The Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point of Pen Y Fan (886 m/2907 feet) to Corn Du (873 m/2864 feet).

The national parks of England and Wales are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that are designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. Despite the name, national parks in England and Wales are quite different from those in many other countries, where national parks are owned and managed by the government as a protected community resource, and permanent human communities are not a part of the landscape. In England and Wales, designation as a national park can include substantial settlements and land uses which are often integral parts of the landscape, and land within a national park remains largely in private ownership. Image File history File links LinkFA-star. ... Part of the Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point Pen Y Fan (2907 feet, 886 metres) to Corn Du (2864 feet, 873 metres). ... Part of the Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point Pen Y Fan (2907 feet, 886 metres) to Corn Du (2864 feet, 873 metres). ... Part of the Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point Pen y Fan, 886 m (2907 feet), to Corn Du, 873 m (2864 feet) The Brecon Beacons National Park is one of three national parks in Wales. ... Pen y Fan is the highest mountain in south Wales, part of the Brecon Beacons. ... The metre, or meter, is a measure of length, approximately equal to 3. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a meter. ... Photograph of a landscape A landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including physical elements such as landforms, living elements of flora and fauna, abstract elements such as lighting and weather conditions, and human elements, for instance human activity or the built environment. ... The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 is the UK Act of Parliament which created the Countryside Commission (which later became the Countryside Agency), provided the framework for the creation of national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales, and also addressed public... Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales A national park is a reserve of land, usually owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom, England and Wales and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ...

There are currently 12 national parks (Welsh: parciau cenedlaethol) in England and Wales (see List of national parks). A further area in England — the South Downs — is in the process of being designated as a national park. Each park is operated by its own National Park Authority, with two "statutory purposes": Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom, England and Wales and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... Near Beachy Head The South Downs is one of the two areas of chalk downland in southern England. ... An Australian park A park is any of a number of geographic features. ... A National Park Authority is a special term used in the United Kingdom for the legal body in charge of a National park. ...

1. to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area, and
2. to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the park's special qualities by the public.

An estimated 110 million people visit the national parks of England and Wales each year. Recreation and tourism bring visitors and funds into the parks, to sustain their conservation efforts and support the local population through jobs and businesses. These visitors also bring problems, such as erosion and traffic congestion, and conflicts over the use of the parks' resources. Various species of deer are commonly seen wildlife across the Americas and Eurasia. ... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... Tigers playing in the water. ... More than 3 million tourists visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, India in 2004. ... Conservation can be confused with conversation and vice versa. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock, and other particles) by the agents of wind, water, ice, movement in response to gravity, or living organisms (in the case of bioerosion). ... Traffic jams are common in heavily populated areas. ...

History

Untamed countryside?

Archaeological evidence from prehistoric Britain demonstrates that the areas now designated as national parks have had human occupation since the Stone Age, at least 5,000 years ago and in some cases much earlier. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech/discourse) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Ancient Britain was a period in the human occupation of Great Britain that extended throughout prehistory, ending with the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43. ... Stone Age fishing hook. ...

Scafell Pike (right) and Scafell (left) in the Lake District National Park, as seen from Crinkle Crags.

Before the 19th century, relatively wild, remote areas were often seen simply as uncivilised and dangerous. In 1725, Daniel Defoe described the High Peak as "the most desolate, wild and abandoned country in all England.". However, by the early 19th century, romantic poets such as Byron, Coleridge and Wordsworth wrote about the inspirational beauty of the "untamed" countryside. Significantly, in 1810, Wordsworth described the Lake District as a "sort of national property in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy". This early vision took over a century, and much controversy, to take legal form in the UK with the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. Download high resolution version (1280x960, 119 KB)My photo of scafell pike File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1280x960, 119 KB)My photo of scafell pike File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... At 978 metres (3,208 feet), Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England. ... Sca Fell (called Scafell by Wainwright) is a mountain in the English Lake District. ... Crinkle Crags as seen from the adjoining fell of Cold Pike. ... Crinkle Crags is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria. ... Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (1660 [?] â€“ April 1731) was an English writer, journalist and spy, who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. ... The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England. ... Romantic poetry was part of the Romantic movement of European literature during the 18th-19th centuries. ... Lord Byron, Anglo-Scottish poet George Gordon Byron (later George Gordon Noel) 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale (January 22, 1788–April 19, 1824) was an Anglo-Scottish poet and a leading figure in Romanticism. ... Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet, 1795 Samuel Taylor Coleridge (October 21, 1772 – July 25, 1834) was an English poet, critic, and philosopher who was, along with his friend William Wordsworth, one of the founders of the Romantic Movement in England and one of the Lake Poets. ... William Wordsworth, English poet William Wordsworth (April 7, 1770 – April 23, 1850) was a major English romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their 1798 joint publication, Lyrical Ballads. ... The panorama across Eskdale from Ill Crag. ...

