Godalming’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 north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Des Blenkinsopp · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Godalming · parks, paths & countryside
66% of the land within 5 km of Godalming is National Park or National Landscape
The Surrey Hills National Landscape reaches the edge of Godalming. Parks and playing fields in Godalming add up to 4.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 73% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Godalming grades A− for the outdoors: #18 of 65 in Surrey. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
4.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
73%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
71 km
3.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
66%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Surrey Hills National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Godalming?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside66% of the land within 5 km is Surrey Hills National Landscape.Room to roam4.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 85% of UK towns.Historic parks2 registered historic parks and gardens, including Westbrook.
Godalming’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by plenty of park space.
Outdoors grade
Godalming grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Godalming, 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 85% of UK towns#18 of 65 in Surrey · 5th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space4.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
85out of
100
100
A park within a walk73%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
35out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape66%of the land within 5 km
95out of
100
100
Footpaths3.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
62out 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
Godalming is 5th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 9,800 to 11,100 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
Godalming3.1
Towns its size3.1
Surrey towns4.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Godalming4.6
Towns its size1.9
Surrey towns3.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Godalming73%
Towns its size81%
Surrey towns75%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Godalming stands out most for park space per resident: only 6 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West End Hampshire | A | 9.1 | 100% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 2 | Brierfield Lancashire | A | 2.1 | 92% | 5.6 | 18% |
| 3 | South Merstham Surrey | A | 3.7 | 84% | 3.7 | 20% |
| 4 | Great Harwood Lancashire | A | 2.2 | 97% | 4.3 | 4% |
| 5 | Godalming Surrey | A− | 4.6 | 73% | 3.1 | 66% |
| 6 | Soham Cambridgeshire | A− | 4.7 | 97% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 7 | Platt Bridge and Abram Greater Manchester | A− | 3.7 | 98% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 8 | Royston South Yorkshire | A− | 7.9 | 97% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 9 | Kings Hill Kent | A− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 7% |
| 10 | Romiley Greater Manchester | A− | 3.9 | 80% | 3.8 | 1% |
| 11 | Padiham Lancashire | A− | 1.5 | 95% | 4.5 | 18% |
| 12 | Bingham Nottinghamshire | A− | 3.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Sawbridgeworth Hertfordshire | A− | 4 | 85% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 14 | Whitwick Leicestershire | A− | 4.2 | 84% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Chadwell St Mary Essex | A− | 3.2 | 97% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 16 | Egglescliffe County Durham | A− | 4.9 | 94% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 17 | Tidworth Wiltshire | B+ | 3.7 | 90% | 2.3 | 8% |
| 18 | Pelsall West Midlands | B+ | 6.1 | 95% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 19 | Corfe Mullen Dorset | B+ | 3.1 | 72% | 3.5 | 13% |
| 20 | Ross-on-Wye Herefordshire | B+ | 1.9 | 76% | 3.4 | 56% |
| 21 | Woodbridge Suffolk | B+ | 1.7 | 80% | 3.9 | 30% |
| 22 | Barnoldswick Lancashire | B+ | 1.8 | 87% | 4 | 2% |
| 23 | Cranleigh Surrey | B | 2.5 | 20% | 4.3 | 38% |
| 24 | Corsham Wiltshire | B | 1.9 | 81% | 3 | 31% |
| 25 | Baldock Hertfordshire | B | 2.1 | 91% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 26 | Ludlow Shropshire | B | 2.3 | 92% | 2.1 | 16% |
| 27 | Great Dunmow Essex | B | 2 | 92% | 4 | 0% |
| 28 | Gillingham Dorset | B | 1.9 | 91% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 29 | Horbury West Yorkshire | B− | 2.5 | 75% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Monmouth Gwent | B− | 1.5 | 69% | 3.1 | 45% |
| 31 | Oswaldtwistle Lancashire | B− | 1.1 | 94% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 32 | Radstock Somerset | B− | 1.1 | 93% | 2.9 | 1% |
| 33 | Filton Gloucestershire | B− | 3.3 | 40% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Mold Clwyd | C+ | 1.9 | 86% | 1.6 | 17% |
| 35 | Baglan West Glamorgan | C+ | 2.5 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Liskeard Cornwall | C+ | 0.8 | 89% | 2.7 | 6% |
| 37 | Raunds Northamptonshire | C+ | 4.7 | 74% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 38 | Abertillery Gwent | C | 2.4 | 69% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Selsey West Sussex | C | 1.6 | 79% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Earl Shilton Leicestershire | C | 1.5 | 98% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 41 | Barnham West Sussex | C | 1.3 | 70% | 2.3 | 32% |
| 42 | Kippax West Yorkshire | C | 1.4 | 80% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 43 | Brimington Derbyshire | C | 1.2 | 72% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Catshill Worcestershire | C | 1.4 | 82% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Prudhoe Northumberland | C− | 1.7 | 37% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Epping Essex | C− | 1.2 | 70% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Hexham Northumberland | C− | 1.5 | 64% | 2 | 9% |
| 48 | Chatteris Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.4 | 94% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Polegate East Sussex | C− | 0.8 | 64% | 2.2 | 24% |
| 50 | Lutterworth Leicestershire | C− | 1.7 | 83% | 2 | 0% |
| 51 | West Moors Dorset | C− | 0.9 | 33% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 52 | New Ollerton and Ollerton Nottinghamshire | C− | 0.8 | 80% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 53 | Dinnington South Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 81% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Haxby North Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 59% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Newtown Powys | D | 2.3 | 65% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Sherborne Dorset | D | 1.2 | 76% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 57 | Longton Lancashire | D | 1.7 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Burton Latimer Northamptonshire | D | 0.9 | 62% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Pocklington East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.6 | 65% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Ponteland Northumberland | D− | 1.1 | 36% | 1.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Godalming’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 Godalming
The biggest is Lammas Lands, 30 ha (75 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 4 named parks by size: 52 ha (129 acres) and 10 km of path
Parks & gardens 51 haPlaying fields 1.2 ha
The two biggest, Lammas Lands and Broadwater Park, are 91% of the named green space and carry 8 km of path between them.
