Elmsett’s biggest
Elmsett Green
Park or garden
0.2 ha (1 acres)
Centralin the middle of Elmsett
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Bob Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Elmsett · parks, paths & countryside
82% of Elmsett’s residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
The Dedham Vale National Landscape begins 3.7 mi from the village’s edge. Parks and playing fields in Elmsett add up to 3.4 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 17 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 1.5 for every square kilometre. Elmsett grades C for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
3.4 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
82%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
17 km
1.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Dedham Vale starts 3.7 mi out, past the 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Elmsett?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Countryside both waysDedham Vale starts 3.7 mi south, Suffolk Coast & Heaths 5.5 mi south.Room to roam3.4 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 75% of UK towns.Few mapped footpaths1.5 km of path per km²; the typical UK town has 3.0.
Elmsett’s strongest suit is two protected landscapes close by, followed by plenty of park space. Where it falls short is footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Elmsett grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Elmsett, 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 31% of UK towns38th of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space3.4 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
75out of
100
100
A park within a walk82%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
51out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · Dedham Vale begins just past 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths1.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
18out 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
Elmsett is 38th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,000 to 1,100 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
Elmsett1.5
Villages its size1.8
Suffolk towns2.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Elmsett3.4
Villages its size2.1
Suffolk towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Elmsett82%
Villages its size100%
Suffolk towns80%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Elmsett stands out most for park space per resident: only 17 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on homes near a park, where 34 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grove Dorset | A+ | 6 | 100% | 8.7 | 0% |
| 2 | Totternhoe Bedfordshire | A+ | 9.6 | 100% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 3 | Winchelsea Beach East Sussex | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 45% |
| 4 | East Challow Oxfordshire | A+ | 4.9 | 100% | 3.6 | 44% |
| 5 | Broadbottom Greater Manchester | A+ | 5 | 100% | 4.2 | 15% |
| 6 | Hawkesbury Upton Gloucestershire | A+ | 3.4 | 100% | 3 | 73% |
| 7 | Westwood Wiltshire | A+ | 2.6 | 100% | 4.4 | 29% |
| 8 | Cemaes Gwynedd | A+ | 5 | 100% | 1.3 | 14% |
| 9 | Mawnan Smith Cornwall | A | 3.5 | 30% | 4 | 40% |
| 10 | Bellingham Northumberland | A | 8.6 | 100% | 1.8 | 57% |
| 11 | Waddington Lancashire | A | 1.8 | 100% | 2.9 | 60% |
| 12 | Little Wymondley Hertfordshire | A− | 2.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 13 | Thurlstone South Yorkshire | A− | 0.9 | 100% | 4.5 | 13% |
| 14 | Wivelsfield Green East Sussex | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 3 | 11% |
| 15 | North Chailey East Sussex | B+ | 4.5 | 48% | 4.1 | 18% |
| 16 | Langenhoe and Abberton Essex | B+ | 2.3 | 100% | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | Leek Wootton Warwickshire | B+ | 2.3 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 18 | Norton St Philip Somerset | B+ | 1.8 | 100% | 2.2 | 21% |
| 19 | Loddiswell Devon | B+ | 2.1 | 100% | 1.3 | 53% |
| 20 | Thornwood Common Essex | B+ | 6.1 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 21 | Clyst Honiton Devon | B+ | 8 | 83% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Olveston Gloucestershire | B | 0.7 | 100% | 3.2 | 0% |
| 23 | Thornton Leicestershire | B | 13.7 | 50% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 24 | Whitwell Hertfordshire | B | 2.4 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 25 | Levens Cumbria | B | 0.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 53% |
| 26 | Great Paxton Cambridgeshire | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 27 | Great Amwell Hertfordshire | B− | 5.7 | 0% | 5.5 | 0% |
| 28 | Beckington Somerset | B− | 2.7 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 29 | Laxfield Suffolk | B− | 3.3 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Winteringham Lincolnshire | B− | 1.7 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 31 | Hooley Surrey | B− | 1.7 | 67% | 3.4 | 18% |
| 32 | King's Bromley Staffordshire | B− | 3.4 | 100% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 33 | Derry Hill and Studley Wiltshire | C+ | 1.2 | 100% | 1.7 | 1% |
| 34 | St Dogmaels Dyfed | C+ | 1.4 | 71% | 1.1 | 23% |
| 35 | Bethersden Kent | C+ | 2.4 | 100% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 36 | Hill Ridware Staffordshire | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 1.2 | 7% |
| 37 | Bempton East Riding of Yorkshire | C | 0.6 | 100% | 0.2 | 0% |
