Whitchurch’s biggest
Stockwood Open Space
Park or garden · 390 m outside town
44 ha (108 acres)4.7 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 4.7 km of path
61 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Rodw · Public domainC+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Whitchurch · parks, paths & countryside
Whitchurch has more footpath per square kilometre than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
33 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 4.4 for every square kilometre. The Cotswolds National Landscape and the Mendip Hills National Landscape both begin about 4 miles from the village’s edge. 47% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Whitchurch grades C+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
47%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
33 km
4.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Cotswolds starts 4.1 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Whitchurch?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A village of footpaths4.4 km of path per km², more than 86% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside both waysCotswolds starts 4.1 mi east, Mendip Hills 4.4 mi south-west.Parks can be a walk away53% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Whitchurch’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Whitchurch grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Whitchurch, 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 35% of UK towns35th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space2.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
55out of
100
100
A park within a walk47%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
12out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Cotswolds begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
86out 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.
Villages its size
Whitchurch is 35th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,900 to 2,100 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
Whitchurch4.4
Villages its size1.9
Somerset towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Whitchurch2.3
Villages its size2.3
Somerset towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Whitchurch47%
Villages its size79%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Whitchurch stands out most for path per km²: only 3 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 48 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capel-le-Ferne Kent | A+ | 21.8 | 88% | 4 | 52% |
| 2 | Meliden Clwyd | A+ | 4.2 | 100% | 4.2 | 21% |
| 3 | Vigo Village Kent | A+ | 33.3 | 100% | 2.9 | 44% |
| 4 | Llanfoist Gwent | A+ | 10.7 | 86% | 4.2 | 57% |
| 5 | Ditchingham Norfolk | A+ | 17.2 | 100% | 2.9 | 13% |
| 6 | Fowey Cornwall | A | 3.2 | 91% | 2.1 | 32% |
| 7 | Bournmoor County Durham | A | 11 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 8 | Upper Rissington Gloucestershire | A | 6.2 | 100% | 1.2 | 100% |
| 9 | Churchill Somerset | A | 2.8 | 84% | 3.9 | 39% |
| 10 | Wrington Somerset | A | 3.2 | 100% | 2.6 | 20% |
| 11 | Machen Gwent | A | 3.5 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 12 | Y Bala Gwynedd | A | 4 | 100% | 1.4 | 67% |
| 13 | Great Haywood Staffordshire | A− | 7.1 | 27% | 4.1 | 29% |
| 14 | Little Haywood Staffordshire | A− | 1.3 | 100% | 3.3 | 34% |
| 15 | Stowupland Suffolk | A− | 5.3 | 83% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 16 | Kirkby Lonsdale Cumbria | B+ | 9.2 | 74% | 2.2 | 40% |
| 17 | Yealmpton Devon | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 1.8 | 50% |
| 18 | Pontesbury Shropshire | B+ | 3.1 | 63% | 3.8 | 28% |
| 19 | Valley Gwynedd | B+ | 5 | 33% | 1.2 | 37% |
| 20 | Martlesham Suffolk | B | 2.1 | 69% | 3.8 | 24% |
| 21 | Sandford Dorset | B | 0.3 | 43% | 4.7 | 41% |
| 22 | Wrotham Kent | B | 1.6 | 100% | 1.6 | 49% |
| 23 | Welsh Bicknor Gloucestershire | B | 2.7 | 31% | 3.3 | 45% |
| 24 | Wheaton Aston Staffordshire | B− | 2.6 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 25 | Dilton Marsh Wiltshire | B− | 2.1 | 67% | 3.5 | 4% |
| 26 | Hutton Cranswick East Riding of Yorkshire | B− | 5 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Trelewis Mid Glamorgan | B− | 2.6 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Rothbury Northumberland | B− | 1 | 76% | 3.8 | 21% |
| 29 | Barmouth Gwynedd | B− | 0.5 | 60% | 2 | 53% |
| 30 | Northleach Gloucestershire | B− | 1.5 | 68% | 2.6 | 100% |
| 31 | Audley Staffordshire | C+ | 3.4 | 83% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Axbridge Somerset | C+ | 1.3 | 72% | 2.8 | 51% |
| 33 | Landkey Devon | C+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 34 | Langtoft Lincolnshire | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 35 | Whitchurch Somerset | C+ | 2.3 | 47% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Wychbold Worcestershire | C | 2.1 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 37 | Clenchwarton Norfolk | C | 2.2 | 87% | 0.3 | 3% |
| 38 | West Haddon Northamptonshire | C | 2.3 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Goodwick Dyfed | C | 0.2 | 47% | 1.9 | 25% |
| 40 | Hightown Merseyside | C | 1.7 | 44% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Longrock Cornwall | C | 0.7 | 60% | 1.2 | 26% |
| 42 | Cadnam and Bartley Hampshire | C− | 0.9 | 30% | 2.4 | 79% |
| 43 | Barrow Suffolk | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Pool-in-Wharfedale West Yorkshire | C− | 2.1 | 44% | 1.6 | 7% |
