Photo: Bikeboy · CC BY-SA 2.0Almost everyone in Debenham lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Parks and playing fields in Debenham add up to 1.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Footpaths add up to 29 km in the village and the kilometre around it, 3.4 for every square kilometre. Debenham grades C+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Debenham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Debenham’s strongest suit is parks close to every home. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Debenham grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Debenham, 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.
Debenham is 22nd of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 2,200 to 2,400 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Debenham stands out most for path per km²: only 11 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 51 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radford Semele Warwickshire | A | 12.3 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 2 | Elstead Surrey | A | 2.5 | 100% | 2.6 | 82% |
| 3 | Westcott Surrey | A | 1.8 | 86% | 5.5 | 78% |
| 4 | Harlington Bedfordshire | A− | 2.7 | 100% | 2.7 | 16% |
| 5 | Millbrook Cornwall | A− | 2 | 100% | 1.1 | 19% |
| 6 | Picket Piece Hampshire | A− | 3.9 | 100% | 1.3 | 33% |
| 7 | Berrow and Brean Somerset | A− | 3.6 | 75% | 1.7 | 1% |
| 8 | Clare Suffolk | A− | 7.7 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 9 | Cannington Somerset | A− | 2.8 | 88% | 3.2 | 3% |
| 10 | Y Felinheli Gwynedd | B+ | 4.9 | 65% | 1.9 | 10% |
| 11 | Acle Norfolk | B+ | 1.6 | 89% | 3.1 | 43% |
| 12 | Hall Green West Yorkshire | B+ | 7.5 | 82% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 13 | Tisbury Wiltshire | B+ | 1.5 | 86% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 14 | Bowness-on-Windermere Cumbria | B | 1.7 | 76% | 2.8 | 100% |
| 15 | Pen-y-fai Mid Glamorgan | B | 3.8 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Mayfield East Sussex | B− | 3.3 | 61% | 1.9 | 99% |
| 17 | Creech St Michael Somerset | B− | 1.2 | 88% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 18 | Dormansland Surrey | B− | 2.5 | 70% | 2.3 | 33% |
| 19 | Bickershaw Greater Manchester | B− | 5 | 13% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 20 | Park Street and Frogmore Hertfordshire | B− | 4.5 | 63% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 21 | Wiveliscombe Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Debenham Suffolk | C+ | 1 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 23 | Bere Alston Devon | C+ | 1.4 | 64% | 1.3 | 93% |
| 24 | Osbaldwick North Yorkshire | C+ | 1.9 | 70% | 5 | 0% |
| 25 | Delph Greater Manchester | C+ | 0.7 | 72% | 3.9 | 17% |
| 26 | Bramford Suffolk | C+ | 3.2 | 76% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 27 | Mickleton Gloucestershire | C+ | 2.2 | 52% | 2.1 | 45% |
| 28 | Boughton under Blean Kent | C+ | 2.7 | 24% | 2.5 | 18% |
| 29 | Cold Ash Berkshire | C+ | 1.5 | 7% | 3.1 | 60% |
| 30 | Bishopsteignton Devon | C | 3 | 62% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 31 | Stanton Suffolk | C | 2.6 | 87% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 32 | Caistor Lincolnshire | C | 2.8 | 39% | 1.3 | 33% |
| 33 | Hawkesbury Warwickshire | C | 1 | 78% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 34 | Woolavington Somerset | C | 1.6 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 35 | West Rainton County Durham | C | 2.1 | 73% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 36 | Tatworth Somerset | C | 1.3 | 71% | 1.7 | 44% |
| 37 | Whaddon Wiltshire | C | 2.6 | 55% | 1.3 | 10% |
| 38 | Wardley Greater Manchester | C− | 0.6 | 88% | 3 | 0% |
| 39 | Stanford in the Vale Oxfordshire | C− | 1.3 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 40 | Credenhill Herefordshire | C− | 1.5 | 87% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 41 | Roche Cornwall | C− | 2.8 | 81% | 1 | 0% |
| 42 | Creigiau South Glamorgan | C− | 1.7 | 85% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Coltishall and Horstead Norfolk | C− | 2.1 | 57% | 1.3 | 8% |
| 44 | Kings Sutton Northamptonshire | C− | 1.8 | 79% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 45 | Reepham Norfolk | C− | 2.3 | 66% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 46 | Coates and Eastrea Cambridgeshire | C− | 0.9 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 47 | Goxhill Lincolnshire | C− | 1.5 | 69% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 48 | Usk Gwent | C− | 3.5 | 56% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Netherton (Wakefield) West Yorkshire | D | 0.7 | 27% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 50 | Scholes (Leeds) West Yorkshire | D | 0 | 0% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 51 | Comberton Cambridgeshire | D | 1.6 | 71% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 52 | Bicknacre Essex | D | 1 | 56% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 53 | Belton Lincolnshire | D | 1.5 | 67% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 54 | Great Barford Bedfordshire | D− | 1.4 | 45% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 55 | Tattenhall Cheshire | D− | 1.8 | 28% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 56 | Ixworth Suffolk | D− | 1 | 73% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Hingham Norfolk | D− | 1.9 | 13% | 1 | 0% |
| 58 | Norton South Yorkshire | D− | 1.3 | 63% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 59 | Isleham Cambridgeshire | D− | 0.2 | 71% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 60 | Puriton Somerset | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Debenham’s built-up area.
How close Debenham’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; 4 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 574 residents.
The Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape is 10 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.
The Broads National Park covers 302 km² and has been a National Park since 1989.
Footpaths in and around Debenham
29 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Debenham and the kilometre around it, 3.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Debenham; its footpaths are on the map above.
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 Debenham: May, June, August and 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 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.7 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 54 | 50 | 47 | 38 | 43 | 45 | 67 | 58 | 52 | 62 | 75 | 60 |
April is the driest month (38 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 75 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in Debenham →
4 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
Debenham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
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 4
Plus 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debenham | C+ | 1.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Mendlesham 4.4 mi | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 0% |
| Stowupland 6.9 mi | A− | 5.3 | 83% | 0% |
| Framlingham 7.0 mi | B | 3.7 | 73% | 0% |
| Eye 7.0 mi | C | 2.0 | 66% | 0% |
| Needham Market 7.2 mi | A− | 7.2 | 88% | 0% |
| Bacton and Cotton 7.4 mi | C+ | 4.4 | 70% | 0% |
Needham Market, 7.2 miles away, grades A−, the best next door: 88% of its residents live within 400 m of a park. Stowupland, Framlingham and Eye have at least twice Debenham’s green space per resident. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Debenham
Is Debenham near a National Park?
Yes. the Broads National Park begins 18 mi north-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 Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape, 10 mi away.
What is the nearest beach to Debenham?
Honolulu Beach, 11 mi from the edge of the village, then Trimley Shores (16 mi). Debenham itself is inland.
How many people in Debenham 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 Debenham?
May, June, August and September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Debenham good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.4 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 69% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 12% (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 Debenham’s overall grade.
Where Debenham’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.