Needham Market’s biggest
Crowley Park Playing Field
Playing field
3.2 ha (8 acres)
4 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Needham Market
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: Christopher Hilton · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Needham Market · parks, paths & countryside
Needham Market has more park space per resident than 9 in 10 UK towns
Parks and playing fields in Needham Market add up to 7.2 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. 56 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 4.0 for every square kilometre. 88% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Needham Market grades A− for the outdoors: #8 of 34 in Suffolk. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
7.2 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
88%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
56 km
4.0 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Needham Market?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Room to roam7.2 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents, more than 92% of UK towns.A town of footpaths4.0 km of path per km², more than 81% of UK towns. The typical town has 3.0.
Needham Market’s strongest suit is plenty of park space, followed by dense footpaths.
Outdoors grade
Needham Market grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Needham Market, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
A−
Better than 79% of UK towns#8 of 34 in Suffolk · 14th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space7.2 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
93out of
100
100
A park within a walk88%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
63out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape0%of the land within 5 km · None within 5 km
31out of
100
100
Footpaths4.0 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
81out 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.
Towns its size
Needham Market is 14th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 4,900 to 5,200 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
Needham Market4.0
Towns its size2.6
Suffolk towns2.5
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Needham Market7.2
Towns its size2.5
Suffolk towns2.1
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Needham Market88%
Towns its size75%
Suffolk towns80%
All UK towns83%
Against towns its size, Needham Market stands out most for park space per resident: only 10 of the other 59 have more.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pill Somerset | A+ | 5.2 | 100% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 2 | Whitehill Hampshire | A+ | 10.2 | 74% | 5.1 | 58% |
| 3 | Hungerford Berkshire | A+ | 9.1 | 85% | 3.2 | 100% |
| 4 | Burry Port Dyfed | A+ | 11.8 | 75% | 2.8 | 17% |
| 5 | Moreton-in-Marsh Gloucestershire | A | 5 | 100% | 1.8 | 55% |
| 6 | Rhymney Gwent | A | 2.9 | 97% | 3.8 | 6% |
| 7 | Meols Merseyside | A | 3.1 | 100% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 8 | Holmfirth West Yorkshire | A | 2.2 | 88% | 4.6 | 27% |
| 9 | Fitzwilliam and Kinsley West Yorkshire | A− | 11.5 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 10 | Joyden's Wood Kent | A− | 2.7 | 82% | 5.6 | 4% |
| 11 | Fordingbridge Hampshire | A− | 3.6 | 92% | 2 | 56% |
| 12 | Coleford Gloucestershire | A− | 2.8 | 66% | 4.3 | 48% |
| 13 | Elvetham Heath Hampshire | A− | 8.7 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 14 | Needham Market Suffolk | A− | 7.2 | 88% | 4 | 0% |
| 15 | Overseal and Castle Gresley Derbyshire | A− | 2.5 | 100% | 4.4 | 0% |
| 16 | Northam Devon | A− | 6.8 | 43% | 2 | 16% |
| 17 | Huthwaite Nottinghamshire | B+ | 8.1 | 75% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 18 | Seaton Cumbria | B+ | 2.5 | 87% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 19 | Cranbrook Devon | B+ | 6.4 | 87% | 1.9 | 1% |
| 20 | Hildenborough Kent | B+ | 6.5 | 40% | 2.8 | 46% |
| 21 | Long Ashton Somerset | B+ | 10.2 | 66% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Stone Cross East Sussex | B+ | 1.4 | 86% | 2.3 | 9% |
| 23 | Aspull Greater Manchester | B | 7.6 | 92% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 24 | Easingwold North Yorkshire | B | 4.3 | 86% | 1.5 | 14% |
| 25 | Grimethorpe South Yorkshire | B | 2.5 | 100% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 26 | Market Rasen Lincolnshire | B | 2.6 | 94% | 1.6 | 16% |
| 27 | Sedgefield County Durham | B | 6.2 | 81% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 28 | Redbourn Hertfordshire | B | 2.4 | 70% | 3.2 | 11% |
| 29 | Iver Heath Buckinghamshire | B | 28.9 | 53% | 3.8 | 0% |
| 30 | Headley Down and Headley Hampshire | B | 2.1 | 55% | 3.4 | 44% |
| 31 | Virginia Water Surrey | B | 14.5 | 72% | 3 | 0% |
| 32 | Abercarn Gwent | B− | 3 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 33 | Whitburn Tyne and Wear | B− | 2.5 | 46% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Wotton-under-Edge Gloucestershire | C+ | 0.4 | 32% | 5.4 | 60% |
| 35 | Wool Dorset | C+ | 2.3 | 51% | 2.5 | 33% |
| 36 | Sacriston County Durham | C+ | 2.1 | 72% | 4 | 0% |
| 37 | Steeton West Yorkshire | C+ | 1.3 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 38 | Moulton Northamptonshire | C+ | 3.3 | 88% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 39 | Barton-le-Clay Bedfordshire | C+ | 1.3 | 43% | 3.2 | 38% |
| 40 | Church Lancashire | C | 1.5 | 79% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Billinge Merseyside | C | 0.9 | 94% | 3 | 0% |