The idea for a form of national parks was first proposed in the United States in the 1860s, where National Parks were established to protect wilderness areas such as Yosemite. This model has been used in many other countries since, but not in the United Kingdom. After thousands of years of human integration into the landscape, Britain lacks natural areas of wilderness. Furthermore, those areas of natural beauty so cherished by the romantic poets were often only maintained and managed in their existing state by human activity, usually agriculture. This article is about national parks. ... Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana, United States Wilderness is land that has not been significantly modified by direct or indirect human activity. ... Yosemite redirects here. ...

Government support for national parks is established

By the early 1930s, increasing public interest in the countryside, coupled with the growing and newly mobile urban population, was generating increasing friction between those seeking access to the countryside and landowners. Alongside of direct action trespasses, such as the mass trespass of Kinder Scout, several voluntary bodies took up the cause of public access in the political arena. Rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. ... The mass trespass of Kinder Scout was an act of willful law-breaking by ramblers in the United Kingdom. ...

In 1931, Christopher Addison (later Lord Addison) chaired a government committee that proposed a 'National Park Authority' to choose areas for designation as national parks. A system of national reserves and nature sanctuaries was proposed: Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison, KG, PC (19 June 1869 - 11 December British medical doctor and politician. ...

"(i) to safeguard areas of exceptional natural interest against (a) disorderly development and (b) spoliation; (ii) to improve the means of access for pedestrians to areas of natural beauty; and (iii) to promote measures for the protection of flora and fauna."

However, no further action was taken after the intervention of the 1931 General Election. In Botany a Flora (or Floræ) is a collective term for plant life and can also refer to a descriptive catalogue of the plants of any geographical area, geological period, etc. ... Fauna is a collective term for animal life. ... The UK general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. ...

The voluntary Standing Committee on National Parks first met on 26 May 1936 to put the case to the government for national parks in the UK. After World War II, the Labour Party proposed the establishment of national parks as part of the post-war reconstruction of the UK. A report by John Dower, secretary of the Standing Committee on National Parks, to the Minister of Town and Country Planning in 1945 was followed in 1947 by a Government committee, this time chaired by Sir Arthur Hobhouse, which prepared legislation for national parks, and proposed 12 national parks. Sir Arthur had this to say on the criteria for designating suitable areas: May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... The Labour Party has since its formation in the early 20th century been the principal left wing political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... For the historian, see John W. Dower. ... Sir Arthur Hobhouse (February 15, 1886 _ January 20, 1965) was a long-serving English local government politician, who is best remembered as the architect of the system of National parks of England and Wales. ...

"The essential requirements of a National Park are that it should have great natural beauty, a high value for open-air recreation and substantial continuous extent. Further, the distribution of selected areas should as far as practicable be such that at least one of them is quickly accessible from each of the main centres of population in England and Wales. Lastly there is merit in variety and with the wide diversity of landscape which is available in England and Wales, it would be wrong to confine the selection of National Parks to the more rugged areas of mountain and moorland, and to exclude other districts which, though of less outstanding grandeur and wildness, have their own distinctive beauty and a high recreational value."

National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949

Hadrian's Wall crosses Northumberland National Park.

