Breadcrumbs
Designated Landscapes
Securing the quality of our best landscapes
England's finest countryside is designated by Natural England (before October 2006 by the Countryside Agency) as National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
These areas are protected by law to ensure conservation and enhancement of their natural beauty not just for the present, but also for future generations. In addition, Heritage Coasts represent stretches of our most beautiful, undeveloped coastline, but do not enjoy the same statutory status as the other two designations. Together all three are often referred to as "protected landscapes".
Both National Parks and AONBs have their origins in the same post war movements to protect the countryside and were given protective designation under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 to conserve and enhance their natural beauty.
