Runwell’s biggest
Wickford Memorial Park
Playing field
22 ha (55 acres)2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
31 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Burr Hall · Photo: MadeInBasildon · CC BY-SA 4.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Runwell · parks, paths & countryside
Runwell has more park space per resident than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Runwell add up to 5.1 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 92% of residents. 43 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 2.8 for every square kilometre. Runwell grades B+ for the outdoors: #19 of 81 in Essex. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
5.1 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
92%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
43 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
Nearest: Kent Downs National Landscape
Outdoors grade
Runwell grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Runwell, 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 68% of UK towns#19 of 81 in Essex · 23rd of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space5.1 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
87out of
100
100
A park within a walk92%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
71out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
56out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 0.5% sea, under the 5% that counts
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
Runwell is 23rd of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 7,700 to 8,500 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
Runwell2.8
Towns its size3.0
Essex towns2.7
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Runwell5.1
Towns its size2.1
Essex towns2.4
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Runwell92%
Towns its size84%
Essex towns84%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Runwell stands out most for park space per resident: only 8 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upton Dorset | A+ | 9.1 | 84% | 4.7 | 18% |
| 2 | Chipping Sodbury Gloucestershire | A+ | 5.2 | 93% | 8.2 | 29% |
| 3 | Ecclesfield and Grenoside South Yorkshire | A+ | 5.1 | 94% | 5.2 | 2% |
| 4 | Stakeford Northumberland | A+ | 10 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 5 | Bargod Gwent | A | 13.6 | 100% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 6 | Dursley Gloucestershire | A | 1.8 | 90% | 7.2 | 52% |
| 7 | Grove Oxfordshire | A | 2.2 | 92% | 4.7 | 27% |
| 8 | Brecon Powys | A | 3.2 | 86% | 3.2 | 61% |
| 9 | East Cowes Isle of Wight | A | 1.4 | 96% | 3 | 8% |
| 10 | Ledbury Herefordshire | A | 3.3 | 89% | 3.1 | 34% |
| 11 | Bearsted Kent | A | 5.5 | 76% | 3.5 | 39% |
| 12 | Stonehouse Gloucestershire | A | 1.8 | 94% | 4.6 | 36% |
| 13 | Bursledon Hampshire | A | 2.6 | 90% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Richmond North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 96% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 15 | Norton Canes Staffordshire | A− | 13.3 | 97% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 16 | Dinas Powis South Glamorgan | A− | 3 | 73% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 17 | London Colney Hertfordshire | A− | 3.7 | 96% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 18 | Burnham-on-Crouch Essex | A− | 5.3 | 86% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 19 | City of London London | A− | 2 | 100% | 11 | 0% |
| 20 | Pembroke Dyfed | B+ | 2.2 | 91% | 1 | 31% |
| 21 | Annfield Plain County Durham | B+ | 3.4 | 93% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Coppull Lancashire | B+ | 4.6 | 85% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Runwell Essex | B+ | 5.1 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Pershore Worcestershire | B | 2.7 | 76% | 3.2 | 7% |
| 25 | Edenbridge Kent | B | 2.6 | 64% | 3 | 42% |
| 26 | Rusthall and Langton Green Kent | B | 2.1 | 69% | 2.7 | 79% |
| 27 | Clayton-le-Moors Lancashire | B | 1.1 | 86% | 4.2 | 2% |
| 28 | Alnwick Northumberland | B− | 2.2 | 67% | 3.4 | 7% |
| 29 | Twyford Berkshire | B− | 2.4 | 86% | 2.1 | 5% |
| 30 | Meltham West Yorkshire | B− | 1 | 63% | 5.3 | 27% |
| 31 | Denbigh Clwyd | B− | 1.3 | 96% | 2.3 | 5% |
| 32 | Buntingford Hertfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 95% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Fakenham Norfolk | C+ | 5.2 | 81% | 2 | 0% |
| 34 | Ystalyfera West Glamorgan | C+ | 2.6 | 84% | 0.8 | 15% |
| 35 | Bewdley Worcestershire | C+ | 1.7 | 88% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 36 | Crediton Devon | C+ | 2.4 | 89% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 37 | Seaton Delaval Northumberland | C+ | 0.5 | 66% | 4 | 0% |
| 38 | Ammanford Dyfed | C+ | 2.8 | 70% | 1.5 | 9% |
| 39 | Holywell Clwyd | C | 0.9 | 68% | 3 | 0% |
| 40 | Silsden West Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 67% | 3.5 | 1% |
| 41 | Norton-on-Derwent North Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 58% | 2.4 | 16% |
| 42 | Southam Warwickshire | C | 2.3 | 86% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 43 | Histon and Impington Cambridgeshire | C | 1.5 | 66% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Gerrards Cross Buckinghamshire | C | 2.1 | 38% | 2.3 | 2% |
