Braintree’s biggest
Marshalls Park
Park or garden
12 ha (30 acres)0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
17 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Glyn Baker · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Braintree · parks, paths & countryside
89% of Braintree’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Footpaths add up to 126 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 3.7 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Braintree add up to 1.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Braintree grades B− for the outdoors: #42 of 81 in Essex. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
89%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
126 km
3.7 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Dedham Vale National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Braintree?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
A town of footpaths3.7 km of path per km², more than 75% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.Less park per person1.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Braintree’s strongest suit is dense footpaths. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Braintree grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Braintree, 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 47% of UK towns#42 of 81 in Essex · 48th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
33out of
100
100
A park within a walk89%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
65out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths3.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
76out 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
Braintree is 48th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 37,600 to 49,000 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
Braintree3.7
Towns its size3.7
Essex towns2.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Braintree1.7
Towns its size2.4
Essex towns2.4
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Braintree89%
Towns its size83%
Essex towns84%
All UK towns83%
Braintree falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 47 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Havant Hampshire | A+ | 3.6 | 84% | 5.8 | 30% |
| 2 | Andover Hampshire | A | 2.7 | 91% | 4.4 | 21% |
| 3 | Wrexham Clwyd | A | 3.8 | 92% | 3.9 | 2% |
| 4 | Salisbury Wiltshire | A | 2.7 | 94% | 3.9 | 22% |
| 5 | Aldershot Hampshire | A | 3.4 | 77% | 6.3 | 17% |
| 6 | Wallsend Tyne and Wear | A | 6 | 93% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 7 | Merthyr Tydfil Mid Glamorgan | A | 3.3 | 89% | 3.2 | 29% |
| 8 | Haywards Heath West Sussex | A | 2.4 | 84% | 4.2 | 44% |
| 9 | Bexhill-on-Sea East Sussex | A | 1.7 | 83% | 3.4 | 13% |
| 10 | Ilkeston Derbyshire | A | 3.7 | 98% | 5 | 0% |
| 11 | Bletchley Buckinghamshire | A | 4.1 | 91% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 12 | Eastleigh Hampshire | A− | 3 | 76% | 4.9 | 17% |
| 13 | Llanelli Dyfed | A− | 2.3 | 85% | 2.4 | 18% |
| 14 | Trowbridge Wiltshire | A− | 2.3 | 91% | 4.3 | 3% |
| 15 | Christchurch Dorset | A− | 2.1 | 70% | 3.3 | 14% |
| 16 | Ashton-under-Lyne Greater Manchester | A− | 3.1 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 17 | Chorley Lancashire | A− | 5 | 88% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 18 | Bamber Bridge Lancashire | A− | 6.4 | 88% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Hoddesdon Hertfordshire | A− | 6.5 | 82% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 20 | Leyland Lancashire | B+ | 4.6 | 91% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 21 | Cheshunt Hertfordshire | B+ | 4.8 | 79% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 22 | Newbury Berkshire | B+ | 1.9 | 81% | 3.3 | 50% |
| 23 | Hatfield Hertfordshire | B+ | 2.8 | 84% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 24 | West Molesey Surrey | B+ | 4.4 | 80% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 25 | Fleet Hampshire | B+ | 3.3 | 79% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Bridgwater Somerset | B+ | 1.9 | 86% | 3.7 | 2% |
| 27 | Aberdare Mid Glamorgan | B+ | 4.6 | 84% | 1.8 | 19% |
| 28 | Rowley Regis West Midlands | B+ | 4.1 | 71% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Batley West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.7 | 94% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 30 | Cwmbrân Gwent | B+ | 2.1 | 84% | 3.7 | 1% |
| 31 | Middleton Greater Manchester | B+ | 3.5 | 80% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Leigh Greater Manchester | B | 5.3 | 77% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Arnold Nottinghamshire | B | 3 | 81% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Bishop's Stortford Hertfordshire | B | 2.3 | 80% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Ramsgate Kent | B | 1.2 | 89% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Borehamwood Hertfordshire | B | 1.8 | 97% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Winchester Hampshire | B | 1.2 | 79% | 3.8 | 35% |
| 38 | Prescot Merseyside | B | 3.5 | 94% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 39 | Bicester Oxfordshire | B | 2.1 | 99% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Blyth Northumberland | B | 1.6 | 83% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Castleford West Yorkshire | B | 2.3 | 92% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 42 | Fareham Hampshire | B | 1.1 | 48% | 4 | 2% |
| 43 | Bury St Edmunds Suffolk | B− | 3 | 78% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Oldbury West Midlands | B− | 3 | 68% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 45 | Eccles Greater Manchester | B− | 2.7 | 93% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Lytham St Anne's Lancashire | B− | 2.4 | 83% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 47 | Canvey Island Essex | B− | 1.5 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Braintree Essex | B− | 1.7 | 89% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 49 | Tipton West Midlands | B− | 1.9 | 79% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 85% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 51 | Urmston Greater Manchester | C+ | 1.7 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 52 | King's Lynn Norfolk | C+ | 1.3 | 80% | 2.2 | 23% |
| 53 | Neath West Glamorgan | C | 2 | 80% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 54 | Long Eaton Derbyshire | C | 1.8 | 74% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 55 | Kirkby Merseyside | C | 2.2 | 87% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Grays Essex | C | 1.2 | 83% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 57 | Keighley West Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 73% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Boston Lincolnshire | C− | 2.1 | 78% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 59 | Worksop Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.3 | 75% | 3 | 0% |