| 42 | Treharris Mid Glamorgan | C | 2.6 | 72% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 43 | Copthorne West Sussex | C | 1.2 | 62% | 2.9 | 13% |
| 44 | Bungay Suffolk | C | 0.5 | 78% | 2.6 | 12% |
| 45 | Sutton on Sea and Trusthorpe Lincolnshire | C | 1.8 | 67% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Odiham Hampshire | C | 1.9 | 72% | 2.8 | 0% |
| 47 | Jaywick Essex | C− | 1.1 | 75% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 48 | Shavington Cheshire | C− | 1.1 | 87% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 49 | Halesworth Suffolk | C− | 1.4 | 55% | 1.9 | 5% |
| 50 | Haslington Cheshire | D | 1.8 | 41% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 51 | Gresford Clwyd | D | 1.4 | 76% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 52 | Fleckney Leicestershire | D | 0.8 | 63% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 53 | Moorends South Yorkshire | D | 2.2 | 39% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 54 | Lepton West Yorkshire | D− | 0.9 | 36% | 2.3 | 0% |
| 55 | Wingate County Durham | D− | 1 | 64% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 56 | Harleston Norfolk | D− | 0.2 | 42% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 57 | Bulford Wiltshire | D− | 0.9 | 51% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 58 | Appley Bridge Greater Manchester | D− | 0.5 | 44% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Shotton Colliery County Durham | D− | 0.9 | 40% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 60 | Somerton Somerset | D− | 0.6 | 48% | 1 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Needham Market’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 Needham Market
The biggest is Crowley Park Playing Field, 3.2 ha (8 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
9 in 10 Needham Market 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 (88%)Further (12%)
Needham Market88%
Towns its size75%
Suffolk towns80%
All UK towns83%
About 600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 8 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 632 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
The Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape is 8.2 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.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
Footpaths & waymarked walks
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Needham Market
56 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Needham Market and the kilometre around it, 4.0 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
Other waymarked
Gipping Valley River Path9.2 km
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 Needham Market: 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) | 8.2 | 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 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 49 | 47 | 43 | 38 | 50 | 52 | 56 | 63 | 49 | 63 | 62 | 59 |
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 63 mm of rain falls in August, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in Needham Market →
Things to do
8 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
Needham Market is inland. These are the nearest named beaches, measured from the edge of the town.
Honolulu Beach12 mi from Needham Market’s edge
DirectionsTrimley Shores14 mi from Needham Market’s edge
DirectionsThe Beach23 mi from Needham Market’s edge
DirectionsBorrow Pit Bay24 mi from Needham Market’s edge
DirectionsBiana Bay24 mi from Needham Market’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
Fen Alder Carr0.3 mi from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 8
Plus 8 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.
StowmarketStowuplandGreat BlakenhamGreat BricettClaydonHaughleyNeedham Market
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needham Market | A− | 7.2 | 88% | 0% |
| Stowmarket 3.2 mi | C− | 0.8 | 50% | 0% |
| Stowupland 3.3 mi | A− | 5.3 | 83% | 0% |
| Great Blakenham 3.6 mi | C− | 3.6 | 70% | 0% |
| Great Bricett 4.1 mi | D− | 1.2 | 0% | 0% |
| Claydon 4.2 mi | C− | 2.8 | 72% | 0% |
| Haughley 5.6 mi | C | 3.0 | 71% | 0% |
Needham Market grades higher for the outdoors than every neighbour in the table. None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Needham Market
What is the biggest park in Needham Market?
Crowley Park Playing Field, 3.2 ha (8 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Needham Market near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape, 8.2 mi south-east of the town’s edge. It covers 443 km² and was designated in 1970.
What are the best walks near Needham Market?
1 waymarked walking route passes within 2 km of the town, including the Gipping Valley River Path.
What is the nearest beach to Needham Market?
Honolulu Beach, 12 mi from the edge of the town, then Trimley Shores (14 mi). Needham Market itself is inland.
How many people in Needham Market live near a park?
88% 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 Needham Market?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Needham Market good for walking?
For paths, yes: 4.0 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 81% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 93% (7.2 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 Needham Market’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Needham Market’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.