Farncombe’s biggest
Lammas Lands
Park or garden
30 ha (75 acres)3.7 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.7 km of path
42 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Mark · CC BY 2.0A+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Farncombe · parks, paths & countryside
54% of the land within 5 km of Farncombe is National Park or National Landscape
The Surrey Hills National Landscape reaches the edge of Farncombe. Parks and playing fields in Farncombe add up to 5.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 75 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.8 for every square kilometre. Farncombe grades A+ for the outdoors: #4 of 65 in Surrey. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
5.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
92%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
75 km
3.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
54%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Surrey Hills National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Farncombe?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside54% of the land within 5 km is Surrey Hills National Landscape.Room to roam5.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 89% of UK towns.A town of footpaths3.8 km of path per km², more than 76% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.On a National TrailThe North Downs Way passes through.
Farncombe’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Farncombe grades A+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Farncombe, 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 97% of UK towns#4 of 65 in Surrey · 1st of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space5.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
90out of
100
100
A park within a walk92%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
70out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape54%of the land within 5 km
93out of
100
100
Footpaths3.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
77out 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
Farncombe is 1st of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 12,600 to 14,000 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
Farncombe3.8
Towns its size3.1
Surrey towns4.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Farncombe5.7
Towns its size2.2
Surrey towns3.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Farncombe92%
Towns its size79%
Surrey towns75%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Farncombe stands out most for park space per resident: only 1 of the other 59 has more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farncombe Surrey | A+ | 5.7 | 92% | 3.8 | 54% |
| 2 | Sidmouth Devon | A | 2.6 | 73% | 2.9 | 60% |
| 3 | Newhaven East Sussex | A | 1.9 | 84% | 2.9 | 50% |
| 4 | Rhosllannerchrugog Clwyd | A | 3.5 | 98% | 2.8 | 31% |
| 5 | Abergavenny Gwent | A | 3.2 | 83% | 3.1 | 60% |
| 6 | Wellington Somerset | A | 2.2 | 99% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 7 | Wick West Sussex | A | 1.3 | 91% | 3 | 25% |
| 8 | Stoke Gifford Gloucestershire | A− | 5.7 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 9 | Blackwood Gwent | A− | 3.6 | 97% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 10 | Addlestone Surrey | A− | 4.3 | 90% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Heckmondwike West Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 12 | Churchdown Gloucestershire | A− | 2.2 | 92% | 3.7 | 11% |
| 13 | Wantage Oxfordshire | A− | 2.5 | 71% | 3.9 | 47% |
| 14 | Lees Greater Manchester | A− | 2.5 | 80% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 15 | Tavistock Devon | A− | 5.9 | 83% | 1.6 | 72% |
| 16 | Bacup Lancashire | A− | 2.5 | 94% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Audenshaw Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.6 | 93% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Berwick-upon-Tweed Northumberland | B+ | 2.5 | 62% | 2.7 | 1% |
| 19 | Verwood Dorset | B+ | 5.7 | 41% | 3.9 | 13% |
| 20 | Ringwood Hampshire | B+ | 2.3 | 78% | 3.2 | 43% |
| 21 | Chorleywood Hertfordshire | B+ | 2.7 | 37% | 5.7 | 22% |
| 22 | Poulton-le-Fylde Lancashire | B+ | 3.6 | 85% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 23 | Chalfont St Peter Buckinghamshire | B+ | 2.2 | 80% | 3.5 | 18% |
| 24 | Marple Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.4 | 64% | 3.8 | 5% |
| 25 | Poynton Cheshire | B+ | 2.2 | 79% | 3.7 | 14% |
| 26 | Royal Wootton Bassett Wiltshire | B+ | 1.6 | 98% | 3.1 | 10% |
| 27 | Enderby and Narborough Leicestershire | B | 1.9 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 28 | West Kirby Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 68% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Rushall and Shelfield West Midlands | B | 4.3 | 88% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Scawthorpe and Cusworth South Yorkshire | B− | 3.1 | 88% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 31 | Standish Greater Manchester | B− | 2.6 | 84% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 32 | Midsomer Norton Somerset | B− | 1.9 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Sheerness Kent | B− | 3 | 68% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 34 | Leicester Forest East and Kirby Muxloe Leicestershire | B− | 3.4 | 73% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Davenham Cheshire | B− | 1.3 | 88% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 36 | Knutsford Cheshire | C+ | 2.6 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Thame Oxfordshire | C+ | 2.9 | 91% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Buckley Clwyd | C+ | 2.6 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Street Somerset | C+ | 0.7 | 96% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Birtley Tyne and Wear | C | 1.4 | 71% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 41 | Flitwick Bedfordshire | C | 0.8 | 59% | 3.9 | 3% |
| 42 | Todmorden West Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 72% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Hersham Surrey | C | 2.5 | 73% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Syston Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 45 | Ferndown Dorset | C | 0.7 | 13% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Rhondda Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Brough East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 74% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 48 | North Walsham Norfolk | C− | 1.3 | 69% | 2 | 10% |
| 49 | Porth Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.8 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Kirk Sandall and Edenthorpe South Yorkshire | D | 2 | 75% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 51 | Halstead Essex | D | 0.6 | 73% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Amesbury Wiltshire | D | 1.8 | 73% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Northallerton North Yorkshire | D | 1.1 | 70% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Driffield East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 2.1 | 75% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 55 | Mountsorrel Leicestershire | D | 0.9 | 56% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Flint Clwyd | D | 1 | 56% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Whittlesey Cambridgeshire | D | 1.7 | 73% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Mountain Ash Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.4 | 56% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Wombourne Staffordshire | D | 0.8 | 78% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Balderton Nottinghamshire | D | 1.4 | 64% | 1.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Farncombe’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 Farncombe
The biggest is Lammas Lands, 30 ha (75 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 6 named parks by size: 61 ha (150 acres) and 10 km of path
Parks & gardens 52 haPlaying fields 8.7 ha
The two biggest, Lammas Lands and Broadwater Park, are 79% of the named green space and carry 8 km of path between them.