The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 was passed with all party support. The first 10 national parks were designated as such in the 1950s under the Act in mostly poor-quality agricultural upland. The land was still owned by individual landowners, often private estates, but also property owned by public bodies such as the Crown, or charities which allow and encourage access such as the National Trust. Accessibility from the cities was also considered important. Photo by Keith Edkins File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Photo by Keith Edkins File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Pieces of Hadrians Wall remain near Greenhead and along the route, though large sections have been dismantled over the years to use the stones for various nearby construction projects. ... Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. ... In Geology an upland is generally considered to be land that is at a higher elevation than the alluvial plain or stream terrace, which are considered to be lowlands. ... The Crown is a term which is used to separate the government authority and property of the state in a kingdom from any personal influence and private assets held by the current Monarch. ... The standard of the National Trust The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as The National Trust, is a British preservation organization. ... Historically, city status was associated with the presence of a cathedral, such as York Minster. ...

Other areas were also considered: for example, parts of the coast of Cornwall were considered as a possible national park in the 1950s but were thought to be too disparate to form a single coherent national park and were eventually designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) instead. The north Pennines were also considered for designation as a national park in the 1970s but the proposal was thought to be administratively too difficult because the area was administered by 5 different county councils. Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county at the extreme South-West of England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales (AONB) is one of 41 areas in England or Wales that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government. ... Typical Pennine scenery. ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ...

Later additions

The Broads are not in the strictest sense a national park, being run by a separately constituted Broads Authority set up by a special Act of Parliament in 1988, but the differences are sufficiently small that this entity is always regarded as being "equivalent to" a national park. It has been suggested that Norfolk_Broads be merged into this article or section. ... In Westminster System parliaments, an Act of Parliament is a part of the law passed by the Parliament. ...

The New Forest was designated as a national park on March 1, 2005. Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River For other uses, see New Forest (disambiguation). ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A further national park in the South Downs is proposed, and received support from the government in September 1999. The South Downs is the last of the 12 areas chosen in the 1947 Hobhouse Report which has yet to become a national park. As of February 2005, a public inquiry is being held to decide the boundaries of the proposed national park. The Inquiry sat for 90 days in 2004 before being formally closed on 23 March 2005, [1]. The report from the inspector is expected to be published in the first months of 2006, and designation process is expected to take another two to three years. Near Beachy Head The South Downs is one of the two areas of chalk downland in southern England. ... The as of technique is a way to deal with statements that date quickly. ... In the politics and government of Commonwealth countries such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, a public inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by the government. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Organisation

Since April 1997, following the Environment Act 1995, each national park has been managed by its own National Park Authority. Previously, all but the Peak District and the Lake District were governed by the local county councils. The Peak District and the Lake District, the first two national parks to be designated, were under the control of Planning Boards that were independent of the local county councils. The Environment Act 1995 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which created a number of new agencies and set new standards for environmental management. ... The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England. ... The panorama across Eskdale from Ill Crag. ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ... The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England. ... The panorama across Eskdale from Ill Crag. ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ...

Each Authority is required to carry out two "statutory purposes":

1. to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area; and
2. to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the parks' special qualities by the public.

These purposes can conflict: in such cases, under the 'Sandford Principle', conservation comes first. This principle was given statutory force by section 62 of the Environment Act 1995. In pursuing these purposes, National Park Authorities also have a duty to foster the social and economic well-being of their local communities. The Sandford Principle is a concept in the management of protected landscapes in the United Kingdom. ... A statute is a formal, written law of a country or state, written and enacted by its legislative authority, perhaps to then be ratified by the highest executive in the government, and finally published. ...

Slightly over half the members of each National Park Authority are appointees from the Principal Local Authorities covered by the park; the remainder are appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, some to represent local parish councils, others selected to represent the "national interest". The Broads Authority also has members appointed by the Countryside Agency, English Nature, Great Yarmouth Port Authority and the Environment Agency. The National Park and Broad Authorities are covered by similar regulatory controls to those applied to local councils. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a UK cabinet-level position in charge of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the successor to the positions of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Secretary of State for the Environment. ... In England a civil parish (usually just parish) is the lowest unit of local government, lower than districts or counties. ... The Countryside Agency in England is a statutory body with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living in it. ... English Nature is the United Kingdom Government Agency that promotes the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England. ... Map sources for Great Yarmouth at grid reference TG5207 Great Yarmouth is an English coastal town in the county of Norfolk. ... (see also the List of environmental organizations) The Environment Agency (Welsh: Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd) of England and Wales was created by the Environment Act 1995, along with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. ...

