Heacham’s biggest
Brays Pit
Park or garden
1.1 ha (3 acres)
Centralin the middle of Heacham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: habiloid · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Heacham · parks, paths & countryside
Heacham is on the coast, on the Norfolk Coast Path
The sea makes up 38% of the area within 5 km. The Norfolk Coast National Landscape reaches the edge of Heacham. Footpaths add up to 17 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 1.1 for every square kilometre. Heacham grades C+ for the outdoors: #28 of 51 in Norfolk. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
53%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
17 km
1.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
29%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Norfolk Coast National Landscape
The sea
38%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Heacham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast38% of the area within 5 km is sea; 6 beaches mapped.Protected countryside29% of the land within 5 km is Norfolk Coast National Landscape.On a National TrailThe Norfolk Coast Path passes through.Few mapped footpaths1.1 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Heacham’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Heacham grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Heacham, 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 38% of UK towns#28 of 51 in Norfolk · 34th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
28out of
100
100
A park within a walk53%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
16out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape29%of the land within 5 km
83out of
100
100
Footpaths1.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
9out of
100
100
The sea38%of the area within 5 km
95out 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
Heacham is 34th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 3,800 to 4,100 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
Heacham1.1
Towns its size2.6
Norfolk towns1.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Heacham1.5
Towns its size1.9
Norfolk towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Heacham53%
Towns its size83%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
Heacham falls furthest behind on path per km², where 52 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darley Dale Derbyshire | A+ | 3.8 | 100% | 3.4 | 51% |
| 2 | Batheaston Somerset | A | 3 | 84% | 4.6 | 71% |
| 3 | Cranbrook Kent | A | 5.8 | 82% | 2.9 | 65% |
| 4 | Chickerell Dorset | A | 1.5 | 88% | 3 | 27% |
| 5 | Bisley Surrey | A | 8 | 92% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Walter's Ash and Naphill Buckinghamshire | A | 3.7 | 50% | 5.3 | 79% |
| 7 | Holt Norfolk | A | 8.5 | 84% | 2.4 | 40% |
| 8 | Old Sarum Wiltshire | A | 4.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Disley Cheshire | A− | 1.2 | 100% | 4.6 | 22% |
| 10 | Bowerhill Wiltshire | A− | 7.4 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 11 | Prestbury Gloucestershire | A− | 1.6 | 80% | 5.3 | 51% |
| 12 | Welwyn Hertfordshire | A− | 2.6 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 13 | Esh Winning County Durham | A− | 3.2 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 14 | Carbis Bay Cornwall | B+ | 0.5 | 88% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 15 | Long Melford Suffolk | B+ | 6.9 | 87% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 16 | Cheddleton Staffordshire | B+ | 3.5 | 88% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 17 | Chirk Clwyd | B+ | 1.8 | 100% | 2.3 | 15% |
| 18 | Queenborough Kent | B | 1.6 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 19 | Tangmere West Sussex | B | 2.1 | 100% | 1.2 | 36% |
| 20 | Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire | B | 7.7 | 76% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 21 | Pirbright Surrey | B | 2 | 84% | 5.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Grange-over-Sands Cumbria | B | 1.5 | 46% | 2.6 | 40% |
| 23 | Calverley West Yorkshire | B | 1.5 | 92% | 6 | 0% |
| 24 | Little Paxton Cambridgeshire | B− | 2.8 | 87% | 3 | 0% |
| 25 | Tumble Dyfed | B− | 19.5 | 93% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Stoney Stanton Leicestershire | B− | 2.5 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 27 | Martock Somerset | B− | 2.9 | 85% | 3 | 0% |
| 28 | South Cerney Gloucestershire | B− | 2.5 | 77% | 2.4 | 7% |
| 29 | Lower Stondon Bedfordshire | B− | 2.7 | 73% | 2.2 | 5% |
| 30 | New Romney Kent | C+ | 2.5 | 79% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 31 | Ystradgynlais Powys | C+ | 2.5 | 78% | 1.2 | 36% |
| 32 | Chipping Ongar Essex | C+ | 2.5 | 83% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 33 | Bar Hill Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.4 | 93% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Heacham Norfolk | C+ | 1.5 | 53% | 1.1 | 29% |
| 35 | Forest Row East Sussex | C+ | 0.3 | 51% | 3.4 | 94% |
| 36 | Shirland and Stonebroom Derbyshire | C | 3.7 | 43% | 3 | 0% |
| 37 | Kirkburton West Yorkshire | C | 1.4 | 86% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 38 | South Darenth and Sutton at Hone Kent | C | 1.8 | 43% | 2.7 | 10% |
| 39 | Silver End Essex | C | 2 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Langley Park County Durham | C | 0.8 | 84% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Cubbington Warwickshire | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 42 | Tenbury Wells Worcestershire | C | 2.3 | 51% | 2.1 | 3% |
