Monday, January 12, 2015

AONB

 Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty:  an outstanding landscape whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so precious that it is in the nation's interest to safeguard them; example:  the Yorkshire Dales; AONBs were created in 1949 as part of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act

Recently, while we had a rental car over the weekend, we took a long Sunday drive into the Yorkshire Dales.  I have had a long distance love of the dales since reading  and then watching All Creatures Great and Small.  They did not disappoint.





You travel through areas that feel even more remote than they actually are.  Your view is often only of heather, stone built villages, green pastures full of sheep, fields plowed for farming and wonderful dry stone walls.



The region is a wonderful place full of wildlife, woodlands, rivers and walking paths for those who want to see the area very up close and personal.  We were unable to do that due to time constraints but it is wonderfully appealing and may happen in the future.



The abundant wildlife of the area includes some of the best grouse shooting to be found.  While touring the area we did hear the pops of gunfire and passed many older, traditional hunting lodges of the aristocracy.



There are twelve longstanding water reservoirs in this beautiful landscape that were built to supply water to the cities of Leeds and Bradford during the industrial revolution.  Today they add beauty to the landscape, homes for plants and animals, and wonderful places to fish, bird watch and relax.

A true AONB.





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