Funding for national parks is complex, but essentially the full cost of each Park Authority is funded from central government funds. In the past this was partly paid for by local authorities, and refunded to them from the government to varying degrees. In 2003/2004, the Park Authorities received around £35.5 million of central government funding.

The Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales are the statutory bodies responsible for designating new national parks, subject to approval by the Secretary of State. The Association of National Park Authorities exists to provide the Park Authorities with a single voice when dealing with government and its agencies. The Council for National Parks is a charity that works to protect and enhance the national parks of England and Wales. The Countryside Agency in England is a statutory body with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living in it. ... The Countryside Council for Wales (Welsh: Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru) is the United Kingdom Governments wildlife conservation authority for Wales. ... The Association of National Park Authorities is a body exists to provide the National Park Authorities of England and Wales with a single voice when dealing with government and its agencies. ... The Council for National Parks is a UK registered charity promoting the National parks of England and Wales. ... Allegorical personification of Charity as a mother with three infants by Anthony van Dyck Charity, meaning selfless giving, is one conventional English translation of the Greek term agapē. // Etymology In the 1400, charity meant the state of love or simple affection which one was in or out of regarding one...

Planning in national parks

National Park Authorities are strategic and local planning authorities for their areas. They are responsible for maintaining the Local Development Framework — the spatial planning guide for their area. They also grant planning consent for development, within the constraints of the Framework. This gives them very considerable direct control over residential and industrial development, and the design of buildings and other structures; as well as strategic matters such as mineral extraction. A Local Development Framework is the spatial planning strategy introduced in England and Wales by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. ... Spatial planning refers to the methods used by the public sector to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. ...

The National Park Authorities' planning powers vary only slightly from other authorities, but the policies and their interpretation are stricter than elsewhere. This is supported and encouraged by the Government who regard:

"National Park designation as conferring the highest status of protection as far as landscape and scenic beauty are concerned." The Countryside — Environmental Quality and Economic and Social Development (1997)

Conflicts in national parks

The National Park Authorities have two roles: to conserve and enhance the park, and to promote its use by visitors. These two objectives cause frequent conflicts between the needs of different groups of people. It is estimated that the national parks of England and Wales receive 110 million visitors each year. Although recreation and tourism brings many benefits to an area, it also brings a number of problems. The national funding offered to National Park Authorities is partly in recognition of the extra difficulties created in dealing with these conflicts.

Congestion of villages and beauty spots 

Some of the most popular "honeypot" areas attract large numbers of visitors, resulting in overcrowded car parks, blocked roads, and overstretched local facilities, particularly on Sundays in the summer and on bank holidays. Examples include the areas near Keswick in the Lake District and Buxton and Bakewell in the Peak District.

Erosion 

Walking and use of other public rights-of-way is an extremely popular use of all the national parks. Heavy use of the most popular paths leads to considerable erosion, but strengthening of paths can be unsightly. Particularly heavy wear is caused by sponsored walks, walks promoted by national books and magazines, by horse riding on unsurfaced bridleways, and use of off-road vehicles on green lanes. Examples include Dovedale in the Peak District. Over-grazing, for example, by sheep on hill and moorland areas, can also reduce vegetation, leading to increased erosion.

Damage and disturbance to wildlife 

Wildlife may be disturbed by the level of use on some of the areas of the parks that are open to the public. Moorland and chalk downland is easily damaged by regular use, and takes many years to recover. Moorland birds in particular nest and roost on the ground and are therefore especially sensitive. Orienteering, mountain biking and hang gliding are typical activities which are likely to cause disturbance to nesting birds.

Litter 

Litter of all kinds is both unsightly and can cause pollution and damage to livestock and wild animals. Broken glass is a danger to people and, by focusing the rays of the sun, a possible cause of fire, particularly in areas of moorland such as Exmoor, parts of the Peak District and the North York Moors.

Damage to farmland 

Trampling of grass meadows reduces the amount of winter feed for farm animals. Walkers who stray from footpaths may climb over fences or dry stone walls rather than looking out for the stiles that mark the course of footpaths across farmland. Sheep can be injured or even killed by dogs not under proper control, especially at lambing time.

