Photo: Gareth Williams · CC BY 2.0The Surrey Hills National Landscape begins 0.5 mi from Bletchingley
Footpaths add up to 42 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 3.9 for every square kilometre. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 10% of residents. Parks and playing fields in Bletchingley add up to 0.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Bletchingley grades C for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Bletchingley?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Bletchingley’s strongest suit is two protected landscapes close by, followed by dense footpaths. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Bletchingley grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Bletchingley, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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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.
Bletchingley is 39th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,300 to 2,500 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Bletchingley stands out most for path per km²: only 4 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 59 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reydon Suffolk | A+ | 3.5 | 93% | 3.6 | 49% |
| 2 | Wolsingham County Durham | A+ | 2.7 | 100% | 3.9 | 55% |
| 3 | Aldeburgh Suffolk | A | 2.3 | 88% | 2.3 | 41% |
| 4 | St Margaret's at Cliffe Kent | A | 2.3 | 90% | 2.4 | 15% |
| 5 | Old Stratford Northamptonshire | A | 9.8 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Upton upon Severn Worcestershire | A− | 4.9 | 90% | 2.8 | 2% |
| 7 | Colerne Wiltshire | A− | 3.1 | 86% | 2.4 | 84% |
| 8 | Picket Piece Hampshire | A− | 3.9 | 100% | 1.3 | 33% |
| 9 | West Wick Somerset | A− | 1.6 | 100% | 3.5 | 16% |
| 10 | Tanfield Lea County Durham | A− | 3.8 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 11 | Y Felinheli Gwynedd | B+ | 4.9 | 65% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 12 | Kington Herefordshire | B+ | 3.9 | 89% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 13 | Cotford St Luke Somerset | B+ | 2.2 | 100% | 2.2 | 6% |
| 14 | Nant-y-moel Mid Glamorgan | B | 7 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 15 | Chattenden Kent | B | 1.4 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 16 | Middlestown and Overton West Yorkshire | B− | 1.5 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Stalbridge Dorset | B− | 3.3 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Narberth Dyfed | B− | 1.9 | 100% | 1.6 | 4% |
| 19 | Creech St Michael Somerset | B− | 1.2 | 88% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 20 | Upper Halliford Surrey | B− | 5.1 | 44% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 21 | Bassingbourn Cambridgeshire | B− | 3.8 | 85% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 22 | Riccall North Yorkshire | B− | 2.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Ashurst Hampshire | B− | 0.9 | 65% | 3.6 | 72% |
| 24 | St Dennis Cornwall | C+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Padstow Cornwall | C+ | 0.6 | 33% | 2.5 | 37% |
| 26 | Pentyrch South Glamorgan | C+ | 2.6 | 50% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Renishaw Derbyshire | C+ | 0.6 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 28 | Bramford Suffolk | C+ | 3.2 | 76% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Shelley Essex | C+ | 0.7 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 30 | Witchford Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Grendon Warwickshire | C+ | 8.1 | 71% | 2 | 0% |
| 32 | Coven Staffordshire | C+ | 3.6 | 87% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 33 | Lingwood Norfolk | C+ | 1.2 | 73% | 2.6 | 26% |
| 34 | Pontycymer Mid Glamorgan | C | 2.2 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 35 | Woolavington Somerset | C | 1.6 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Dearham Cumbria | C | 0.6 | 72% | 1.4 | 6% |
| 37 | South Milford North Yorkshire | C | 1.7 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 38 | West Rainton County Durham | C | 2.1 | 73% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 39 | Bletchingley Surrey | C | 0.5 | 10% | 3.9 | 18% |
| 40 | Credenhill Herefordshire | C− | 1.5 | 87% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Wilstead Bedfordshire | C− | 1.7 | 88% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Marshfield Gwent | C− | 1 | 85% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Hathern Leicestershire | C− | 1.8 | 50% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Knowsley Merseyside | C− | 3.1 | 77% | 1 | 0% |
| 45 | Cornforth County Durham | C− | 1.9 | 66% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 46 | Collingham West Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 47 | Stilton Cambridgeshire | C− | 0.8 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Dinnington Tyne and Wear | C− | 1.6 | 89% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Brown Edge Staffordshire | C− | 1.1 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 50 | Goxhill Lincolnshire | C− | 1.5 | 69% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Eastry Kent | D | 2 | 77% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Netherton (Wakefield) West Yorkshire | D | 0.7 | 27% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 53 | St Stephen Cornwall | D | 1.2 | 88% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Leyburn North Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 22% | 2 | 16% |
| 55 | Fishburn County Durham | D | 1.5 | 76% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Parbold Lancashire | D | 1.5 | 36% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 57 | Burton upon Stather Lincolnshire | D | 1.5 | 75% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Myerscough Smithy Lancashire | D | 0.5 | 45% | 3 | 0% |
| 59 | Garden City Clwyd | D− | 1.5 | 58% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Leven East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.2 | 64% | 0.7 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Bletchingley’s built-up area.
1 in 10 Bletchingley 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).
About 2,100 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 village, about one for every 216 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Bletchingley
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.
18% of the land within 5 km of Bletchingley is National Park or National Landscape, more than 76% of UK towns.
4 waymarked walks pass through or near Bletchingley
42 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Bletchingley and the kilometre around it, 3.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
2 regional routes pass through, including the Greensand Way and Tandridge Border Path.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in Bletchingley: May to 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) | 8.4 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.6 | 16.1 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 86 | 64 | 48 | 52 | 50 | 51 | 55 | 60 | 58 | 89 | 90 | 87 |
March is the driest month (48 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 90 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 47 nights a year. The climate in Bletchingley →
4 viewpoints, 11 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
Bletchingley is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Nature reserves 1
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bletchingley | C | 0.5 | 10% | 18% |
| Godstone 1.7 mi | C+ | 1.7 | 52% | 18% |
| South Nutfield 1.7 mi | A− | 2.5 | 100% | 11% |
| South Merstham 2.4 mi | A | 3.7 | 84% | 20% |
| Chaldon 2.6 mi | A− | 7.4 | 50% | 24% |
| South Godstone 2.8 mi | B | 2.0 | 100% | 5% |
| Redhill 3.1 mi | A− | 2.2 | 91% | 14% |
South Merstham, 2.4 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 84% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Godstone, South Nutfield and South Merstham have at least twice Bletchingley’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Bletchingley
Is Bletchingley near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, 0.5 mi north of the village’s edge. It covers 422 km² and was designated in 1958.
What are the best walks near Bletchingley?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Greensand Way, Tandridge Border Path and Priory Farm Discovery Trail.
What is the nearest beach to Bletchingley?
Kelson Beach, 18 mi from the edge of the village, then The Hollows (18 mi). Bletchingley itself is inland.
How many people in Bletchingley live near a park?
10% 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 Bletchingley?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Bletchingley good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 80% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 5% (0.5 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 Bletchingley’s overall grade.
Where Bletchingley’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.