Devizes’ biggest
Diamond Jubilee Wood
Park or garden · 340 m outside town
3.4 ha (8 acres)1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.8 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: James Harrison · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Devizes · parks, paths & countryside
38% of the land within 5 km of Devizes is National Park or National Landscape
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape reaches the edge of Devizes. 91% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. 87 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.2 for every square kilometre. Devizes grades A− for the outdoors: #11 of 30 in Wiltshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
91%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
87 km
3.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
38%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Wessex Downs National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Devizes?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside38% of the land within 5 km is North Wessex Downs National Landscape.Less park per person1.8 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Devizes’ strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Devizes grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Devizes, 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 76% of UK towns#11 of 30 in Wiltshire · 21st of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
39out of
100
100
A park within a walk91%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
69out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape38%of the land within 5 km
87out of
100
100
Footpaths3.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
65out 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
Devizes is 21st of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 18,200 to 21,000 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
Devizes3.2
Towns its size3.5
Wiltshire towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Devizes1.8
Towns its size2.2
Wiltshire towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Devizes91%
Towns its size87%
Wiltshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
Devizes falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 44 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camborne Cornwall | A+ | 2.2 | 93% | 4 | 8% |
| 2 | Littlehampton West Sussex | A+ | 2.1 | 99% | 3.1 | 18% |
| 3 | Litherland Merseyside | A | 7.3 | 94% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 4 | Buxton Derbyshire | A | 3.5 | 86% | 3.8 | 61% |
| 5 | Faversham Kent | A | 2 | 88% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 6 | Houghton Regis Bedfordshire | A | 3.5 | 81% | 8 | 20% |
| 7 | Colne Lancashire | A | 3.2 | 86% | 5.3 | 8% |
| 8 | Waltham Abbey Essex | A | 11.9 | 92% | 6.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Farnham Surrey | A | 5.1 | 73% | 4.3 | 35% |
| 10 | Hazlemere Buckinghamshire | A | 2.5 | 81% | 4.7 | 68% |
| 11 | Forest Town Nottinghamshire | A | 6.4 | 94% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Northwich Cheshire | A | 8.8 | 92% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 13 | Leek Staffordshire | A | 4.2 | 83% | 3.6 | 19% |
| 14 | Stratton St Margaret Wiltshire | A | 3.3 | 82% | 5.1 | 5% |
| 15 | Keynsham Somerset | A | 2.1 | 95% | 4.6 | 11% |
| 16 | Abbots Langley and Kings Langley Hertfordshire | A | 3.8 | 88% | 3.6 | 3% |
| 17 | Harwich Essex | A− | 1.7 | 95% | 2.1 | 20% |
| 18 | Peterlee County Durham | A− | 2.3 | 85% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 19 | Ebbw Vale Gwent | A− | 2 | 92% | 3.3 | 29% |
| 20 | Mansfield Woodhouse Nottinghamshire | A− | 2.8 | 94% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Devizes Wiltshire | A− | 1.8 | 91% | 3.2 | 38% |
| 22 | Walkden Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.4 | 92% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Belper Derbyshire | B+ | 2.4 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 24 | Eastwood Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 93% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Hythe and Dibden Purlieu Hampshire | B+ | 0.8 | 49% | 4.4 | 44% |
| 26 | Sandhurst Berkshire | B+ | 5.1 | 79% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Hazel Grove Greater Manchester | B+ | 2.9 | 62% | 4.2 | 3% |
| 28 | Mirfield West Yorkshire | B | 2.5 | 90% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 29 | Ripley Derbyshire | B | 2.4 | 91% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Irlam Greater Manchester | B | 3.1 | 95% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Cradley Heath West Midlands | B | 3.3 | 76% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Penwortham Lancashire | B | 2.9 | 91% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 33 | Ely Cambridgeshire | B | 2.7 | 88% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 34 | Stanley County Durham | B | 1.7 | 88% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 35 | Shaw Greater Manchester | B | 1.9 | 96% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Stourport-on-Severn Worcestershire | B | 3.1 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Romsey Hampshire | B− | 1.2 | 82% | 4.5 | 2% |
| 38 | Ware Hertfordshire | B− | 2 | 81% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Calne Wiltshire | B− | 1.3 | 88% | 2.4 | 33% |
| 40 | Wednesbury West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 93% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Dereham Norfolk | B− | 1.8 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Failsworth Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.8 | 77% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Rawmarsh South Yorkshire | C+ | 2 | 84% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Maesteg Mid Glamorgan | C+ | 2 | 94% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Melksham Wiltshire | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Bideford Devon | C+ | 0.9 | 83% | 1 | 11% |
| 47 | Newmarket Suffolk | C+ | 1.9 | 91% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 48 | Knowle and Dorridge West Midlands | C+ | 2.7 | 82% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Adwick le Street South Yorkshire | C+ | 2.8 | 89% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 50 | Spennymoor County Durham | C+ | 2.1 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Thornton Lancashire | C | 2.1 | 71% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Nantwich Cheshire | C | 2.2 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Horwich Greater Manchester | C | 1.8 | 67% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Maghull Merseyside | C− | 1.6 | 86% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Skegness Lincolnshire | C− | 0.9 | 58% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Willerby and Anlaby East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.6 | 46% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 57 | Selby North Yorkshire | C− | 1.6 | 81% | 1.9 | 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 | Tiverton Devon | D | 1.5 | 59% | 2.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Devizes’ 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 Devizes
