Discover the UK National Parks Your guide to Britain’s most treasured landscapes www.nationalparks.uk Welcome, Croeso, Fàilte. The beauty of the untamed British countryside has been celebrated for centuries. In his 1810 guide to the landscape, Wordsworth famously declared the Lake District “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”. He was, of course, describing a future National Park. The poet’s definition remains More than that, the parks also So explore to your heart’s true to this day. There are now play a vital role in the health, content – entry is completely 15 National Parks on our shores, wellbeing and prosperity of free. Experience quintessential once fought for by countryside those who live in and around rural life, discover extraordinary revolutionaries, since established them. They are full of life in every and unique landscapes and to steward our most valuable sense. Thousands of people live breathe thousands of years natural assets, and now providing and work within National Park of human history. Welcome access to open country for all. boundaries, and farms, villages to the UK National Parks. They harbour our most precious and towns are also protected for wildlife, protect our beloved their important cultural heritage. countryside landscapes and are a source of immeasurable pleasurefor the millions who visit each year. WHAT’S INSIDE 04 14 28 National Parks at a Glance Dartmoor National Park Peak District National Park 05 16 30 Find Your National Park Exmoor National Park Pembrokeshire Coast National Park 06 18 Getting There and Around Lake District National Park 32 Snowdonia National Park 07 20 Meet the Rangers Loch Lomond & The Trossachs 34 National Park South Downs National Park 08 Brecon Beacons 22 36 National Park New Forest National Park Yorkshire Dales National Park 10 24 38 Broads National Park Northumberland National Park Discover England’s Photo: Rambler taking National Parks in the view from Haytor, 12 26 Dartmoor National Park ©Dan Cook Cairngorms National Park North York Moors National Park 04 National Parks at a Glance Find Your Park 05 National Parks at a Glance Find Your National Park Look out for these icons to help you find your perfect National Park. Cairngorms National Park From red squirrels and grey Embrace the darkness. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Evidence of thousands of years National Park seals to swallowtail butterflies; of human occupation can be National Parks remain some these National Parks are great discovered in these National of the darkest places in Britain and these are some of the best Northumberland National Park for wildlife spotting. Parks, from the Neolithic period to the Industrial Age. locations to be awed by the constellations above. Lake District National Park North York Moors National Park Yorkshire Dales National Park Peak District National Park Packed with stately homes, Get your blood pumping. Discover England’s National Parks Snowdonia National Park crumbling castles, hunting forests Climbing, mountain biking, by taking a guided trip to explore Broads National Park and medieval market towns, these caving and kayaking await, these precious landscapes and National Park landscapes have amongst an endless supply meet the people that live and work Pembrokeshire Coast National Park shaped our cultural identity of other extreme activities to in them. Find out more about Brecon Beacon National Park over centuries. provide your adrenaline fix. these experiences on page 38. Exmoor National Park South Downs National Park New Forest National Park Dartmoor National Park Key Facts NATIONAL Parks for All We work hard to make sure our inspiring National Parks are available There are 15 National Parks in 2010 for its hundreds of The Broads is the smallest ● ● to all, no matter their access needs. All National Parks offer accessible in the UK, spanning the length square kilometres of woodland, National Park at around 305 trails and many routes have accessible facilities. and breadth of the country. 10 bustling market towns, rolling square kilometres, with almost in England, three in Wales and chalk uplands and river valleys. 200 kilometres of navigable, Search ‘accessible National Parks’ online for easy access routes and two in Scotland. National Parks meandering waterways information on activities including guided Tramper walks, health hikes ● The Lake District National Park protect almost 10 percent of to explore. and buggy rambles. is a designated UNESCO World England, 20 percent of Wales Heritage Site and is part of a ● The largest National Park in the ©Dan Cook and eight percent of Scotland. special family of iconic places UK is the Cairngorms. At 4,528 ● Almost half a million people live across the planet, such as square kilometres, it’s bigger within National Parks in thriving, Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland than the whole of Luxembourg. welcoming communities. National