Broadwater Park
Park or garden
17 ha (43 acres)4.3 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.3 km of path
24 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Phillips Memorial Park
Park or garden · 20 m outside town
3.3 ha (8 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Guildford Rugby Club
Playing field
7.5 ha (19 acres)0.2 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Recreation Ground Canon Bowrings
Playing field
1.2 ha (3 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.4 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Farncombe Community Garden
Park or garden
0.9 ha (2 acres)
0.8 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
9 in 10 Farncombe 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%)
Farncombe92%
Towns its size79%
Surrey towns75%
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; 18 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 736 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Farncombe
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
Surrey Hills
At the edge north-east422 km²since 195854% of the land within 5 km
Official site54% of the land within 5 km of Farncombe is National Park or National Landscape, more than 92% of UK towns. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Farncombe is on the North Downs Way
75 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Farncombe and the kilometre around it, 3.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocal
The Fox Way12.7 km
North Downs Way (Western)5.0 km
Wey-South Path2.3 km
Puttenham walk (SCC)2.0 km
The North Downs Way, a national route, passes Farncombe. Close to home, the The Fox Way has 13 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. The regional route here is the Wey-South Path.
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 Farncombe: 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) | 8.4 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 83 | 61 | 52 | 56 | 52 | 53 | 51 | 61 | 60 | 87 | 94 | 84 |
July is the driest month (51 mm) and the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 94 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 50 nights a year. The climate in Farncombe →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 18 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.
2Viewpoints3Hills and peaks3× towns its size2Nature reserves2Picnic sites18Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks
The nearest beaches
Farncombe is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Penguin Beach8.7 mi from Farncombe’s edge
DirectionsAmity Beach14 mi from Farncombe’s edge
DirectionsHog Hole23 mi from Farncombe’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows24 mi from Farncombe’s edge
DirectionsPrinsted Beach27 mi from Farncombe’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 3
Frith Hillin town
DirectionsFarley Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsHog's Back154 m (505 ft) · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
The Orchard0.7 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsLoseley Estate Nature Reserve27 ha · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 18
Broadwater Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlay Park0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 16 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Dog training park1.2 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.
GodalmingShalfordBramley and WonershMilford and WitleyChilworthWood Street VillageFarncombe
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farncombe | A+ | 5.7 | 92% | 54% |
| Godalming 1.1 mi | A− | 4.6 | 73% | 66% |
| Shalford 2.3 mi | A+ | 14.9 | 89% | 47% |
| Bramley and Wonersh 2.6 mi | B+ | 1.7 | 77% | 59% |
| Milford and Witley 3.1 mi | B+ | 2.6 | 54% | 78% |
| Chilworth 3.4 mi | A+ | 10.8 | 80% | 59% |
| Wood Street Village 3.6 mi | A+ | 25.7 | 81% | 18% |
Shalford, 2.3 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 89% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Shalford and Wood Street Village have at least twice Farncombe’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Farncombe
What is the biggest park in Farncombe?
Lammas Lands, 30 ha (75 acres), with 3.7 km of path. Broadwater Park (17 ha) is second. 6 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Farncombe near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 6.9 mi south 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, at the edge of the town.
What are the best walks near Farncombe?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the The Fox Way, North Downs Way (Western) and Wey-South Path. Lammas Lands alone has 3.7 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Farncombe?
Penguin Beach, 8.7 mi from the edge of the town, then Amity Beach (14 mi). Farncombe itself is inland.
How many people in Farncombe 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 Farncombe?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Farncombe good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 77% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 90% (5.7 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 Farncombe’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Farncombe’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.