Woking’s biggest
Bisley Common
Park or garden
24 ha (58 acres)5.8 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.8 km of path
33 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.2 mi westfrom the centre
Peak
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Des Blenkinsopp · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Woking · parks, paths & countryside
Woking has more footpath per square kilometre than 9 in 10 UK towns
Footpaths add up to 332 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 6.5 for every square kilometre. The Surrey Hills National Landscape begins 3.6 mi from the town’s edge. 67% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Woking grades C+ for the outdoors: #55 of 65 in Surrey. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
67%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
332 km
6.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Surrey Hills starts 3.6 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Woking?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths6.5 km of path per km², more than 98% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Surrey Hills National Landscape starts 3.6 mi south.On a National TrailThe European walking route E2 west, UK, South East England passes through.Less park per person1.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Woking’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Surrey Hills National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Woking grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Woking, 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 40% of UK towns#55 of 65 in Surrey · 50th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
37out of
100
100
A park within a walk67%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
27out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Surrey Hills begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths6.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
99out 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
Woking is 50th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 61,600 to 94,100 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
Woking6.5
Towns its size3.7
Surrey towns4.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Woking1.7
Towns its size2.4
Surrey towns3.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Woking67%
Towns its size86%
Surrey towns75%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Woking stands out most for path per km²: only 2 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 48 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester Kent | A+ | 2.4 | 92% | 4.6 | 23% |
| 2 | Hastings East Sussex | A+ | 3.1 | 76% | 4.3 | 42% |
| 3 | Burnley Lancashire | A+ | 3.4 | 95% | 5.7 | 7% |
| 4 | Dartford Kent | A | 3.9 | 72% | 5.1 | 1% |
| 5 | Runcorn Cheshire | A | 4.9 | 87% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 6 | Ashford Kent | A | 2.7 | 94% | 5.2 | 23% |
| 7 | Guildford Surrey | A | 2.8 | 86% | 6.1 | 31% |
| 8 | Cannock Staffordshire | A | 5.5 | 88% | 3.5 | 26% |
| 9 | Chatham Kent | A | 1.6 | 78% | 6.4 | 26% |
| 10 | Bath Somerset | A | 1.8 | 89% | 5.6 | 50% |
| 11 | Harlow Essex | A | 3.7 | 99% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 12 | Barnsley South Yorkshire | A | 4.3 | 95% | 5.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Bracknell Berkshire | A | 3.7 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 14 | Gosport Hampshire | A | 3 | 85% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 15 | South Shields Tyne and Wear | A | 2.4 | 80% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 16 | Paignton Devon | A | 1.8 | 84% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 17 | Weston-super-Mare Somerset | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 3.7 | 8% |
| 18 | Chesterfield Derbyshire | A− | 2.7 | 86% | 4.4 | 4% |
| 19 | Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire | A− | 5.2 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 20 | Lowestoft Suffolk | A− | 1.8 | 79% | 3 | 17% |
| 21 | Aylesbury Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 9.5 | 5% |
| 22 | Carlisle Cumbria | A− | 3.2 | 91% | 3.1 | 4% |
| 23 | St Albans Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 95% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Dudley West Midlands | A− | 3.4 | 91% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Harrogate North Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 86% | 3.6 | 6% |
| 26 | Redditch Worcestershire | A− | 4.1 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Mansfield Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 93% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 28 | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.6 | 68% | 5.4 | 67% |
| 29 | Dewsbury West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 92% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Maidenhead Berkshire | B+ | 1.8 | 83% | 4.1 | 3% |
| 31 | Ellesmere Port Cheshire | B | 2.8 | 90% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 32 | Taunton Somerset | B | 1.2 | 80% | 4.9 | 16% |
| 33 | Sale Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 86% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Corby Northamptonshire | B | 3.4 | 96% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 35 | Wallasey Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 90% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Rotherham South Yorkshire | B | 3.1 | 73% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Wigan Greater Manchester | B | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 0% |
| 38 | Margate Kent | B | 1.8 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Hartlepool County Durham | B− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 40 | Nuneaton Warwickshire | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Rugby Warwickshire | B− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Tamworth Staffordshire | B− | 2.7 | 89% | 3 | 0% |
| 43 | Grimsby Lincolnshire | B− | 1.3 | 75% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 44 | Bury Greater Manchester | B− | 2.4 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 45 | Halifax West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Kettering Northamptonshire | B− | 2.1 | 90% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Stafford Staffordshire | B− | 1.9 | 70% | 3.1 | 11% |
| 48 | Royal Sutton Coldfield West Midlands | B− | 6.1 | 64% | 3 | 0% |
| 49 | Stockton-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 2 | 83% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Woking Surrey | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Shrewsbury Shropshire | C+ | 1.6 | 87% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Walsall West Midlands | C+ | 2.5 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 53 | Darlington County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Bognor Regis West Sussex | C | 1.1 | 78% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Loughborough Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 73% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Doncaster South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Scunthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Chester Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Crewe Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 88% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Burton upon Trent Staffordshire | C− | 1.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Woking’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 Woking
The biggest is Bisley Common, 24 ha (58 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 11 named parks by size: 90 ha (222 acres) and 17 km of path
Parks & gardens 77 haPlaying fields 13 ha