Local community displacement 

Gift shops and cafés which cater for the needs of tourists are often more profitable than shops selling everyday goods for local people (such as butchers or bakers). In some villages where tourist shops are in the majority and there are few shops catering for the local people, the local community may feel pushed out by the tourists. Prices of houses are often very high in tourist villages, and are purchased as second homes or holiday homes by holiday cottage firms or rich incomers who have their main homes elsewhere, leaving local families struggling to afford the inflated price of accommodation. This is a particular problem in areas within easy commuting distance of large cities, such as the Peak District, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the New Forest.

Conflict between recreational users 

Some forms of use of national parks interfere with other uses. For example, use of high-speed boats causes noise pollution, and conflicts with other uses such as boat trips, yachting, canoeing, and swimming. A controversial bylaw imposing a 10 miles per hour speed limit came into force on Windermere on 29 March 2005. The new speed limit for Windermere effectively prohibits speedboats and water skiing in the Lake District (of the 16 larger lakes in the Lake District, only Windermere, Coniston Water, Derwent Water and Ullswater have a public right of navigation; speed limits were imposed on the three lakes other than Windermere in the 1970s and 1980s).

In geography, a honeypot is a particularly popular attraction within a managed tourist area, such as a national park. ... Parking lot is the American English term that refers to a cleared area that is more or less level and is intended for parking vehicles. ... A Bank Holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom and also in the Republic of Ireland. ... The Moot Hall in the centre of Keswick. ... No-one in Buxton buys Buxton Water in the shops — they bring their bottles to St Anns Well and get it for free Map sources for Buxton at grid reference SK059735 Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England and the gateway to the Peak District National Park. ... Location within the British Isles Bakewell is a small market town in Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from Badecas Well. It is the only town in the Peak District. ... Woman walking downstairs Walk redirects here. ... In the United Kingdom, rights of way are paths on which the public have a legally-protected right to travel. ... In England and Wales, a bridleway is a way over which the public have the following, but no other, rights of way: a right of way on foot and a right of way on horseback or leading a horse, with or without a right to drive animals of any description... A green lane is a type of road. ... The River Dove, Derbyshire is the principal river of the south-western Peak District, in the English Midlands. ... Species See text. ... Various species of deer are commonly seen wildlife across the Americas and Eurasia. ... Heaths are anthropogenic habitats found primarily in northern and western Europe, where they have been created by thousands of years of human clearance of natural forest vegetation by grazing and burning on mainly infertile acidic soils. ... A downland is an area of open chalk upland. ... The international orienteering symbol. ... Mountain biker riding in the Arizona desert. ... Hang gliding is one of the windsports. ... Litter in the habitat of a lizard. ... Water pollution Pollution is the release of environmental contaminants. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... Look up focus in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Sun is the star at the center of Earths solar system. ... Dunster Yarn Market (a covered market for the sale of local cloth, built in 1609) and Dunster Castle, Exmoor Exmoor National Park is a national park situated on the Bristol Channel coast of Devon and Somerset in South West England. ... The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England. ... North York Moors National Park is a National Park in the north of England. ... A meadow is a tract of grassland, either in its natural state or used as pasture or for growing hay. ... Detail of a dry stone wall in the Yorkshire Dales. ... Other meanings Turnstile, a one way gate. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Lamb. ... Coffeehouse in Damascus A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant. ... 19th century Cottages in the small hamlet of Crafton, Buckinghamshire A cottage is a small house of any period. ... 19th century Cottages in the small hamlet of Crafton, Buckinghamshire A cottage is a small house of any period. ... A Holiday Cottage is a type of vacation accommodation which has become common in the United Kingdom and Canada. ... The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England. ... The panorama across Eskdale from Ill Crag. ... A village in the Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales lie in an area of high ground in North and West Yorkshire, England. ... Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River For other uses, see New Forest (disambiguation). ... Some boats in a harbor in Miami Beach, Florida A boat is a watercraft, usually smaller than most ships. ... Noise pollution is unwanted human-created sound that disrupts the environment. ... A modern yacht A yacht (From Dutch Jacht meaning hunt(er)) was originally defined as a light, fast sailing vessel used to convey important persons. ... Aluminum canoe, Upper Klamath Lake Canoeing on the Concord River. ... A breaststroke swimmer Swimming is a technique to move unaided through water. ... A Bylaw (sometimes also seen as By-Law or ByLaw) was originally the Viking town law in the Danelaw. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... A speed limit is the maximum speed allowed by law for vehicles on a road. ... Windermere from the north. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A 1962 Rebel. A wooden speedboat with an outboard engine. ... Recreational skiiers typically use two skis — other techniques abound. ... The panorama across Eskdale from Ill Crag. ... Coniston Water as seen from Holme Fell, 3 kilometres to the north. ... A view of Derwent Water in the English Lake District Derwent Water (alternative spelling, Derwentwater) is one of the principal bodies of water in the Lake District National Park in the north of England. ... The middle and lower reaches of Ullswater from Hallin Fell Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being approximately 9 miles (14. ... There are several traditions of navigation. ...

