The UK's Best Picnic Spots
As temperatures increase, summer picnic plans have become more popular among Brits. In fact, searches for ‘picnic spots near me’ increased by over 122% in the past month alone. ¹
With this in mind, the outdoor experts here at Millets have revealed the UK’s best picnic spots.
Looking at factors such as weather, social media popularity and available amenities, we have uncovered the must-visit spots for picnic lovers this summer.
London spots have been separated into their own data set to avoid skewing.
The UK’s top picnic spots (outside of London)
|
Rank |
Picnic spot |
Location |
Type |
Instagram posts |
TikTok posts |
Daily sunshine hours |
Hourly wind speed (kph) |
Monthly rainfall (mm) |
Public toilets within 1km |
Overall score /10 |
|
1 |
Sefton Park |
Liverpool |
Park |
123,000 |
6,023 |
6.3 |
16.4 |
49.1 |
3 |
7.79 |
|
2 |
Heaton Park |
Manchester |
Park |
121,000 |
24,900 |
5.8 |
16.1 |
53.8 |
3 |
7.52 |
|
3 |
Wollaton Park |
Nottingham |
Park |
52,400 |
1,870 |
6.0 |
15.8 |
45.2 |
3 |
7.45 |
|
4 |
Sutton Park |
West Midlands |
Country park |
63,200 |
2,307 |
6.0 |
15.5 |
43.5 |
2 |
7.39 |
|
5 |
Clumber Park |
Nottinghamshire |
Country park |
70,900 |
1,905 |
6.1 |
15.9 |
44.5 |
2 |
7.29 |
|
6 |
Durdle Door |
Dorset |
Beach |
342,000 |
32,900 |
7.1 |
18.8 |
38.5 |
1 |
7.27 |
|
7 |
Tatton Park |
Cheshire |
Park |
113,000 |
3,122 |
5.8 |
15.7 |
51.1 |
2 |
7.13 |
|
8 |
Nene Park / Ferry Meadows |
Peterborough |
Country park |
24,500 |
908 |
6.6 |
15.6 |
40.5 |
2 |
7.01 |
|
9 |
Abbey Park |
Leicester |
Park |
17,000 |
1,402 |
5.9 |
15.7 |
42.9 |
5 |
6.97 |
|
10 |
Camber Sands |
East Sussex |
Beach |
116,000 |
4,947 |
6.7 |
18.2 |
36.8 |
1 |
6.83 |
Sefton Park has been named the top picnic spot in the UK.
Located in Liverpool, the Grade One listed park is over 200 acres and is well-loved by locals and visitors alike. The park has many features, including a boating lake, replica statues of Eros and Peter Pan, and the famous Palm House, which is a glass-panelled building dating back to the Victorian era.
Photo by Bob Coyne on Unsplash
In second place is Heaton Park, located in Manchester.
Covering an area of 600 acres, the park has plenty of places to enjoy a picnic. Visitors can also visit the boating lake, animal centre, cafe, and even a treetop adventure park! The park is extremely popular on social media and has strong public transport links from Manchester and Bury.
In third place is Wollaton Park.
The Nottinghamshire park covers 500 acres and is home to the Wollaton Hall Natural History Museum, Wollaton Hall Gardens and a deer park. There is also a play area, retail shops and cafes to explore.
Photo by Jay Alexander on Unsplash
London’s best picnic spots
|
Summer average |
|||||||||
|
Rank |
Picnic spot |
Type |
Instagram posts |
TikTok posts |
Daily sunshine hours |
Hourly wind speed (kph) |
Monthly rainfall (mm) |
Public toilets within 1km |
Overall score /10 |
|
1 |
Hyde Park |
Park |
2,600,000 |
151,100 |
7.0 |
15.9 |
38.3 |
11 |
9.45 |
|
2 |
Victoria Park |
Park |
510,000 |
17,100 |
7.0 |
15.9 |
38.3 |
17 |
9.30 |
|
3 |
Regent’s Park |
Park |
507,000 |
15,700 |
7.0 |
15.9 |
38.3 |
11 |
9.24 |
|
4 |
Richmond Park |
Park |
517,000 |
15,500 |
7.0 |
16.0 |
38.2 |
3 |
9.17 |
|
5 |
Primrose Hill |
Park |
320,000 |
9,720 |
7.0 |
15.9 |
38.3 |
10 |
9.10 |
|
6 |
Hampstead Heath |
Park |
396,000 |
7,914 |
7.0 |
15.9 |
38.3 |
6 |
9.07 |
|
7 |
Greenwich Park |
Park |
255,000 |
8,330 |
7.0 |
15.9 |
38.3 |
7 |
9.01 |
|
8 |
Battersea Park |
Park |
230,000 |
9,113 |
7.0 |
16.0 |
38.1 |
9 |
8.93 |
Hyde Park takes top spot as London’s best picnic spot.
The park, which is located in the heart of London, covers over 340 acres and is sandwiched between Mayfair and Kensington Gardens. Inside the park are acres of green space, as well as a 40-acre lake, tennis courts and multiple monuments.
Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash
In second place is Victoria Park, which scores 9.30/10.
First opening in 1845, the ‘People’s Park’ has a long and rich history, and sees over 9 million visitors each year. Victoria Park holds Green Flag and Green Heritage awards. It has held the ‘Green Flag People’s Choice Award’ for 11 consecutive years. The Park has also been awarded gold medals in the London in Bloom ‘Heritage Park’ and ‘Large Park’ categories. Visitors can enjoy views of the Victoria Park lake, or place their picnic blanket down beneath one of the many tree-lined avenues.
Photo by Hüseyin Bera Bulut on Unsplash
In third place is Regent’s Park, scoring 9.24/10.
The park, which homes the famous Primrose Hill, occupies over 400 acres of land and has a range of spaces to enjoy a picnic. Visitors can enjoy lakeside views, or head to Primrose Hill, where they can see an epic London skyline.
How to Picnic Responsibly
One of the most important things about having a picnic is to ensure that you leave the area in the same condition that you found it. Most parks will have selected areas to dispose of rubbish, but if there are no bins nearby, taking your rubbish with you and disposing of it at home can stop animals from being hurt or beauty spots from being filled with litter.
It is also extremely important not to use disposable barbecues. Whilst available in many supermarkets, they can be dangerous and can cost you hundreds in fines. Hundreds of accidental fires are caused every year, with many people calling for a complete ban. Local authorities have introduced public space protection orders on parks and beaches, and breaking these can lead to fines of up to £5,000.
If you plan to be outdoors for an extended period of time, ensure that you have packed enough water to keep hydrated, and pack layers of clothing that can be added or removed depending on how the weather changes throughout the day.
A full range of picnic equipment is available here at Millets.
References
1. Google search data 26th May-26th June 2026
Calum Jones
Author and Outdoor Enthusiast Calum is an avid outdoor enthusiast, specialising in content creation, helping to spread and articulate the joys of the outdoors to journalists, organisations, and the general outdoor population.
