Coventry’s biggest
Coombe Country Park
Park or garden · 110 m outside town
191 ha (472 acres)8.4 km of path
1 h 50 minto walk all 8.4 km of path
268 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
4 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Oliver Mills · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Coventry · parks, paths & countryside
Coventry has more footpath per square kilometre than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
682 km of footpaths run through the city and the kilometre around it, 4.5 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Coventry add up to 1.9 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 84% of residents. Coventry grades B− for the outdoors: #10 of 35 in West Midlands. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.9 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
84%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
682 km
4.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Cotswolds National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors city is Coventry?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A city of footpaths4.5 km of path per km², more than 88% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.On a National TrailThe E2 hiking trail Birmingham passes through.Historic parks3 registered historic parks and gardens, including Lady Herbert's Garden.
Coventry’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the E2 hiking trail Birmingham.
Outdoors grade
Coventry grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Coventry, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B−
Better than 52% of UK towns#10 of 35 in West Midlands · 26th of 36 UK cities its size
Public green space1.9 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
41out of
100
100
A park within a walk84%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
55out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
88out 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.
Cities its size
Coventry is 26th of 36 UK cities its size for the outdoors
The 36 UK towns and cities of 241,000 to 465,000 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
Coventry4.5
Cities its size4.9
West Midlands towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Coventry1.9
Cities its size2.1
West Midlands towns2.7
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Coventry84%
Cities its size84%
West Midlands towns77%
All UK towns83%
Coventry falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 20 of the 35 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plymouth Devon | A+ | 1.7 | 87% | 4.9 | 35% |
| 2 | Bexley London | A+ | 2.8 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 3 | Southampton Hampshire | A | 2.3 | 80% | 5.6 | 13% |
| 4 | Bristol Bristol | A | 2.9 | 90% | 5.6 | 0% |
| 5 | Brighton and Hove East Sussex | A | 1 | 77% | 5.2 | 51% |
| 6 | Hillingdon London | A | 2.9 | 86% | 4.9 | 2% |
| 7 | Bromley London | A− | 3.1 | 81% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 8 | Cardiff South Glamorgan | A− | 2.2 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 9 | Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire | A− | 5.5 | 95% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 10 | Greenwich London | A− | 2.7 | 90% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 11 | Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear | A− | 2.9 | 91% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 12 | Croydon London | A− | 2.5 | 77% | 4.6 | 6% |
| 13 | Hounslow London | B+ | 3 | 83% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 14 | Nottingham Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.4 | 87% | 7 | 0% |
| 15 | Kingston upon Hull East Riding of Yorkshire | B+ | 1.7 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Leicester Leicestershire | B | 2.3 | 89% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Hackney London | B | 1.4 | 97% | 8.6 | 0% |
| 18 | Northampton Northamptonshire | B | 2.6 | 85% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 19 | Southwark London | B | 1.3 | 96% | 7.8 | 0% |
| 20 | Redbridge London | B | 3 | 76% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 21 | Wandsworth London | B | 2.4 | 77% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 22 | Lewisham London | B | 1.6 | 88% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 23 | Tower Hamlets London | B− | 0.8 | 98% | 10.5 | 0% |
| 24 | Ealing London | B− | 1.8 | 87% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Haringey London | B− | 1.5 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Coventry West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Derby Derbyshire | B− | 2.3 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 28 | Barnet London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Enfield London | B− | 2 | 82% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Lambeth London | B− | 1.2 | 87% | 6.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Bradford West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.4 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 32 | Havering London | C+ | 2.6 | 72% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 33 | Newham London | C+ | 1 | 83% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 34 | Harrow London | C+ | 1.6 | 81% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Waltham Forest London | C+ | 1 | 80% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Brent London | C | 1.5 | 82% | 3.5 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Coventry’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 Coventry
The biggest is Coombe Country Park, 191 ha (472 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 510 ha (1,260 acres) and 62 km of path
Parks & gardens 414 haPlaying fields 96 ha
