Halstead’s biggest
King George V Playing Field
Playing field
1.1 ha (3 acres)0.3 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Halstead
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Geographer · CC BY-SA 2.0DOutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Halstead · parks, paths & countryside
Parks and walks in Halstead
The Dedham Vale National Landscape begins 5.8 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Halstead add up to 0.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 73% of residents. Halstead grades D for the outdoors: #79 of 81 in Essex. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
0.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
73%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
48 km
2.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Dedham Vale starts 5.8 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Halstead?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside close byThe Dedham Vale National Landscape starts 5.8 mi east.Less park per person0.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Halstead’s strongest suit is the Dedham Vale National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Halstead grades D for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Halstead, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
D
Better than 13% of UK towns#79 of 81 in Essex
Public green space0.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
6out of
100
100
A park within a walk73%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
35out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Dedham Vale begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
54out 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
How Halstead compares with UK towns of 13,200 to 14,600
The 60 UK towns and cities of 13,200 to 14,600 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
Halstead2.8
Towns its size3.2
Essex towns2.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Halstead0.6
Towns its size2.4
Essex towns2.4
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Halstead73%
Towns its size82%
Essex towns84%
All UK towns83%
Halstead falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 59 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Otley West Yorkshire | A+ | 5.8 | 93% | 4.4 | 26% |
| 2 | Yeadon West Yorkshire | A | 3.5 | 94% | 4.6 | 2% |
| 3 | Sidmouth Devon | A | 2.6 | 73% | 2.9 | 60% |
| 4 | Cheadle Greater Manchester | A | 6.5 | 96% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 5 | Abergavenny Gwent | A | 3.2 | 83% | 3.1 | 60% |
| 6 | Wellington Somerset | A | 2.2 | 99% | 3.5 | 24% |
| 7 | Stoke Gifford Gloucestershire | A− | 5.7 | 87% | 5.9 | 0% |
| 8 | Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint West Sussex | A− | 1.9 | 84% | 4.7 | 42% |
| 9 | Addlestone Surrey | A− | 4.3 | 90% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 10 | Heckmondwike West Yorkshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 11 | Honley West Yorkshire | A− | 2.1 | 87% | 5.1 | 8% |
| 12 | Blaydon Tyne and Wear | A− | 7.9 | 88% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 13 | Tredegar Gwent | A− | 6.9 | 78% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 14 | Churchdown Gloucestershire | A− | 2.2 | 92% | 3.7 | 11% |
| 15 | Thornbury Gloucestershire | A− | 2.5 | 97% | 5.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Chertsey Surrey | A− | 6.2 | 84% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 17 | Bacup Lancashire | A− | 2.5 | 94% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 18 | Birstall Leicestershire | A− | 6 | 80% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Tewkesbury Gloucestershire | B+ | 2.2 | 84% | 4 | 6% |
| 20 | Audenshaw Greater Manchester | B+ | 4.6 | 93% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 21 | Verwood Dorset | B+ | 5.7 | 41% | 3.9 | 13% |
| 22 | Buckingham Buckinghamshire | B+ | 3.4 | 96% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 23 | Chalfont St Peter Buckinghamshire | B+ | 2.2 | 80% | 3.5 | 18% |
| 24 | Armthorpe South Yorkshire | B+ | 6.4 | 92% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 25 | Tilbury Essex | B | 1.4 | 98% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 26 | Morpeth Northumberland | B | 3.7 | 80% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 27 | Gomersal and Birkenshaw West Yorkshire | B | 3.2 | 83% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 28 | West Kirby Merseyside | B | 1.9 | 68% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 29 | Blaby and Whetstone Leicestershire | B | 3 | 79% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Catterick Garrison North Yorkshire | B− | 4.9 | 78% | 1.8 | 6% |
| 31 | Newport Shropshire | B− | 3.3 | 95% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 32 | Hawarden Clwyd | B− | 3.7 | 81% | 3 | 0% |
| 33 | Chard Somerset | B− | 1.6 | 94% | 1.9 | 34% |
| 34 | Gorseinon West Glamorgan | B− | 3.7 | 83% | 1.3 | 2% |
| 35 | Midsomer Norton Somerset | B− | 1.9 | 90% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 36 | Leicester Forest East and Kirby Muxloe Leicestershire | B− | 3.4 | 73% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Davenham Cheshire | B− | 1.3 | 88% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 38 | Knutsford Cheshire | C+ | 2.6 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 39 | Cowes Isle of Wight | C+ | 1.1 | 50% | 2.2 | 15% |
| 40 | Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire | C+ | 1.9 | 57% | 2.6 | 31% |
| 41 | Byfleet Surrey | C+ | 3.1 | 59% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Buckley Clwyd | C+ | 2.6 | 82% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 43 | Dunscroft and Hatfield South Yorkshire | C+ | 4 | 91% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 44 | Milford Haven Dyfed | C | 0.8 | 70% | 0.9 | 30% |