| 43 | Oaklands Hertfordshire | C | 2 | 7% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 44 | Wynyard County Durham | C | 10.7 | 64% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 45 | Great Glen Leicestershire | C | 1.4 | 91% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 46 | Whiston South Yorkshire | C− | 1 | 75% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 47 | Lydd Kent | C− | 1.7 | 66% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 48 | Brookmans Park Hertfordshire | C− | 2.5 | 43% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 49 | Kingston Bagpuize Oxfordshire | C− | 0.8 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 50 | Swanland East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 75% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Sutton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.9 | 82% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Glyn-neath West Glamorgan | D | 1.3 | 57% | 1.1 | 22% |
| 53 | Crowle Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 91% | 1 | 0% |
| 54 | Doddinghurst Essex | D | 1.6 | 60% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 55 | Sutton Bridge Lincolnshire | D | 1.3 | 79% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 56 | North Ferriby East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 0.6 | 33% | 1 | 0% |
| 57 | Gnosall Staffordshire | D | 1.2 | 42% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 58 | Cricklade Wiltshire | D | 0.3 | 9% | 3 | 0% |
| 59 | Willingham Cambridgeshire | D | 1.4 | 73% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Indian Queens, Fraddon and St Columb Road Cornwall | D− | 0.7 | 27% | 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 Heacham’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 Heacham
The biggest is Brays Pit, 1.1 ha (3 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
5 in 10 Heacham 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 (53%)Further (47%)
Heacham53%
Towns its size83%
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; 6 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 663 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Heacham
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 196829% of the land within 5 km
Official site29% of the land within 5 km of Heacham is National Park or National Landscape, more than 82% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Heacham is on the Norfolk Coast Path
17 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Heacham and the kilometre around it, 1.1 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
Heacham Circular6.6 km
Norfolk Coast Path6.5 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Hunstanton to Sutton Bridge6.5 km
Elizabeth Way2.6 km
Snettisham Circular2.4 km
The Norfolk Coast Path, a national route, passes Heacham. Close to home, the Heacham Circular has 7 km of local walk within 2 km of the town. The regional route here is the Elizabeth 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 Heacham: 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 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 53 | 37 | 37 | 39 | 43 | 57 | 57 | 55 | 53 | 63 | 63 | 55 |
March is the driest month (37 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 63 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 30 nights a year. The climate in Heacham →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Heacham
38% of the area within 5 km of Heacham is sea. 6 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 1 with a name.
Snettisham Scalp2.5 mi from town
DirectionsThe 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
6 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
Nature reserves 1
Wild Ken Hill0.6 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 6
Plus 6 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.
HunstantonSnettishamDersinghamKing's LynnGaytonClenchwartonHeacham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heacham | C+ | 1.5 | 53% | 29% |
| Hunstanton 2.0 mi | A− | 3.7 | 71% | 31% |
| Snettisham 2.2 mi | C+ | 1.1 | 73% | 32% |
| Dersingham 4.2 mi | A− | 3.1 | 76% | 39% |
| King's Lynn 10.6 mi | C+ | 1.3 | 80% | 23% |
| Gayton 11.6 mi | D− | 1.6 | 62% | 0% |
| Clenchwarton 11.9 mi | C | 2.2 | 87% | 3% |
Dersingham, 4.2 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 76% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Hunstanton and Dersingham have at least twice Heacham’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Heacham
What is the biggest park in Heacham?
Brays Pit, 1.1 ha (3 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Heacham near a National Park?
It covers 446 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Heacham?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Heacham Circular, Norfolk Coast Path and King Charles III England Coast Path: Hunstanton to Sutton Bridge.
How many people in Heacham live near a park?
53% 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 Heacham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Heacham good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.1 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 9% 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 Heacham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Heacham’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.