Sutton Common is inside the Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape
56 km of footpaths run through the village and the kilometre around it, 3.9 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Sutton Common add up to 0.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Sutton Common grades C+ for the outdoors. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
What kind of outdoors village is Sutton Common?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Sutton Common’s strongest suit is a protected landscape all round, followed by dense footpaths. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Sutton Common grades C+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Sutton Common, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
100
100
100
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.
Sutton Common is 33rd 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.
Against villages its size, Sutton Common stands out most for path per km²: only 5 of the other 59 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 54 of the others do better.
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huncoat Lancashire | A+ | 10.1 | 100% | 4.9 | 1% |
| 2 | Clanfield Hampshire | A+ | 6.1 | 100% | 2.9 | 78% |
| 3 | Kirton Suffolk | A+ | 2.5 | 100% | 2.3 | 50% |
| 4 | Aldington Kent | A+ | 4.6 | 100% | 3.8 | 11% |
| 5 | Otterbourne Hampshire | A | 2.9 | 100% | 3.2 | 25% |
| 6 | Thurgoland South Yorkshire | A | 2.5 | 100% | 4.1 | 1% |
| 7 | Box Hill Surrey | A | 35.9 | 12% | 6 | 39% |
| 8 | Cliffs End Kent | A | 6.9 | 100% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 9 | Chew Magna Somerset | A | 2.4 | 100% | 3 | 15% |
| 10 | Millhouse Green South Yorkshire | A | 1.9 | 100% | 3.6 | 18% |
| 11 | Harlech Gwynedd | A− | 1.9 | 36% | 3.5 | 67% |
| 12 | Bradpole Dorset | A− | 0.9 | 100% | 3.3 | 95% |
| 13 | South Heath Buckinghamshire | A− | 20.4 | 0% | 3 | 85% |
| 14 | Westfield East Sussex | B+ | 1.9 | 100% | 1.9 | 83% |
| 15 | Tregarth Gwynedd | B+ | 1.5 | 100% | 2.9 | 23% |
| 16 | New Brancepeth County Durham | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3.5 | 0% |
| 17 | Baddesley Ensor Warwickshire | B+ | 18.3 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 18 | Bierton Buckinghamshire | B+ | 5.8 | 70% | 7.7 | 0% |
| 19 | Farningham Kent | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 2 | 33% |
| 20 | Billy Row County Durham | B | 2.3 | 100% | 3.1 | 0% |
| 21 | Horton Kirby Kent | B | 5.9 | 78% | 1.7 | 21% |
| 22 | Bunbury Cheshire | B | 2.6 | 100% | 2.7 | 0% |
| 23 | Talgarth Powys | B | 5.7 | 71% | 1.5 | 52% |
| 24 | Kilgetty Dyfed | B | 1 | 100% | 0.9 | 18% |
| 25 | Minster Lovell Oxfordshire | B | 3.6 | 79% | 1.5 | 37% |
| 26 | Sutton Benger Wiltshire | B | 2.7 | 100% | 2.4 | 0% |
| 27 | Beer Devon | B | 1.6 | 50% | 2.2 | 43% |
| 28 | Eckington Worcestershire | B | 4.1 | 72% | 1.9 | 23% |
| 29 | Potten End Hertfordshire | B− | 2.4 | 73% | 2.2 | 44% |
| 30 | Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Oxfordshire | B− | 2.5 | 72% | 2.2 | 40% |
| 31 | Wyton Cambridgeshire | B− | 4.9 | 100% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 32 | Marlpit Hill Kent | B− | 2.5 | 0% | 2.9 | 35% |
| 33 | Sutton Common Suffolk | C+ | 0.8 | 51% | 3.9 | 85% |
| 34 | Gaerwen Gwynedd | C+ | 1.5 | 100% | 0.4 | 7% |
| 35 | Weobley Herefordshire | C+ | 1.6 | 100% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 36 | Ashill Norfolk | C+ | 3.7 | 82% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 37 | Ampleforth North Yorkshire | C | 2.3 | 27% | 1.7 | 95% |
| 38 | Bradfield Essex | C | 1.4 | 27% | 1.5 | 35% |
| 39 | Stoke Hampshire | C | 0.3 | 0% | 2 | 32% |
| 40 | Silkstone Common South Yorkshire | C | 1.5 | 63% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 41 | Ponthir Gwent | C | 2.9 | 78% | 1.8 | 0% |
| 42 | Coedhirwaun West Glamorgan | C | 2 | 100% | 0.4 | 0% |
| 43 | Foxton Cambridgeshire | C | 2.3 | 84% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 44 | Hanwood Shropshire | C− | 1.9 | 19% | 2.6 | 3% |
