The Thatched Cottage · Photo: Ian S · CC BY-SA 2.048% of the land within 5 km of Belton is National Park or National Landscape
The Broads National Park reaches the edge of Belton. Footpaths add up to 15 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 1.5 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Belton add up to 1.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Belton grades B− for the outdoors: #20 of 51 in Norfolk. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Belton?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Belton’s strongest suit is protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Belton grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Belton, 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.
Belton is 20th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 3,500 to 3,800 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Belton falls furthest behind on path per km², where 49 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tutshill and Sedbury Gloucestershire | A+ | 2.5 | 87% | 4.5 | 32% |
| 2 | Marsden West Yorkshire | A | 1.9 | 100% | 6.5 | 33% |
| 3 | Leonard Stanley and King's Stanley Gloucestershire | A | 2 | 100% | 4.6 | 51% |
| 4 | Lingfield Surrey | A | 3.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 16% |
| 5 | Bishopston West Glamorgan | A | 3 | 47% | 3.1 | 41% |
| 6 | Kingsbury Warwickshire | A− | 17.2 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 7 | Shenley Hertfordshire | A− | 6.1 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 8 | Taff's Well Mid Glamorgan | A− | 2.3 | 100% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 9 | Grassmoor Derbyshire | A− | 6.8 | 85% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 10 | Church Stretton Shropshire | A− | 2.2 | 68% | 4.7 | 92% |
| 11 | Keresley Newlands Warwickshire | B+ | 4.4 | 89% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 12 | Harriseahead, Mow Cop and Newchapel Staffordshire | B+ | 4.2 | 86% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 13 | Watchet Somerset | B+ | 1.3 | 86% | 2 | 18% |
| 14 | Chartham Kent | B | 2.3 | 67% | 3.3 | 44% |
| 15 | Roade Northamptonshire | B | 2.6 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 16 | Martham Norfolk | B | 1.7 | 74% | 1.8 | 45% |
| 17 | Llanfairfechan Clwyd | B | 1 | 48% | 2.9 | 38% |
| 18 | Sturminster Newton Dorset | B | 1.4 | 85% | 3.6 | 5% |
| 19 | Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel Cornwall | B− | 2.5 | 64% | 2.3 | 66% |
| 20 | Belton Norfolk | B− | 1.5 | 77% | 1.5 | 48% |
| 21 | Theydon Bois Essex | B− | 2.4 | 70% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Burtonwood Cheshire | B− | 3.3 | 93% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 23 | Lower Nazeing Essex | B− | 23.8 | 58% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 24 | Worlingham Suffolk | B− | 1.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 24% |
| 25 | Pulborough West Sussex | B− | 1.4 | 77% | 2.7 | 50% |
| 26 | Bembridge Isle of Wight | B− | 1.5 | 50% | 2.3 | 7% |
| 27 | Penllergaer West Glamorgan | B− | 21 | 83% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 28 | Langport Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 94% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 29 | Oakworth West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.3 | 84% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 30 | Fradley Staffordshire | C+ | 2.7 | 82% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Tutbury Staffordshire | C+ | 2.5 | 90% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 32 | Great Lumley County Durham | C+ | 1.4 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 33 | Woodstock Oxfordshire | C+ | 1 | 80% | 3 | 11% |
| 34 | Boreham Essex | C+ | 1.1 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 35 | Hatfield Peverel Essex | C | 2 | 84% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Bransgore Hampshire | C | 1.9 | 71% | 1.2 | 49% |
| 37 | Cosby Leicestershire | C | 1.6 | 93% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Cowbridge South Glamorgan | C | 1.2 | 86% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Upper Poppleton North Yorkshire | C | 2.9 | 82% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 40 | Haltwhistle Northumberland | C | 1.5 | 59% | 2.3 | 31% |
| 41 | Glemsford Suffolk | C− | 1.1 | 84% | 3 | 0% |
| 42 | Goff's Oak Hertfordshire | C− | 2.4 | 41% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Bramhope West Yorkshire | C− | 1.8 | 0% | 2.7 | 2% |
| 44 | Hawkhurst Kent | C− | 1.1 | 60% | 1.4 | 100% |
| 45 | Tylorstown and Pontygwaith Mid Glamorgan | C− | 2.3 | 63% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Pwllheli Gwynedd | C− | 0.1 | 23% | 1.3 | 2% |
| 47 | West Parley Dorset | C− | 1.6 | 20% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Bloxham Oxfordshire | C− | 2.6 | 71% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Snaith East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 0.2 | 89% | 2 | 0% |
| 50 | Windlesham Surrey | D | 2 | 57% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Hoveton and Wroxham Norfolk | D | 1.4 | 65% | 0.8 | 18% |
| 52 | Spilsby Lincolnshire | D | 0 | 0% | 2.2 | 23% |
| 53 | Lanchester County Durham | D | 1.4 | 70% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 54 | St Columb Major Cornwall | D | 1 | 89% | 1 | 0% |
| 55 | Metheringham Lincolnshire | D | 0.8 | 44% | 3 | 0% |
| 56 | Willaston (Cheshire East) Cheshire | D | 1 | 82% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Bilton East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.3 | 66% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Upwell and Outwell Norfolk | D− | 1.8 | 43% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 59 | Wollaston Northamptonshire | D− | 1.2 | 11% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 60 | Copmanthorpe North Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 38% | 1.4 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Belton’s built-up area.
8 in 10 Belton 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 800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 10 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 360 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Belton
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.
48% of the land within 5 km of Belton is National Park or National Landscape, more than 91% of UK towns. The Broads National Park covers 302 km² and has been a National Park since 1989.
7 waymarked walks pass through or near Belton
15 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Belton and the kilometre around it, 1.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
3 regional routes pass through, including the Angles Way, Wherryman's Way and Weavers’ Way.
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 Belton: 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 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 48 | 43 | 46 | 34 | 43 | 48 | 55 | 61 | 57 | 69 | 61 | 57 |
April is the driest month (34 mm) and August 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 31 nights a year. The climate in Belton →
Belton is near the sea
7% of the area within 5 km of Belton is sea. 3 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 0 with a name.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
10 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 10
Plus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belton | B− | 1.5 | 77% | 48% |
| Bradwell 1.8 mi | A− | 2.0 | 80% | 31% |
| Gorleston-on-Sea 2.5 mi | A− | 1.4 | 81% | 17% |
| Hopton on Sea 3.4 mi | A+ | 6.7 | 100% | 2% |
| Great Yarmouth 4.1 mi | A− | 1.7 | 73% | 18% |
| Freethorpe 4.7 mi | C− | 2.3 | 26% | 61% |
| Corton 5.0 mi | A+ | 4.4 | 100% | 5% |
Corton, 5 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Hopton on Sea and Corton have at least twice Belton’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Belton
Is Belton near a National Park?
It covers 302 km² and has been a National Park since 1989.
What are the best walks near Belton?
7 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Angles Way, Wherryman's Way and Cross-Norfolk Trail.
How many people in Belton live near a park?
77% 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 Belton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Belton good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 16% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 28% (1.5 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 Belton’s overall grade.
Where Belton’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.