Photo: Andrew Hill · CC BY-SA 2.0Shotley Gate is on the coast, on the King Charles III England Coast Path
The sea makes up 35% of the area within 5 km. The Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape reaches the edge of Shotley Gate. Parks and playing fields in Shotley Gate add up to 1.0 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Shotley Gate grades A− for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Shotley Gate?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Shotley Gate’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by parks close to every home. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Shotley Gate grades A− for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Shotley Gate, 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.
Shotley Gate is 13th of 60 UK villages its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 1,300 to 1,500 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Against villages its size, Shotley Gate stands out most for homes near a park: none of the other 59 has more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 50 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dwygyfylchi Clwyd | A+ | 3.2 | 83% | 4.3 | 28% |
| 2 | Trull Somerset | A+ | 5.9 | 100% | 3.9 | 20% |
| 3 | Troon Cornwall | A+ | 6.2 | 100% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 4 | Kingswood Gloucestershire | A | 2.1 | 100% | 3.7 | 45% |
| 5 | Tir-y-berth and Glan-y-nant Gwent | A | 22.1 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 6 | New Houghton Derbyshire | A | 33.8 | 100% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 7 | Jump South Yorkshire | A | 5.1 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 8 | St Day Cornwall | A | 3.2 | 100% | 4.7 | 0% |
| 9 | Chaldon Surrey | A− | 7.4 | 50% | 4.9 | 24% |
| 10 | Five Oak Green Kent | A− | 3 | 100% | 2 | 30% |
| 11 | Hallow Worcestershire | A− | 3.7 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 12 | Wigginton North Yorkshire | A− | 4.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 0% |
| 13 | Shotley Gate Suffolk | A− | 1 | 100% | 1.5 | 34% |
| 14 | Grundisburgh Suffolk | B+ | 2.2 | 100% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 15 | Carway Dyfed | B+ | 17 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 16 | Stanwell Moor Surrey | B+ | 2.4 | 100% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 17 | Brookwood Surrey | B+ | 8.5 | 59% | 6.2 | 0% |
| 18 | Emley West Yorkshire | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 19 | Handcross West Sussex | B | 9.6 | 58% | 1.9 | 87% |
| 20 | Cowling North Yorkshire | B | 1.3 | 100% | 6 | 0% |
| 21 | Wedmore Somerset | B | 4.7 | 60% | 3.1 | 1% |
| 22 | Trevor Clwyd | B | 2 | 60% | 3.5 | 55% |
| 23 | Kelloe County Durham | B | 5.6 | 42% | 6 | 0% |
| 24 | Woolmer Green Hertfordshire | B | 1.3 | 100% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 25 | Tye Green Essex | B | 2 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 26 | Bentley Hampshire | B | 1.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 22% |
| 27 | Calvert Buckinghamshire | B | 3.3 | 100% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 28 | Abertysswg Gwent | B | 2.5 | 85% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 29 | Little Hallingbury Essex | B− | 1 | 100% | 4.2 | 0% |
| 30 | Brigstock Northamptonshire | B− | 8.2 | 84% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 31 | Warkworth Northumberland | B− | 1.8 | 76% | 1.3 | 9% |
| 32 | Bishop Sutton Somerset | B− | 2.3 | 64% | 2.5 | 36% |
| 33 | Orsett Essex | B− | 4.4 | 100% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 34 | Ashton Keynes Wiltshire | C+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 35 | Robertsbridge East Sussex | C+ | 2 | 38% | 2.7 | 100% |
| 36 | Pilning Gloucestershire | C+ | 2 | 54% | 2.6 | 0% |
| 37 | Gelligaer Gwent | C+ | 2.3 | 100% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 38 | Shortlanesend Cornwall | C+ | 1 | 100% | 1.7 | 2% |
| 39 | Thorner West Yorkshire | C+ | 2.1 | 74% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 40 | Benenden Kent | C | 2 | 57% | 1.7 | 83% |
| 41 | Barlaston Staffordshire | C | 2.7 | 80% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 42 | Brailsford Derbyshire | C | 0.9 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 43 | Slip End Bedfordshire | C | 1.9 | 22% | 2.3 | 28% |