| 45 | Weeley Essex | C− | 7.5 | 0% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 46 | Aldbrough East Riding of Yorkshire | C− | 2.1 | 26% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 47 | Trewoon Cornwall | D | 0.9 | 71% | 1.7 | 6% |
| 48 | Blyth Nottinghamshire | D | 2.5 | 76% | 0.3 | 0% |
| 49 | Burton on the Wolds Leicestershire | D | 2.5 | 31% | 2 | 0% |
| 50 | Yardley Gobion Northamptonshire | D | 1.2 | 47% | 3 | 0% |
| 51 | East Markham Nottinghamshire | D | 2.2 | 46% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 52 | Southery Norfolk | D | 2 | 61% | 1.7 | 0% |
| 53 | Dishforth North Yorkshire | D | 2.3 | 68% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 54 | Fleet Hargate Lincolnshire | D | 1.7 | 76% | 0.7 | 0% |
| 55 | Hadham Cross Hertfordshire | D | 0 | 0% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 56 | Elvington North Yorkshire | D | 2.1 | 0% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 57 | Felton Northumberland | D− | 1.7 | 50% | 1.4 | 0% |
| 58 | Sutton on Trent Nottinghamshire | D− | 0.5 | 39% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 59 | Walsham le Willows Suffolk | D− | 0.4 | 0% | 2 | 0% |
| 60 | Helpston Cambridgeshire | D− | 0 | 0% | 1.7 | 0% |
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Sutton Common’s built-up area.
5 in 10 Sutton Common 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).
About 600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 5 playgrounds are mapped in and around the village, about one for every 252 residents.
National Parks and National Landscapes around Sutton Common
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
85% of the land within 5 km of Sutton Common is National Park or National Landscape, more than 97% of UK towns.
2 waymarked walks pass through or near Sutton Common
56 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Sutton Common and the kilometre around it, 3.9 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the village.
Close to home, the Rendlesham Forest UFO Trail has 5 km of local walk within 2 km of the village. The regional route here is the Sandlings Walk.
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 Sutton Common: 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 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 53 | 46 | 40 | 36 | 45 | 52 | 51 | 57 | 51 | 65 | 62 | 62 |
April is the driest month (36 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 22 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 65 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 31 nights a year. The climate in Sutton Common →
Beaches near Sutton Common
4% of the area within 5 km of Sutton Common is sea, so the Outdoors Grade counts it as inland. 3 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 1 with a name.
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.
2 viewpoints and 5 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
Viewpoints 2
Nature reserves 1
Playgrounds 5
Plus 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton Common | C+ | 0.8 | 51% | 85% |
| Melton 2.9 mi | A+ | 6.5 | 100% | 33% |
| Woodbridge 3.2 mi | B+ | 1.7 | 80% | 30% |
| Rendlesham 3.4 mi | C− | 0.8 | 52% | 59% |
| Martlesham 4.6 mi | B | 2.1 | 69% | 24% |
| Martlesham Heath 4.9 mi | A− | 3.5 | 68% | 25% |
| Wickham Market 5.0 mi | C | 2.5 | 64% | 7% |
Melton, 2.9 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Melton, Woodbridge and Martlesham have at least twice Sutton Common’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Sutton Common
What are the best walks near Sutton Common?
2 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the village, including the Sandlings Walk and Rendlesham Forest UFO Trail.
How many people in Sutton Common live near a park?
51% 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 Sutton Common?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Sutton Common good for walking?
For paths, yes: 3.9 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 79% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 9% (0.8 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 Sutton Common’s overall grade.
Where Sutton Common’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.