Swanton Morley’s biggest
Swanton Morley Cricket Club
Playing field
1.5 ha (4 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.8 mi south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0C+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Swanton Morley · parks, paths & countryside
94% of Swanton Morley’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Swanton Morley add up to 3.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 24 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 1.6 for every square kilometre. Swanton Morley grades C+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
94%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
24 km
1.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Norfolk Coast National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Swanton Morley?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam3.5 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 77% of UK towns.Few mapped footpaths1.6 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Swanton Morley’s strongest suit is plenty of park space. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Swanton Morley grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Swanton Morley, 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 43% of UK towns32nd of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space3.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
77out of
100
100
A park within a walk94%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
74out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths1.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
19out 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.
Villages its size
Swanton Morley is 32nd of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,100 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
Swanton Morley1.6
Villages its size2.0
Norfolk towns1.6
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Swanton Morley3.5
Villages its size2.4
Norfolk towns1.8
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Swanton Morley94%
Villages its size81%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Swanton Morley stands out most for park space per resident: only 17 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 43 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mullion Cornwall | A+ | 3.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 64% |
| 2 | Broughton Buckinghamshire | A+ | 8 | 100% | 6.5 | 0% |
| 3 | Brockham Surrey | A+ | 7.4 | 94% | 4.4 | 38% |
| 4 | Bestwood Village Nottinghamshire | A | 43.8 | 100% | 5.2 | 0% |
| 5 | Deepcut Surrey | A | 8.4 | 100% | 6.8 | 0% |
| 6 | Springwell Tyne and Wear | A | 5 | 100% | 6.7 | 0% |
| 7 | Severn Beach Gloucestershire | A− | 5.8 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 8 | Smalley Derbyshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 9 | Streethay Staffordshire | A− | 10.1 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 10 | Gilwern Gwent | A− | 1.9 | 100% | 2 | 83% |
| 11 | Newstead Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 12 | Woodcote Oxfordshire | B+ | 1.6 | 84% | 3.5 | 99% |
| 13 | Hanslope Buckinghamshire | B+ | 1.9 | 100% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 14 | Chiddingfold Surrey | B+ | 2.2 | 87% | 2.5 | 68% |
| 15 | Wells-next-the-Sea Norfolk | B+ | 2 | 70% | 1.9 | 65% |
| 16 | Charing Kent | B+ | 2.7 | 85% | 2.1 | 56% |
| 17 | Brimscombe and Thrupp Gloucestershire | B+ | 2.1 | 12% | 5.9 | 89% |
| 18 | Sharlston West Yorkshire | B+ | 4.9 | 93% | 3 | 0% |
| 19 | Gamston (Rushcliffe) Nottinghamshire | B+ | 2.7 | 86% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Holbrook Suffolk | B+ | 1.1 | 74% | 2.7 | 52% |
| 21 | Banwell Somerset | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2 | 38% |
| 22 | Yarnfield Staffordshire | B | 6.6 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 23 | Longtown Cumbria | B | 4.3 | 100% | 0.1 | 0% |
| 24 | Wheelock Cheshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Trowell Nottinghamshire | B | 7.7 | 56% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 26 | Evercreech Somerset | B | 3.5 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 27 | Rayne Essex | B− | 4.3 | 64% | 4 | 0% |
| 28 | Resolven West Glamorgan | B− | 2.4 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 29 | East Peckham Kent | B− | 14.5 | 66% | 2 | 1% |
| 30 | Hutton Lancashire | B− | 6.6 | 90% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 31 | Lechlade-on-Thames Gloucestershire | B− | 6.7 | 66% | 1.5 | 6% |
| 32 | Swanton Morley Norfolk | C+ | 3.5 | 94% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 33 | Burgh le Marsh Lincolnshire | C+ | 3.2 | 74% | 1.3 | 7% |
| 34 | Hook Norton Oxfordshire | C+ | 2 | 70% | 2 | 28% |
| 35 | Luddenden Foot West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.2 | 68% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 36 | Machynlleth Powys | C+ | 2.6 | 45% | 2 | 29% |
| 37 | Huncote Leicestershire | C+ | 0.8 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 38 | Trimsaran Dyfed | C | 2.4 | 31% | 1 | 2% |
| 39 | Linton Derbyshire | C | 1.8 | 76% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 40 | Mitcheldean Gloucestershire | C | 1.5 | 80% | 1.9 | 1% |
| 41 | Barwick in Elmet West Yorkshire | C | 1.5 | 87% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 42 | Llanidloes Powys | C | 2.4 | 89% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 43 | Aspatria Cumbria | C− | 3.1 | 60% | 0.8 | 1% |
