Photo: Lewis Collard · Public domainAlmost everyone in Watlington lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
5 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 0.6 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Watlington add up to 2.3 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Watlington grades C for the outdoors: #32 of 51 in Norfolk. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is Watlington?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Watlington’s strongest suit is parks close to every home. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Watlington grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Watlington, 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.
Watlington is 40th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,500 to 2,700 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against towns its size, Watlington stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 57 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petworth West Sussex | A+ | 29.6 | 100% | 4.1 | 93% |
| 2 | Tywardreath Cornwall | A+ | 4.6 | 100% | 2.5 | 26% |
| 3 | Ambleside Cumbria | A+ | 6.9 | 92% | 4.6 | 100% |
| 4 | Silloth Cumbria | A+ | 7.3 | 100% | 1.4 | 17% |
| 5 | Downley Buckinghamshire | A+ | 9.5 | 76% | 7.6 | 71% |
| 6 | Hopton on Sea Norfolk | A+ | 6.7 | 100% | 1.6 | 2% |
| 7 | Hellingly East Sussex | A | 6.9 | 90% | 3.7 | 11% |
| 8 | Dolgellau Gwynedd | A | 3.6 | 100% | 1.9 | 100% |
| 9 | Binley Woods Warwickshire | A | 5.5 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 10 | Hawley Hampshire | A | 6.9 | 92% | 5.8 | 0% |
| 11 | Maple Cross Hertfordshire | A | 3.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 14% |
| 12 | Chopwell Tyne and Wear | A | 7.5 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Longford Gloucestershire | A | 11.9 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 14 | Darenth Kent | A− | 1.8 | 100% | 4.3 | 1% |
| 15 | Drybrook Gloucestershire | A− | 3.9 | 83% | 3.4 | 10% |
| 16 | Stewartby Bedfordshire | A− | 21 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Avonmouth Bristol | B+ | 2.5 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 18 | Langold Nottinghamshire | B+ | 13 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 19 | Porthmadog Gwynedd | B+ | 0.9 | 94% | 2 | 41% |
| 20 | Thornley County Durham | B+ | 3.2 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Dipton County Durham | B | 3.2 | 87% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 22 | Craven Arms Shropshire | B | 1.3 | 87% | 2.9 | 59% |
| 23 | Prestbury Cheshire | B | 5.6 | 42% | 3.2 | 6% |
| 24 | Barlestone Leicestershire | B | 3 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Builth Wells Powys | B | 4.9 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 26 | Brynamman Dyfed | B | 1.7 | 100% | 1 | 51% |
| 27 | Pannal North Yorkshire | B− | 3.7 | 77% | 3 | 0% |
| 28 | Brewood Staffordshire | B− | 3 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 29 | Halton Lancashire | B− | 0.9 | 100% | 1.7 | 35% |
| 30 | Seer Green Buckinghamshire | B− | 1.7 | 38% | 3.8 | 35% |
| 31 | Grimsargh Lancashire | B− | 2.6 | 67% | 2.8 | 2% |
| 32 | Ash Green Warwickshire | B− | 3.4 | 67% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 33 | Godstone Surrey | C+ | 1.7 | 52% | 3.7 | 18% |
| 34 | Endon Staffordshire | C+ | 3 | 89% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Little Dunmow Essex | C+ | 1.1 | 89% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 36 | Dunchurch Warwickshire | C+ | 7.8 | 68% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Caton Lancashire | C+ | 1.2 | 72% | 2.2 | 67% |
| 38 | Stratton Gloucestershire | C | 0.7 | 46% | 3.3 | 70% |
| 39 | Heage Derbyshire | C | 1.9 | 78% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Watlington Norfolk | C | 2.3 | 100% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 41 | South Brent Devon | C | 1.5 | 79% | 0.8 | 64% |
| 42 | Smallfield Surrey | C | 1.6 | 70% | 2.4 | 1% |
| 43 | Llandybie Dyfed | C | 2.6 | 59% | 1.2 | 13% |
| 44 | Marham Norfolk | C | 3.5 | 85% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 45 | Higham Kent | C− | 0.5 | 0% | 1.8 | 18% |
| 46 | Hatton Derbyshire | C− | 3.3 | 61% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 47 | Costessey Norfolk | C− | 1.8 | 12% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Cliffe Kent | C− | 1.1 | 55% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Probus Cornwall | C− | 0.6 | 75% | 1.5 | 15% |
| 50 | Saughall Cheshire | D | 2.5 | 27% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Keele Staffordshire | D | 1.1 | 0% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 52 | Fordham Cambridgeshire | D | 2.3 | 35% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 53 | Silverstone Northamptonshire | D | 1.1 | 0% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Watton at Stone Hertfordshire | D | 0.8 | 61% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Swineshead Lincolnshire | D− | 1.2 | 73% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 56 | Manea Cambridgeshire | D− | 1.3 | 63% | 1 | 0% |
| 57 | Holme upon Spalding Moor East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.5 | 41% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 58 | Nafferton East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1.3 | 56% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Rhos West Glamorgan | D− | 1 | 58% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Cranwell Lincolnshire | D− | 0.5 | 57% | 1.1 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Watlington’s built-up area.
How close Watlington’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).
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 432 residents.
The Norfolk Coast National Landscape is 7.2 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.
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Watlington
5 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Watlington and the kilometre around it, 0.6 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 regional route here is the Ouse Valley Way 4 (Brandon Creek to King’s Lynn).
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 Watlington: 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 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 52 | 40 | 35 | 42 | 44 | 53 | 61 | 42 | 54 | 60 | 68 | 59 |
March is the driest month (35 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 68 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 42 nights a year. The climate in Watlington →
6 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
Watlington 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
Playgrounds 6
Plus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watlington | C | 2.3 | 100% | 0% |
| West Winch 3.1 mi | D | 1.5 | 73% | 0% |
| Downham Market 4.9 mi | C− | 1.5 | 77% | 0% |
| Tilney St Lawrence 5.0 mi | D− | 1.5 | 53% | 0% |
| Marshland St James 5.8 mi | D | 3.5 | 0% | 0% |
| Clenchwarton 6.0 mi | C | 2.2 | 87% | 3% |
| King's Lynn 6.1 mi | C+ | 1.3 | 80% | 23% |
King's Lynn, 6.1 miles away, grades C+, the best next door: 80% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Watlington
Is Watlington near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Norfolk Coast National Landscape, 7.2 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 446 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near Watlington?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Ouse Valley Way 4 (Brandon Creek to King’s Lynn).
What is the nearest beach to Watlington?
Snettisham Scalp, 13 mi from the edge of the town, then The Beach (22 mi). Watlington itself is inland.
How many people in Watlington live near a park?
100% 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 Watlington?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Watlington good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 0.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 2% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 53% (2.3 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 Watlington’s overall grade.
Where Watlington’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.