Babylon · Photo: Acabashi · CC BY-SA 4.0Almost everyone in Boreham lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Boreham add up to 1.1 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 28 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.8 for every square kilometre. Boreham grades C+ for the outdoors: #53 of 81 in Essex. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Boreham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Boreham’s strongest suit is parks close to every home. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Boreham grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Boreham, 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.
Boreham is 38th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 3,400 to 3,700 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Boreham stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 48 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tutshill and Sedbury Gloucestershire | A+ | 2.5 | 87% | 4.5 | 32% |
| 2 | Leonard Stanley and King's Stanley Gloucestershire | A | 2 | 100% | 4.6 | 51% |
| 3 | Lingfield Surrey | A | 3.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 16% |
| 4 | Bishopston West Glamorgan | A | 3 | 47% | 3.1 | 41% |
| 5 | Kingsbury Warwickshire | A− | 17.2 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 6 | Shenley Hertfordshire | A− | 6.1 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 7 | Taff's Well Mid Glamorgan | A− | 2.3 | 100% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 8 | Grassmoor Derbyshire | A− | 6.8 | 85% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Church Stretton Shropshire | A− | 2.2 | 68% | 4.7 | 92% |
| 10 | Essington Staffordshire | B+ | 6.8 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 11 | Keresley Newlands Warwickshire | B+ | 4.4 | 89% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 12 | St Asaph Clwyd | B+ | 3.2 | 100% | 1.6 | 9% |
| 13 | Harriseahead, Mow Cop and Newchapel Staffordshire | B+ | 4.2 | 86% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 14 | Watchet Somerset | B+ | 1.3 | 86% | 2 | 18% |
| 15 | Water Orton Warwickshire | B+ | 5.3 | 82% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Chartham Kent | B | 2.3 | 67% | 3.3 | 44% |
| 17 | Roade Northamptonshire | B | 2.6 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 18 | Martham Norfolk | B | 1.7 | 74% | 1.8 | 45% |
| 19 | Brockenhurst Hampshire | B | 1.8 | 63% | 3.3 | 98% |
| 20 | Llanfairfechan Clwyd | B | 1 | 48% | 2.9 | 38% |
| 21 | Sturminster Newton Dorset | B | 1.4 | 85% | 3.6 | 5% |
| 22 | Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel Cornwall | B− | 2.5 | 64% | 2.3 | 66% |
| 23 | Belton Norfolk | B− | 1.5 | 77% | 1.5 | 48% |
| 24 | Theydon Bois Essex | B− | 2.4 | 70% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 25 | Burtonwood Cheshire | B− | 3.3 | 93% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 26 | Lower Nazeing Essex | B− | 23.8 | 58% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Worlingham Suffolk | B− | 1.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 24% |
| 28 | Pilsley and Lower Pilsley Derbyshire | B− | 1.9 | 91% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Pulborough West Sussex | B− | 1.4 | 77% | 2.7 | 50% |
| 30 | Bembridge Isle of Wight | B− | 1.5 | 50% | 2.3 | 7% |
| 31 | Penllergaer West Glamorgan | B− | 21 | 83% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 32 | Langport Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 33 | Kirkheaton West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 92% | 3 | 0% |
| 34 | Broomfield Essex | C+ | 2.7 | 45% | 5 | 0% |
| 35 | Fradley Staffordshire | C+ | 2.7 | 82% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Great Lumley County Durham | C+ | 1.4 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 37 | Woodstock Oxfordshire | C+ | 1 | 80% | 3 | 11% |
| 38 | Boreham Essex | C+ | 1.1 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Hatfield Peverel Essex | C | 2 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 40 | Thorpe Willoughby North Yorkshire | C | 0.4 | 92% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Cosby Leicestershire | C | 1.6 | 93% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 42 | Upper Poppleton North Yorkshire | C | 2.9 | 82% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 43 | Marden Kent | C | 1.8 | 71% | 2.1 | 3% |
| 44 | Cowbridge South Glamorgan | C | 1.2 | 86% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Haltwhistle Northumberland | C | 1.5 | 59% | 2.3 | 31% |
| 46 | Goff's Oak Hertfordshire | C− | 2.4 | 41% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Bramhope West Yorkshire | C− | 1.8 | 0% | 2.7 | 2% |
| 48 | Holsworthy Devon | C− | 2.7 | 84% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 49 | Tylorstown and Pontygwaith Mid Glamorgan | C− | 2.3 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 50 | Willand Devon | C− | 0.9 | 88% | 0.6 | 1% |
| 51 | Pwllheli Gwynedd | C− | 0.1 | 23% | 1.3 | 2% |
| 52 | Snaith East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 0.2 | 89% | 2 | 0% |
| 53 | Hoveton and Wroxham Norfolk | D | 1.4 | 65% | 0.8 | 18% |
| 54 | Witham St Hughs Lincolnshire | D | 0.7 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Lanchester County Durham | D | 1.4 | 70% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Metheringham Lincolnshire | D | 0.8 | 44% | 3 | 0% |
| 57 | Bilsthorpe Nottinghamshire | D | 0.7 | 88% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 58 | Willaston (Cheshire East) Cheshire | D | 1 | 82% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Wollaston Northamptonshire | D− | 1.2 | 11% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 60 | Barlby North Yorkshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 1.8 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Boreham’s built-up area.
How close Boreham’s homes are to 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).
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 11 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 324 residents.
The Dedham Vale National Landscape is 16 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.
3 waymarked walks pass through or near Boreham
28 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Boreham and the kilometre around it, 2.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
2 regional routes pass through, including the Centenary Circle and The Saffron Trail.
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 Boreham: 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 | 16.7 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 49 | 38 | 34 | 39 | 44 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 44 | 60 | 56 | 52 |
March is the driest month (34 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 60 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 43 nights a year. The climate in Boreham →
11 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.
The nearest beaches
Boreham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Check the water before you swim. The Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters from May to September and publishes a rating for each beach.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 11
Plus 10 playgrounds 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boreham | C+ | 1.1 | 100% | 0% |
| Hatfield Peverel 2.6 mi | C | 2.0 | 84% | 0% |
| Chelmsford 3.2 mi | B | 2.4 | 87% | 0% |
| Broomfield 3.2 mi | C+ | 2.7 | 45% | 0% |
| Danbury 3.4 mi | B− | 3.9 | 34% | 0% |
| Little Waltham 3.5 mi | C+ | 2.3 | 63% | 0% |
| Witham 4.8 mi | B | 1.9 | 94% | 0% |
Chelmsford, 3.2 miles away, grades B, the best next door: 87% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Chelmsford, Broomfield and Danbury have at least twice Boreham’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Boreham
Is Boreham near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Dedham Vale National Landscape, 16 mi north-east of the town’s edge. It covers 91 km² and was designated in 1970.
What are the best walks near Boreham?
3 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Centenary Circle, Admiral McHardy Way and The Saffron Trail.
What is the nearest beach to Boreham?
Mill Beach, 7.5 mi from the edge of the town, then East Point Beach (10 mi). Boreham itself is inland.
How many people in Boreham live near a park?
100% 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 Boreham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Boreham good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 55% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 16% (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 Boreham’s overall grade.
Where Boreham’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.