Cromer’s biggest
North Lodge Park
Park or garden
1.6 ha (4 acres)0.4 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Cromer
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: David P Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Cromer · parks, paths & countryside
Cromer is on the coast, on the Norfolk Coast Path
The sea makes up 43% of the area within 5 km. The Norfolk Coast National Landscape reaches the edge of Cromer. Parks and playing fields in Cromer add up to 1.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Cromer grades B+ for the outdoors: #13 of 51 in Norfolk. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
74%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
43 km
2.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
36%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Norfolk Coast National Landscape
The sea
43%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Cromer?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast43% of the area within 5 km is sea; 2 beaches mapped.Protected countryside36% of the land within 5 km is Norfolk Coast National Landscape.On a National TrailThe Norfolk Coast Path passes through.Less park per person1.4 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Cromer’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Cromer grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Cromer, 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 70% of UK towns#13 of 51 in Norfolk · 13th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
24out of
100
100
A park within a walk74%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
37out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape36%of the land within 5 km
86out of
100
100
Footpaths2.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
45out of
100
100
The sea43%of the area within 5 km
97out 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
Cromer is 13th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 7,200 to 7,800 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
Cromer2.5
Towns its size2.9
Norfolk towns1.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Cromer1.4
Towns its size1.8
Norfolk towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Cromer74%
Towns its size74%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
Cromer falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 41 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freshwater and Totland Isle of Wight | A+ | 5 | 89% | 3.9 | 20% |
| 2 | Holbury Hampshire | A+ | 5.5 | 89% | 3.1 | 42% |
| 3 | Ruddington Nottinghamshire | A | 9.7 | 100% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 4 | Bude Cornwall | A | 3.1 | 78% | 3.3 | 9% |
| 5 | Bolton upon Dearne South Yorkshire | A | 5.6 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 6 | Prestwood and Great Missenden Buckinghamshire | A− | 5.5 | 65% | 3.2 | 94% |
| 7 | Seaton Devon | A− | 1.1 | 84% | 2.5 | 55% |
| 8 | Cam Gloucestershire | A− | 2.8 | 57% | 5 | 34% |
| 9 | Otford and Kemsing Kent | A− | 3.3 | 53% | 3.6 | 73% |
| 10 | Goldthorpe South Yorkshire | A− | 8.4 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Chinnor Oxfordshire | B+ | 1.5 | 88% | 3.7 | 37% |
| 12 | Great Notley Essex | B+ | 6.4 | 79% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 13 | Cromer Norfolk | B+ | 1.4 | 74% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 14 | Gowerton West Glamorgan | B+ | 3.2 | 79% | 1.2 | 14% |
| 15 | Partington Greater Manchester | B | 2.8 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 16 | Barugh Green and Redbrook South Yorkshire | B | 2.1 | 94% | 4 | 0% |
| 17 | Wroughton Wiltshire | B | 1.1 | 78% | 3.9 | 52% |
| 18 | Rusthall and Langton Green Kent | B | 2.1 | 69% | 2.7 | 79% |
| 19 | Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire | B | 1.4 | 78% | 3.2 | 57% |
| 20 | Ashley Hampshire | B | 2.2 | 53% | 1.7 | 47% |
| 21 | Berechurch Essex | B− | 2.1 | 72% | 10.4 | 0% |
| 22 | Wootton Bedfordshire | B− | 2.5 | 79% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 23 | Rogerstone Gwent | B− | 3.1 | 60% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Eckington Derbyshire | B− | 1.8 | 80% | 6 | 0% |
| 25 | Crawcrook and Greenside Tyne and Wear | B− | 3.2 | 86% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 26 | Yatton Somerset | B− | 3.7 | 40% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Abersychan Gwent | B− | 2.8 | 83% | 1.1 | 17% |
| 28 | Wrecclesham Surrey | C+ | 1.2 | 50% | 3.8 | 37% |
| 29 | Paddock Wood Kent | C+ | 1.7 | 78% | 2.1 | 28% |
| 30 | Pelton and Ouston County Durham | C+ | 2 | 64% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Countesthorpe Leicestershire | C+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 32 | Sprotbrough South Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 79% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 33 | Caerleon Gwent | C | 1.9 | 64% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Holywell Clwyd | C | 0.9 | 68% | 3 | 0% |
| 35 | Horncastle Lincolnshire | C | 0.6 | 60% | 3.9 | 10% |
| 36 | Mablethorpe Lincolnshire | C | 2.1 | 66% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 37 | Elworth Cheshire | C | 1.8 | 83% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 38 | Sawston Cambridgeshire | C | 1.4 | 97% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Castle Donington Leicestershire | C | 1.8 | 85% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Newbridge Gwent | C | 2.2 | 94% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Fazeley Staffordshire | C | 3.2 | 35% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Marske-by-the-Sea North Yorkshire | C | 1.6 | 66% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Dalton-in-Furness Cumbria | C | 0.9 | 74% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 44 | Histon and Impington Cambridgeshire | C | 1.5 | 66% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Heathfield East Sussex | C | 0.9 | 53% | 2.3 | 79% |
| 46 | Wivenhoe Essex | C− | 0.9 | 65% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 47 | Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt Leicestershire | C− | 2.1 | 82% | 2 | 0% |
| 48 | Southwell Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 59% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 49 | Calverton Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.7 | 62% | 3 | 0% |
| 50 | Breaston and Draycott Derbyshire | C− | 1.1 | 73% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Tenterden Kent | C− | 0.8 | 58% | 1.8 | 48% |
| 52 | Godmanchester Cambridgeshire | C− | 1.6 | 66% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 53 | Clowne Derbyshire | C− | 1.4 | 67% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Shefford Bedfordshire | D | 1.1 | 67% | 3 | 0% |
