Sunbury-on-Thames’ biggest
Sunbury Park
Park or garden
12 ha (30 acres)4.4 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.4 km of path
17 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Colin Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Sunbury-on-Thames · parks, paths & countryside
79% of Sunbury-on-Thames’ residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
84 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.5 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Sunbury-on-Thames add up to 2.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Sunbury-on-Thames grades C+ for the outdoors: #56 of 65 in Surrey. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.0 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
79%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
84 km
3.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Surrey Hills National Landscape
Outdoors grade
Sunbury-on-Thames grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Sunbury-on-Thames, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C+
Better than 39% of UK towns#56 of 65 in Surrey · 47th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space2.0 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
45out of
100
100
A park within a walk79%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
44out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
72out 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
Sunbury-on-Thames is 47th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 20,000 to 23,000 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
Sunbury-on-Thames3.5
Towns its size3.6
Surrey towns4.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Sunbury-on-Thames2.0
Towns its size2.6
Surrey towns3.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Sunbury-on-Thames79%
Towns its size86%
Surrey towns75%
All UK towns83%
Sunbury-on-Thames falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 37 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapeltown and High Green South Yorkshire | A+ | 4.9 | 94% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 2 | Camborne Cornwall | A+ | 2.2 | 93% | 4 | 8% |
| 3 | Dronfield Derbyshire | A+ | 3.2 | 97% | 5.3 | 9% |
| 4 | Buxton Derbyshire | A | 3.5 | 86% | 3.8 | 61% |
| 5 | Reddish Greater Manchester | A | 6.7 | 100% | 5 | 0% |
| 6 | Faversham Kent | A | 2 | 88% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 7 | Caterham Surrey | A | 4.3 | 84% | 4.3 | 17% |
| 8 | Hebburn Tyne and Wear | A | 6.6 | 99% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 9 | Quedgeley and Hardwicke Gloucestershire | A | 2.1 | 99% | 4.7 | 21% |
| 10 | Farnham Surrey | A | 5.1 | 73% | 4.3 | 35% |
| 11 | Stratton St Margaret Wiltshire | A | 3.3 | 82% | 5.1 | 5% |
| 12 | Seaham County Durham | A | 2.9 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Harwich Essex | A− | 1.7 | 95% | 2.1 | 20% |
| 14 | South Ockendon Essex | A− | 2.6 | 88% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 15 | Workington Cumbria | A− | 3 | 97% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 16 | Dukinfield Greater Manchester | A− | 4 | 95% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 17 | Coalville Leicestershire | A− | 3.7 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 18 | Rothwell West Yorkshire | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Kempston Bedfordshire | A− | 4.9 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 20 | Whitefield Greater Manchester | A− | 4.7 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 21 | Whitehaven Cumbria | B+ | 1.8 | 91% | 2 | 1% |
| 22 | Crowborough East Sussex | B+ | 3.2 | 68% | 2.6 | 91% |
| 23 | Kirkby-in-Ashfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 3 | 93% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 24 | Ossett West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.8 | 91% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Sandhurst Berkshire | B+ | 5.1 | 79% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Hazel Grove Greater Manchester | B+ | 2.9 | 62% | 4.2 | 3% |
| 27 | Brownhills West Midlands | B | 11 | 80% | 2 | 2% |
| 28 | Swinton Greater Manchester | B | 3.9 | 81% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Great Bookham and Fetcham Surrey | B | 1.7 | 68% | 4.4 | 33% |
| 30 | Ripley Derbyshire | B | 2.4 | 91% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Biggleswade Bedfordshire | B | 1.6 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Westhoughton Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Penwortham Lancashire | B | 2.9 | 91% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Old Trafford Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 79% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Hailsham East Sussex | B | 1.4 | 87% | 3.2 | 12% |
| 36 | Dorchester Dorset | B | 1.6 | 78% | 2.9 | 53% |
| 37 | Stourport-on-Severn Worcestershire | B | 3.1 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Royton Greater Manchester | B− | 2.8 | 71% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Bingley West Yorkshire | B− | 2.1 | 80% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 40 | Berkhamsted Hertfordshire | B− | 1 | 69% | 3.6 | 56% |
| 41 | Staines-upon-Thames Surrey | B− | 3.4 | 67% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Wednesbury West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 93% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Dereham Norfolk | B− | 1.8 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Ashford Surrey | C+ | 3.4 | 73% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Clevedon Somerset | C+ | 1.1 | 69% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Clifton Nottinghamshire | C+ | 1.5 | 76% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 47 | Sunbury-on-Thames Surrey | C+ | 2 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Kenilworth Warwickshire | C+ | 2.7 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 49 | Formby Merseyside | C+ | 1.4 | 63% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Spennymoor County Durham | C+ | 2.1 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Normanton West Yorkshire | C | 1.2 | 88% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Horwich Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 67% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Maghull Merseyside | C− | 1.6 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Skegness Lincolnshire | C− | 0.9 | 58% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 55 | Stowmarket Suffolk | C− | 0.8 | 50% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Gainsborough Lincolnshire | C− | 1 | 96% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | March Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.7 | 87% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Goole East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.7 | 81% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Stamford Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 64% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Darlaston West Midlands | D | 1.3 | 78% | 1.9 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Sunbury-on-Thames’ 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 Sunbury-on-Thames
The biggest is Sunbury Park, 12 ha (30 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 6 named parks by size: 28 ha (70 acres) and 8 km of path
Parks & gardens 19 haPlaying fields 9.0 ha
The two biggest, Sunbury Park and Halliford Park, are 62% of the named green space and carry 5 km of path between them.
