Worcester’s biggest
Worcester Woods Country Park
Park or garden
36 ha (88 acres)7.8 km of path
1 h 45 minto walk all 7.8 km of path
50 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.7 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Michael Garlick · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Worcester · parks, paths & countryside
Worcester has more footpath per square kilometre than 8 in 10 UK towns
261 km of footpaths run through the city and the kilometre around it, 4.1 for every square kilometre. The Malvern Hills National Landscape begins 4.2 mi from the city’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Worcester add up to 1.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Worcester grades C for the outdoors: #12 of 22 in Worcestershire. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
77%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
261 km
4.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Malvern Hills starts 4.2 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors city is Worcester?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A city of footpaths4.1 km of path per km², more than 82% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Countryside close byThe Malvern Hills National Landscape starts 4.2 mi south-west.Historic parks2 registered historic parks and gardens, including Gheluvelt Park.Less park per person1.5 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Worcester’s strongest suit is dense footpaths, followed by the Malvern Hills National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Worcester grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Worcester, 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 35% of UK towns#12 of 22 in Worcestershire
Public green space1.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
28out of
100
100
A park within a walk77%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
41out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Malvern Hills begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
83out 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
How Worcester compares with UK cities of 78,100 to 141,700
The 60 UK towns and cities of 78,100 to 141,700 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
Worcester4.1
Cities its size4.1
Worcestershire towns2.8
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Worcester1.5
Cities its size2.5
Worcestershire towns2.3
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Worcester77%
Cities its size86%
Worcestershire towns80%
All UK towns83%
Worcester falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 53 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hastings East Sussex | A+ | 3.1 | 76% | 4.3 | 42% |
| 2 | Burnley Lancashire | A+ | 3.4 | 95% | 5.7 | 7% |
| 3 | Gloucester Gloucestershire | A | 2.7 | 93% | 6 | 22% |
| 4 | Gillingham Kent | A | 1.6 | 86% | 5.3 | 23% |
| 5 | Ashford Kent | A | 2.7 | 94% | 5.2 | 23% |
| 6 | Poole Dorset | A | 2.5 | 81% | 3.4 | 20% |
| 7 | Crawley West Sussex | A | 2.6 | 85% | 10.5 | 33% |
| 8 | Eastbourne East Sussex | A | 2 | 75% | 4.3 | 23% |
| 9 | Stockport Greater Manchester | A | 4 | 93% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Basingstoke Hampshire | A | 2.5 | 94% | 5.8 | 6% |
| 11 | Colchester Essex | A | 3.2 | 86% | 5.4 | 10% |
| 12 | Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire | A | 3 | 95% | 3.6 | 18% |
| 13 | Bath Somerset | A | 1.8 | 89% | 5.6 | 50% |
| 14 | Harlow Essex | A | 3.7 | 99% | 8.2 | 0% |
| 15 | Bracknell Berkshire | A | 3.7 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Watford Hertfordshire | A | 2.8 | 88% | 4.5 | 1% |
| 17 | Weston-super-Mare Somerset | A− | 1.2 | 87% | 3.7 | 8% |
| 18 | Stevenage Hertfordshire | A− | 3 | 98% | 7.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Gateshead Tyne and Wear | A− | 3.3 | 95% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 20 | Basildon Essex | A− | 3 | 95% | 7.1 | 0% |
| 21 | Aylesbury Buckinghamshire | A− | 1.8 | 88% | 9.5 | 5% |
| 22 | Maidstone Kent | A− | 2.9 | 81% | 3.5 | 20% |
| 23 | Cheltenham Gloucestershire | A− | 1.4 | 87% | 4.5 | 44% |
| 24 | Redditch Worcestershire | A− | 4.1 | 84% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 25 | Worthing West Sussex | A− | 1.2 | 78% | 2.9 | 38% |
| 26 | Newport Gwent | A− | 2.8 | 85% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 27 | Bedford Bedfordshire | B+ | 4.2 | 88% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Wakefield West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.9 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Oldham Greater Manchester | B+ | 1.7 | 87% | 5 | 0% |
| 30 | High Wycombe Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.6 | 68% | 5.4 | 67% |
| 31 | Huddersfield West Yorkshire | B+ | 1.4 | 94% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 32 | Birkenhead Merseyside | B+ | 3.1 | 71% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 33 | York North Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 89% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 34 | Salford Greater Manchester | B | 2 | 91% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Chelmsford Essex | B | 2.4 | 87% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Wythenshawe Greater Manchester | B | 2.5 | 84% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 37 | St Helens Merseyside | B | 3.4 | 91% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Preston Lancashire | B | 3 | 80% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Wallasey Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 90% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Wigan Greater Manchester | B | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 0% |