The two biggest, Coombe Country Park and War Memorial Park, are 47% of the named green space and carry 16 km of path between them. 4 of the 30 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Historic park · Grade II
War Memorial Park
Park or garden
50 ha (124 acres)7.4 km of path
1 h 40 minto walk all 7.4 km of path
70 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Allesley Park
Park or garden
36 ha (89 acres)4.2 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.2 km of path
51 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.8 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Hearsall Common
Park or garden
29 ha (72 acres)5.5 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.5 km of path
41 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.2 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Wyken Croft Nature Park
Park or garden
25 ha (61 acres)5.6 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.6 km of path
35 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.2 mi eastfrom the centre
Viewpoint Church of St Mary Magdalen Grade I
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Longford Park
Park or garden
27 ha (66 acres)4.2 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.2 km of path
37 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.4 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Coundon Hall Park
Playing field
29 ha (71 acres)3.6 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
40 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi north-westfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Moat House Park
Park or garden
9.6 ha (24 acres)3.4 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.4 km of path
13 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.5 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Coombe Country ParkPark or garden · 191 ha · 8.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsWar Memorial ParkPark or garden · 50 ha · 7.4 km of path
DirectionsAllesley ParkPark or garden · 36 ha · 4.2 km of path
DirectionsHearsall CommonPark or garden · 29 ha · 5.5 km of path
DirectionsWyken Croft Nature ParkPark or garden · 25 ha · 5.6 km of path
DirectionsLongford ParkPark or garden · 27 ha · 4.2 km of path
DirectionsCoundon Hall ParkPlaying field · 29 ha · 3.6 km of path
DirectionsMoat House ParkPark or garden · 9.6 ha · 3.4 km of path
DirectionsDorchester Way Open SpacePark or garden · 11 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsHolbrooks ParkPlaying field · 12 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsSowe CommonPlaying field · 14 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsThe Ivor Preece FieldPlaying field · 13 ha
DirectionsBagington Fields Nature ReservePark or garden · 5.3 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsSpencer ParkPlaying field · 6.0 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsFloyds FieldPlaying field · 7.1 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsWebster's ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsNaul's Mill ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsStoke GreenPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsCoundon WoodPark or garden · 3.4 ha · 0.8 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsEdgwick ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsPinley Rugby ClubPlaying field · 7.3 ha
DirectionsBarras HeathPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsCanley FordPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsCash's ParkPlaying field · 3.4 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsPrior Deram ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsTop GreenPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsCoventry Sphinx Football ClubPlaying field · 5.3 ha
DirectionsSwanswell Recreation GroundPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsLady Herbert's GardenPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsGosford ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Coventry 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 (84%)Further (16%)
Coventry84%
Cities its size84%
West Midlands towns77%
All UK towns83%
About 55,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 107 playgrounds are mapped in and around the city, about one for every 3,218 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Cotswolds National Landscape is 15 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
63 waymarked walks pass through or near Coventry
682 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Coventry and the kilometre around it, 4.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the city.
NationalRegionalLocalOther waymarked
A Coventry Way36.8 km
Centenary Way35.6 km
Sherbourne Valley Walk22.2 km
Oxford Canal Walk19.0 km
ACW Circular Walk 0518.9 km
Sowe Valley Footpath18.3 km
ACW Circular Walk 1512.6 km
ACW Circular Walk 05A (short-cut to C05)11.2 km
ACW Circular Walk 15A (short-cut for C15)9.7 km
ACW Circular Walk 019.0 km
ACW Circular Walk 038.6 km
Coventry's Canal Walk8.6 km
ACW Circular Walk 118.4 km
ACW Circular Walk 01A (short-cut for C01)8.0 km
ACW Circular Walk 147.9 km
ACW Circular Walk 11A (short-cut on C11)7.6 km
Plus 47 more waymarked walks on the map.
The E2 hiking trail Birmingham, a national route, passes Coventry. Close to home, the Sherbourne Valley Walk has 22 km of local walk within 2 km of the city. 6 regional routes pass through, including the A Coventry Way, Centenary Way, Oxford Canal Walk and Millennium Way (Warks).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
3 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 Coventry’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Lady Herbert's Garden
1.1 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 9 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge, including City Gate (Grade I).