| 55 | Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross Berkshire | D | 0.7 | 78% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Polesworth and Dordon Warwickshire | D | 1.6 | 68% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 57 | Old Windsor and Wraysbury Berkshire | D | 1.2 | 52% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Beddau Mid Glamorgan | D | 1 | 77% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 59 | Market Weighton East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 0.7 | 79% | 1 | 0% |
| 60 | Treorchy Mid Glamorgan | D− | 1 | 57% | 1.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Cromer’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 Cromer
The biggest is North Lodge Park, 1.6 ha (4 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 6 named parks by size: 8 ha (19 acres)
Parks & gardens 2.3 haPlaying fields 5.4 ha
The two biggest, North Lodge Park and The Meadow, are 49% of the named green space. 5 of the 6 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
The Meadow
Playing field
2.2 ha (6 acres)0.2 km of path
3 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Cromer
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Evington Lawns
Park or garden
0.8 ha (2 acres)
0.6 mi northfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Cabell Park
Playing field
1.3 ha (3 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Cromer
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Norton Warnes Cricket Ground
Playing field
1.0 ha (2 acres)
Centralin the middle of Cromer
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Fearns Park
Playing field
0.9 ha (2 acres)
0.5 mi south-eastfrom the centre
Playground
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
7 in 10 Cromer 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 (74%)Further (26%)
Cromer74%
Towns its size74%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
About 1,900 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 15 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 501 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Cromer
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
National Landscape
Norfolk Coast
At the edge east446 km²since 196836% of the land within 5 km
Official site36% of the land within 5 km of Cromer is National Park or National Landscape, more than 86% of UK towns. The Broads National Park covers 302 km² and has been a National Park since 1989.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Cromer is on the Norfolk Coast Path
43 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Cromer and the kilometre around it, 2.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalRegionalLocal
Felbrigg Circular10.9 km
Bittern Line Walk 710.4 km
Roman Camp Circular Walk8.7 km
Norfolk Coast Path7.7 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Sea Palling to Weybourne7.7 km
Bittern Line Walk 97.6 km
Weavers’ Way5.9 km
Paston Way5.4 km
Marble Hill Walk, Felbrigg5.0 km
Tramper Route, Felbrigg3.5 km
Great Wood Walk, Felbrigg3.4 km
West Runton Circular3.1 km
Overstrand Circular Walk3.0 km
Norfolk Coast Path, Sheringham Circular2.7 km
Victory V Walk, Felbrigg2.5 km
Felbrigg Park Circular2.1 km
Plus 2 more waymarked walks on the map.
The Norfolk Coast Path, a national route, passes Cromer. Close to home, the Felbrigg Circular has 11 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Weavers’ Way and Paston Way.
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 Cromer: 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) | 8.1 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 52 | 46 | 51 | 45 | 42 | 61 | 68 | 69 | 65 | 81 | 74 | 78 |
May is the driest month (42 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 21 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 81 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 15 nights a year. The climate in Cromer →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Cromer
43% of the area within 5 km of Cromer is sea. 2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 0 with a name.
The Norfolk Coast Path passes the town.
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.
Things to do
4 viewpoints and 15 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.
4Viewpoints4.1× towns its size3Hills and peaks1Picnic sites15Playgroundsabout the same as towns its size1Dog parks12Campsites3Slipways
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 3
Stony Hill0.0 mi from town
DirectionsIncleborough Hill79 m (259 ft) · 1.0 mi from town
DirectionsBeacon Hill105 m (344 ft) · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 15
Fearns Park play areain town
DirectionsThe Meadow Play Areain town
DirectionsPlus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Cromer Hall Dog Park0.1 mi from town
DirectionsCampsites 12
Oakwood0.1 mi from town
DirectionsCromer Camping0.2 mi from town
DirectionsManor Farm Campsite0.2 mi from town
DirectionsForest Park0.2 mi from town
DirectionsManor Farm0.4 mi from town
DirectionsWyld Flowers0.5 mi from town
DirectionsOverstrand Campsite (Summer Only)0.8 mi from town
DirectionsWoodhill Park0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 4 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 3
Plus 3 slipways 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.
West Runton and Beeston RegisSheringhamMundesleyNorth WalshamHoltAylshamCromer
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cromer | B+ | 1.4 | 74% | 36% |
| West Runton and Beeston Regis 3.3 mi | A+ | 25.0 | 100% | 34% |
| Sheringham 4.0 mi | A+ | 11.6 | 74% | 32% |
| Mundesley 6.1 mi | B | 1.8 | 79% | 24% |
| North Walsham 8.0 mi | C− | 1.3 | 69% | 10% |
| Holt 8.6 mi | A | 8.5 | 84% | 40% |
| Aylsham 9.4 mi | C | 2.6 | 74% | 0% |
West Runton and Beeston Regis, 3.3 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. West Runton and Beeston Regis, Sheringham and Holt have at least twice Cromer’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Cromer
What is the biggest park in Cromer?
North Lodge Park, 1.6 ha (4 acres). The Meadow (2.2 ha) is second. 6 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Cromer near a National Park?
Yes. the Broads National Park begins 9.7 mi south-east of the town’s edge. It covers 302 km² and has been a National Park since 1989. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Norfolk Coast National Landscape, at the edge of the town.
What are the best walks near Cromer?
18 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Felbrigg Circular, Bittern Line Walk 7 and Roman Camp Circular Walk.
How many people in Cromer live near a park?
74% 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 Cromer?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Cromer good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 45% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 24% (1.4 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 Cromer’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Cromer’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.