The biggest is Diamond Jubilee Wood, 3.4 ha (8 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 12 named parks by size: 15 ha (37 acres) and 2 km of path
Parks & gardens 7.8 haPlaying fields 6.8 haPlay spaces 0.4 ha
The biggest is Diamond Jubilee Wood, 3.4 ha (8 acres); no single park dominates. 9 of the 12 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Hillworth Park
Park or garden
2.0 ha (5 acres)0.9 km of path
15 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Garden Pavilion to the South East of Hillworth House Grade II* +1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Green Lane Playing Fields
Playing field
6.2 ha (15 acres)
9 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Green
Park or garden
2.5 ha (6 acres)0.2 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Devizes
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Avon Road Recreation Ground
Playing field
0.6 ha (1 acres)
1.2 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Quakers Walk Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Devizes
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Belvedere Terrace Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Devizes
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Lay Wood Neighbourhood Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
1.3 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 12 named parks and green spaces
Diamond Jubilee WoodPark or garden · 3.4 ha · 1.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHillworth ParkPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsGreen Lane Playing FieldsPlaying field · 6.2 ha
DirectionsThe GreenPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsAvon Road Recreation GroundPlaying field · 0.6 ha
DirectionsQuakers Walk Play AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsBelvedere Terrace Play AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsLay Wood Neighbourhood Play AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsQuakers Road Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsHillier Road Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsAnzio Road Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsDowse Road Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsClose to home
9 in 10 Devizes 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 (91%)Further (9%)
Devizes91%
Towns its size87%
Wiltshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
About 1,700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 42 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 464 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Devizes
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
North Wessex Downs
At the edge east1,731 km²since 197238% of the land within 5 km
Official site38% of the land within 5 km of Devizes is National Park or National Landscape, more than 87% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
5 waymarked walks pass through or near Devizes
87 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Devizes and the kilometre around it, 3.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Regional
White Horse Trail15.3 km
Wessex Ridgeway11.8 km
Kennet and Avon Canal Trail9.7 km
Mid Wilts Way4.3 km
Pewsey Vale Circular Walk2.4 km
5 regional routes pass through, including the White Horse Trail, Wessex Ridgeway, Kennet and Avon Canal Trail and Mid Wilts Way.
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 Devizes: 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) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 73 | 54 | 52 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 67 | 66 | 54 | 81 | 85 | 79 |
March is the driest month (52 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 85 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 50 nights a year. The climate in Devizes →
Things to do
3 viewpoints and 42 playgrounds
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.
3Viewpoints3.2× towns its size5Hills and peaks1Picnic sites42Playgrounds1.4× towns its size4Campsites
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
One Tree Hill0.4 mi from town
DirectionsCaen Hill Flight of Locks0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 5
One Tree Hill145 m (476 ft) · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsEtchilhampton Hill190 m (623 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsRoundway Hill242 m (794 ft) · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Campsites 4
Foxhangers Canalside Holidays1.1 mi from town
DirectionsWiltshire County Scout Centre1.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 2 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.
PotterneBromhamMarket LavingtonLittleton PanellBowerhillCalneDevizes
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devizes | A− | 1.8 | 91% | 38% |
| Potterne 2.0 mi | B | 1.3 | 77% | 8% |
| Bromham 3.7 mi | A+ | 5.8 | 100% | 13% |
| Market Lavington 4.5 mi | A+ | 9.9 | 100% | 1% |
| Littleton Panell 5.0 mi | C+ | 5.3 | 39% | 0% |
| Bowerhill 5.9 mi | A− | 7.4 | 100% | 0% |
| Calne 6.1 mi | B− | 1.3 | 88% | 33% |
Market Lavington, 4.5 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Bromham, Market Lavington and Littleton Panell have at least twice Devizes’ green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Devizes
What is the biggest park in Devizes?
Diamond Jubilee Wood, 3.4 ha (8 acres), with 1.2 km of path, just outside the built-up area. Hillworth Park (2.0 ha) is second. 12 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Devizes near a National Park?
It covers 1,731 km² and was designated in 1972.
What are the best walks near Devizes?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the White Horse Trail, Wessex Ridgeway and Kennet and Avon Canal Trail.
How many people in Devizes live near a park?
91% 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 Devizes?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Devizes good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.2 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 65% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 39% (1.8 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 Devizes’ overall grade.
Sources
Where Devizes’ 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.