Lavenham’s biggest
The Common
Park or garden
1.7 ha (4 acres)0.3 km of path
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Lavenham
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Chris Sayles · CC BY-SA 2.0COutdoors Grade
Outdoors in Lavenham · parks, paths & countryside
Lavenham has more park space per resident than 8 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Lavenham add up to 4.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 59% of residents. 23 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 2.6 for every square kilometre. Lavenham grades C for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
4.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
59%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
23 km
2.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Dedham Vale National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors village is Lavenham?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam4.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 83% of UK towns.Parks can be a walk away41% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Lavenham’s strongest suit is plenty of park space. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Outdoors grade
Lavenham grades C for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Lavenham, 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 34% of UK towns41st of 60 UK villages its size
Public green space4.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
83out of
100
100
A park within a walk59%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
19out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths2.6 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
48out 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
Lavenham is 41st of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,200 to 1,300 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
Lavenham2.6
Villages its size2.0
Suffolk towns2.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Lavenham4.2
Villages its size2.5
Suffolk towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Lavenham59%
Villages its size94%
Suffolk towns80%
All UK towns83%
Against villages its size, Lavenham 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 44 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastington Gloucestershire | A+ | 4.2 | 100% | 3.7 | 22% |
| 2 | Holmbridge West Yorkshire | A+ | 2.5 | 100% | 4.2 | 45% |
| 3 | Kirton Suffolk | A+ | 2.5 | 100% | 2.3 | 50% |
| 4 | Donisthorpe Leicestershire | A | 38.4 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 5 | Hoddlesden Lancashire | A | 11.4 | 100% | 4.5 | 0% |
| 6 | Rotherfield East Sussex | A | 5.6 | 100% | 1.7 | 91% |
| 7 | Thurgoland South Yorkshire | A | 2.5 | 100% | 4.1 | 1% |
| 8 | Haydon Bridge Northumberland | A | 7.2 | 100% | 1.7 | 26% |
| 9 | Cronton Merseyside | A | 6.8 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 10 | Lower Halstow Kent | A− | 1.5 | 100% | 2.5 | 4% |
| 11 | Nutley East Sussex | A− | 2.2 | 75% | 4.5 | 80% |
| 12 | East Hanney Oxfordshire | A− | 5.7 | 100% | 1.8 | 4% |
| 13 | Caldy Merseyside | A− | 19.3 | 47% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 14 | Thorpe Surrey | A− | 5.2 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 15 | Bonds Lancashire | A− | 1.7 | 100% | 3.5 | 16% |
| 16 | Herstmonceux East Sussex | A− | 3.4 | 100% | 1.5 | 36% |
| 17 | Foulridge Lancashire | A− | 9.4 | 23% | 5.4 | 4% |
| 18 | Felsted Essex | A− | 7.5 | 81% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 19 | Walberton West Sussex | B+ | 1.8 | 100% | 1.9 | 39% |
| 20 | Toll Bar South Yorkshire | B+ | 10.9 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 21 | King's Somborne Hampshire | B+ | 5.2 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 22 | Sharpness Gloucestershire | B+ | 2.1 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 23 | Canewdon Essex | B | 2.5 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 24 | Stoke Holy Cross Norfolk | B | 2.2 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 25 | Keinton Mandeville Somerset | B | 3.8 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Alconbury Weald Cambridgeshire | B | 5 | 100% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 27 | Portreath Cornwall | B | 1.1 | 78% | 2.3 | 8% |
| 28 | Corse Gloucestershire | B | 2.3 | 100% | 1.4 | 1% |
| 29 | Clarborough Nottinghamshire | B | 4 | 100% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 30 | Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Oxfordshire | B− | 2.5 | 72% | 2.2 | 40% |
| 31 | Trawden Lancashire | B− | 4 | 0% | 6.1 | 0% |
| 32 | Gilmorton Leicestershire | B− | 3.3 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 33 | Chulmleigh Devon | C+ | 3.5 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 34 | East Morton West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.1 | 89% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 35 | Trimdon Grange County Durham | C+ | 2.1 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Crondall Hampshire | C+ | 3.6 | 73% | 1.8 | 1% |
| 37 | Husbands Bosworth Leicestershire | C+ | 3 | 100% | 1 | 0% |
| 38 | Clehonger Herefordshire | C+ | 0.6 | 100% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 39 | Thorpe on the Hill West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.2 | 64% | 4 | 0% |
| 40 | Westhampnett West Sussex | C | 0.2 | 79% | 2.6 | 33% |
