There are 46 AONBs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and together they cover more than 8,000 square miles of the UK’s finest countryside.

AONBs are distinctive landscapes of outstanding quality and value, designated in recognition of their national importance. They are living and working environments which have a special relevance for many people - they are places of motivation, inheritance, excitement, pleasure and profit. The AONB designation provides a nationally recognised model for protecting these landscapes, achieving important outcomes for society, the economy and the wider environment. AONBs are strategic national assets.

The AONB designation came into being as part of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949. Over the years since Parliament sought to ensure the future integrity and value of our special places, much has changed, but the value of protected landscapes, for nature, for the environment and for people has endured.

The AONBs are all different, yet they all are special - for their landscape character, wildlife, tranquillity, history and cultural associations and for the space, fulfilment and other benefits they provide. Whilst all different they are bound together by their common purpose, just like a family.