Wroughton’s biggest
Ridgeway Park Play Area
Play space
0.0 ha (0 acres)
Centralin the middle of Wroughton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Vieve Forward · CC BY-SA 2.0BOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Wroughton · parks, paths & countryside
52% of the land within 5 km of Wroughton is National Park or National Landscape
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape reaches the edge of Wroughton. 66 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 3.9 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Wroughton add up to 1.1 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Wroughton grades B for the outdoors: #18 of 30 in Wiltshire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
78%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
66 km
3.9 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
52%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Wessex Downs National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Wroughton?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected countryside52% of the land within 5 km is North Wessex Downs National Landscape.A town of footpaths3.9 km of path per km², more than 79% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Less park per person1.1 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Wroughton’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep, followed by dense footpaths. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Wroughton grades B for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Wroughton, 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 60% of UK towns#18 of 30 in Wiltshire · 25th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
15out of
100
100
A park within a walk78%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
43out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape52%of the land within 5 km
92out of
100
100
Footpaths3.9 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
80out 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
Wroughton is 25th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 7,000 to 7,600 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
Wroughton3.9
Towns its size3.2
Wiltshire towns3.0
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Wroughton1.1
Towns its size2.1
Wiltshire towns2.0
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Wroughton78%
Towns its size78%
Wiltshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Wroughton stands out most for path per km²: only 14 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 51 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freshwater and Totland Isle of Wight | A+ | 5 | 89% | 3.9 | 20% |
| 2 | Holbury Hampshire | A+ | 5.5 | 89% | 3.1 | 42% |
| 3 | Sheringham Norfolk | A+ | 11.6 | 74% | 3.4 | 32% |
| 4 | Stocksbridge South Yorkshire | A | 2.2 | 100% | 4.4 | 30% |
| 5 | Ruddington Nottinghamshire | A | 9.7 | 100% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 6 | Bude Cornwall | A | 3.1 | 78% | 3.3 | 9% |
| 7 | Anstey Leicestershire | A | 12.9 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 8 | Liphook Hampshire | A | 3.1 | 86% | 3.8 | 64% |
| 9 | Bolton upon Dearne South Yorkshire | A | 5.6 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 10 | Bourne End Buckinghamshire | A | 2.9 | 87% | 4 | 19% |
| 11 | Gwersyllt Clwyd | A | 14.6 | 96% | 2.5 | 2% |
| 12 | Ashley Heath Dorset | A | 24.2 | 68% | 4 | 15% |
| 13 | Darfield South Yorkshire | A | 4 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 14 | Seaton Devon | A− | 1.1 | 84% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 15 | Otford and Kemsing Kent | A− | 3.3 | 53% | 3.6 | 73% |
| 16 | Torpoint Cornwall | A− | 2.2 | 84% | 1.6 | 26% |
| 17 | Goldthorpe South Yorkshire | A− | 8.4 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Blackwater Hampshire | B+ | 10.6 | 74% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Chinnor Oxfordshire | B+ | 1.5 | 88% | 3.7 | 37% |
| 20 | Kiveton Park South Yorkshire | B+ | 2.8 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 21 | Cromer Norfolk | B+ | 1.4 | 74% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 22 | Gowerton West Glamorgan | B+ | 3.2 | 79% | 1.2 | 14% |
| 23 | Barugh Green and Redbrook South Yorkshire | B | 2.1 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 24 | Malmesbury Wiltshire | B | 2 | 86% | 2.5 | 26% |
| 25 | Wroughton Wiltshire | B | 1.1 | 78% | 3.9 | 52% |
| 26 | Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire | B | 1.4 | 78% | 3.2 | 57% |
| 27 | Chapel-en-le-Frith Derbyshire | B− | 1 | 75% | 3.8 | 58% |
| 28 | Woodville Derbyshire | B− | 3.7 | 78% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 29 | Eckington Derbyshire | B− | 1.8 | 80% | 6 | 0% |
| 30 | Balsall Common West Midlands | B− | 3.7 | 81% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 31 | Crawcrook and Greenside Tyne and Wear | B− | 3.2 | 86% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Cranfield Bedfordshire | B− | 2.3 | 72% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Borrowash Derbyshire | B− | 2.8 | 85% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 34 | Bollington Cheshire | B− | 1.3 | 56% | 4.1 | 31% |
| 35 | Abersychan Gwent | B− | 2.8 | 83% | 1.1 | 17% |
| 36 | Wrecclesham Surrey | C+ | 1.2 | 50% | 3.8 | 37% |
| 37 | Poringland Norfolk | C+ | 1.3 | 91% | 2.1 | 5% |
| 38 | Pelton and Ouston County Durham | C+ | 2 | 64% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 39 | Murton County Durham | C+ | 2.1 | 54% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 40 | West Mersea Essex | C+ | 1.9 | 69% | 2 | 0% |
| 41 | Thrapston Northamptonshire | C | 1.2 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Caerleon Gwent | C | 1.9 | 64% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 43 | Horncastle Lincolnshire | C | 0.6 | 60% | 3.9 | 10% |
| 44 | Radcliffe on Trent Nottinghamshire | C | 2.5 | 76% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 45 | Sawston Cambridgeshire | C | 1.4 | 97% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Castle Donington Leicestershire | C | 1.8 | 85% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Crewkerne Somerset | C | 0.5 | 66% | 2.8 | 21% |
