Fakenham’s biggest
Fakenham Common
Park or garden
29 ha (71 acres)2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
40 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi southfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Stephen McKay · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Fakenham · parks, paths & countryside
Fakenham has more park space per resident than nearly 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Fakenham add up to 5.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. The Norfolk Coast National Landscape begins 5.3 mi from the town’s edge. Footpaths add up to 32 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.0 for every square kilometre. Fakenham grades C+ for the outdoors: #25 of 51 in Norfolk. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
5.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
81%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
32 km
2.0 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Norfolk Coast starts 5.3 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Fakenham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam5.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 87% of UK towns.Hills with a view6 mapped viewpoints, about 13× as many per resident as the typical town its size.Countryside close byThe Norfolk Coast National Landscape starts 5.3 mi north.
Fakenham’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by its views.
Outdoors grade
Fakenham grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Fakenham, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
C+
Better than 42% of UK towns#25 of 51 in Norfolk · 34th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space5.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
88out of
100
100
A park within a walk81%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
49out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Norfolk Coast begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.0 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
30out 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
Fakenham is 34th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 8,000 to 8,800 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
Fakenham2.0
Towns its size2.7
Norfolk towns1.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Fakenham5.2
Towns its size2.2
Norfolk towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Fakenham81%
Towns its size86%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Fakenham stands out most for park space per resident: only 6 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 47 of the others do better.
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 | Hawkinge Kent | A+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3.2 | 74% |
| 3 | Chipping Sodbury Gloucestershire | A+ | 5.2 | 93% | 8.2 | 29% |
| 4 | Pool and Illogan Cornwall | A+ | 3.7 | 81% | 4 | 5% |
| 5 | Ecclesfield and Grenoside South Yorkshire | A+ | 5.1 | 94% | 5.2 | 2% |
| 6 | Stakeford Northumberland | A+ | 10 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 7 | Bargod Gwent | A | 13.6 | 100% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 8 | Storrington West Sussex | A | 5.5 | 85% | 3.2 | 54% |
| 9 | Wallingford Oxfordshire | A | 3.1 | 85% | 3.7 | 61% |
| 10 | East Cowes Isle of Wight | A | 1.4 | 96% | 3 | 8% |
| 11 | Brecon Powys | A | 3.2 | 86% | 3.2 | 61% |
| 12 | Ledbury Herefordshire | A | 3.3 | 89% | 3.1 | 34% |
| 13 | Penistone South Yorkshire | A | 2.6 | 97% | 3.9 | 9% |
| 14 | Bearsted Kent | A | 5.5 | 76% | 3.5 | 39% |
| 15 | Stonehouse Gloucestershire | A | 1.8 | 94% | 4.6 | 36% |
| 16 | Bursledon Hampshire | A | 2.6 | 90% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 17 | Richmond North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 96% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 18 | Maryport Cumbria | A− | 1.4 | 100% | 2.4 | 5% |
| 19 | Norton Canes Staffordshire | A− | 13.3 | 97% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 20 | Brightlingsea Essex | A− | 3 | 97% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 21 | Longridge Lancashire | B+ | 1.9 | 89% | 3 | 32% |
| 22 | Coppull Lancashire | B+ | 4.6 | 85% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Hadleigh Suffolk | B+ | 2.6 | 87% | 2.7 | 10% |
| 24 | Runwell Essex | B+ | 5.1 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Pershore Worcestershire | B | 2.7 | 76% | 3.2 | 7% |
| 26 | Abergele Clwyd | B | 2.9 | 78% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 27 | Wendover Buckinghamshire | B | 1 | 58% | 5.6 | 60% |
| 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 | Stansted Mountfitchet Essex | B− | 0.8 | 96% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 32 | Denbigh Clwyd | B− | 1.3 | 96% | 2.3 | 5% |
| 33 | Hoo St Werburgh Kent | C+ | 1.4 | 92% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Fakenham Norfolk | C+ | 5.2 | 81% | 2 | 0% |
| 35 | Bewdley Worcestershire | C+ | 1.7 | 88% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 36 | Atherstone Warwickshire | C+ | 2.7 | 88% | 2 | 0% |
| 37 | Ammanford Dyfed | C+ | 2.8 | 70% | 1.5 | 9% |
| 38 | Brinsworth South Yorkshire | C | 1.3 | 76% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Faringdon Oxfordshire | C | 1.3 | 94% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Silsden West Yorkshire | C | 0.8 | 67% | 3.5 | 1% |