Halliford Park
Park or garden · 80 m outside town
5.4 ha (13 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
8 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Cedars Recreation Ground
Playing field
4.1 ha (10 acres)0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Sunbury-on-Thames
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
King George's Field
Playing field
2.8 ha (7 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Orchard Meadow
Park or garden
1.8 ha (4 acres)0.4 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Alexandra Recreation Ground
Playing field · 200 m outside town
2.1 ha (5 acres)0.5 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi north-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
How close Sunbury-on-Thames’s homes are to 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 (79%)Further (21%)
Sunbury-on-Thames79%
Towns its size86%
Surrey towns75%
All UK towns83%
About 5,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 61 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 352 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Surrey Hills National Landscape is 8.1 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
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Sunbury-on-Thames is on the Thames Path
84 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Sunbury-on-Thames and the kilometre around it, 3.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegional
Thames Path8.1 km
Thames Path - alternate2.9 km
The Thames Path, a national route, passes Sunbury-on-Thames. The regional route here is the Thames Path - alternate.
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 Sunbury-on-Thames: 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 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 63 | 46 | 40 | 44 | 44 | 49 | 43 | 56 | 52 | 69 | 70 | 61 |
March is the driest month (40 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 70 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 29 nights a year. The climate in Sunbury-on-Thames →
Things to do
61 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.
1Viewpoints5Nature reserves5× towns its size1Picnic sites61Playgrounds2.1× towns its size3Dog parks1Campsites3Slipways
The nearest beaches
Sunbury-on-Thames is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Amity Beach3.4 mi from Sunbury-on-Thames’ edge
DirectionsHog Hole6.4 mi from Sunbury-on-Thames’ edge
DirectionsThe Hollows6.6 mi from Sunbury-on-Thames’ edge
DirectionsKelson Beach17 mi from Sunbury-on-Thames’ edge
DirectionsDock Beach19 mi from Sunbury-on-Thames’ 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 1
Monolith Hill1.2 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 5
Kempton Nature Reserve54 ha · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsOak Avenue Nature Reserve1.7 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsBeveree Wildlife Site1.7 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsBedfont lakes nature reserve.2.6 ha · 1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 61
1st Sunb. Scoutsin town
DirectionsAlexandra Park Play Ground0.2 mi from town
DirectionsHanworth Air Park0.8 mi from town
DirectionsHampton Common Play Area1.0 mi from town
DirectionsHighfields Playground1.1 mi from town
DirectionsWaterloo Estate Play Area1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 55 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Apps Court Campingin town
DirectionsSlipways 3
Sunbury Lock Boat Rollers0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 slipways 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.
Ashford CommonUpper HallifordSheppertonWalton-on-ThamesShepperton GreenAshfordSunbury-on-Thames
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunbury-on-Thames | C+ | 2.0 | 79% | 0% |
| Ashford Common 1.2 mi | D | 0.8 | 62% | 0% |
| Upper Halliford 1.2 mi | B− | 5.1 | 44% | 0% |
| Shepperton 2.0 mi | A | 8.7 | 89% | 0% |
| Walton-on-Thames 2.2 mi | C | 1.6 | 81% | 0% |
| Shepperton Green 2.2 mi | D | 1.4 | 73% | 0% |
| Ashford 2.4 mi | C+ | 3.4 | 73% | 0% |
Shepperton, 2 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 89% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Upper Halliford and Shepperton have at least twice Sunbury-on-Thames’ green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Sunbury-on-Thames
What is the biggest park in Sunbury-on-Thames?
Sunbury Park, 12 ha (30 acres), with 4.4 km of path. Halliford Park (5.4 ha) is second. 6 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Sunbury-on-Thames near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Surrey Hills National Landscape, 8.1 mi south-east of the town’s edge. It covers 422 km² and was designated in 1958.
What are the best walks near Sunbury-on-Thames?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Thames Path and Thames Path - alternate. Sunbury Park alone has 4.4 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Sunbury-on-Thames?
Amity Beach, 3.4 mi from the edge of the town, then Hog Hole (6.4 mi). Sunbury-on-Thames itself is inland.
How many people in Sunbury-on-Thames live near a park?
79% 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 Sunbury-on-Thames?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Sunbury-on-Thames good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 72% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 45% (2.0 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 Sunbury-on-Thames’ overall grade.
Sources
Where Sunbury-on-Thames’ 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.