Park, the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, Easter Island and ● The oldest National Park is Miles without Stiles the Great Barrier Reef. Follow the UK National Parks the Peak District, founded in The Miles without Stiles scheme is mapping National Park routes that @uknationalparks 1951 and protected because ● The Pembrokeshire Coast are well surfaced and free from stiles, steps and narrow gates. Suitable of its impressive gritstone National Park is the only National /uknationalparks for people with limited mobility, including wheelchair users, families edges, steep limestone dales, Park to be designated primarily with pushchairs, and the visually impaired, as well as dog walkers with moorland, farmland and caverns for its coastline, the whole of @nationalparksuk less active dogs, the Lake District, Peak District, South Downs and famed for rare Blue John stone. which can be walked via the Yorkshire Dales National Parks all have routes to explore. 300-kilometre Pembrokeshire www.nationalparks.uk ● The South Downs is the newest Search ‘Miles without Stiles’ online to discover more. Coast Path National Trail. ©Dan Cook National Park, established 06 Getting There Meet the Rangers 07 GETTING there MEET THE RANGERS and around You don’t always need a car to visit the National Parks. Most are easily accessible by train from key transport hubs such as London, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow. And lots of National Parks have special-service bus routes, connecting you to some of the UK’s most fascinating local landmarks. Top tips for getting around ● For a thoroughly Welsh ©Nick Turner ©Dan Cook the UK National Parks on adventure, the Snowdon public transport Sherpa buses carry people and bikes on circular routes around ● Visiting the Lake District Snowdonia National Park National Park? Take the from Porthmadog and from number 800 summer bike bus Caernarfon to Pen-y-Pass for from Windermere rail station the Snowdon ascent. north to Whinlatter Forest for mountain bike trails (via ● For those with young families Ambleside, Grasmere, Rydal, or limited mobility, the Malham Keswick and Braithwaite), or Tarn shuttle bus allows helps to Thirlspot for family-friendly visitors explore the Yorkshire routes around Thirlmere. Dales without having to tramp ©Dan Cook ©Nick Turner ©Columbia up hillsides. It runs from Skipton ● For fantastic family bike rides, rail station to the popular village There is a good chance you will see our rangers the Monsal Trail in the Peak of Malham, and up to England’s out and about in the UK National Parks. District National Park is an highest lake, Malham Tarn. 14-kilometre scenic cycle You’ll find them working on the The role of rangers varies park by provide local communities with way along an old railway ● It is easy to plan rail travel front line in National Parks and park. But most carry out practical technical advice on everything line between Bakewell and around the UK on the National protected areas all around the work, making sure National Parks from land management to Blackwell Mill, part of over 100 Rail website – nationalrail.co.uk. world. This dedicated taskforce are accessible by maintaining protecting heritage buildings. kilometres of traffic-free cycle For international visitors, the works year-round to protect, public footpaths, trails, bridleways You can often find our rangers routes in the National Park. BritRail pass provides unlimited conserve, enhance and and byways and that visitors are in National Park information and rail travel throughout your stay champion some of the country’s safe by assisting emergency visitor centres, ready to lend a at a great value price. Search best-loved landscapes. services such as mountain rescue friendly hand or insightful advice ‘BritRail Pass’ online to buy. and the coastguard. Photo: Steam Train passing In the UK, National Park rangers to anyone who needs it. through the North York Further details are given for each – or wardens as they’re known Rangers are key in environmental Rangers are the eyes and ears Moors National Park National Park later in this guide. in some Welsh National Parks – education programmes, working of the National Parks and most work across all habitats from the with local or visiting schools have an unparalleled knowledge mountains of the wild rugged to connect young people with of the local history, ecology and uplands to the waterways of the nature. They also lead our culture of the area. Look out for sublime southern wetlands. They thousands of volunteers on a ranger led walks and events to play a key role in linking both local variety of tasks from repairing experience some of the best communities and visitors to the footpaths to monitoring and local insight. National Parks. surveying wildlife, and they Search ‘Meet the Rangers’ online for more information. 08 Brecon Beacons National Park Brecon Beacons National Park 09 Photo: Pen y Fan is the highest mountain in southern Britain.