Photo: Trish Steel · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in Whaddon
The Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape begins 1.2 mi from the village’s edge. Footpaths add up to 14 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 1.3 for every square kilometre. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 55% of residents. Whaddon grades C for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Whaddon?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Whaddon’s strongest suit is two protected landscapes close by. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Whaddon grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Whaddon, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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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.
Whaddon is 37th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,200 to 2,400 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Whaddon stands out most for park space per resident: only 18 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 46 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Limpsfield Surrey | A+ | 2.9 | 100% | 3.7 | 41% |
| 2 | Radford Semele Warwickshire | A | 12.3 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 3 | Elstead Surrey | A | 2.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 82% |
| 4 | Westcott Surrey | A | 1.8 | 86% | 5.5 | 78% |
| 5 | Harlington Bedfordshire | A− | 2.7 | 100% | 2.7 | 16% |
| 6 | Millbrook Cornwall | A− | 2 | 100% | 1.1 | 19% |
| 7 | Berrow and Brean Somerset | A− | 3.6 | 75% | 1.7 | 1% |
| 8 | Clare Suffolk | A− | 7.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 9 | Cannington Somerset | A− | 2.8 | 88% | 3.2 | 3% |
| 10 | Acle Norfolk | B+ | 1.6 | 89% | 3.1 | 43% |
| 11 | Hall Green West Yorkshire | B+ | 7.5 | 82% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 12 | Tisbury Wiltshire | B+ | 1.5 | 86% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 13 | Bowness-on-Windermere Cumbria | B | 1.7 | 76% | 2.8 | 100% |
| 14 | Crick Northamptonshire | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 15 | Pen-y-fai Mid Glamorgan | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Mayfield East Sussex | B− | 3.3 | 61% | 1.9 | 99% |
| 17 | Loddon Norfolk | B− | 2.4 | 77% | 2.5 | 18% |
| 18 | Dormansland Surrey | B− | 2.5 | 70% | 2.3 | 33% |
| 19 | Bickershaw Greater Manchester | B− | 5 | 13% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Park Street and Frogmore Hertfordshire | B− | 4.5 | 63% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 21 | Wiveliscombe Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Debenham Suffolk | C+ | 1 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Bere Alston Devon | C+ | 1.4 | 64% | 1.3 | 93% |
| 24 | Osbaldwick North Yorkshire | C+ | 1.9 | 70% | 5 | 0% |
| 25 | Delph Greater Manchester | C+ | 0.7 | 72% | 3.9 | 17% |
| 26 | Mickleton Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.2 | 52% | 2.1 | 45% |
| 27 | Boughton under Blean Kent | C+ | 2.7 | 24% | 2.5 | 18% |
| 28 | Cold Ash Berkshire | C+ | 1.5 | 7% | 3.1 | 60% |
| 29 | Berkeley Gloucestershire | C+ | 0.9 | 49% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 30 | Bishopsteignton Devon | C | 3 | 62% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 31 | Stanton Suffolk | C | 2.6 | 87% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 32 | Caistor Lincolnshire | C | 2.8 | 39% | 1.3 | 33% |
| 33 | Hawkesbury Warwickshire | C | 1 | 78% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Woolavington Somerset | C | 1.6 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 35 | West Rainton County Durham | C | 2.1 | 73% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Tatworth Somerset | C | 1.3 | 71% | 1.7 | 44% |
| 37 | Whaddon Wiltshire | C | 2.6 | 55% | 1.3 | 10% |
| 38 | Wardley Greater Manchester | C− | 0.6 | 88% | 3 | 0% |
| 39 | Stanford in the Vale Oxfordshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Wateringbury Kent | C− | 2.4 | 73% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 41 | Roche Cornwall | C− | 2.8 | 81% | 1 | 0% |
| 42 | Creigiau South Glamorgan | C− | 1.7 | 85% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Coltishall and Horstead Norfolk | C− | 2.1 | 57% | 1.3 | 8% |
| 44 | Kings Sutton Northamptonshire | C− | 1.8 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Reepham Norfolk | C− | 2.3 | 66% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Coates and Eastrea Cambridgeshire | C− | 0.9 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Goxhill Lincolnshire | C− | 1.5 | 69% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Usk Gwent | C− | 3.5 | 56% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 49 | St Osyth Essex | C− | 1.5 | 54% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 50 | Scholes (Leeds) West Yorkshire | D | 0 | 0% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Comberton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.6 | 71% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Bicknacre Essex | D | 1 | 56% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Belton Lincolnshire | D | 1.5 | 67% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Great Barford Bedfordshire | D− | 1.4 | 45% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Tattenhall Cheshire | D− | 1.8 | 28% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Ixworth Suffolk | D− | 1 | 73% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Hingham Norfolk | D− | 1.9 | 13% | 1 | 0% |
| 58 | Norton South Yorkshire | D− | 1.3 | 63% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Isleham Cambridgeshire | D− | 0.2 | 71% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Puriton Somerset | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Whaddon’s built-up area.
5 in 10 Whaddon 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).
About 1,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs and New Forest both start about 3 miles from Whaddon
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.
Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
10% of the land within 5 km of Whaddon is National Park or National Landscape, more than 71% of UK towns. New Forest National Park covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006.
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Whaddon
14 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Whaddon and the kilometre around it, 1.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
The regional route here is the Old Sarum Way.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in Whaddon: May to September
The village’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 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 95 | 67 | 61 | 59 | 52 | 51 | 47 | 59 | 61 | 95 | 103 | 96 |
July is the driest month (47 mm) and the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 103 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 48 nights a year. The climate in Whaddon →
Viewpoints, hills and nature near Whaddon
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Whaddon is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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. Alderbury Hill, at 92 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Whaddon.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Playgrounds 1
Plus 1 playground without a name on the map.
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whaddon | C | 2.6 | 55% | 10% |
| Downton 3.3 mi | A | 4.3 | 100% | 59% |
| Salisbury 3.9 mi | A | 2.7 | 94% | 22% |
| Redlynch and Woodfalls 4.0 mi | B− | 2.1 | 34% | 59% |
| Old Sarum 5.1 mi | A | 4.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Middle Winterslow 5.1 mi | A | 7.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Wilton 6.4 mi | B− | 1.4 | 94% | 45% |
Downton, 3.3 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Middle Winterslow has at least twice Whaddon’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Whaddon
Is Whaddon near a National Park?
Yes. New Forest National Park begins 2.8 mi south of the village’s edge. It covers 567 km² and has been a National Park since 2006. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape, 1.2 mi away.
What are the best walks near Whaddon?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Old Sarum Way.
What is the nearest beach to Whaddon?
Brockenhurst Beach, 16 mi from the edge of the village, then Avon Beach (21 mi). Whaddon itself is inland.
How many people in Whaddon live near a park?
55% 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 Whaddon?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Whaddon good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 13% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 61% (2.6 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 Whaddon’s overall grade.
Where Whaddon’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.