Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0Parks and walks in West Winch
The Norfolk Coast National Landscape begins 3.1 mi from the town’s edge. 9 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 0.7 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in West Winch add up to 1.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. West Winch grades D for the outdoors: #46 of 51 in Norfolk. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors town is West Winch?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
West Winch’s strongest suit is the Norfolk Coast National Landscape close by, followed by the Norfolk Coast Path. Where it falls short is footpaths.
West Winch grades D for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is West Winch, 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 West Winch compares with UK towns of 2,700 to 3,000
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,700 to 3,000 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
West Winch falls furthest behind on path per km², where 56 of the 59 others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rudloe Wiltshire | A+ | 7.3 | 91% | 4 | 45% |
| 2 | Bruton Somerset | A | 9.3 | 100% | 2.5 | 1% |
| 3 | Penmaenmawr Clwyd | A | 1.7 | 78% | 3.4 | 39% |
| 4 | Hartshill Warwickshire | A | 19 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 5 | Stoke Mandeville Buckinghamshire | A− | 5.5 | 37% | 6.8 | 29% |
| 6 | Kingsclere Hampshire | A− | 2.2 | 100% | 2.5 | 50% |
| 7 | Wargrave Berkshire | A− | 4 | 100% | 2 | 11% |
| 8 | Threemilestone Cornwall | A− | 3.1 | 100% | 2.6 | 1% |
| 9 | East Saltdean East Sussex | A− | 1.6 | 0% | 4.9 | 44% |
| 10 | Congresbury Somerset | A− | 8.5 | 67% | 3.5 | 10% |
| 11 | Jacksdale and Westwood Nottinghamshire | A− | 2.7 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 12 | Holywell Green and Stainland West Yorkshire | A− | 4 | 89% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 13 | Charfield Gloucestershire | B+ | 1.3 | 100% | 3 | 22% |
| 14 | South Hetton County Durham | B+ | 3.4 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 15 | Hertford Heath Hertfordshire | B+ | 1.6 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Mundesley Norfolk | B | 1.8 | 79% | 1.5 | 24% |
| 17 | Charlbury Oxfordshire | B | 3.1 | 66% | 2.4 | 65% |
| 18 | Barlborough Derbyshire | B | 4.4 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 19 | Rockwell Green Somerset | B | 1 | 90% | 3.2 | 24% |
| 20 | Scholes (near Cleckheaton) West Yorkshire | B | 4 | 89% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 21 | Tollesbury Essex | B− | 2 | 85% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 22 | Chalgrove Oxfordshire | B− | 4.1 | 85% | 1.2 | 4% |
| 23 | Aston Clwyd | B− | 4.4 | 37% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 24 | Waltham Chase Hampshire | B− | 2 | 75% | 2.2 | 39% |
| 25 | Pimperne Dorset | C+ | 1.9 | 72% | 1.9 | 89% |
| 26 | Great Totham Essex | C+ | 2.8 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 27 | Over Cambridgeshire | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 28 | Rhostyllen Clwyd | C+ | 1.1 | 68% | 3.7 | 10% |
| 29 | Bluntisham and Colne Cambridgeshire | C+ | 2.3 | 88% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 30 | Rolleston on Dove Staffordshire | C+ | 3.8 | 84% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 31 | Asfordby Leicestershire | C | 4 | 57% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 32 | Alderholt Dorset | C | 1.9 | 43% | 2.3 | 31% |
| 33 | Collingham Nottinghamshire | C | 2.4 | 78% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 34 | Barrow upon Humber Lincolnshire | C | 1.5 | 88% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 35 | Kidwelly Dyfed | C | 2.8 | 56% | 1 | 0% |
| 36 | Trimdon County Durham | C | 1 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 37 | Buckden Cambridgeshire | C | 2.9 | 85% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 38 | East Goscote Leicestershire | C | 2.9 | 75% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 39 | Corbridge Northumberland | C | 2.2 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 40 | Maerdy Mid Glamorgan | C− | 1.1 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 41 | Alrewas Staffordshire | C− | 1.5 | 66% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Tuxford Nottinghamshire | C− | 1.4 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 43 | Mere Wiltshire | C− | 1.6 | 34% | 1.5 | 54% |
| 44 | Clifton Bedfordshire | C− | 1.7 | 64% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 45 | Weedon Bec Northamptonshire | C− | 1.1 | 87% | 2 | 0% |
| 46 | Kirkbymoorside North Yorkshire | C− | 0.4 | 55% | 1.9 | 37% |
| 47 | Thorngumbald East Riding of Yorkshire | D | 1.3 | 69% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Catterall Lancashire | D | 1 | 47% | 1.9 | 9% |
| 49 | Croston Lancashire | D | 0.6 | 78% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 50 | Sherburn County Durham | D | 0.2 | 0% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 51 | Berinsfield Oxfordshire | D | 0.1 | 0% | 2.1 | 11% |
| 52 | Terrington St Clement Norfolk | D | 1.5 | 53% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Seghill Northumberland | D | 0.2 | 41% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 54 | Repton Derbyshire | D | 0.8 | 36% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Pevensey Bay East Sussex | D | 0.5 | 0% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 56 | East Ayton and West Ayton North Yorkshire | D | 0.1 | 0% | 1.2 | 33% |
| 57 | West Winch Norfolk | D | 1.5 | 73% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 58 | Hunmanby North Yorkshire | D | 0.3 | 33% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 59 | Pickmere Cheshire | D− | 0.4 | 71% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Greetham Rutland | D− | 0.9 | 30% | 0.8 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is West Winch’s built-up area.
7 in 10 West Winch 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 800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 14 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 202 residents.
The Norfolk Coast National Landscape is 3.1 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.
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so West Winch scores 0% on it even though the Norfolk Coast National Landscape is 3.1 mi away.
West Winch is on the Norfolk Coast Path
9 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in West Winch and the kilometre around it, 0.7 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 Norfolk Coast Path, a national route, passes West Winch. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Nar Valley Way and 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 West Winch: 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 | 16.8 | 16.4 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 53 | 40 | 35 | 42 | 44 | 53 | 61 | 42 | 54 | 60 | 68 | 59 |
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 68 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in West Winch →
14 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
West Winch 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 14
Plus 11 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Winch | D | 1.5 | 73% | 0% |
| King's Lynn 3.0 mi | C+ | 1.3 | 80% | 23% |
| Watlington 3.1 mi | C | 2.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Clenchwarton 3.8 mi | C | 2.2 | 87% | 3% |
| Tilney St Lawrence 5.5 mi | D− | 1.5 | 53% | 0% |
| Terrington St Clement 5.7 mi | D | 1.5 | 53% | 0% |
| Gayton 6.2 mi | D− | 1.6 | 62% | 0% |
King's Lynn, 3 miles away, grades C+, the best next door: 80% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in West Winch
Is West Winch near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Norfolk Coast National Landscape, 3.1 mi north of the town’s edge. It covers 446 km² and was designated in 1968.
What are the best walks near West Winch?
8 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the Cross-Norfolk Trail, Nar Valley Way and Pentney and Shouldham Warren via Pentney Abbey.
What is the nearest beach to West Winch?
Snettisham Scalp, 9.1 mi from the edge of the town, then West Sands (18 mi). West Winch itself is inland.
How many people in West Winch live near a park?
73% 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 West Winch?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is West Winch good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 0.7 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 3% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 29% (1.5 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 West Winch’s overall grade.
Where West Winch’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.