| 45 | Birtley Tyne and Wear | C | 1.4 | 71% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 46 | Flitwick Bedfordshire | C | 0.8 | 59% | 3.9 | 3% |
| 47 | Syston Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 48 | Ferndown Dorset | C | 0.7 | 13% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 49 | Rhondda Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1.4 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Brough East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.4 | 74% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Pyle Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 52 | Uttoxeter Staffordshire | C− | 1.1 | 79% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Cottingham East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 2.1 | 73% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Middlewich Cheshire | D | 1.4 | 81% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Porth Mid Glamorgan | D | 1.8 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 56 | Halstead Essex | D | 0.6 | 73% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Northallerton North Yorkshire | D | 1.1 | 70% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 58 | New Rossington and Rossington South Yorkshire | D | 0.8 | 50% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Whittlesey Cambridgeshire | D | 1.7 | 73% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Church Village Mid Glamorgan | D | 0.7 | 72% | 1.7 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Halstead’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 Halstead
The biggest is King George V Playing Field, 1.1 ha (3 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 4 named parks by size: 2 ha (4 acres)
Playing fields 1.1 haPlay spaces 0.5 ha
The two biggest, King George V Playing Field and King George V Playing Field Play Area, are 86% of the named green space. 4 of the 4 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
King George V Playing Field Play Area
Play space
0.3 ha (1 acres)0.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Halstead
Directionsto the park
Mill Chase Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.4 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Mill Chase Play Area
Play space
0.1 ha (0 acres)
0.4 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
7 in 10 Halstead residents live within a 5-minute walk of 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 (73%)Further (27%)
Halstead73%
Towns its size82%
Essex towns84%
All UK towns83%
About 3,800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 6 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 2,317 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Dedham Vale National Landscape is 5.8 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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Halstead scores 0% on it even though the Dedham Vale National Landscape is 5.8 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Halstead
48 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Halstead 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.
Local
Colne Valley Path8.9 km
Close to home, the Colne Valley Path has 9 km of local walk within 2 km of the town.
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 Halstead: 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) | 8.2 | 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 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 55 | 47 | 36 | 39 | 48 | 52 | 51 | 61 | 49 | 69 | 60 | 58 |
March is the driest month (36 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °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 38 nights a year. The climate in Halstead →
Things to do
6 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
Halstead is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Mill Beach14 mi from Halstead’s edge
DirectionsEast Point Beach16 mi from Halstead’s edge
DirectionsWeymarks Beach17 mi from Halstead’s edge
DirectionsSt Osyth Naturist Beach21 mi from Halstead’s edge
DirectionsBrooklands Beach22 mi from Halstead’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
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 6
Plus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
GosfieldEarls ColneSible HedinghamCastle HedinghamCoggeshallBraintreeHalstead
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halstead | D | 0.6 | 73% | 0% |
| Gosfield 1.9 mi | C+ | 3.7 | 85% | 0% |
| Earls Colne 2.7 mi | C | 1.4 | 91% | 0% |
| Sible Hedingham 3.2 mi | C+ | 0.9 | 100% | 0% |
| Castle Hedingham 3.7 mi | C− | 1.7 | 52% | 0% |
| Coggeshall 5.1 mi | C | 2.1 | 84% | 0% |
| Braintree 5.4 mi | B− | 1.7 | 89% | 0% |
Braintree, 5.4 miles away, grades B−, the best next door: 89% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Gosfield, Earls Colne and Castle Hedingham have at least twice Halstead’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Halstead
What is the biggest park in Halstead?
King George V Playing Field, 1.1 ha (3 acres). King George V Playing Field Play Area (0.3 ha) is second. 4 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Halstead near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Dedham Vale National Landscape, 5.8 mi east of the town’s edge. It covers 91 km² and was designated in 1970.
What are the best walks near Halstead?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Colne Valley Path.
What is the nearest beach to Halstead?
Mill Beach, 14 mi from the edge of the town, then East Point Beach (16 mi). Halstead itself is inland.
How many people in Halstead live near a park?
73% 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 Halstead?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Halstead good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 54% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 6% (0.6 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 Halstead’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Halstead’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.