Loddon’s biggest
Pyes Mill
Park or garden · 60 m outside town
1.2 ha (3 acres)0.4 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.6 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Picnic site
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Michael Garlick · CC BY-SA 2.0B−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Loddon · parks, paths & countryside
77% of Loddon’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Broads National Park reaches the edge of Loddon. Footpaths add up to 24 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 2.5 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Loddon add up to 2.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Loddon grades B− for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
2.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
77%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
24 km
2.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
18%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: the Broads National Park
Outdoors grade
Loddon grades B− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Loddon, 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 53% of UK towns23rd of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space2.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
56out of
100
100
A park within a walk77%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
41out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape18%of the land within 5 km
77out of
100
100
Footpaths2.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
44out of
100
100
The sea0%of the area within 5 km · Inland: 0.6% sea, under the 5% that counts
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.
Villages its size
Loddon is 23rd of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,200 to 2,300 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
Loddon2.5
Villages its size2.5
Norfolk towns1.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Loddon2.4
Villages its size2.0
Norfolk towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Loddon77%
Villages its size71%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Loddon stands out most for park space per resident: only 26 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brockham Surrey | A+ | 7.4 | 94% | 4.4 | 38% |
| 2 | Limpsfield Surrey | A+ | 2.9 | 100% | 3.7 | 41% |
| 3 | Tanyfron Clwyd | A | 7.4 | 100% | 2.6 | 13% |
| 4 | Elstead Surrey | A | 2.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 82% |
| 5 | Berry Hill Gloucestershire | A | 2.9 | 79% | 4.7 | 55% |
| 6 | Westcott Surrey | A | 1.8 | 86% | 5.5 | 78% |
| 7 | Hapton Lancashire | A | 2.6 | 87% | 6.1 | 2% |
| 8 | Severn Beach Gloucestershire | A− | 5.8 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 9 | Harlington Bedfordshire | A− | 2.7 | 100% | 2.7 | 16% |
| 10 | Great Horkesley Essex | A− | 4.7 | 78% | 3.3 | 25% |
| 11 | Arnside Cumbria | A− | 1.3 | 65% | 4.1 | 75% |
| 12 | Merlin's Bridge Dyfed | A− | 3.3 | 100% | 2 | 11% |
| 13 | Berrow and Brean Somerset | A− | 3.6 | 75% | 1.7 | 1% |
| 14 | Clare Suffolk | A− | 7.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Newstead Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 16 | Acle Norfolk | B+ | 1.6 | 89% | 3.1 | 43% |
| 17 | Tisbury Wiltshire | B+ | 1.5 | 86% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 18 | Woodford Greater Manchester | B+ | 5.9 | 80% | 2.3 | 5% |
| 19 | Steventon Oxfordshire | B+ | 2 | 100% | 2 | 17% |
| 20 | Bowness-on-Windermere Cumbria | B | 1.7 | 76% | 2.8 | 100% |
| 21 | Crick Northamptonshire | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 22 | Mayfield East Sussex | B− | 3.3 | 61% | 1.9 | 99% |
| 23 | Loddon Norfolk | B− | 2.4 | 77% | 2.5 | 18% |
| 24 | Park Street and Frogmore Hertfordshire | B− | 4.5 | 63% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 25 | Bickershaw Greater Manchester | B− | 5 | 13% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 26 | Lechlade-on-Thames Gloucestershire | B− | 6.7 | 66% | 1.5 | 6% |
| 27 | Bere Alston Devon | C+ | 1.4 | 64% | 1.3 | 93% |
| 28 | Delph Greater Manchester | C+ | 0.7 | 72% | 3.9 | 17% |
| 29 | Hermitage Berkshire | C+ | 0.6 | 58% | 3.4 | 82% |
| 30 | Boughton under Blean Kent | C+ | 2.7 | 24% | 2.5 | 18% |
| 31 | Cold Ash Berkshire | C+ | 1.5 | 7% | 3.1 | 60% |
| 32 | Berkeley Gloucestershire | C+ | 0.9 | 49% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 33 | Farndon Cheshire | C+ | 1.2 | 82% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 34 | East Bergholt Suffolk | C | 1.9 | 26% | 2.4 | 46% |
| 35 | Bishopsteignton Devon | C | 3 | 62% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Wickham Market Suffolk | C | 2.5 | 64% | 1.7 | 7% |
| 37 | Caistor Lincolnshire | C | 2.8 | 39% | 1.3 | 33% |
| 38 | Hawkesbury Warwickshire | C | 1 | 78% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 39 | Tatworth Somerset | C | 1.3 | 71% | 1.7 | 44% |
| 40 | Whaddon Wiltshire | C | 2.6 | 55% | 1.3 | 10% |
| 41 | Eye Suffolk | C | 2 | 66% | 3 | 0% |
| 42 | Wateringbury Kent | C− | 2.4 | 73% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 43 | Stoke Prior Worcestershire | C− | 2.6 | 67% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 44 | Coleford Somerset | C− | 1.2 | 51% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Coltishall and Horstead Norfolk | C− | 2.1 | 57% | 1.3 | 8% |
| 46 | Meriden West Midlands | C− | 1.8 | 70% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Woldingham Surrey | C− | 0.2 | 25% | 3.1 | 20% |
