AREAS OF OUTSTANDING NATIONAL BEAUTY

Arnside & Silverdale

Here you will find stunning limestone pavements, ancient woodlands, intimate meadows, rich wetlands, impressive coastline and magnificent views. 

Unimproved pasture and the exposed limestone outcrops are rich in rare butterflies and wildflowers such as the High Brown Fritillary and Lady’s-slipper orchid. The AONB, in fact, has examples of more than half the flowering plant species in Britain! Morecambe Bay, with its constantly changing channels, sand and mud flats and salt marsh, is internationally important as a vital feeding ground for wading birds and wildfowl in winter and the reedbeds at RSPB Leighton Moss are home to bearded tit, marsh harrier and the rare bittern.

Visitors are drawn to the area by the panoramic views and spectacular sunsets but most of all they value its tranquillity.

Blackdown Hills

The Blackdown Hills are best known for the dramatic, steep, wooded scarp face they present to the north. To the south the land dips away gently as a plateau, deeply dissected by valleys. On top of the plateau there are wide open windswept spaces; in the valleys nestle villages and hamlets surrounded by ancient and intricate patterns of small enclosed fields and a maze of winding high-hedged lanes.

A number of important archaeological sites add richness to the landscape, from high wooded promontories such as the great earthworks of Iron Age Hembury fort to the recently discovered evidence of Roman iron smelting.

Chichester Harbour

Chichester harbour is one the few remaining undeveloped coastal areas in Southern England. Bright wide expanses and intricate creeks are at the same time a major wildlife haven and among some of Britain’s most popular boating waters.

Backed by the South Downs, Chichester Harbour is a series of tidal inlets, with a narrow mouth to the sea. Wind-sculptured oaks and hawthorns line the shore.

The saltmarsh and mudflats are a haven for around 55,000 birds who reside in or visit the harbour throughout the year. These include large flocks of Brent Geese, Dunlin and Little Egrets.