| 41 | Hartlepool County Durham | B− | 1.7 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 42 | Nuneaton Warwickshire | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Rugby Warwickshire | B− | 2.8 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 44 | West Bromwich West Midlands | B− | 2.7 | 83% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Grimsby Lincolnshire | B− | 1.3 | 75% | 2.4 | 3% |
| 46 | Halifax West Yorkshire | B− | 2 | 86% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Bury Greater Manchester | B− | 2.4 | 82% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Blackburn Lancashire | B− | 2.2 | 71% | 3.1 | 1% |
| 49 | Exeter Devon | B− | 1.8 | 81% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 50 | Royal Sutton Coldfield West Midlands | B− | 6.1 | 64% | 3 | 0% |
| 51 | Lincoln Lincolnshire | B− | 2.5 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Rochdale Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.7 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Stockton-on-Tees County Durham | C+ | 2 | 83% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Darlington County Durham | C+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Worcester Worcestershire | C | 1.5 | 77% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Doncaster South Yorkshire | C | 1.8 | 72% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Solihull West Midlands | C | 2.9 | 54% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 58 | Scunthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Chester Cheshire | C | 1.6 | 86% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 60 | Southport Merseyside | C− | 1.4 | 60% | 2.1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Worcester’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 Worcester
The biggest is Worcester Woods Country Park, 36 ha (88 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 13 named parks by size: 92 ha (227 acres) and 16 km of path
Parks & gardens 64 haPlaying fields 27 ha
The two biggest, Worcester Woods Country Park and Gheluvelt Park, are 47% of the named green space and carry 10 km of path between them.
Historic park · Grade II
Gheluvelt Park
Park or garden
7.3 ha (18 acres)2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
10 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi north-westfrom the centre
2 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
King George's Field
Playing field
14 ha (35 acres)1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
20 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Cripplegate Park
Park or garden
4.9 ha (12 acres)1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-westfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Elbury Park
Park or garden
4.2 ha (10 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Power Park
Park or garden
5.0 ha (12 acres)0.1 km of path
7 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.9 mi southfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Worcester Rugby Football Club
Playing field · 10 m outside town
7.8 ha (19 acres)0.1 km of path
11 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Fort Royal Park
Park or garden
2.1 ha (5 acres)1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi southfrom the centre
Fort Royal monument +1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 13 named parks and green spaces
Worcester Woods Country ParkPark or garden · 36 ha · 7.8 km of path
DirectionsGheluvelt ParkPark or garden · 7.3 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsKing George's FieldPlaying field · 14 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsCripplegate ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsElbury ParkPark or garden · 4.2 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsPower ParkPark or garden · 5.0 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsWorcester Rugby Football ClubPlaying field · 7.8 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFort Royal ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsPitmaston ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha
DirectionsWarnden ParkPlaying field · 2.3 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsCromwell Crescent ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsWorcestershire Football Association HeadquartersPlaying field · 3.2 ha · just outside town
DirectionsSt Andrew's GardensPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsClose to home
8 in 10 Worcester 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 (77%)Further (23%)
Worcester77%
Cities its size86%
Worcestershire towns80%
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; 77 playgrounds are mapped in and around the city, about one for every 1,369 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Malvern Hills National Landscape is 4.2 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 Worcester scores 0% on it even though the Malvern Hills National Landscape is 4.2 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
11 waymarked walks pass through or near Worcester
261 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Worcester and the kilometre around it, 4.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the city.