List of national parks

Key National Park Est. km² 1 Peak District 1951 1,438 2 Lake District 1951 2,292 3 Snowdonia (Welsh: Eryri) 1951 2,142 4 Dartmoor 1951 956 5 Pembrokeshire Coast (Welsh: Arfordir Penfro) 1952 620 6 North York Moors 1952 1,436 7 Yorkshire Dales 1954 1,769 8 Exmoor 1954 693 9 Northumberland 1956 1,049 10 Brecon Beacons (Welsh: Bannau Brycheiniog) 1957 1,351 11 The Broads 1988 303 12 New Forest 2005† 580 [13] South Downs [2006 / 2007?]‡ 1,641   Established total   14,629   Proposed total   16,270	Twelve areas are designated as national parks in England and Wales, and a thirteenth is in the process of being designated.
† — The park was designated on March 1, 2005. A National Park Authority for the New Forest was established on 1 April 2005, and will assume its full statutory powers in April 2006. See Government press release.
‡ — The public inquiry to decide the boundaries of the proposed national park formally closed on 23 March 2005. Formal designation as a national park may occur in 2006 or 2007.

At the beginning of 2005, some 9.3% of the area of England and Wales lay within national parks; the addition of South Downs and the New Forest would raise this to 10.7%. The three national parks in Wales cover around 20% of the land area of Wales. The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England. ... The panorama across Eskdale from Ill Crag. ... See also Snowdonia Snowdonia National Park, or Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri (in Welsh) was established in 1951 as the third national park in England and Wales. ... Dartmoor is a National Park in the centre of the English county of Devon. ... Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro in the Welsh language) is a national park along the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales. ... North York Moors National Park is a National Park in the north of England. ... A village in the Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales lie in an area of high ground in North and West Yorkshire, England. ... Dunster Yarn Market (a covered market for the sale of local cloth, built in 1609) and Dunster Castle, Exmoor Exmoor National Park is a national park situated on the Bristol Channel coast of Devon and Somerset in South West England. ... Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. ... Part of the Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point Pen Y Fan, 886 m (2907 feet), to Corn Du, 873 m (2864 feet) The Brecon Beacons National Park is one of three national parks in Wales. ... Yachts on the Norfolk Broads The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes (known locally as broads) in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. ... Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River For other uses, see New Forest (disambiguation). ... The South Downs National Park is a proposed National Park in the South Downs region of England. ... Created by Keith Edkins. ... Created by Keith Edkins. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the politics and government of Commonwealth countries such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, a public inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by the government. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales
• Conservation in the United Kingdom
• National parks of Northern Ireland
• National parks of Scotland
• National parks of the United Kingdom

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales (AONB) is one of 41 areas in England or Wales that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government. ... This page gives an overview of the complex structure of environmental and cultural conservation in the United Kingdom. ... Northern Ireland does not currently have any national parks established, although a number of AONBs (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) have been identified. ... There are currently two national parks of Scotland, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, created in 2002, and Cairngorms National Park, created in 2003. ... The United Kingdom has 13 national parks, 11 in England and Wales and 2 in Scotland. ...

References

• National Parks Portal
• Association of National Park Authorities
• Council for National Parks
• The Countryside Agency
• The Countryside Council for Wales
• Landscape Protection - National Parks from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• National Parks Reforms Group - a group campaigning for reform of Welsh National Parks.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities. ...