Photo: PAUL FARMER · CC BY-SA 2.0Marks Tey has more park space per resident than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Marks Tey add up to 5.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. The Dedham Vale National Landscape begins 5.2 mi from the village’s edge. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 92% of residents. Marks Tey grades B+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Marks Tey?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Marks Tey’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by the Dedham Vale National Landscape close by.
Marks Tey grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Marks Tey, 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.
Marks Tey is 16th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,700 to 1,900 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Marks Tey stands out most for park space per resident: only 7 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Llanberis Gwynedd | A+ | 33.7 | 100% | 3.9 | 49% |
| 2 | St Just Cornwall | A+ | 1.8 | 100% | 4.2 | 50% |
| 3 | Market Lavington Wiltshire | A+ | 9.9 | 100% | 4.1 | 1% |
| 4 | Rogiet Gwent | A+ | 3.9 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 5 | Mistley Essex | A | 4.3 | 86% | 1.9 | 41% |
| 6 | New Denham Buckinghamshire | A | 8.9 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 7 | Scalby North Yorkshire | A | 5.9 | 70% | 2 | 43% |
| 8 | Heslington North Yorkshire | A− | 6.3 | 80% | 9.2 | 0% |
| 9 | Wembury Devon | A− | 2.4 | 53% | 2.7 | 41% |
| 10 | Tow Law County Durham | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 1.3 | 21% |
| 11 | Horam East Sussex | B+ | 3.9 | 91% | 1.4 | 46% |
| 12 | Compton Berkshire | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.1 | 100% |
| 13 | Painswick Gloucestershire | B+ | 1.3 | 81% | 4.3 | 83% |
| 14 | Tongwynlais South Glamorgan | B+ | 8.6 | 65% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 15 | Trimdon Colliery County Durham | B+ | 4.7 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Marks Tey Essex | B+ | 5.5 | 92% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 17 | Findon West Sussex | B+ | 1.7 | 74% | 3.7 | 70% |
| 18 | Bishop's Castle Shropshire | B+ | 2 | 100% | 1.3 | 53% |
| 19 | Weston Turville Buckinghamshire | B | 2.9 | 64% | 3.1 | 30% |
| 20 | Fernhurst West Sussex | B | 3.1 | 37% | 3 | 92% |
| 21 | Ironville Derbyshire | B | 1.6 | 100% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Northop Hall Clwyd | B | 2.6 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Rhayader Powys | B | 5.5 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 24 | Hemingfield South Yorkshire | B | 3.3 | 80% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 25 | Hughenden Valley Buckinghamshire | B− | 2.1 | 32% | 3.4 | 76% |
| 26 | Llandeilo Dyfed | B− | 1.8 | 88% | 2.3 | 22% |
| 27 | Holbrook Derbyshire | B− | 4.2 | 55% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Warton (Lancaster) Lancashire | B− | 0.3 | 32% | 3.5 | 43% |
| 29 | Meldreth Cambridgeshire | B− | 4.7 | 82% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 30 | Inkberrow Worcestershire | B− | 5.3 | 83% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 31 | Newcastle Emlyn Dyfed | B− | 5.9 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 32 | Warden Kent | B− | 1.4 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 33 | High Halstow Kent | B− | 1.7 | 76% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 34 | Copford Essex | B− | 4 | 70% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 35 | Great Yeldham Essex | C+ | 3.1 | 86% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 36 | Lowdham Nottinghamshire | C+ | 3.7 | 85% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 37 | Pontlottyn Gwent | C+ | 1.8 | 70% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Withnoe Cornwall | C+ | 1.4 | 100% | 0.9 | 3% |
| 39 | Ryton-on-Dunsmore Warwickshire | C | 1.2 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Walkington East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 2.3 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 41 | Dunkeswell Devon | C | 1.4 | 83% | 0.7 | 87% |
| 42 | Lympstone Devon | C | 1 | 66% | 1.3 | 16% |
| 43 | Penygroes Gwynedd | C− | 0.7 | 66% | 0.6 | 26% |
| 44 | Scotby Cumbria | C− | 3 | 75% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 45 | Drakes Broughton Worcestershire | C− | 1 | 86% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 46 | Woolpit Suffolk | C− | 4.3 | 54% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Shilbottle Northumberland | C− | 1.8 | 49% | 1.9 | 7% |
| 48 | Branton South Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 71% | 3 | 0% |
| 49 | Hatfield Heath Essex | D | 1.3 | 76% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Bradninch Devon | D | 2.3 | 73% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 51 | Rickinghall and Botesdale Suffolk | D | 1.7 | 61% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Harston Cambridgeshire | D | 1.6 | 45% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 53 | Stainton North Yorkshire | D | 0.5 | 0% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Barnetby le Wold Lincolnshire | D | 1.8 | 59% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Mickle Trafford Cheshire | D− | 0.5 | 70% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Audlem Cheshire | D− | 0.6 | 50% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Pentre Maelor Clwyd | D− | 1.4 | 8% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Bardsey West Yorkshire | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Tockwith North Yorkshire | D− | 0.4 | 14% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 60 | Wainfleet All Saints Lincolnshire | D− | 0 | 0% | 0.7 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Marks Tey’s built-up area.
9 in 10 Marks Tey 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).
About 100 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 5 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 363 residents.
The Dedham Vale National Landscape is 5.2 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.
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Marks Tey scores 0% on it even though the Dedham Vale National Landscape is 5.2 mi away.
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Marks Tey
28 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Marks Tey and the kilometre around it, 2.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
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.
The best walking months in Marks Tey: May to September
The village’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 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 51 | 40 | 35 | 38 | 46 | 49 | 47 | 57 | 47 | 63 | 61 | 57 |
March is the driest month (35 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 63 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 39 nights a year. The climate in Marks Tey →
5 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Marks Tey is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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 5
Plus 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marks Tey | B+ | 5.5 | 92% | 0% |
| Copford 1.4 mi | B− | 4.0 | 70% | 0% |
| Eight Ash Green 2.6 mi | B+ | 8.2 | 80% | 0% |
| Coggeshall 3.3 mi | C | 2.1 | 84% | 0% |
| Kelvedon and Feering 3.6 mi | B− | 3.5 | 94% | 0% |
| Tiptree 4.3 mi | B | 2.7 | 90% | 0% |
| West Bergholt 4.5 mi | C | 1.5 | 82% | 9% |
Marks Tey grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table.
Questions about the outdoors in Marks Tey
Is Marks Tey near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Dedham Vale National Landscape, 5.2 mi north of the village’s edge. It covers 91 km² and was designated in 1970.
What are the best walks near Marks Tey?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the village, including the Essex Way (Epping to Stratford St Mary).
What is the nearest beach to Marks Tey?
Mill Beach, 9.6 mi from the edge of the village, then East Point Beach (10 mi). Marks Tey itself is inland.
How many people in Marks Tey live near a park?
92% 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 Marks Tey?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Marks Tey good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 52% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 89% (5.5 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 Marks Tey’s overall grade.
Where Marks Tey’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.