Crap Towns / Swanage / Parks
How many parks and playgrounds has Swanage got?
OS maps 3 public parks and gardens in Swanage (April 2026): 3.3 per 10,000 people, 32% higher than the typical town's 2.5. There are 4 play spaces, 4.4 per 10,000 people, 27% lower than the typical town's 6.0. 42.5% of its people live more than 400 metres from a park or play space, as the crow flies, 2.7 times the typical town's 15.5%.
| Measure | Here | Typical town |
|---|---|---|
| Public parks and gardens per 10,000 people | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| Play spaces per 10,000 people | 4.4 | 6.0 |
| Square metres of public park per person | 7.2 | 4.5 |
| People more than 400 metres from a park or play space | 42.5% | 15.5% |
| Town | Distance | % more than 400 metres from a park |
|---|---|---|
| Ferndown | 21.7 km | 71.8 |
| Wimborne Minster | 21.2 km | 52.7 |
| Swanage | – | 42.5 |
| Christchurch | 21.1 km | 38.7 |
| Corfe Mullen | 17.2 km | 37.4 |
| Wareham | 13.4 km | 33.5 |
| Merley | 18.6 km | 29.9 |
| Upton | 14.3 km | 25.5 |
| Bournemouth | 15.6 km | 20.2 |
| Poole | 12.5 km | 19.8 |
| Wool | 21.4 km | 5.1 |
| The typical town | – | 15.5 |