Hunstanton’s biggest
Cliff Top Walk
Park or garden
3.4 ha (8 acres)1.0 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
5 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi northfrom the centre
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Richard Riley · CC BY 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Hunstanton · parks, paths & countryside
Hunstanton is on the coast, on the Norfolk Coast Path
The sea makes up 52% of the area within 5 km. The Norfolk Coast National Landscape begins 0.2 mi from the town’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Hunstanton add up to 3.7 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Hunstanton grades A− for the outdoors: #10 of 51 in Norfolk. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
71%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
23 km
1.4 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
31%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Norfolk Coast National Landscape
The sea
52%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Hunstanton?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast52% of the area within 5 km is sea; 7 beaches mapped.Protected countryside31% of the land within 5 km is Norfolk Coast National Landscape.Room to roam3.7 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 78% of UK towns.Few mapped footpaths1.4 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Hunstanton’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by protected countryside on the doorstep. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Hunstanton grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Hunstanton, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 79% of UK towns#10 of 51 in Norfolk · 11th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space3.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
78out of
100
100
A park within a walk71%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
32out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape31%of the land within 5 km
84out of
100
100
Footpaths1.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
14out of
100
100
The sea52%of the area within 5 km
99out 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
Hunstanton is 11th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 4,100 to 4,400 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
Hunstanton1.4
Towns its size2.5
Norfolk towns1.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Hunstanton3.7
Towns its size1.7
Norfolk towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Hunstanton71%
Towns its size78%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Hunstanton stands out most for park space per resident: only 8 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 52 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Malling Kent | A+ | 8.7 | 100% | 3.4 | 21% |
| 2 | Telscombe Cliffs East Sussex | A+ | 3 | 58% | 5.1 | 42% |
| 3 | Southbourne West Sussex | A | 1.3 | 92% | 3.3 | 64% |
| 4 | Pitstone Buckinghamshire | A | 1.6 | 100% | 4.2 | 40% |
| 5 | Denaby Main South Yorkshire | A | 10.4 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Milton Cambridgeshire | A | 10.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 7 | Overton Hampshire | A | 3.7 | 92% | 2.5 | 45% |
| 8 | Loftus North Yorkshire | A− | 1.9 | 90% | 2 | 31% |
| 9 | Arborfield Garrison Berkshire | A− | 10.4 | 95% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Stokenchurch Buckinghamshire | A− | 2.3 | 90% | 2.6 | 86% |
| 11 | Hunstanton Norfolk | A− | 3.7 | 71% | 1.4 | 31% |
| 12 | Fairford Gloucestershire | A− | 3.4 | 100% | 1.8 | 17% |
| 13 | Lofthouse and Robin Hood West Yorkshire | B+ | 3.4 | 93% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Bearwood Dorset | B+ | 2.5 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 15 | Ratby Leicestershire | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 4.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Bramley and Wonersh Surrey | B+ | 1.7 | 77% | 3.5 | 59% |
| 17 | Winchcombe Gloucestershire | B | 2.2 | 60% | 3 | 81% |
| 18 | Brampton Cumbria | B | 2 | 92% | 2.2 | 9% |
| 19 | Saltford Somerset | B | 1.6 | 75% | 3.6 | 24% |
| 20 | Bourton-on-the-Water Gloucestershire | B | 0.9 | 79% | 3.3 | 100% |
| 21 | Penrhyn Bay Clwyd | B− | 0.6 | 68% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 22 | Woodford Halse Northamptonshire | B− | 3.6 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 23 | Topsham Devon | B− | 1.9 | 76% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 24 | Easington Lane Tyne and Wear | B− | 0.9 | 100% | 4 | 0% |
| 25 | Wilton Wiltshire | B− | 1.4 | 94% | 1.6 | 45% |
| 26 | Tibshelf Derbyshire | B− | 1.4 | 94% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 27 | Ferndale Mid Glamorgan | B− | 3.6 | 88% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 28 | Woburn Sands Buckinghamshire | C+ | 1.1 | 94% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Kessingland Suffolk | C+ | 0.9 | 70% | 1.9 | 19% |
| 30 | Old Tupton Derbyshire | C+ | 2.3 | 73% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Eaton Bray and Edlesborough Bedfordshire | C+ | 2.6 | 72% | 1.7 | 29% |
| 32 | Thorpe Hesley South Yorkshire | C+ | 1.8 | 80% | 4 | 0% |
| 33 | Backwell Somerset | C+ | 2.3 | 57% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 34 | Sandwich Kent | C+ | 2.1 | 51% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 35 | Sible Hedingham Essex | C+ | 0.9 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Holmfield West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.8 | 74% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 37 | Knebworth Hertfordshire | C+ | 1.5 | 81% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 38 | Warton (Fylde) Lancashire | C | 1.3 | 92% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 39 | Deanshanger Northamptonshire | C | 1.5 | 93% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Meopham Kent | C | 1.3 | 53% | 2.5 | 35% |