| 38 | Elmsett Suffolk | C | 3.4 | 82% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 39 | Clifton Lancashire | C | 1.8 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 40 | Scorton North Yorkshire | C | 1.5 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 41 | Hurst Berkshire | C− | 5.1 | 68% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Lea Lincolnshire | C− | 4.3 | 76% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 43 | Swarthmoor Cumbria | C− | 0.2 | 79% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 44 | Llangeinor Mid Glamorgan | C− | 3.1 | 62% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Loxwood West Sussex | D | 0 | 0% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 46 | Sutton St James Lincolnshire | D | 0.1 | 100% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 47 | Marshland St James Norfolk | D | 3.5 | 0% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Besthorpe Norfolk | D | 1.5 | 72% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 49 | Barnack Cambridgeshire | D | 1.6 | 26% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 50 | Northop Clwyd | D | 1.6 | 70% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 51 | Shadoxhurst Kent | D | 1.8 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Overton Lancashire | D | 0.1 | 0% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Wymington Bedfordshire | D | 0.3 | 0% | 3 | 0% |
| 54 | Sutton Norfolk | D− | 0 | 0% | 1 | 29% |
| 55 | Corby Glen Lincolnshire | D− | 2 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Wawne East Riding of Yorkshire | D− | 1 | 0% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Foulsham Norfolk | D− | 1.4 | 29% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Mendlesham Suffolk | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 59 | Stockton on the Forest North Yorkshire | D− | 0.2 | 0% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 60 | Prees Shropshire | D− | 0.1 | 0% | 0.6 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Elmsett’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 Elmsett
The biggest is Elmsett Green, 0.2 ha (1 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
How close Elmsett’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 (82%)Further (18%)
Elmsett82%
Villages its size100%
Suffolk towns80%
All UK towns83%
About 200 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 3 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 334 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
Dedham Vale and Suffolk Coast & Heaths both start about 6 miles from Elmsett
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
Protected landscape begins just outside the 5 km ring the Outdoors Grade measures, so Elmsett scores 0% on it even though the Dedham Vale National Landscape is 3.7 mi away.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Footpaths in and around Elmsett
17 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Elmsett and the kilometre around it, 1.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0).
No named walking route is mapped within 2 km of Elmsett; 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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Elmsett: 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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.7 | 16.3 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 47 | 43 | 40 | 36 | 48 | 47 | 49 | 59 | 44 | 61 | 59 | 55 |
April is the driest month (36 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 23 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 61 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 44 nights a year. The climate in Elmsett →
Things to do
3 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
Elmsett is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
Trimley Shores13 mi from Elmsett’s edge
DirectionsHonolulu Beach14 mi from Elmsett’s edge
DirectionsBorrow Pit Bay20 mi from Elmsett’s edge
DirectionsBiana Bay20 mi from Elmsett’s edge
DirectionsSmugglers Bay20 mi from Elmsett’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
Nature reserves 1
RSPB Wolves Wood40 ha · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 3
Plus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
HadleighGreat BricettBildestonBramfordGreat BlakenhamClaydonElmsett
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmsett | C | 3.4 | 82% | 0% |
| Hadleigh 2.7 mi | B+ | 2.6 | 87% | 10% |
| Great Bricett 3.1 mi | D− | 1.2 | 0% | 0% |
| Bildeston 4.2 mi | C− | 0.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Bramford 4.3 mi | C+ | 3.2 | 76% | 0% |
| Great Blakenham 4.8 mi | C− | 3.6 | 70% | 0% |
| Claydon 5.4 mi | C− | 2.8 | 72% | 0% |
Hadleigh, 2.7 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 87% of its residents live within 400 m of a park.
Questions about the outdoors in Elmsett
What is the biggest park in Elmsett?
Elmsett Green, 0.2 ha (1 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Elmsett near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Dedham Vale National Landscape, 3.7 mi south of the village’s edge. It covers 91 km² and was designated in 1970.
What is the nearest beach to Elmsett?
Trimley Shores, 13 mi from the edge of the village, then Honolulu Beach (14 mi). Elmsett itself is inland.
How many people in Elmsett live near a park?
82% 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 Elmsett?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Elmsett good for walking?
Paths are thinner than most towns: 1.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 18% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 75% (3.4 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 Elmsett’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Elmsett’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.