Broadwater Park
Park or garden · 210 m outside town
17 ha (43 acres)4.3 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.3 km of path
24 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.1 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Phillips Memorial Park
Park or garden
3.3 ha (8 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Godalming
3 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Recreation Ground Canon Bowrings
Playing field · 300 m outside town
1.2 ha (3 acres)0.2 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
7 in 10 Godalming 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 (73%)Further (27%)
Godalming73%
Towns its size81%
Surrey towns75%
All UK towns83%
About 2,800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 21 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 498 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Godalming
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 east422 km²since 195866% of the land within 5 km
Official site66% of the land within 5 km of Godalming is National Park or National Landscape, more than 95% of UK towns. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
7 waymarked walks pass through or near Godalming
71 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Godalming and the kilometre around it, 3.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
The Fox Way11.3 km
Wey-South Path4.6 km
Downs Link4.3 km
Greensand Way0.8 km
Winkworth Route, Winkworth0.5 km
Heathland Hike, Hindhead0.5 km
Winkworth to Oakhurst Wonder Walk, Winkworth0.4 km
Close to home, the The Fox Way has 11 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 3 regional routes pass through, including the Wey-South Path, Downs Link and Greensand Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
2 historic parks, and what stands in them
Historic England’s register of parks and gardens, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Godalming’s named parks.
Park with listed buildings
Phillips Memorial Park
3.3 ha. 3 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
IIGodalming War MemorialIIHolland Monument, Approximately 24 Metres North of North East Corner of North Chapel of Church of St Peter and St PaulIIMarshall Monument, Approximately 40 Metres North East of North East Corner of Church of St Peter and St Paul
Registered · Grade II*Busbridge Lakes0.7 ha
Registered · Grade IIWestbrook2.1 ha
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
When to get out
The best walking months in Godalming: 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 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 86 | 59 | 51 | 53 | 50 | 49 | 53 | 60 | 61 | 86 | 91 | 85 |
June is the driest month (49 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 91 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 49 nights a year. The climate in Godalming →
Things to do
3 viewpoints, 21 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
Godalming is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Penguin Beach9.0 mi from Godalming’s edge
DirectionsAmity Beach15 mi from Godalming’s edge
DirectionsHog Hole23 mi from Godalming’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows24 mi from Godalming’s edge
DirectionsPrinsted Beach26 mi from Godalming’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 3
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Farley Hill0.0 mi from town
DirectionsFrith Hill0.5 mi from town
DirectionsChinthurst Hill121 m (397 ft) · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 21
Play Parkin town
DirectionsBroadwater Park Playground0.4 mi from town
DirectionsNatural Play Area1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 18 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 3
Plus 3 campsites 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.
FarncombeMilford and WitleyBramley and WonershShalfordShamley GreenElsteadGodalming
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godalming | A− | 4.6 | 73% | 66% |
| Farncombe 1.1 mi | A+ | 5.7 | 92% | 54% |
| Milford and Witley 2.2 mi | B+ | 2.6 | 54% | 78% |
| Bramley and Wonersh 2.9 mi | B+ | 1.7 | 77% | 59% |
| Shalford 3.1 mi | A+ | 14.9 | 89% | 47% |
| Shamley Green 3.8 mi | A | 2.9 | 100% | 69% |
| Elstead 3.8 mi | A | 2.5 | 100% | 82% |
Shalford, 3.1 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 89% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Shalford has at least twice Godalming’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Godalming
What is the biggest park in Godalming?
Lammas Lands, 30 ha (75 acres), with 3.7 km of path. Broadwater Park (17 ha) is second. 4 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Godalming near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 5.7 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 Godalming?
7 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the The Fox Way, Wey-South Path and Downs Link. Lammas Lands alone has 3.7 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Godalming?
Penguin Beach, 9.0 mi from the edge of the town, then Amity Beach (15 mi). Godalming itself is inland.
How many people in Godalming live near a park?
73% 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 Godalming?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Godalming are historic?
Westbrook (Grade II) and Busbridge Lakes (Grade II*) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Godalming good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 62% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 85% (4.6 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 Godalming’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Godalming’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.