| 60 | Grantham Lincolnshire | D | 0.9 | 69% | 2.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Braintree’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 Braintree
The biggest is Marshalls Park, 12 ha (30 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 18 named parks by size: 24 ha (59 acres)
Parks & gardens 12 haPlaying fields 11 haPlay spaces 0.7 ha
The two biggest, Marshalls Park and King George's Field, are 67% of the named green space. 14 of the 18 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
King George's Field
Playing field
4.1 ha (10 acres)0.3 km of path
6 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.7 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Oak Meadow
Playing field · 270 m outside town
3.8 ha (9 acres)
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Braintree Rugby Club
Playing field
3.2 ha (8 acres)
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Raynehall Green
Park or garden · 400 m outside town
0.2 ha (1 acres)
2 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Meadowside Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.7 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Meadowside Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.7 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Church Street Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
1.7 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 18 named parks and green spaces
Marshalls ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsKing George's FieldPlaying field · 4.1 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsOak MeadowPlaying field · 3.8 ha · just outside town
DirectionsBraintree Rugby ClubPlaying field · 3.2 ha
DirectionsRaynehall GreenPark or garden · 0.2 ha · just outside town
DirectionsMeadowside Play AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsMeadowside Play AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsChurch Street Play AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsRiverside Play AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsFisher Field Play AreaPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsMeadowside SkatebowlPlay space · 0.1 ha
DirectionsKing George V Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsKing George V Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsMill Park Drive Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha · just outside town
DirectionsGlebe Avenue Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsJohn Ray Fitness TrailPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsClare Road Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsClare Road Toddler Play AreaPlay space · 0.0 ha
DirectionsClose to home
How close Braintree’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).
Within 400 m (89%)Further (11%)
Braintree89%
Towns its size83%
Essex towns84%
All UK towns83%
About 5,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 51 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 847 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Dedham Vale National Landscape is 10 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
Footpaths & waymarked walks
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Braintree
126 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Braintree and the kilometre around it, 3.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
RegionalLocal
John Ray Walk5.0 km
Essex Way (Epping to Stratford St Mary)1.8 km
Close to home, the John Ray Walk has 5 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. The regional route here is the Essex Way (Epping to Stratford St Mary).
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 Braintree: 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 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 53 | 43 | 38 | 40 | 46 | 51 | 49 | 59 | 49 | 65 | 62 | 58 |
March is the driest month (38 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 65 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 38 nights a year. The climate in Braintree →
Things to do
51 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.
1Waterfalls1Nature reserves4Picnic sites4.3× towns its size51Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks
The nearest beaches
Braintree is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Mill Beach11 mi from Braintree’s edge
DirectionsEast Point Beach13 mi from Braintree’s edge
DirectionsWeymarks Beach17 mi from Braintree’s edge
DirectionsStort Beach19 mi from Braintree’s edge
DirectionsSt Osyth Naturist Beach22 mi from Braintree’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.
Every named place, with directions
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Bocking Blackwater Nature Reserve19 ha · in town
DirectionsPicnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 51
Fisher Field Play Areain town
DirectionsMIlton Avenue Parkin town
DirectionsRiverside Play Areain town
DirectionsTwelve Acers Junior Playgroundin town
DirectionsBrain Valley Park play area0.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 46 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Rachel's Doggy Field0.3 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.
Great NotleyTye GreenBlack NotleyRayneSilver EndGosfieldBraintree
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braintree | B− | 1.7 | 89% | 0% |
| Great Notley 1.9 mi | B+ | 6.4 | 79% | 0% |
| Tye Green 1.9 mi | B | 2.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Black Notley 2.0 mi | C− | 1.6 | 36% | 0% |
| Rayne 2.2 mi | B− | 4.3 | 64% | 0% |
| Silver End 3.4 mi | C | 2.0 | 88% | 0% |
| Gosfield 4.1 mi | C+ | 3.7 | 85% | 0% |
Great Notley, 1.9 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 79% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Great Notley, Rayne and Gosfield have at least twice Braintree’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Braintree
What is the biggest park in Braintree?
Marshalls Park, 12 ha (30 acres), with 0.5 km of path. King George's Field (4.1 ha) is second. 18 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Braintree near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Dedham Vale National Landscape, 10 mi north-east of the town’s edge. It covers 91 km² and was designated in 1970.
What are the best walks near Braintree?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the John Ray Walk and Essex Way (Epping to Stratford St Mary).
What is the nearest beach to Braintree?
Mill Beach, 11 mi from the edge of the town, then East Point Beach (13 mi). Braintree itself is inland.
How many people in Braintree live near a park?
89% 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 Braintree?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Braintree good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 76% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 33% (1.7 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 Braintree’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Braintree’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.