The two biggest, Bisley Common and Brookwood Country Park, are 47% of the named green space and carry 10 km of path between them. 4 of the 11 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Brookwood Country Park
Park or garden
18 ha (46 acres)4.7 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.7 km of path
26 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi westfrom the centre
Basingstoke Canal towpath
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Hoe Valley
Park or garden
17 ha (43 acres)3.6 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
24 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Woking Park
Park or garden
13 ha (33 acres)2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
18 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi eastfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Waterers Park
Playing field
6.1 ha (15 acres)0.1 km of path
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Loop Road Recreation Ground
Playing field
4.3 ha (11 acres)
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Miles Green
Park or garden · 400 m outside town
2.1 ha (5 acres)
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.7 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the park
Queen Elizabeth Gardens
Park or garden
0.8 ha (2 acres)0.3 km of path
0.6 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 11 named parks and green spaces
Bisley CommonPark or garden · 24 ha · 5.8 km of path
DirectionsBrookwood Country ParkPark or garden · 18 ha · 4.7 km of path
DirectionsHoe ValleyPark or garden · 17 ha · 3.6 km of path
DirectionsWoking ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsWaterers ParkPlaying field · 6.1 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsLoop Road Recreation GroundPlaying field · 4.3 ha
DirectionsMiles GreenPark or garden · 2.1 ha · just outside town
DirectionsQueen Elizabeth GardensPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsOld Woking Cricket ClubPlaying field · 1.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsKingfield GreenPark or garden · 1.1 ha
DirectionsHorsell and Woking Cricket ClubPlaying field · 1.7 ha
DirectionsClose to home
7 in 10 Woking 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 (67%)Further (33%)
Woking67%
Towns its size86%
Surrey towns75%
All UK towns83%
About 25,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 67 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 1,129 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Surrey Hills National Landscape is 3.6 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Woking scores 0% on it even though the Surrey Hills National Landscape is 3.6 mi away. South Downs National Park covers 1,653 km² and has been a National Park since 2010.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
8 waymarked walks pass through or near Woking
332 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Woking and the kilometre around it, 6.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocal
The Fox Way12.2 km
Basingstoke Canal12.1 km
Papercourt Lock to Triggs Lock Walk, River Wey Navigations10.4 km
European walking route E2 west, UK, South East England5.7 km
Wey Navigation Dapdune Wharf to Cartbridge Wharf Walk, River Wey Navigations4.6 km
Pirbright walk (SCC)3.4 km
Canons and Cornmills2.8 km
New Haw Lock to Pyrford Lock Walk, River Wey Navigations2.0 km
The European walking route E2 west, UK, South East England, a national route, passes Woking. Close to home, the The Fox Way has 12 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. The regional route here is the Basingstoke Canal.
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 Woking: 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 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 68 | 51 | 44 | 50 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 57 | 57 | 76 | 75 | 68 |
March is the driest month (44 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 76 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 45 nights a year. The climate in Woking →
Things to do
4 viewpoints, 67 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.
4Viewpoints2.1× towns its size9Hills and peaks8.6× towns its size2Nature reserves2Picnic sites67Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size5Campsites5.3× towns its size
The nearest beaches
Woking is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Amity Beach5.2 mi from Woking’s edge
DirectionsPenguin Beach13 mi from Woking’s edge
DirectionsHog Hole15 mi from Woking’s edge
DirectionsThe Hollows15 mi from Woking’s edge
DirectionsKelson Beach25 mi from Woking’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.
Up high. Hook Hill, at 67 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Woking.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Danewell Gutter Heath View0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 9
Hook Hill67 m (220 ft) · in town
DirectionsBeech Hill0.0 mi from town
DirectionsReidon Hill0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPile Hill0.3 mi from town
DirectionsDanewell Hill41 m (135 ft) · 0.3 mi from town
DirectionsFox Hill0.4 mi from town
DirectionsJordan Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPerry Hill1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak more.
Nature reserves 2
White Rose Lane Local Nature Reservein town
DirectionsSt John's Lye West16 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 67
Boundary Road Play Areain town
DirectionsLakeside Play Areain town
DirectionsSt Peter's Recreation Ground Play Areain town
DirectionsSwingparkin town
DirectionsWheatsheaf Recreation Ground Play Areain town
DirectionsWoking Park Play Areain town
DirectionsPyrford Common Play Area0.1 mi from town
DirectionsSend Rec. Playground0.7 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 59 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 5
Maple Acre0.8 mi from town
DirectionsSergeant's mess0.9 mi from town
DirectionsMilitary Field1.0 mi from town
DirectionsSit Perpetuum Lawn1.0 mi from town
DirectionsInns of Court1.1 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.
BisleyBrookwoodSendWest End and ChobhamJacobs WellRipleyWoking
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woking | C+ | 1.7 | 67% | 0% |
| Bisley 2.8 mi | A | 8.0 | 92% | 0% |
| Brookwood 2.8 mi | B+ | 8.5 | 59% | 0% |
| Send 2.9 mi | C+ | 2.6 | 28% | 5% |
| West End and Chobham 3.2 mi | B− | 3.3 | 65% | 0% |
| Jacobs Well 3.3 mi | B | 1.4 | 77% | 8% |
| Ripley 3.5 mi | A− | 15.0 | 64% | 2% |
Bisley, 2.8 miles away, grades A, the best next door: 92% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Bisley, Brookwood and Ripley have at least twice Woking’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Woking
What is the biggest park in Woking?
Bisley Common, 24 ha (58 acres), with 5.8 km of path. Brookwood Country Park (18 ha) is second. 11 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Woking near a National Park?
Yes. South Downs National Park begins 12 mi south-west 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, 3.6 mi away.
What are the best walks near Woking?
8 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the The Fox Way, Basingstoke Canal and Papercourt Lock to Triggs Lock Walk, River Wey Navigations. Bisley Common alone has 5.8 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Woking?
Amity Beach, 5.2 mi from the edge of the town, then Penguin Beach (13 mi). Woking itself is inland.
How many people in Woking live near a park?
67% 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 Woking?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Woking good for walking?
For paths, yes: 6.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 99% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 37% (1.7 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 Woking’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Woking’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.