| 44 | Great Blakenham Suffolk | C− | 3.6 | 70% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 45 | Rudgwick West Sussex | C− | 2.5 | 16% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Meriden West Midlands | C− | 1.8 | 70% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Lanner Cornwall | C− | 1.3 | 65% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 48 | Hatfield Woodhouse South Yorkshire | C− | 0.6 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Long Bennington Lincolnshire | C− | 1.6 | 82% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 50 | Wickham Hampshire | D | 0.8 | 26% | 2 | 13% |
| 51 | Morton Lincolnshire | D | 0.2 | 28% | 3 | 0% |
| 52 | Leconfield East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.6 | 51% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Mattishall Norfolk | D− | 1.4 | 58% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Misterton Nottinghamshire | D− | 1.4 | 47% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Billinghay Lincolnshire | D− | 1.8 | 41% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Bozeat Northamptonshire | D− | 1.3 | 13% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 57 | Shenstone Staffordshire | D− | 1 | 55% | 1 | 0% |
| 58 | Cilfrew West Glamorgan | D− | 0.8 | 44% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Aslockton Nottinghamshire | D− | 1 | 11% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 60 | Ipplepen Devon | D− | 0.8 | 42% | 1.1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Swanton Morley’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 Swanton Morley
The biggest is Swanton Morley Cricket Club, 1.5 ha (4 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Swanton Morley’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 (94%)Further (6%)
Swanton Morley94%
Villages its size81%
Norfolk towns73%
All UK towns83%
About 100 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 village, about one for every 363 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
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.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
The Broads National Park covers 302 km² and has been a National Park since 1989.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
6 waymarked walks pass through or near Swanton Morley
24 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Swanton Morley and the kilometre around it, 1.6 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
Wensum Way9.1 km
Cross-Norfolk Trail9.1 km
Walsingham Way8.5 km
Swanton Morley Circular4.7 km
London to Walsingham - stage 094.2 km
Hoe via Hoe Rough Circular Walk1.7 km
Close to home, the Wensum Way has 9 km of local walk within 2 km of the village. The regional route here is the Walsingham 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 Swanton Morley: 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) | 8.1 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.8 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 60 | 49 | 48 | 43 | 49 | 63 | 56 | 68 | 60 | 73 | 72 | 66 |
April is the driest month (43 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 73 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 41 nights a year. The climate in Swanton Morley →
Things to do
6 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
Swanton Morley is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Holkham Naturist Beach19 mi from Swanton Morley’s edge
DirectionsSnettisham Scalp24 mi from Swanton Morley’s edge
DirectionsWest Sands24 mi from Swanton Morley’s edge
DirectionsThe Beach26 mi from Swanton Morley’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
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 6
Plus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Bushy Tails Dog Park0.7 mi from town
DirectionsCampsites 1
Park Farm Camping0.4 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 ElmhamDerehamMattishallFoulshamReephamShipdhamSwanton Morley
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swanton Morley | C+ | 3.5 | 94% | 0% |
| North Elmham 2.7 mi | C− | 4.7 | 71% | 0% |
| Dereham 3.2 mi | B− | 1.8 | 90% | 0% |
| Mattishall 4.3 mi | D− | 1.4 | 58% | 0% |
| Foulsham 4.7 mi | D− | 1.4 | 29% | 0% |
| Reepham 6.4 mi | C− | 2.3 | 66% | 0% |
| Shipdham 6.9 mi | D− | 1.0 | 59% | 0% |
Dereham, 3.2 miles away, grades B−, the best next door: 90% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Swanton Morley
What is the biggest park in Swanton Morley?
Swanton Morley Cricket Club, 1.5 ha (4 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Swanton Morley near a National Park?
Yes. the Broads National Park begins 13 mi east of the village’s edge. It covers 302 km² and has been a National Park since 1989. The nearest protected landscape of any kind is the Norfolk Coast National Landscape, 12 mi away.
What are the best walks near Swanton Morley?
6 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Wensum Way, Cross-Norfolk Trail and Walsingham Way.
What is the nearest beach to Swanton Morley?
Holkham Naturist Beach, 19 mi from the edge of the village, then Snettisham Scalp (24 mi). Swanton Morley itself is inland.
How many people in Swanton Morley live near a park?
94% 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 Swanton Morley?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Swanton Morley good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 19% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 77% (3.5 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 Swanton Morley’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Swanton Morley’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.