| 48 | Aylsham Norfolk | C | 2.6 | 74% | 2 | 0% |
| 49 | Hethersett Norfolk | C | 2.1 | 65% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Wivenhoe Essex | C− | 0.9 | 65% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 51 | Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt Leicestershire | C− | 2.1 | 82% | 2 | 0% |
| 52 | Southwell Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 59% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 53 | Calverton Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 62% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Breaston and Draycott Derbyshire | C− | 1.1 | 73% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Pickering North Yorkshire | C− | 1.7 | 39% | 1.7 | 19% |
| 56 | Shefford Bedfordshire | D | 1.1 | 67% | 3 | 0% |
| 57 | Deeping St James Lincolnshire | D | 0.5 | 73% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Beddau Mid Glamorgan | D | 1 | 77% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 59 | Market Weighton East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 79% | 1 | 0% |
| 60 | Featherstone Staffordshire | D− | 1.2 | 52% | 1.5 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Wroughton’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 Wroughton
The biggest is Ridgeway Park Play Area, 0.0 ha (0 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
8 in 10 Wroughton 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 (78%)Further (22%)
Wroughton78%
Towns its size78%
Wiltshire towns86%
All UK towns83%
About 1,600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 18 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 404 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Wroughton
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 south1,731 km²since 197252% of the land within 5 km
Official site52% of the land within 5 km of Wroughton is National Park or National Landscape, more than 92% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Wroughton
66 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Wroughton and the kilometre around it, 3.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
LocalOther waymarked
Millennium Trail10.2 km
South Swindon Green Trail6.6 km
Wroughton Timberland Trail5.8 km
Close to home, the Millennium Trail has 10 km of local walk within 2 km of the town.
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 Wroughton: 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 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.8 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 71 | 51 | 47 | 52 | 58 | 48 | 56 | 61 | 53 | 75 | 79 | 76 |
March is the driest month (47 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 79 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in Wroughton →
Things to do
2 viewpoints, 18 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.
2Viewpoints2Hills and peaks2Nature reserves18Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks7Campsites
The nearest beaches
Wroughton is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
The Leys Park21 mi from Wroughton’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. Ladder Hill, at 180 m, is the highest named top within 2 km of Wroughton.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Ladder Hill180 m (591 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsMarkham Hill208 m (682 ft) · 0.7 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Clouts Wood Nature Reserve60 ha · 0.2 mi from town
DirectionsRushey Platt Nature Reserve1.1 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 18
Badgers Brook Play Areain town
DirectionsBeranburh Play Areain town
DirectionsMaunsell Way Play Areain town
DirectionsNorth Wroughton Play Areain town
DirectionsSecret Garden Play Areain town
DirectionsWeir Field Play Areain town
DirectionsEast Wichel Play Park0.2 mi from town
DirectionsThorney Park Play Area0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
The Dog Space Swindon0.8 mi from town
DirectionsCampsites 7
Lower Camping Terrace 20.6 mi from town
DirectionsChilton Farm County Guide Campsite0.6 mi from town
DirectionsLower Camping Terrace 10.6 mi from town
DirectionsHill Side Terrace0.6 mi from town
DirectionsLower Camp0.6 mi from town
DirectionsTree Terrace0.6 mi from town
DirectionsUpper Camping Terrace0.6 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.
ChiseldonSwindonStratton St MargaretWanboroughRoyal Wootton BassettPurtonWroughton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wroughton | B | 1.1 | 78% | 52% |
| Chiseldon 2.6 mi | A | 1.8 | 100% | 69% |
| Swindon 3.1 mi | A+ | 3.1 | 96% | 21% |
| Stratton St Margaret 4.1 mi | A | 3.3 | 82% | 5% |
| Wanborough 4.2 mi | A+ | 6.0 | 100% | 45% |
| Royal Wootton Bassett 4.7 mi | B+ | 1.6 | 98% | 10% |
| Purton 5.5 mi | C− | 0.8 | 60% | 0% |
Swindon, 3.1 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: 96% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Swindon, Stratton St Margaret and Wanborough have at least twice Wroughton’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Wroughton
What is the biggest park in Wroughton?
Ridgeway Park Play Area, 0.0 ha (0 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Wroughton near a National Park?
It covers 1,731 km² and was designated in 1972.
What are the best walks near Wroughton?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Millennium Trail, South Swindon Green Trail and Wroughton Timberland Trail.
What is the nearest beach to Wroughton?
The Leys Park, 21 mi from the edge of the town. Wroughton itself is inland.
How many people in Wroughton live near a park?
78% 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 Wroughton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Wroughton good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 80% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 15% (1.1 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 Wroughton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Wroughton’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.