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    • Discover
        Discover Arnside & Silverdale AONB

        Walk / Cycle / Unwind

        This extraordinary place is famous for its amazing wildlife, stunning scenery, and superb walks. From the seasonal abundance of butterflies to the shining sands of Morecambe Bay, the area is simply awe-inspiring – full of natural spectacles and a surprise around every corner.

      • A Special Place
      • Plan Your Visit
      • Things to See & Do
      • A Taste of the Landscape
      • The Countryside Code
      • AONB Map
    • What We Do
        What We Do

        Projects / Planning / Information

        We work in partnership and aim to achieve an outstanding landscape, rich in wildlife and cultural heritage; a thriving, sustainable economy and vibrant communities; and a strong connection between people and the landscape

      • The shared long-term vision
      • Management Plan
      • Annual Reviews
      • Projects
      • Planning & Advice
      • Grants
      • The Bittern Award
    • Get Involved
        Get Involved

        Volunteer / Join / Donate

        Learn more about the landscape and heritage through walks, talks and other events. Volunteer to help at events, to carry out surveys or practical conservation tasks. Become a champion for the AONB by raising awareness in your own community and by supporting local projects.

      • Volunteering Opportunities
      • Bittern Community Interest Co.
      • The Landscape Trust
      • Education & Training
      • Local Groups and Societies
    • What’s On
    • News
        News

        Events / Projects / Sightings

        Whether you live in the AONB or are planning a visit, read on to find out what has been happening. Why not also sign up to receive our e-newsletter to ensure you are kept up to date with future events?

      • Newsletter Archive
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    • About Us
        About Us

        Passionate / Focussed / Accountable

        The AONB Partnership is the body that exists to conserve and enhance the AONB and is made up of local authorities, interest groups, national agencies and local communities, working together. The AONB Team is employed on behalf of the AONB Partnership to develop and support the implementation of the statutory AONB Management Plan.

         

      • The Staff Team
      • The Executive Committee
      • Working Together
      • The AONB Family
      • Green Policy
      • The Information Centre
    • Contact Us

Arnside Silverdale AONB

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A special place
 

What's On


Find Out More

Discover

This extraordinary place is famous for its amazing wildlife, stunning scenery, and superb walks. From the seasonal abundance of stunning butterflies to the shining sands of Morecambe Bay, the area is simply awe-inspiring - full of natural spectacles and a surprise around every corner.

  • Overview
  • A Special Place
    • An Outstanding Landscape
    • A Stunning Seascape
    • Amazing Wildlife
    • A Rich Sense of History
      • Limestone Heritage
      • Wells and Water in the AONB
    • Photo Gallery
  • Plan Your Visit
  • Things to See & Do
  • Kidzone
  • A Taste of the Landscape - Meet the producers
  • The Countryside Code
  • AONB Map


A Rich Sense of History

The heritage of the AONB is integral to its character and quality, creating ‘time-depth’ within the landscape. Field patterns reflect human occupation over several thousand years with significant areas classed as Ancient Enclosure, dating back to the Middle Ages. The stone ramparts of a Bronze Age enclosure are still visible today on Warton Crag.

Over a third of the AONB’s now extensive woodlands are considered to be ancient woodland, where coppice workers produced both fuel and woodland products, with evidence of charcoal burners’ pits and later iron workings.

Numerous small abandoned quarries can be found which were worked by individual farmers or local communities, whilst other quarries developed into large-scale extraction industries that are highly visible reminders of past and current industrial activity. As well as being used for construction of distinctive stone buildings and field-boundary walls, locally quarried limestone was fired in limekilns and used for mortar, lime-wash and as a soil conditioner. There are 36 known limekiln sites in the AONB, most of which are substantial limestone-built structures and important landscape and industrial heritage features.

Historic designed landscapes at Leighton Hall, Hazelwood Hall and Hyning Park are of significance and the registered parkland at Dallam Park is nationally important.

Stone buildings and settlements created during the last 800 years contribute strongly to the character and quality of the landscape through the design, construction and detailing of individual buildings, the form, layout and pattern of villages and hamlets and the settings of many of the buildings. Much of the vernacular building style dates back to medieval times, when some of the earliest stone buildings were built, such as Hazelslack Tower, Arnside Tower, much of Leighton Hall, Beetham Hall and a number of farmsteads.

leighton_hall summerhouse_hill_kiln_1

Limestone Heritage

Limekiln
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Wells and Water in the AONB

Read More
  • Plan
    Your Visit

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  • Things To
    See & Do

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  • What's
    On

  • AONB
    Map

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Sign up for our Newsletter

If you would like to receive our e-newsletter and be kept up to date with the Partnership’s recent achievements, latest news on projects, details of upcoming events and volunteering opportunities, please follow the link below:

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Connect with us @Arnside_AONB

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Thanks for your support. https://t.co/Pc0DwrcGRN

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Do you have an idea for a project which will conserve and enhance the AONB or connect people with the landscape?… https://t.co/bip0tiR1Bp

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The AONB is delighted to be part of the Meadow Makers project. https://t.co/tPx0z0TtYB

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We continue to be grateful for offers of sponsorship for waymarkers across the AONB having just received the most r… https://t.co/xAiI4umwSH

company logo: Cumbria County Council company logo: Lancaster city council company logo: Department for environment. Food and rural affairs company logo: Lancashire county council company logo: Landscapes for life company logo: South Lakeland district council company logo: Green tourism company logo: Morecambe bay company logo: European garden award: 2nd prize company logo: RTPI awards for planning excellence finalist 2020
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Arnside & Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Old Station Building

Arnside, Carnforth

LA5 0HG

P: 01524 761034
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    • What’s On
    • News
      • Newsletter Archive
      • Latest News
      • Sign up for our Newsletter
    • About Us
      • The Staff Team
      • The Executive Committee
      • Working Together
      • The AONB Family
      • Green Policy
      • The Information Centre
    • Contact Us

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