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Britain’s 15 National Parks contain some of the nation's most beautiful and inspiring landscapes. You’ll find some of Britain’s best walking, cycling and horse riding locations and a whole host of other adventure activities in the spectacular National Parks. Add to these 15 National Trails and nearly 50 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and you’ll find you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to exploring Britain’s famous countryside.
Britain's 15 National Parks are:
These 2 areas of rugged moorland offer a real sense of remoteness and escape, despite being easily accessible by car. You can camp wild on Dartmoor, and both are superb for walking and hiking, have unique breeds of pony and are excellent areas for horse riding. On Exmoor, you can look up at the tallest tree in England and try and spot some of almost 250 bird species.
The New Forest National Park is celebrated for its ancient woodland and heathland, first given protection by William the Conqueror nearly 1,000 years ago. Ponies graze on heaths speckled with purple heather and deer flit beneath gnarled oak and beech trees.
To the east of the New Forest lie the South Downs, an area stretching 100 miles from the edge of Winchester to Beachy Head. It’s best known for its famous rolling downlands that lead to the white, sheer cliffs at Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.
This great, flat expanse of Eastern England is one of the most important wetland areas in Europe. Its 125 miles of waterways are best navigated by boat and are peppered with great pubs, historic churches and distinctive windmills.
Britain's first National Park and Europe's busiest is a diverse landscape, comprising heather-sprayed moorland, murky limestone caves, gentle hills and gritstone outcrops. It straddles several counties in central northern England, is a centre for rock climbing and is the landscape that inspired novelist Jane Austen.
From 16 sparkling lakes and England’s highest mountains, to sheltered valleys and salty seascapes, Cumbria and the Lake District have inspired and captivated generations of visitors and famous writers and poets such as William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. But there’s more to see than just scenery. The area has a rich heritage to discover, a vibrant and contemporary cultural scene, and a growing reputation for fine food and drink.
Listen to the call of the upland birds, saunter through picturesque villages of honey sandstone, build sandcastles or sit and watch the world go by. All around are the signs of past generations - historic abbeys, embattled castles, churches, crosses and ancient trackways.
Northumberland National Park stretches from Hadrian’s Wall to the Scottish border while the North York Moors spread westwards from the east coast of Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Dales park straddles the central Pennines in the counties of North Yorkshire and Cumbria and is a favourite destination for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders.
Explore one of the last real wildernesses of Europe, home to red deer, osprey and golden eagle. Its mountains, glens and shimmering lochs have inspired generations of visitors and for many its stark grandeur is the quintessential Scottish landscape.
The ‘bonnie bonnie banks’ of Loch Lomond as immortalised in song and verse are a true taste of the Scottish Highlands just under an hour from Glasgow. Take a steamer across the loch, climb lofty Ben Lomond, visit Rob Roy’s grave or try local whisky at the Loch Lomond Distillery.
Wales’ famous uplands are known for their craggy mountains, brooding natural landscapes and grey-green slate villages. You’ll also find secluded valleys, Snowdonia’s famous heritage steam railways and some of Britain’s most imposing castles.
The Brecon Beacons National Park is an area of spectacular landscape that covers 542 square miles in Mid Wales. Stretching from Hay-on-Wye in the east to Llandeilo in the west, it includes 4 ranges of mountains; the Black Mountains, the Central Beacons, Fforest Fawr and the Black Mountain (Mynydd Du). Don’t miss the charming village of Crickhowell or market town Abergavenny, renowned for its food festival.
Britain's only truly coastal National Park is a sweeping crescent of jagged cliffs, sandy beaches, wooded estuaries and wild hills, a place of sanctuary for wildlife and a centre for water sports. You’ll also find Britain’s smallest city, the charming St David’s, and the 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path that boasts some of Britain’s best sea views.
These are ‘Precious landscapes whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so outstanding that it is in the nation's interest to safeguard them.’ Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) range from coastline to water meadows, and there are 40 in England and Wales (35 in England, four in Wales and one which straddles the border) and nine in Northern Ireland.
The 15 National Trails of England and Wales provide walkers, cyclists and horse riders with around 2,500 miles (4,000km) of long-distance paths extending through Britain’s countryside. They have been constructed by joining existing paths and trails together to give maximum access to outdoor spaces traversing some of the finest natural landscapes in England and Wales, including National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In Scotland there are 26 trails known as Scotland’s Great Trails along which you can cycle, walk or horse ride.
Varied, unique and totally authentic, the English National Park Experience Collection offers more than 30 bookable experiences across nine parks. Ranging from foraging and wine tasting to kayaking and photography, get inspired by things to do and discover how to make the most of your visit to our beautiful National Parks.
