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My Great Outdoors

Inspiration and information for enjoying our natural world
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Inspiring places & spaces

Regent’s Canal, central London

In the United Kingdom, we are blessed with a great variety of outdoor places to visit (from small-scale village greens, town gardens and city farms – to big-scale National Parks, and hundreds of miles of heritage coastline).

National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and National Trails

National Parks are substantial tracts of land, sometimes remote, with wide open spaces large enough to provide the public with opportunities for outdoor recreation. National Parks are designated because of their landscape quaility, wildlife and their value as a recreational resource.

The National Parks were created as part of the post World War II re-establishment process and aimed to bring long-term protection to areas of beautiful countryside that were highly valued for physical and spiritual refreshment.

The United Kingdom has 15 National Parks:

Location of the UK’s National Parks

Brecon Beacons National Park

The Broads (National Park equivalent status)

Cairngorms National Park

Dartmoor National Park

Exmoor National Park

Lake District National Park

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park

New Forest National Park

Northumberland National Park

North Yorkshire Moors National Park

Peak District National Park

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

Snowdonia National Park

South Downs National Park

Yorkshire Dales National Park

There’s a helpful overview at the National Parks UK website.

There are also 46 areas of countryside designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. “Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty have some of the UK’s best countryside for walking, cycling, horseriding and wildlife-watching. But there’s also great caving, canoeing, sailing and fishing to be found too. In fact, if you can do it outdoors, you can probably do it in the outstanding landscapes of our AONBs. From quiet lanes, ancient woodlands, distinctive and attractive villages, flower-filled hay meadows, sweeping downs, wild moors and more, our AONBs include every aspect of the UK’s countryside and almost every kind of bird, plant and animal in the country.” [Landscapes for Life]

The Landscapes for Life website has an interactive map showing all of the UK’s 46 Areas of Outstanding Beauty.

National Trails are designated long-distance paths and bridleways. There are 16 official trails, plus some unofficial long-distance trails (such as The Coast-to-Coast, devised by Alfred Wainwright MBE and The MacMillan Ways). National Trails are long distance routes through some of the very best landscapes the UK has to offer. Primarily for walking, some of the trails can also be ridden on mountain bike or horse. They are special – they have been designated by the Government and are managed to a set of Quality Standards . You will find the trails well waymarked with the distinctive acorn symbol. Each trail is looked after by a dedicated officer often with teams of volunteers.

National Trail acorn symbol

Organisations

Here are links to organisations that care for some of our most special places, and those that help us enjoy those places.

Charities:

The Wildlife Trusts

The Woodland Trust

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

The National Trust

Campaign for National Parks

Scottish Campaign for National Parks

John Muir Trust

Black Environment Network

CPRE – The Countryside Charity

The Scottish National Trust

The Youth Hostels Association (England and Wales)

Hostelling Scotland

Hostelling International Northern Ireland

HF Holidays

Social Farms and Gardens Association

Mammal Society

Butterfly Conservation

Hedgehog Street

Buglife

Plantlife

Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

Freshwater Habitats Trust

Marine Conservation Society

Orca – Looking Out for Whales and Dolphins

Rewilding Britain

The Ramblers Association

Disabled Ramblers

Open Spaces Society

The British Mountaineering Council

British Canoeing

Canal And River Trust

Scottish Canals

The British Horse Society

Sustrans

Cycling UK

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The Scouts

Girl Guiding

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

National Gardens Scheme

Statutory bodies:

Forestry England

Environment Agency

Natural England

Natural Resources Wales

Scottish Natural Heritage

Northern Ireland Department of the Environment

Northern Ireland Environment Agency

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My Great Outdoors

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My Great Outdoors
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
  • FAQs
  • Our Planet
    • Endangered Species
  • Your toolkit
    • Planning Tools
    • Walks and Cycle Rides Finder
    • Journey Planners
    • Inspiring Films, TV and Publications
    • Inspiring places & spaces
    • The Countryside Code
    • Children & Young People and The Great Outdoors
    • Carpe Diem
  • Gallery
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