An Outstanding Year of Events

Fifty years ago, in 1956, the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) - Gower, in South Wales - was designated. Since then a further 49 landscapes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been confirmed as AONBs. Click here to view a Timeline showing when each of the AONBs was formed.

An AONB is exactly what it says it is: a precious landscape whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so outstanding that it is in the nation's interest to safeguard them. Each AONB has been designated for its landscape quality and they contain some of Britain's best flora, fauna, historical and cultural heritage as well as fantastic views. Click here to view or download a pdf file of an introductory leaflet about AONBs.

Join us this year in celebrating and enjoying the distinctive character and beauty of our protected landscapes. This site will tell you about the events and activities which you can join in AONBs throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Further background information on AONBs can be found on www.aonb.org.uk

Through this site, you can now - for the first time - find out about events and activities planned in all the AONBs of England and Wales from one single source. You can search by County, AONB, Theme or Date by clicking on "Search our Database" to the left of this page.

This website provides you with details of how you can join in, and discover more about the rich heritage, natural resources and working life of our AONBs.

Choose from the themes presented here to find out what's happening, when and where in your field of interest.