| 44 | Hurley Warwickshire | C | 2.8 | 75% | 2.2 | 0% |
| 45 | Stewkley Buckinghamshire | C | 4.2 | 74% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 46 | Easebourne West Sussex | C | 0.4 | 0% | 2.9 | 100% |
| 47 | Salhouse Norfolk | C− | 1.9 | 71% | 1 | 17% |
| 48 | Blofield Heath Norfolk | C− | 2.5 | 43% | 0.9 | 17% |
| 49 | Penperlleni Gwent | C− | 0.6 | 80% | 1.7 | 17% |
| 50 | Newton Flotman Norfolk | C− | 2.5 | 78% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 51 | Thorrington Essex | C− | 1.2 | 65% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 52 | Perham Down Wiltshire | D | 0.8 | 42% | 2.2 | 17% |
| 53 | Ranskill Nottinghamshire | D | 0.4 | 100% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 54 | Meon Vale Warwickshire | D | 0.4 | 50% | 1.4 | 19% |
| 55 | Stillington County Durham | D | 1.4 | 77% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 56 | Byram North Yorkshire | D | 2.1 | 19% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Barford Warwickshire | D | 2.1 | 58% | 0.5 | 0% |
| 58 | Friday Bridge Cambridgeshire | D− | 1 | 79% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 59 | Easton Norfolk | D− | 1 | 0% | 1.2 | 0% |
| 60 | Langham Rutland | D− | 0.3 | 23% | 1.3 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Shotley Gate’s built-up area.
Everyone in Shotley Gate lives 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).
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 8 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 177 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Shotley Gate
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.
Suffolk Coast & Heaths
34% of the land within 5 km of Shotley Gate is National Park or National Landscape, more than 85% of UK towns.
Shotley Gate is on the King Charles III England Coast Path
11 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Shotley Gate and the kilometre around it, 1.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
The King Charles III England Coast Path, a national route, passes Shotley Gate. 2 regional routes pass through, including the Stour & Orwell Walk and Essex Way (Ramsey to Harwich).
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 Shotley Gate: 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 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.7 | 16.3 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 48 | 42 | 37 | 35 | 45 | 50 | 48 | 56 | 49 | 61 | 59 | 58 |
April is the driest month (35 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 27 nights a year. The climate in Shotley Gate →
The coast and beaches near Shotley Gate
35% of the area within 5 km of Shotley Gate is sea. 5 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 1 with a name.
The King Charles III England Coast Path passes the town.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
8 playgrounds
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.
Every named place, with directions
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 8
Plus 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shotley Gate | A− | 1.0 | 100% | 34% |
| Harwich 1.9 mi | A− | 1.7 | 95% | 20% |
| Trimley St Mary 2.8 mi | A+ | 2.3 | 100% | 34% |
| Trimley St Martin 3.0 mi | A+ | 1.7 | 100% | 43% |
| Felixstowe 3.5 mi | A− | 2.0 | 88% | 28% |
| Kirton 4.0 mi | A+ | 2.5 | 100% | 50% |
| Holbrook 4.9 mi | B+ | 1.1 | 74% | 52% |
Trimley St Mary, 2.8 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Trimley St Mary, Felixstowe and Kirton have at least twice Shotley Gate’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Shotley Gate
Is Shotley Gate near a National Park?
It covers 443 km² and was designated in 1970.
What are the best walks near Shotley Gate?
4 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Stour & Orwell Walk, King Charles III England Coast Path: Shotley Gate to Felixstowe Ferry and European walking route E2, UK, East of England.
How many people in Shotley Gate 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 Shotley Gate?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Shotley Gate 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 13% (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 Shotley Gate’s overall grade.
Where Shotley Gate’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.