Photo: Cruccone · CC BY 3.0Almost everyone in Elsenham lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
46 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.3 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Elsenham add up to 3.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Elsenham grades A− for the outdoors: #10 of 81 in Essex. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Elsenham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Elsenham’s strongest suit is parks close to every home, followed by dense footpaths.
Elsenham grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Elsenham, 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.
Elsenham is 6th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 3,300 to 3,600 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Elsenham stands out most for path per km²: only 4 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minchinhampton Gloucestershire | A+ | 5.6 | 91% | 5.3 | 90% |
| 2 | Lane End Buckinghamshire | A+ | 3.1 | 92% | 4.7 | 90% |
| 3 | Silsoe Bedfordshire | A+ | 6.6 | 100% | 3.8 | 2% |
| 4 | Goring Oxfordshire | A+ | 3 | 100% | 3.2 | 98% |
| 5 | Talke and Talke Pits Staffordshire | A | 16.6 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 6 | Elsenham Essex | A− | 3 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 7 | Westward Ho! Devon | A− | 12.3 | 63% | 1.7 | 18% |
| 8 | Birdwell South Yorkshire | A− | 3.6 | 90% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 9 | Essington Staffordshire | B+ | 6.8 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 10 | Newlyn Cornwall | B+ | 1.5 | 67% | 3.2 | 24% |
| 11 | Blaenau Ffestiniog Gwynedd | B+ | 3.6 | 70% | 2.5 | 78% |
| 12 | St Asaph Clwyd | B+ | 3.2 | 100% | 1.6 | 9% |
| 13 | Mickletown West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.3 | 93% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 14 | Water Orton Warwickshire | B+ | 5.3 | 82% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 15 | Hartley Wintney Hampshire | B+ | 6.1 | 82% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Whalley Lancashire | B | 1.2 | 88% | 3.5 | 23% |
| 17 | Fishbourne West Sussex | B | 1.9 | 38% | 2.5 | 47% |
| 18 | Westerham Kent | B | 1.9 | 61% | 3.5 | 66% |
| 19 | Brockenhurst Hampshire | B | 1.8 | 63% | 3.3 | 98% |
| 20 | Hemingford Grey Cambridgeshire | B | 1.9 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 21 | Sunniside Tyne and Wear | B | 2.1 | 87% | 4 | 0% |
| 22 | Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel Cornwall | B− | 2.5 | 64% | 2.3 | 66% |
| 23 | Istead Rise Kent | B− | 1.9 | 82% | 2.7 | 15% |
| 24 | Ruabon Clwyd | B− | 3.8 | 69% | 1.9 | 20% |
| 25 | Burtonwood Cheshire | B− | 3.3 | 93% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 26 | Castle Cary Somerset | B− | 2.2 | 91% | 3 | 0% |
| 27 | Stalham Norfolk | B− | 1.9 | 85% | 2 | 23% |
| 28 | Pilsley and Lower Pilsley Derbyshire | B− | 1.9 | 91% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 29 | Kirkheaton West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 92% | 3 | 0% |
| 30 | Broomfield Essex | C+ | 2.7 | 45% | 5 | 0% |
| 31 | Fishguard Dyfed | C+ | 0.8 | 64% | 2.1 | 23% |
| 32 | Leadgate County Durham | C+ | 1.5 | 91% | 1.9 | 1% |
| 33 | Thorpe Willoughby North Yorkshire | C | 0.4 | 92% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Marlow Bottom Buckinghamshire | C | 0.5 | 40% | 3.4 | 50% |
| 35 | Ashburton Devon | C | 1.7 | 74% | 1 | 60% |
| 36 | Somersham Cambridgeshire | C | 2.7 | 81% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 37 | Cosby Leicestershire | C | 1.6 | 93% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Earls Colne Essex | C | 1.4 | 91% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 39 | Marden Kent | C | 1.8 | 71% | 2.1 | 3% |
| 40 | Upper Poppleton North Yorkshire | C | 2.9 | 82% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 41 | Alvechurch Worcestershire | C | 2.2 | 84% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Adderbury and Twyford Oxfordshire | C | 1.7 | 89% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 43 | Eastchurch Kent | C | 1.9 | 72% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 44 | Nettleham Lincolnshire | C | 4.2 | 74% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 45 | Goff's Oak Hertfordshire | C− | 2.4 | 41% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Holsworthy Devon | C− | 2.7 | 84% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 47 | Bishopthorpe North Yorkshire | C− | 3.2 | 51% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 48 | Lytchett Matravers Dorset | C− | 1.2 | 83% | 1.2 | 5% |
| 49 | Willand Devon | C− | 0.9 | 88% | 0.6 | 1% |
| 50 | Witham St Hughs Lincolnshire | D | 0.7 | 91% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 51 | Wadhurst East Sussex | D | 0.9 | 19% | 1.2 | 100% |
| 52 | Chapel St Leonards Lincolnshire | D | 0.4 | 53% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 53 | Messingham Lincolnshire | D | 3.4 | 46% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Lanchester County Durham | D | 1.4 | 70% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Bilsthorpe Nottinghamshire | D | 0.7 | 88% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Cherry Willingham Lincolnshire | D | 1 | 79% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 57 | Spixworth Norfolk | D | 0.6 | 59% | 1.2 | 5% |
| 58 | Heckington Lincolnshire | D | 1.4 | 68% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 59 | Barlby North Yorkshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Bawtry South Yorkshire | D− | 0.5 | 49% | 1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Elsenham’s built-up area.
How close Elsenham’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; 8 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 427 residents.
Footpaths in and around Elsenham
46 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Elsenham and the kilometre around it, 4.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Elsenham; its footpaths are on the map above.
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 Elsenham: 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 | 16.3 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 61 | 47 | 40 | 43 | 47 | 51 | 53 | 64 | 53 | 69 | 66 | 61 |
March is the driest month (40 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 69 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Elsenham →
8 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
Elsenham 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
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 8
Plus 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsenham | A− | 3.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Henham 1.3 mi | D | 0.0 | 0% | 0% |
| Stansted Mountfitchet 1.6 mi | B− | 0.8 | 96% | 0% |
| Takeley and Little Canfield 4.0 mi | D | 1.0 | 45% | 0% |
| Bishop's Stortford 4.5 mi | B | 2.3 | 80% | 0% |
| Newport 4.7 mi | B | 2.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Thaxted 5.8 mi | C | 0.8 | 91% | 0% |
Elsenham grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Elsenham
Is Elsenham near a National Park?
No National Park or National Landscape is within 30 km (about 19 miles) of Elsenham.
What is the nearest beach to Elsenham?
Stort Beach, 10 mi from the edge of the town, then Mill Beach (24 mi). Elsenham itself is inland.
How many people in Elsenham 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 Elsenham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Elsenham good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.3 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 85% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 69% (3.0 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 Elsenham’s overall grade.
Where Elsenham’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.