Bisley’s biggest
Bisley Common
Park or garden
24 ha (58 acres)5.8 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.8 km of path
33 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Bisley
Peak
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Alan Hunt · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Bisley · parks, paths & countryside
Bisley has more park space per resident than 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Bisley add up to 8.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 48 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 4.8 for every square kilometre. The Surrey Hills National Landscape begins 5.9 mi from the town’s edge. Bisley grades A for the outdoors: #16 of 65 in Surrey. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
8.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
92%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
48 km
4.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Surrey Hills starts 5.9 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Bisley?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam8.0 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 93% of UK towns.A town of footpaths4.8 km of path per km², more than 91% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Surrey Hills National Landscape starts 5.9 mi south.
Bisley’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by dense footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Bisley grades A for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bisley, 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 88% of UK towns#16 of 65 in Surrey · 8th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space8.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
94out of
100
100
A park within a walk92%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
71out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Surrey Hills begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
91out 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
Bisley is 8th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 3,900 to 4,200 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
Bisley4.8
Towns its size2.9
Surrey towns4.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Bisley8.0
Towns its size1.9
Surrey towns3.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Bisley92%
Towns its size83%
Surrey towns75%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Bisley stands out most for park space per resident: only 4 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hextable Kent | A+ | 6.7 | 100% | 5.1 | 9% |
| 2 | Darley Dale Derbyshire | A+ | 3.8 | 100% | 3.4 | 51% |
| 3 | Southbourne West Sussex | A | 1.3 | 92% | 3.3 | 64% |
| 4 | Pitstone Buckinghamshire | A | 1.6 | 100% | 4.2 | 40% |
| 5 | Cranbrook Kent | A | 5.8 | 82% | 2.9 | 65% |
| 6 | Tenby Dyfed | A | 2.1 | 88% | 2.5 | 21% |
| 7 | Chickerell Dorset | A | 1.5 | 88% | 3 | 27% |
| 8 | Bisley Surrey | A | 8 | 92% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 9 | Milton Cambridgeshire | A | 10.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 10 | Holt Norfolk | A | 8.5 | 84% | 2.4 | 40% |
| 11 | Old Sarum Wiltshire | A | 4.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Bowerhill Wiltshire | A− | 7.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 13 | Prestbury Gloucestershire | A− | 1.6 | 80% | 5.3 | 51% |
| 14 | Bearwood Dorset | B+ | 2.5 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 15 | Carbis Bay Cornwall | B+ | 0.5 | 88% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 16 | Cheddleton Staffordshire | B+ | 3.5 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 17 | Chirk Clwyd | B+ | 1.8 | 100% | 2.3 | 15% |
| 18 | Queenborough Kent | B | 1.6 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 19 | Tangmere West Sussex | B | 2.1 | 100% | 1.2 | 36% |
| 20 | Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire | B | 7.7 | 76% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 21 | Pirbright Surrey | B | 2 | 84% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Grange-over-Sands Cumbria | B | 1.5 | 46% | 2.6 | 40% |
| 23 | Calverley West Yorkshire | B | 1.5 | 92% | 6 | 0% |
| 24 | Saltford Somerset | B | 1.6 | 75% | 3.6 | 24% |
| 25 | Bourton-on-the-Water Gloucestershire | B | 0.9 | 79% | 3.3 | 100% |
| 26 | Little Paxton Cambridgeshire | B− | 2.8 | 87% | 3 | 0% |
| 27 | Tumble Dyfed | B− | 19.5 | 93% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Stoney Stanton Leicestershire | B− | 2.5 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Martock Somerset | B− | 2.9 | 85% | 3 | 0% |
| 30 | Easington Lane Tyne and Wear | B− | 0.9 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 31 | South Cerney Gloucestershire | B− | 2.5 | 77% | 2.4 | 7% |
| 32 | Lower Stondon Bedfordshire | B− | 2.7 | 73% | 2.2 | 5% |
| 33 | Ystradgynlais Powys | C+ | 2.5 | 78% | 1.2 | 36% |
| 34 | Send Surrey | C+ | 2.6 | 28% | 3.3 | 5% |
| 35 | Chipping Ongar Essex | C+ | 2.5 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Thorpe Hesley South Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 80% | 4 | 0% |
| 37 | Heacham Norfolk | C+ | 1.5 | 53% | 1.1 | 29% |
| 38 | Holmfield West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.8 | 74% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 39 | Shirland and Stonebroom Derbyshire | C | 3.7 | 43% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Kirkburton West Yorkshire | C | 1.4 | 86% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 41 | South Darenth and Sutton at Hone Kent | C | 1.8 | 43% | 2.7 | 10% |
| 42 | Brayton North Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 43 | Langley Park County Durham | C | 0.8 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Tenbury Wells Worcestershire | C | 2.3 | 51% | 2.1 | 3% |
