Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: Peter Whatley · CC BY-SA 2.0116 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.3 for every square kilometre. The Surrey Hills National Landscape reaches the edge of Caterham. Parks and playing fields in Caterham add up to 4.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Caterham grades A for the outdoors: #9 of 65 in Surrey. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Caterham’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by plenty of park space.
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Caterham, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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.
The 60 UK towns and cities of 21,200 to 24,400 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Caterham stands out most for park space per resident: only 10 of the other 59 have more.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee-on-the-Solent Hampshire | A+ | 5.7 | 96% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 2 | Chapeltown and High Green South Yorkshire | A+ | 4.9 | 94% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 3 | Falmouth Cornwall | A | 1.3 | 96% | 3.5 | 41% |
| 4 | Reddish Greater Manchester | A | 6.7 | 100% | 5 | 0% |
| 5 | Caterham Surrey | A | 4.3 | 84% | 4.3 | 17% |
| 6 | Hebburn Tyne and Wear | A | 6.6 | 99% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 7 | Ash and Ash Vale Surrey | A | 4.3 | 72% | 5.4 | 20% |
| 8 | Seaham County Durham | A | 2.9 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Thornaby-on-Tees North Yorkshire | A | 5.4 | 92% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 10 | South Ockendon Essex | A− | 2.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Droylsden Greater Manchester | A− | 5.2 | 95% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 12 | Reigate Surrey | A− | 5.5 | 58% | 4.7 | 20% |
| 13 | Felixstowe Suffolk | A− | 2 | 88% | 1.9 | 28% |
| 14 | Workington Cumbria | A− | 3 | 97% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 15 | Heanor Derbyshire | A− | 4.2 | 92% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Hedge End Hampshire | A− | 5.5 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Coalville Leicestershire | A− | 3.7 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 18 | Kempston Bedfordshire | A− | 4.9 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 19 | Ryde Isle of Wight | A− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.6 | 19% |
| 20 | Shoreham-by-Sea West Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 74% | 2.7 | 35% |
| 21 | Whitefield Greater Manchester | A− | 4.7 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 22 | Ingleby Barwick North Yorkshire | B+ | 2.9 | 87% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 23 | Maldon Essex | B+ | 2.8 | 82% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Whitehaven Cumbria | B+ | 1.8 | 91% | 2 | 1% |
| 25 | Chesham Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 73% | 4 | 64% |
| 26 | Crowborough East Sussex | B+ | 3.2 | 68% | 2.6 | 91% |
| 27 | Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock Essex | B+ | 2.2 | 97% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 28 | Oadby Leicestershire | B+ | 3.7 | 92% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Seaford East Sussex | B+ | 0.8 | 73% | 2.8 | 52% |
| 30 | Ossett West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.8 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Orrell Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.1 | 77% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Swinton Greater Manchester | B | 3.9 | 81% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 33 | Great Bookham and Fetcham Surrey | B | 1.7 | 68% | 4.4 | 33% |
| 34 | Biggleswade Bedfordshire | B | 1.6 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Westhoughton Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Old Trafford Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 79% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 37 | Sudbury Suffolk | B | 3.8 | 77% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 38 | Hailsham East Sussex | B | 1.4 | 87% | 3.2 | 12% |
| 39 | Truro Cornwall | B | 1.6 | 84% | 2.9 | 21% |
| 40 | Dorchester Dorset | B | 1.6 | 78% | 2.9 | 53% |
| 41 | Rawtenstall Lancashire | B | 1.9 | 83% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Royton Greater Manchester | B− | 2.8 | 71% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Bingley West Yorkshire | B− | 2.1 | 80% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Staines-upon-Thames Surrey | B− | 3.4 | 67% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 45 | Bishop Auckland County Durham | B− | 2.7 | 85% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Chester-le-Street County Durham | C+ | 1.7 | 75% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 47 | Ashford Surrey | C+ | 3.4 | 73% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Clifton Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.5 | 76% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Sunbury-on-Thames Surrey | C+ | 2 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Kenilworth Warwickshire | C+ | 2.7 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 51 | Market Harborough Leicestershire | C+ | 1.9 | 94% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 52 | Formby Merseyside | C+ | 1.4 | 63% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Ascot Berkshire | C+ | 3.6 | 56% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Potters Bar Hertfordshire | C | 1.6 | 71% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Normanton West Yorkshire | C | 1.2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Stowmarket Suffolk | C− | 0.8 | 50% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Retford Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Gainsborough Lincolnshire | C− | 1 | 96% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 59 | March Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.7 | 87% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Darlaston West Midlands | D | 1.3 | 78% | 1.9 | 0% |
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Caterham’s built-up area.
The biggest is Kenley Common, 72 ha (178 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
The two biggest, Kenley Common and Manor Park, are 84% of the named green space and carry 11 km of path between them.
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 4,000 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 town, about one for every 1,198 residents.
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.
17% of the land within 5 km of Caterham is National Park or National Landscape, more than 75% of UK towns.
116 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Caterham and the kilometre around it, 4.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
The North Downs Way, a national route, passes Caterham. Close to home, the Caterham Circular Walk has 14 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 3 regional routes pass through, including the Tandridge Border Path, London LOOP (Section 5) and LOOP link to Whyteleafe station.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
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 | 16.1 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 86 | 65 | 51 | 55 | 59 | 56 | 61 | 68 | 64 | 93 | 93 | 92 |
March is the driest month (51 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 93 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in Caterham →
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.
Caterham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Check the water before you swim. The Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Plus 7 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Plus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caterham | A | 4.3 | 84% | 17% |
| Chaldon 0.9 mi | A− | 7.4 | 50% | 24% |
| Whyteleafe 1.3 mi | A+ | 16.3 | 100% | 15% |
| Warlingham 2.1 mi | A | 4.2 | 81% | 13% |
| Netherne on-the-Hill 2.3 mi | B− | 1.6 | 40% | 19% |
| Woldingham 2.3 mi | C− | 0.2 | 25% | 20% |
| Godstone 2.8 mi | C+ | 1.7 | 52% | 18% |
Whyteleafe, 1.3 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Whyteleafe has at least twice Caterham’s green space per resident.
Kenley Common, 72 ha (178 acres), with 7.6 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Manor Park (20 ha) is second. 5 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
It covers 422 km² and was designated in 1958.
11 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Caterham Circular Walk, Tandridge Border Path and Downlands Circular Walk. Kenley Common alone has 7.6 km of path.
Kelson Beach, 14 mi from the edge of the town, then Dock Beach (15 mi). Caterham itself is inland.
84% 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%.
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
For paths, yes: 4.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 86% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 83% (4.3 ha per 1,000 residents).
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 Caterham’s overall grade.
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.