Photo: Geographer · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in Swaffham
Parks and playing fields in Swaffham add up to 1.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 68% of residents. Footpaths add up to 39 km in the town and the kilometre around it, 2.6 for every square kilometre. Swaffham grades D for the outdoors: #43 of 51 in Norfolk. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Swaffham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Swaffham’s strongest suit is the Peddars Way. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Swaffham grades D for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Swaffham, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
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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.
How Swaffham compares with UK towns of 8,000 to 8,900
The 60 UK towns and cities of 8,000 to 8,900 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Swaffham falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 53 of the 59 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 | Pool and Illogan Cornwall | A+ | 3.7 | 81% | 4 | 5% |
| 4 | Ecclesfield and Grenoside South Yorkshire | A+ | 5.1 | 94% | 5.2 | 2% |
| 5 | Stakeford Northumberland | A+ | 10 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 6 | Storrington West Sussex | A | 5.5 | 85% | 3.2 | 54% |
| 7 | Wallingford Oxfordshire | A | 3.1 | 85% | 3.7 | 61% |
| 8 | East Cowes Isle of Wight | A | 1.4 | 96% | 3 | 8% |
| 9 | Brecon Powys | A | 3.2 | 86% | 3.2 | 61% |
| 10 | Ledbury Herefordshire | A | 3.3 | 89% | 3.1 | 34% |
| 11 | Penistone South Yorkshire | A | 2.6 | 97% | 3.9 | 9% |
| 12 | Bearsted Kent | A | 5.5 | 76% | 3.5 | 39% |
| 13 | Stonehouse Gloucestershire | A | 1.8 | 94% | 4.6 | 36% |
| 14 | Richmond North Yorkshire | A | 2.4 | 96% | 3.9 | 7% |
| 15 | Maryport Cumbria | A− | 1.4 | 100% | 2.4 | 5% |
| 16 | Norton Canes Staffordshire | A− | 13.3 | 97% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 17 | Brightlingsea Essex | A− | 3 | 97% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 18 | Ryton Tyne and Wear | A− | 5.5 | 85% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 19 | Alfreton Derbyshire | B+ | 4.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Longridge Lancashire | B+ | 1.9 | 89% | 3 | 32% |
| 21 | Coppull Lancashire | B+ | 4.6 | 85% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Hadleigh Suffolk | B+ | 2.6 | 87% | 2.7 | 10% |
| 23 | Runwell Essex | B+ | 5.1 | 92% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 24 | Cinderford Gloucestershire | B+ | 1.7 | 80% | 4.7 | 4% |
| 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 | Hornsea East Riding of Yorkshire | B− | 2.7 | 90% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 29 | Alnwick Northumberland | B− | 2.2 | 67% | 3.4 | 7% |
| 30 | Twyford Berkshire | B− | 2.4 | 86% | 2.1 | 5% |
| 31 | Meltham West Yorkshire | B− | 1 | 63% | 5.3 | 27% |
| 32 | Stansted Mountfitchet Essex | B− | 0.8 | 96% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 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 | Launceston Cornwall | C− | 2.1 | 66% | 0.9 | 1% |
| 53 | Penkridge Staffordshire | C− | 0.8 | 70% | 2.1 | 7% |
| 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% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Swaffham’s built-up area.
7 in 10 Swaffham 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).
About 2,700 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 town, about one for every 1,205 residents.
The Norfolk Coast National Landscape is 12 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.
Swaffham is on the Peddars Way
39 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Swaffham and the kilometre around it, 2.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
The Peddars Way, a national route, passes Swaffham.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
The best walking months in Swaffham: 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 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 60 | 48 | 49 | 45 | 46 | 63 | 59 | 62 | 60 | 77 | 73 | 68 |
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 77 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 50 nights a year. The climate in Swaffham →
7 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.
The nearest beaches
Swaffham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
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
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swaffham | D | 1.0 | 68% | 0% |
| Necton 3.6 mi | D− | 1.5 | 17% | 0% |
| Ashill 4.7 mi | C+ | 3.7 | 82% | 0% |
| Narborough 5.2 mi | B− | 3.8 | 100% | 0% |
| Saham Toney 6.3 mi | D | 3.0 | 18% | 0% |
| Marham 6.4 mi | C | 3.5 | 85% | 0% |
| Watton 7.9 mi | D− | 0.5 | 28% | 0% |
Narborough, 5.2 miles away, grades B−, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Ashill, Narborough and Saham Toney have at least twice Swaffham’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Swaffham
Is Swaffham near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Norfolk Coast National Landscape, 12 mi north-west of the town’s edge. It covers 446 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Swaffham?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Peddars Way, London to Walsingham - stage 08 and Swaefas Way.
What is the nearest beach to Swaffham?
The Beach, 17 mi from the edge of the town, then Snettisham Scalp (18 mi). Swaffham itself is inland.
How many people in Swaffham live near a park?
68% 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 Swaffham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Swaffham good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 47% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 13% (1.0 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 Swaffham’s overall grade.
Where Swaffham’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.