ICity GateISwanswell Gate and City Wall to North of Swanswell GateSMCook Street GateIIBoundary Wall and Gates on West Side of Lady Herberts Garden from Cook Street Gate to Swanswell GateIIGarden Shelter and Platform 50M North-East of Lady Herberts HomesIIGateway and Boundary Wall at Cook Street Entrance to Lady Herberts GardenIIGateway and Boundary Wall at Swanswell Entrance to Lady Herberts GardenIINorthern Block at Lady Herberts HomesIISouthern Block at Lady Herberts Homes
Registered · Grade II*Stoney Road Allotments4.0 ha
Registered · Grade IIWar Memorial Park3.9 ha
Heritage walks
Oxford Canal Walk 19.0 km Coventry's Canal Walk 8.6 km Rail Trail: Coventry's Historic Centre 4.5 km
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 Coventry: May to September
The city’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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 63 | 46 | 44 | 46 | 61 | 55 | 64 | 63 | 57 | 67 | 68 | 65 |
March is the driest month (44 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 68 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 43 nights a year. The climate in Coventry →
Things to do
4 viewpoints, 107 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the city in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK city its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
4Viewpoints0.3× cities its size5Hills and peaksabout the same as cities its size17Nature reservesabout the same as cities its size4Picnic sites0.4× cities its size107Playgrounds0.4× cities its size8Campsites6.8× cities its size1Slipways
The nearest beaches
Coventry is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the city.
library4.3 mi from Coventry’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 4
Parson's Nose (Historic)in town
DirectionsHighest Point0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 5
Plus 5 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 17
Longford Community Nature Park5.6 ha · in town
DirectionsJubilee Nature Reserve0.9 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsWainbody Wood12 ha · 0.0 mi from town
DirectionsClaybrookes Marsh (Biological SSSI)13 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsMillennium Green4.5 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsTocil Wood5.3 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsStonebridge Meadow (Local Nature Reserve)5.6 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsWainbody Wood South17 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 9 nature reserves more.
Picnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 107
Cash's Park Play Areain town
DirectionsJuniper Drive Play Parkin town
DirectionsPrior Deram Park Play Areain town
DirectionsRec Playgroundin town
DirectionsSignet Square Playgroundin town
DirectionsStoke Green Playgroundin town
DirectionsToddlers playgroundin town
DirectionsWimpy Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 99 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 8
Leader Training Field0.1 mi from town
DirectionsRough Close Scout Camp0.1 mi from town
DirectionsGuild Field0.2 mi from town
DirectionsScout Training Field0.2 mi from town
DirectionsMa Williams Cub Field0.2 mi from town
DirectionsCaterer Field0.2 mi from town
DirectionsHabbits Field0.3 mi from town
DirectionsAvon Wild Camping0.4 mi from town
DirectionsSlipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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.
Ash GreenKeresley NewlandsHawkesburyBinley WoodsBedworthRyton-on-DunsmoreCoventry
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry | B− | 1.9 | 84% | 0% |
| Ash Green 3.2 mi | B− | 3.4 | 67% | 0% |
| Keresley Newlands 3.4 mi | B+ | 4.4 | 89% | 0% |
| Hawkesbury 3.4 mi | C | 1.0 | 78% | 0% |
| Binley Woods 4.1 mi | A | 5.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Bedworth 4.5 mi | C | 1.5 | 87% | 0% |
| Ryton-on-Dunsmore 4.5 mi | C | 1.2 | 100% | 0% |
Binley Woods, 4.1 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Keresley Newlands and Binley Woods have at least twice Coventry’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Coventry
What is the biggest park in Coventry?
Coombe Country Park, 191 ha (472 acres), with 8.4 km of path, just outside the built-up area. War Memorial Park (50 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the city or within 400 m of it.
Is Coventry near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Cotswolds National Landscape, 15 mi south of the city’s edge. It covers 2,041 km² and was designated in 1966.
What are the best walks near Coventry?
63 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the city, including the A Coventry Way, Centenary Way and Sherbourne Valley Walk. Coombe Country Park alone has 8.4 km of path.
What is the nearest beach to Coventry?
library, 4.3 mi from the edge of the city. Coventry itself is inland.
How many people in Coventry live near a park?
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%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Coventry?
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 Coventry are historic?
Lady Herbert's Garden (Grade II), War Memorial Park (Grade II) and Stoney Road Allotments (Grade II*) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Coventry good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 88% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 41% (1.9 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 Coventry’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Coventry’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.