RegionalLocal
Wild About Worcester Way19.8 km
Monarch's Way15.0 km
Severn Way (2) Shrewsbury to Worcester7.7 km
Severn Way (3) Worcester to Bristol7.1 km
Three Choirs Way (Worcester to Malvern)6.8 km
Three Choirs Way (Worcester to Gloucester)6.8 km
Three Choirs Way (Hereford to Worcester)6.2 km
A Walk in Elgar Country, The Firs3.3 km
Three Choirs Way (Stanford Bishop to Worcester)2.5 km
Worcester Woods Meadows Trail1.1 km
Worcester Woods Woodland Trail1.1 km
Close to home, the Wild About Worcester Way has 20 km of local walk within 2 km of the city. 7 regional routes pass through, including the Monarch's Way, Severn Way (2) Shrewsbury to Worcester, Severn Way (3) Worcester to Bristol and Three Choirs Way (Worcester to Malvern).
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
2 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 Worcester’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade II
Gheluvelt Park
7.3 ha. A registered historic park (Grade II). 2 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge.
IIGheluvelt Park Band Stand, WorcesterIINos. 1-12 Gheluvelt Park, Worcester
Registered · Grade II*Spetchley Park1.2 ha
Listed buildings insideFort Royal ParkFort Royal and 21, London Road, with attached railings and gate
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 Worcester: 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 | 16.7 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 62 | 46 | 46 | 51 | 56 | 57 | 57 | 60 | 54 | 74 | 69 | 66 |
March is the driest month (46 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 74 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Worcester →
Things to do
2 viewpoints and 77 playgrounds
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.
2Viewpoints6Nature reserves1.7× cities its size2Picnic sites77Playgroundsabout the same as cities its size1Campsites4Slipways10.7× cities its size
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 6
Laugherne Brook Local Nature Reserve (Area 2, Greenacres Road)1.3 ha · in town
DirectionsLaugherne Brook Local Nature Reserve (Area 3, Greenacres Road North)1.9 ha · in town
DirectionsLaugherne Brook Local Nature Reserve (Area 4, Coles Meadow)4.9 ha · in town
DirectionsRonkswood Hill Meadows Local Nature Reserve13 ha · in town
DirectionsChapter Meadows12 ha · 0.1 mi from town
DirectionsSpetchley Deer Park19 ha · 0.4 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 77
Area 51in town
DirectionsBodiam Close playgroundin town
DirectionsCaister Avenue Play Areain town
DirectionsCripplegate Park Play Areain town
DirectionsMiddleton Gardens Play Areain town
DirectionsPirie Avenue Play Areain town
DirectionsThe Quadin town
DirectionsTrotshill Lane East play areain town
DirectionsPlus 69 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 4
Plus 4 slipways 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.
RushwickNorton (Norton Juxta Kempsey)Fernhill HeathLower BroadheathHallowCollett's GreenWorcester
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | C | 1.5 | 77% | 0% |
| Rushwick 2.2 mi | B− | 5.0 | 71% | 0% |
| Norton (Norton Juxta Kempsey) 2.5 mi | C+ | 0.9 | 100% | 0% |
| Fernhill Heath 2.6 mi | B | 3.2 | 88% | 0% |
| Lower Broadheath 2.7 mi | A− | 6.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Hallow 2.8 mi | A− | 3.7 | 100% | 0% |
| Collett's Green 3.3 mi | A | 3.5 | 100% | 0% |
Collett's Green, 3.3 miles away, grades A, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Rushwick, Fernhill Heath and Lower Broadheath have at least twice Worcester’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Worcester
What is the biggest park in Worcester?
Worcester Woods Country Park, 36 ha (88 acres), with 7.8 km of path. Gheluvelt Park (7.3 ha) is second. 13 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the city or within 400 m of it.
Is Worcester near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Malvern Hills National Landscape, 4.2 mi south-west of the city’s edge. It covers 107 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near Worcester?
11 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the city, including the Wild About Worcester Way, Monarch's Way and Severn Way (2) Shrewsbury to Worcester. Worcester Woods Country Park alone has 7.8 km of path.
How many people in Worcester live near a park?
77% 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 Worcester?
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 Worcester are historic?
Gheluvelt Park (Grade II) and Spetchley Park (Grade II*) are on Historic England’s register of parks and gardens.
Is Worcester good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 83% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 28% (1.5 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 Worcester’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Worcester’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.