| 45 | Deanshanger Northamptonshire | C | 1.5 | 93% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Oaklands Hertfordshire | C | 2 | 7% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Wynyard County Durham | C | 10.7 | 64% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Beck Row Suffolk | C | 5.3 | 76% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Great Glen Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 91% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Whiston South Yorkshire | C− | 1 | 75% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 51 | Brookmans Park Hertfordshire | C− | 2.5 | 43% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Swanland East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 75% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Glyn-neath West Glamorgan | D | 1.3 | 57% | 1.1 | 22% |
| 54 | Crowle Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 91% | 1 | 0% |
| 55 | Doddinghurst Essex | D | 1.6 | 60% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Middleton Cheney Northamptonshire | D | 0.9 | 70% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 57 | North Ferriby East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 33% | 1 | 0% |
| 58 | Gnosall Staffordshire | D | 1.2 | 42% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Cricklade Wiltshire | D | 0.3 | 9% | 3 | 0% |
| 60 | Little Eriswell Suffolk | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.5 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bisley’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 Bisley
The biggest is Bisley Common, 24 ha (58 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Bisley Green
Park or garden
6.3 ha (16 acres)0.2 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Bisley
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Miles Green
Park or garden
2.1 ha (5 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Bisley
Directionsto the park
Close to home
9 in 10 Bisley 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 (92%)Further (8%)
Bisley92%
Towns its size83%
Surrey towns75%
All UK towns83%
About 300 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 25 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 162 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Surrey Hills National Landscape is 5.9 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Bisley scores 0% on it even though the Surrey Hills National Landscape is 5.9 mi away. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Bisley
48 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bisley and the kilometre around it, 4.8 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
Basingstoke Canal3.5 km
The regional route here is the Basingstoke Canal.
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 Bisley: 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 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 70 | 51 | 43 | 48 | 46 | 49 | 49 | 55 | 54 | 75 | 76 | 68 |
March is the driest month (43 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 76 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Bisley →
Things to do
25 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
Bisley is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Amity Beach7.2 mi from Bisley’s edge
DirectionsPenguin Beach13 mi from Bisley’s edge
DirectionsHog Hole18 mi from Bisley’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows18 mi from Bisley’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
Hills and peaks 5
Reidon Hill0.2 mi from town
DirectionsSandpit Hill0.9 mi from town
DirectionsBrock Hill1.0 mi from town
DirectionsDog Hill1.1 mi from town
DirectionsCooper's Hill1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 25
Lakeside Play Area1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 24 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 5
Maple Acre0.7 mi from town
DirectionsSit Perpetuum Lawn0.9 mi from town
DirectionsSergeant's mess0.9 mi from town
DirectionsMilitary Field0.9 mi from town
DirectionsInns of Court1.0 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.
West End and ChobhamBrookwoodPirbrightLightwaterWokingDeepcutBisley
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bisley | A | 8.0 | 92% | 0% |
| West End and Chobham 1.2 mi | B− | 3.3 | 65% | 0% |
| Brookwood 1.4 mi | B+ | 8.5 | 59% | 0% |
| Pirbright 1.7 mi | B | 2.0 | 84% | 0% |
| Lightwater 2.2 mi | B+ | 9.2 | 72% | 0% |
| Woking 2.8 mi | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 0% |
| Deepcut 3.1 mi | A | 8.4 | 100% | 0% |
Deepcut, 3.1 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Bisley
What is the biggest park in Bisley?
Bisley Common, 24 ha (58 acres), with 5.8 km of path. Bisley Green (6.3 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Bisley near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 12 mi south-west of the town’s edge. It covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, 5.9 mi away.
What are the best walks near Bisley?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Basingstoke Canal. Bisley Common alone has 5.8 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Bisley?
Amity Beach, 7.2 mi from the edge of the town, then Penguin Beach (13 mi). Bisley itself is inland.
How many people in Bisley live near a park?
92% 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 Bisley?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Bisley good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 91% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 94% (8.0 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 Bisley’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Bisley’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.