| 48 | Hatfield Woodhouse South Yorkshire | C− | 0.6 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 49 | St Osyth Essex | C− | 1.5 | 54% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 50 | Scholes (Leeds) West Yorkshire | D | 0 | 0% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Comberton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.6 | 71% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Duxford Cambridgeshire | D | 1.7 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 53 | Bicknacre Essex | D | 1 | 56% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 54 | Kineton Warwickshire | D | 0.2 | 0% | 1.8 | 5% |
| 55 | Great Barford Bedfordshire | D− | 1.4 | 45% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Leconfield East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.6 | 51% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Bettws Mid Glamorgan | D− | 0.7 | 71% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Mattishall Norfolk | D− | 1.4 | 58% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 59 | Isleham Cambridgeshire | D− | 0.2 | 71% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Puriton Somerset | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Loddon’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 Loddon
The biggest is Pyes Mill, 1.2 ha (3 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Loddon’s homes are to 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 (77%)Further (23%)
Loddon77%
Villages its size71%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
About 500 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 7 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 321 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Loddon
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 Park
the Broads
At the edge north-east302 km²since 198918% of the land within 5 km
Official site18% of the land within 5 km of Loddon is National Park or National Landscape, more than 76% of UK towns. The Broads National Park covers 302 km² and has been a National Park since 1989.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
7 waymarked walks pass through or near Loddon
24 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Loddon 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 village.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Wherryman's Way8.3 km
Cross-Norfolk Trail6.9 km
Loddon (Warren Hill) Circular6.4 km
Chedgrave Circular6.4 km
Loddon Ingloss Circular6.0 km
Loddon Circular2.2 km
Langley with Hardley Circular0.6 km
Close to home, the Loddon (Warren Hill) Circular has 6 km of local walk within 2 km of the village. The regional route here is the Wherryman's 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 Loddon: May to September
The village’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 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 53 | 46 | 43 | 36 | 47 | 57 | 56 | 61 | 54 | 65 | 66 | 60 |
April is the driest month (36 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 66 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 41 nights a year. The climate in Loddon →
Things to do
7 playgrounds and the nearest beaches
Mapped within 2 km of the village in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK village its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
The nearest beaches
Loddon is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Corton Sands11 mi from Loddon’s edge
DirectionsCorton Beach11 mi from Loddon’s edge
DirectionsGunton Sands11 mi from Loddon’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
Nature reserves 1
Sisland Carr12 ha · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Pyes Mill Picnic Area0.1 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 7
Kittens Lane Playgroundin town
DirectionsThe Pits0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 5 playgrounds 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.
ChedgraveThurltonDitchinghamFreethorpeBungayPoringlandLoddon
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loddon | B− | 2.4 | 77% | 18% |
| Chedgrave 0.7 mi | A− | 3.0 | 100% | 26% |
| Thurlton 3.4 mi | B− | 1.5 | 100% | 39% |
| Ditchingham 4.5 mi | A+ | 17.2 | 100% | 13% |
| Freethorpe 4.9 mi | C− | 2.3 | 26% | 61% |
| Bungay 5.8 mi | C | 0.5 | 78% | 12% |
| Poringland 6.2 mi | C+ | 1.3 | 91% | 5% |
Ditchingham, 4.5 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Ditchingham has at least twice Loddon’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Loddon
What is the biggest park in Loddon?
Pyes Mill, 1.2 ha (3 acres), just outside the built-up area. 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Loddon near a National Park?
It covers 302 km² and has been a National Park since 1989.
What are the best walks near Loddon?
7 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Wherryman's Way, Cross-Norfolk Trail and Loddon (Warren Hill) Circular.
What is the nearest beach to Loddon?
Corton Sands, 11 mi from the edge of the village, then Corton Beach (11 mi). Loddon itself is inland.
How many people in Loddon 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 Loddon?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Loddon good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 44% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 56% (2.4 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 Loddon’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Loddon’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.