| 41 | Rothwell Northamptonshire | C | 2.2 | 91% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Burscough Lancashire | C | 2.6 | 76% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Southam Warwickshire | C | 2.3 | 86% | 1.7 | 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 | Sherburn in Elmet North Yorkshire | C− | 1.8 | 93% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 47 | Glastonbury Somerset | C− | 2 | 69% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 48 | Llanharan and Brynna Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1.7 | 97% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Hilton Derbyshire | C− | 1.1 | 89% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Radlett Hertfordshire | C− | 2.1 | 60% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 51 | East Leake Nottinghamshire | C− | 2.4 | 68% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Penkridge Staffordshire | C− | 0.8 | 70% | 2.1 | 7% |
| 53 | Launceston Cornwall | C− | 2.1 | 66% | 0.9 | 1% |
| 54 | Adlington Lancashire | C− | 1.3 | 64% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Swaffham Norfolk | D | 1 | 68% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Holbeach Lincolnshire | D | 1 | 91% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Ashford Common Surrey | D | 0.8 | 62% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Tarleton and Hesketh Bank Lancashire | D | 1.5 | 63% | 1.7 | 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 Fakenham’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 Fakenham
The biggest is Fakenham Common, 29 ha (71 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
The Stringer Ground
Playing field
1.5 ha (4 acres)0.1 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi north-westfrom the centre
Rudham Stile Lane
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Aldiss Community Park
Park or garden
0.8 ha (2 acres)
0.6 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
8 in 10 Fakenham 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 (81%)Further (19%)
Fakenham81%
Towns its size86%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
About 1,600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 9 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 932 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Norfolk Coast National Landscape is 5.3 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 Fakenham scores 0% on it even though the Norfolk Coast National Landscape is 5.3 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Footpaths in and around Fakenham
32 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Fakenham and the kilometre around it, 2.0 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Fakenham; 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 Fakenham: 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 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 64 | 50 | 49 | 45 | 52 | 63 | 61 | 69 | 63 | 74 | 74 | 66 |
April is the driest month (45 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 74 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in Fakenham →
Things to do
6 viewpoints, 9 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.
6Viewpoints12.6× towns its size3Nature reserves6.3× towns its size1Picnic sites9Playgrounds0.6× towns its size3Campsites
The nearest beaches
Fakenham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Holkham Naturist Beach9.6 mi from Fakenham’s edge
DirectionsWest Sands15 mi from Fakenham’s edge
DirectionsSnettisham Scalp17 mi from Fakenham’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
Viewpoints 6
Frank Jarvis Hide0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPaul Johnson Hide0.6 mi from town
DirectionsVictor's Hide0.6 mi from town
DirectionsWhitley Hide0.7 mi from town
DirectionsDragonfly Hide0.8 mi from town
DirectionsWetland Hide0.8 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 3
Sculthorpe Nature Reserve81 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsHawk & Owl Trust0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPensthorpe Natural Park54 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 9
Plus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 3
Fakenham Racecourse camping0.3 mi from town
DirectionsFakenham Campsite0.4 mi from town
DirectionsFakenham Racecourse0.4 mi from town
DirectionsNext door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
North ElmhamFoulshamMelton ConstableWells-next-the-SeaBristonSwanton MorleyFakenham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fakenham | C+ | 5.2 | 81% | 0% |
| North Elmham 7.2 mi | C− | 4.7 | 71% | 0% |
| Foulsham 7.4 mi | D− | 1.4 | 29% | 0% |
| Melton Constable 7.8 mi | D | 1.6 | 76% | 0% |
| Wells-next-the-Sea 8.3 mi | B+ | 2.0 | 70% | 65% |
| Briston 8.6 mi | D | 2.7 | 69% | 0% |
| Swanton Morley 9.9 mi | C+ | 3.5 | 94% | 0% |
Wells-next-the-Sea, 8.3 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 70% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Fakenham
What is the biggest park in Fakenham?
Fakenham Common, 29 ha (71 acres), with 2.3 km of path. The Stringer Ground (1.5 ha) is second. 3 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Fakenham near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Norfolk Coast National Landscape, 5.3 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 446 km² and was designated in 1968.
What is the nearest beach to Fakenham?
Holkham Naturist Beach, 9.6 mi from the edge of the town, then West Sands (15 mi). Fakenham itself is inland.
How many people in Fakenham live near a park?
81% 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 Fakenham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Fakenham good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 2.0 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 30% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 88% (5.2 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 Fakenham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Fakenham’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.