.8 | 73% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Flint Clwyd | D | 1 | 56% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Desborough Northamptonshire | D | 0.6 | 69% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Wetherby West Yorkshire | D | 0.5 | 14% | 3 | 0% |
| 60 | Thorne South Yorkshire | D− | 1.6 | 65% | 0.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Oakham’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 Oakham
The biggest is Cutts Close, 2.0 ha (5 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Oakham’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 (86%)Further (14%)
Oakham86%
Towns its size85%
Rutland towns71%
All UK towns83%
About 1,700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 22 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 553 residents.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Oakham
36 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Oakham and the kilometre around it, 1.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Regional
Rutland Round14.1 km
Hereward Way4.3 km
Macmillan Way3.8 km
3 regional routes pass through, including the Rutland Round, Hereward Way and Macmillan Way.
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 Oakham: 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) | 8.1 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 65 | 46 | 44 | 48 | 56 | 61 | 65 | 66 | 58 | 69 | 66 | 64 |
March is the driest month (44 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 69 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 52 nights a year. The climate in Oakham →
Things to do
22 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Cold Overton Park197 m (646 ft) · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 8
Brooke Hill Wood15 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsBall's Meadow2.8 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsHarris Grove2.7 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsGorse Field7.9 ha · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsLagoon 426 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsThe Seek10 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsLagoon 211 ha · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsLagoon 321 ha · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 22
Plus 22 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.
BarleythorpeLanghamGreethamUppinghamSouth WithamKettonOakham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham | C− | 1.8 | 86% | 0% |
| Barleythorpe 0.9 mi | B+ | 3.7 | 100% | 0% |
| Langham 1.7 mi | D− | 0.3 | 23% | 0% |
| Greetham 5.0 mi | D− | 0.9 | 30% | 0% |
| Uppingham 5.7 mi | C | 2.2 | 89% | 0% |
| South Witham 7.8 mi | B− | 2.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Ketton 8.1 mi | D | 2.1 | 56% | 0% |
Barleythorpe, 0.9 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Barleythorpe has at least twice Oakham’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Oakham
What is the biggest park in Oakham?
Cutts Close, 2.0 ha (5 acres), with 0.7 km of path. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Oakham near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Oakham.
What are the best walks near Oakham?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Rutland Round, Hereward Way and Macmillan Way.
How many people in Oakham live near a park?
86% 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 Oakham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Oakham good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 24% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 38% (1.8 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 Oakham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Oakham’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.