| 41 | Lavenham Suffolk | C | 4.2 | 59% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 42 | Ampleforth North Yorkshire | C | 2.3 | 27% | 1.7 | 95% |
| 43 | Medomsley County Durham | C | 1.6 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 44 | Warwick Bridge Cumbria | C | 6.5 | 78% | 1.3 | 0% |
| 45 | West Clandon Surrey | C | 1.9 | 49% | 2.1 | 28% |
| 46 | Clifton upon Dunsmore Warwickshire | C | 2.2 | 79% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 47 | South Killingholme Lincolnshire | C | 1.7 | 68% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 48 | Wolverley Worcestershire | C− | 7.2 | 23% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Crays Hill Essex | C− | 10.6 | 0% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 50 | Little Downham Cambridgeshire | C− | 2.8 | 61% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 51 | Sproatley East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 8.6 | 47% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Kirby-le-Soken Essex | C− | 0.7 | 0% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 53 | Coup Green Lancashire | D | 0.6 | 70% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Horton and Broadway Somerset | D | 0.5 | 45% | 1.9 | 14% |
| 55 | Beckingham Nottinghamshire | D | 2.6 | 28% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 56 | Walesby Nottinghamshire | D− | 1.1 | 50% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Rillington North Yorkshire | D− | 1 | 75% | 0.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Blackwell Worcestershire | D− | 0.7 | 29% | 2 | 0% |
| 59 | Sutton on Trent Nottinghamshire | D− | 0.5 | 39% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 60 | Prees Higher Heath Shropshire | D− | 0.7 | 26% | 0.9 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Lavenham’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 Lavenham
The biggest is The Common, 1.7 ha (4 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
6 in 10 Lavenham 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).
Within 400 m (59%)Further (41%)
Lavenham59%
Villages its size94%
Suffolk towns80%
All UK towns83%
About 500 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Dedham Vale National Landscape is 6.3 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
Footpaths & waymarked walks
6 waymarked walks pass through or near Lavenham
23 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Lavenham and the kilometre around it, 2.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
RegionalLocal
St Edmund Way7.3 km
Lavenham Woodland Walk, Lavenham Guildhall4.4 km
Suffolk Threads Heritage Trail3.6 km
Lavenham to Long Melford Railway Walk, Lavenham Guildhall3.6 km
Melford Hall to Lavenham Railway Walk, Melford Hall and Lavenham Guildhall3.6 km
Circular Walk2.4 km
The regional route here is the St Edmund 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 Lavenham: 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 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 52 | 47 | 43 | 41 | 50 | 53 | 56 | 66 | 51 | 64 | 66 | 60 |
April is the driest month (41 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 66 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 46 nights a year. The climate in Lavenham →
Things to do
2 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
Lavenham is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the village.
The Beach20 mi from Lavenham’s edge
DirectionsTrimley Shores22 mi from Lavenham’s edge
DirectionsHonolulu Beach22 mi from Lavenham’s edge
DirectionsWeymarks Beach25 mi from Lavenham’s edge
DirectionsSt Osyth Naturist Beach26 mi from Lavenham’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
Playgrounds 2
Plus 2 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.
ActonGreat WaldingfieldLong MelfordBildestonSudburyGlemsfordLavenham
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lavenham | C | 4.2 | 59% | 0% |
| Acton 3.1 mi | C | 1.6 | 100% | 0% |
| Great Waldingfield 3.7 mi | C | 2.0 | 100% | 0% |
| Long Melford 3.9 mi | B+ | 6.9 | 87% | 0% |
| Bildeston 4.7 mi | C− | 0.5 | 100% | 0% |
| Sudbury 5.4 mi | B | 3.8 | 77% | 0% |
| Glemsford 5.4 mi | C− | 1.1 | 84% | 0% |
Long Melford, 3.9 miles away, grades B+, the best next door: 87% 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 Lavenham
What is the biggest park in Lavenham?
The Common, 1.7 ha (4 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the village or within 400 m of it.
Is Lavenham near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Dedham Vale National Landscape, 6.3 mi south-east of the village’s edge. It covers 91 km² and was designated in 1970.
What are the best walks near Lavenham?
6 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the St Edmund Way, Lavenham Woodland Walk, Lavenham Guildhall and Suffolk Threads Heritage Trail.
What is the nearest beach to Lavenham?
The Beach, 20 mi from the edge of the village, then Trimley Shores (22 mi). Lavenham itself is inland.
How many people in Lavenham live near a park?
59% 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 Lavenham?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Lavenham good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.6 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 48% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 83% (4.2 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 Lavenham’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Lavenham’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.