| 41 | Uppingham Rutland | C | 2.2 | 89% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Branston Lincolnshire | C | 2.1 | 86% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Beck Row Suffolk | C | 5.3 | 76% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 44 | Llangennech Dyfed | C | 1.6 | 82% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Nelson Gwent | C | 2.1 | 88% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Cuffley Hertfordshire | C− | 13.6 | 19% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 47 | Ellesmere Shropshire | C− | 12.5 | 54% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 48 | Doddington and Wimblington Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.5 | 73% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 49 | Great Ayton North Yorkshire | C− | 0.2 | 48% | 2.2 | 31% |
| 50 | West Kingsdown Kent | D | 0.8 | 28% | 1.6 | 52% |
| 51 | North Weald Bassett Essex | D | 1.4 | 67% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 52 | Middleton Cheney Northamptonshire | D | 0.9 | 70% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Shepperton Green Surrey | D | 1.4 | 73% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 54 | Blidworth Nottinghamshire | D | 0.5 | 23% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 55 | Kegworth Leicestershire | D | 0.4 | 54% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 56 | Llantrisant Mid Glamorgan | D− | 0.6 | 42% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Wheatley Oxfordshire | D− | 0.2 | 34% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Warboys Cambridgeshire | D− | 0.4 | 67% | 1 | 0% |
| 59 | Pinchbeck Lincolnshire | D− | 1 | 49% | 1 | 0% |
| 60 | Little Eriswell Suffolk | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.5 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Hunstanton’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 Hunstanton
The biggest is Cliff Top Walk, 3.4 ha (8 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 4 named parks by size: 7 ha (18 acres) and 2 km of path
Parks & gardens 7.1 ha
The two biggest, Cliff Top Walk and Esplanade Gardens, are 71% of the named green space. 3 of the 4 are under 2 ha: small gardens, play spaces and pitches.
Esplanade Gardens
Park or garden
1.7 ha (4 acres)0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Hunstanton
1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
The Green
Park or garden
1.6 ha (4 acres)0.5 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Hunstanton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Sensory Park
Park or garden
0.5 ha (1 acres)
Centralin the middle of Hunstanton
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Close to home
7 in 10 Hunstanton 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 (71%)Further (29%)
Hunstanton71%
Towns its size78%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
About 1,200 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 13 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 325 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Norfolk Coast National Landscape is 0.2 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
31% of the land within 5 km of Hunstanton is National Park or National Landscape, more than 84% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Hunstanton is on the Norfolk Coast Path
23 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Hunstanton and the kilometre around it, 1.4 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
Norfolk Coast Path9.5 km
Heacham Circular6.8 km
Hunstanton Circular6.0 km
King Charles III England Coast Path: Hunstanton to Sutton Bridge6.0 km
Elizabeth Way1.0 km
Hunstanton Wolf Trail1.0 km
Peddars Way0.4 km
The Norfolk Coast Path, a national route, passes Hunstanton. 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 Hunstanton: 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 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 53 | 41 | 35 | 39 | 43 | 57 | 52 | 55 | 55 | 62 | 57 | 57 |
March is the driest month (35 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 62 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 27 nights a year. The climate in Hunstanton →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Hunstanton
52% of the area within 5 km of Hunstanton is sea. 7 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 1 with a name.
West Sands3.0 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
13 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.
Nature reserves 1
Ringstead Downs22 ha · 1.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 13
Plus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Plus 2 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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.
HeachamSnettishamDersinghamHunstanton
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunstanton | A− | 3.7 | 71% | 31% |
| Heacham 2.0 mi | C+ | 1.5 | 53% | 29% |
| Snettisham 4.1 mi | C+ | 1.1 | 73% | 32% |
| Dersingham 6.2 mi | A− | 3.1 | 76% | 39% |
Dersingham, 6.2 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 76% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Hunstanton
What is the biggest park in Hunstanton?
Cliff Top Walk, 3.4 ha (8 acres), with 1 km of path. Esplanade Gardens (1.7 ha) is second. 4 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Hunstanton near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Norfolk Coast National Landscape, 0.2 mi east of the town’s edge. It covers 446 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Hunstanton?
7 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Norfolk Coast Path, Heacham Circular and Hunstanton Circular.
How many people in Hunstanton live near a park?
71% 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 Hunstanton?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Hunstanton good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 14% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 78% (3.7 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 Hunstanton’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Hunstanton’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.