| 45 | Ashwell Hertfordshire | C− | 3 | 52% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Stoke Golding Leicestershire | C− | 1.4 | 85% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 47 | Hibaldstow Lincolnshire | C− | 1.7 | 89% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 48 | Bishop Burton and Cherry Burton East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 2.5 | 78% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Briston Norfolk | D | 2.7 | 69% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Broughton Northamptonshire | D | 2.7 | 70% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 51 | Baschurch Shropshire | D | 2.3 | 72% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Cookley Worcestershire | D | 2.3 | 52% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Morda Shropshire | D | 0.7 | 84% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 54 | Curry Rivel Somerset | D | 1.9 | 33% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Greylees Lincolnshire | D | 1.5 | 79% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Shawbury Shropshire | D− | 2.2 | 30% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Tollerton Nottinghamshire | D− | 0.6 | 19% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 58 | Rossett Clwyd | D− | 0.3 | 55% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Wilberfoss East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 69% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Bottisham Cambridgeshire | D− | 0 | 0% | 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 Whitchurch’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 Whitchurch
The biggest is Stockwood Open Space, 44 ha (108 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Whitchurch Green
Park or garden · 80 m outside town
2.4 ha (6 acres)0.3 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Whitchurch
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
5 in 10 Whitchurch 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 (47%)Further (53%)
Whitchurch47%
Villages its size79%
Somerset towns83%
All UK towns83%
About 1,100 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 19 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 105 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Cotswolds and Mendip Hills both start about 4 miles from Whitchurch
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
National Landscape
Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
18 mi south-east986 km²since 1983
Official siteProtected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Whitchurch scores 0% on it even though the Cotswolds National Landscape is 4.1 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Whitchurch
33 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Whitchurch and the kilometre around it, 4.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
Local
Three Peaks Walk1.5 km
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 Whitchurch: May to July and September
The village’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 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 94 | 70 | 63 | 58 | 64 | 59 | 64 | 78 | 64 | 89 | 99 | 102 |
April is the driest month (58 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 102 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 34 nights a year. The climate in Whitchurch →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 19 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Whitchurch is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Sugar Loaf Beach11 mi from Whitchurch’s edge
DirectionsLadye Bay13 mi from Whitchurch’s edge
DirectionsClevedon Beach13 mi from Whitchurch’s edge
DirectionsFossil Beach16 mi from Whitchurch’s edge
DirectionsBerrow Sands21 mi from Whitchurch’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 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 5
Burnbush Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsFlowers Hill70 m (230 ft) · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsMaes Knoll1.1 mi from town
DirectionsMaes Knoll Tump199 m (653 ft) · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPublow Hill120 m (394 ft) · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 5
Hawkfield Meadow Nature Reserve5.7 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsStockwood Open Space70 ha · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 3 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 19
Hengrove Play Park1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 18 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.
KeynshamChew MagnaBristolSaltfordKingswood and FishpondsLong AshtonWhitchurch
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitchurch | C+ | 2.3 | 47% | 0% |
| Keynsham 2.4 mi | A | 2.1 | 95% | 11% |
| Chew Magna 3.7 mi | A | 2.4 | 100% | 15% |
| Bristol 4.1 mi | A | 2.9 | 90% | 0% |
| Saltford 4.1 mi | B | 1.6 | 75% | 24% |
| Kingswood and Fishponds 4.9 mi | A | 3.1 | 85% | 10% |
| Long Ashton 5.0 mi | B+ | 10.2 | 66% | 0% |
Bristol, 4.1 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 90% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Long Ashton has at least twice Whitchurch’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Whitchurch
What is the biggest park in Whitchurch?
Stockwood Open Space, 44 ha (108 acres), with 4.7 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Whitchurch Green (2.4 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Whitchurch near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Cotswolds National Landscape, 4.1 mi east of the village’s edge. It covers 2,041 km² and was designated in 1966.
What are the best walks near Whitchurch?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Three Peaks Walk. Stockwood Open Space alone has 4.7 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Whitchurch?
Sugar Loaf Beach, 11 mi from the edge of the village, then Ladye Bay (13 mi). Whitchurch itself is inland.
How many people in Whitchurch live near a park?
47% 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 Whitchurch?
May to July and September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Whitchurch good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 86% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 55% (2.3 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 Whitchurch’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Whitchurch’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.