National Parks & AONB

Maps

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National Parks

There are 15 national parks in the United Kingdom with ten in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland. Born after the passing of the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, the Peak District was the first established in 1951.

So far I have completed maps of the Peak District and the North York Moors. A full list that I hope to complete in the years ahead is:

England
Dartmoor, Broads, Lake District, Exmoor, New Forest, Northumberland, Peak District, South Downs, North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales

Wales
Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire Coast and Snowdonia

Scotland
Cairngorms and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs

Area's of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

AONB were also born from the 1949 Countryside Act, recognising many smaller areas for protection that were unsuitable as national parks. The aims are the same for both but national parks have more autonomy and control over planning.

There are 46 AONB in Britain, the first was Gower in 1956 and the most recently established was Tamar Valley in 1995. The smallest is the Isles of Scilly at 16 km2 and the largest is the Cotswolds at 2,038 km2.

I live in the Cotswolds which was the first map I produced, but the collection is growing of these wonderful areas that so many live in, visit, admire and explore. Others include the Surrey Hills, Kent Downs, Chiltern Hills, Cranborne Chase, Dorset AONB, North Wessex Downs and High Weald.