| 45 | Hedon East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 0.9 | 74% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Glastonbury Somerset | C− | 2 | 69% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Llanharan and Brynna Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1.7 | 97% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 48 | Hilton Derbyshire | C− | 1.1 | 89% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 49 | Radlett Hertfordshire | C− | 2.1 | 60% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Rainworth Nottinghamshire | C− | 0.5 | 65% | 4.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Tenterden Kent | C− | 0.8 | 58% | 1.8 | 48% |
| 52 | Penkridge Staffordshire | C− | 0.8 | 70% | 2.1 | 7% |
| 53 | Launceston Cornwall | C− | 2.1 | 66% | 0.9 | 1% |
| 54 | Cotgrave Nottinghamshire | C− | 1 | 47% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Highworth Wiltshire | C− | 0.4 | 59% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 56 | Clowne Derbyshire | C− | 1.4 | 67% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Swaffham Norfolk | D | 1 | 68% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Ashford Common Surrey | D | 0.8 | 62% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Coxheath Kent | D | 1.2 | 48% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Clydach West Glamorgan | D | 1.7 | 68% | 0.8 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Runwell’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 Runwell
The biggest is Wickford Memorial Park, 22 ha (55 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Memorial Park
Park or garden · 40 m outside town
1.8 ha (4 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
9 in 10 Runwell 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 (92%)Further (8%)
Runwell92%
Towns its size84%
Essex towns84%
All UK towns83%
About 600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 14 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 578 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Kent Downs National Landscape is 15 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
Footpaths in and around Runwell
43 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Runwell and the kilometre around it, 2.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Runwell; 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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Runwell: 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 | 16.6 | 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 | 43 | 36 | 41 | 46 | 47 | 54 | 51 | 47 | 68 | 64 | 61 |
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 68 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 37 nights a year. The climate in Runwell →
Things to do
14 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
Runwell is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Thorney Bay Beach7.4 mi from Runwell’s edge
DirectionsBell Wharf Beach7.5 mi from Runwell’s edge
DirectionsEgypt Bay Beach9.1 mi from Runwell’s edge
DirectionsSt Mary's Bay Beach9.5 mi from Runwell’s edge
DirectionsThree Shells Beach9.8 mi from Runwell’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
Playgrounds 14
Shotgate Play Area - Bawdsey Path1.0 mi from town
DirectionsWick Country Park1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 12 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.
WickfordRamsden HeathCrays HillNorth BenfleetHullbridgeSouth Woodham FerrersRunwell
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runwell | B+ | 5.1 | 92% | 0% |
| Wickford 1.0 mi | C | 2.4 | 59% | 0% |
| Ramsden Heath 2.3 mi | C | 2.3 | 82% | 0% |
| Crays Hill 2.6 mi | C− | 10.6 | 0% | 0% |
| North Benfleet 3.6 mi | B | 11.0 | 56% | 0% |
| Hullbridge 4.0 mi | C+ | 5.7 | 59% | 0% |
| South Woodham Ferrers 4.1 mi | B+ | 7.8 | 93% | 0% |
South Woodham Ferrers, 4.1 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 93% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Crays Hill and North Benfleet have at least twice Runwell’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Runwell
What is the biggest park in Runwell?
Wickford Memorial Park, 22 ha (55 acres), with 2.9 km of path. Memorial Park (1.8 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Runwell near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Kent Downs National Landscape, 15 mi south of the town’s edge. It covers 879 km² and was designated in 1968.
What is the nearest beach to Runwell?
Thorney Bay Beach, 7.4 mi from the edge of the town, then Bell Wharf Beach (7.5 mi). Runwell itself is inland.
How many people in Runwell 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 Runwell?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Runwell good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.8 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 56% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 87% (5.1 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 Runwell’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Runwell’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.