About the AONB

Areas of outstanding natural beauty (aonb)

Frequently asked questions

What is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)?
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is an outstanding landscape whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so important that it is protected in law in the national interest.

How is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty protected?
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is designated and protected under the 1949 National Parks and Access to Countryside Act. Its protection was further enhanced by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, 2000 (CRoW2000).

How many areas of AONB are there in England and Wales?
38

Does land in an AONB have permitted development rights?
Permitted development rights are reduced, but not wholly removed in AONBs. It is always worth seeking out professional knowledge and support when applying for development within an AONB.

interactive map

AONB Name & Size	Location	County/Counties
Arnside and Silverdale 29 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Arnside/@54.1871254,-2.8822712,11.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487c9a46b01a8037:0xda8596faf3d5cada!8m2!3d54.203808!4d-2.83275529	Cumbria, Lancashire
Blackdown Hills 140 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Blackdown+Hills+AONB/@50.8662705,-3.2642211,10.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x486d8d8703b1fa3d:0xcb80ac3466c608dd!8m2!3d50.918783!4d-3.2258561	Devon, Somerset
Cannock Chase 26 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Cannock+Chase+AONB/@52.7472247,-2.0762619,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487a0b38e9898b17:0xa461df485a3af42b!8m2!3d52.755881!4d-2.0044109	Staffordshire
Chichester Harbour 14 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/search/chichester+harbour+aonb/@50.8087875,-0.9490651,12.5z	Hampshire, West Sussex
Chiltern Hills 322 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Chiltern+Hills+AONB/@51.6597551,-0.8850486,12.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x48765f080f3be6b9:0xdea1d4697751d669!8m2!3d51.655789!4d-0.8514493	Buckinghamshire, Central Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire
Cornwall 370 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Cornwall+Area+of+Outstanding+Natural+Beauty/@50.2798466,-5.0963819,10.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x486b0d2d20401789:0xa1b30e30f64b97ea!8m2!3d50.2654523!4d-5.0538508	Cornwall
Cotswolds 787 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/search/cotsworld+aonb/@51.8795539,-2.3113417,9.75z	Bath and North East Somerset, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire
Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs 380 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Cranborne+Chase+AONB/@50.9575567,-2.1145768,12.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x4873a4e9bd93f545:0x9f987f8f694f0c7a!8m2!3d50.9559809!4d-2.0715265	Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, Wiltshire
Dedham Vale 35 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Dedham+Vale+AONB/@51.9861879,0.9017302,13.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47d907b2de7a5a29:0x94480f87aeb8246b!8m2!3d51.9767168!4d0.9296728	Essex, Suffolk
Dorset 436 sq miles 436 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Dorset+AONB/@50.6929179,-2.6251293,11z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x48725a0ed878e74b:0xf389509e4f0062ad!8m2!3d50.686605!4d-2.549514	Dorset
East Devon 103 sq miles 103 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/search/east+devon+aonb/@50.7158441,-3.2524885,12z/data=!3m1!4b1	Devon
Forest of Bowland 103 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Forest+of+Bowland+AONB/@53.9380879,-2.5172548,9.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487b82207222e343:0xa97f9bb6b361ff5f!8m2!3d54.0158928!4d-2.4706445	Lancashire, North Yorkshirere
High Weald 560 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/High+Weald+AONB/@51.0487719,0.4264446,13.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47df42642ea86f5f:0x18549b0517b2e382!8m2!3d51.0489786!4d0.4458703	East Sussex, Kent, Surrey, West Sussexx
Howardian Hills 79 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Howardian+Hills+AONB/@54.1425112,-1.0255513,12.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487ed23f26d5ea63:0x634f01b212ca78f3!8m2!3d54.1399589!4d-1.0075028Value	North Yorkshire
Isle of Wight 73 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Isle+of+Wight/@50.6712436,-1.4679908,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x48748787e55a5639:0x7439ce5142be7c51!8m2!3d50.6938479!4d-1.304734	Isle of Wight
Isles of Scilly 6.2 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Isles+of+Scilly/@49.9283108,-6.4686952,11.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x48400928ddbd637d:0xffc2b5fad137bae8!8m2!3d49.9277261!4d-6.3274966	Isle of Scilly
Kent Downs 339 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Kent+Downs/@51.1744946,0.9500705,13.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47df29b8c70feb93:0xb91acfded172d405!8m2!3d51.1722755!4d0.9692338	Greater London, Kent
Lincolnshire Wolds 220 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Lincolnshire+Wolds+AONB/@53.3784392,-0.1499458,11.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x48787e5d4b7cf593:0x4d2637607741087b!8m2!3d53.3860166!4d-0.1455561	Lincolnshire
Malvern Hills 41 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Malvern+Hills/@52.1006596,-2.3421191,12.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x4870f8ab29fd181f:0x9b7ee06c7acc4529!8m2!3d52.1035321!4d-2.337761	Gloucestershire, Hereford, Worcestershiree
Mendip Hills 77 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Mendip+Hills+Area+of+Outstanding+Natural+Beauty/@51.2947642,-2.7254925,11.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x48721e7aaded3165:0x2f08d77ff507d400!8m2!3d51.2949093!4d-2.7037501	Somerset
Nidderdale 233 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Nidderdale+AONB/@54.1216174,-1.739995,12.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487c00c30d2dba6d:0xf454051c00166a82!8m2!3d54.1159935!4d-1.7291892	North Yorkshire
Norfolk Coast 175 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Norfolk+Coast+AONB/@52.9684431,0.8153651,13.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47d7717845ea9edd:0x5b2564ec5b28600e!8m2!3d52.9668986!4d0.8321288	Norfolk
North Devon Coast 66 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/North+Devon+Coast/@51.1244757,-4.2390407,13.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x486c24601a87baa3:0x23bc131b998f0515!8m2!3d51.1329103!4d-4.2375322	Devon
North Pennines 766 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/North+Pennines+AONB/@54.7023918,-2.8416462,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x487c4b62d94446d1:0x340dcda8a9d87aaa!8m2!3d54.6763094!4d-2.2566861	County Durham, Cumbria, Northumberland, North Yorkshire
Northumberland Coast 53 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Northumberland+Coast+AONB/@55.531787,-1.6353394,14.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x4880a9599b94b25b:0xb6c08f96fe582290!8m2!3d55.5363567!4d-1.6332122	Northumberland
North Wessex Downs 670 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/North+Wessex+Downs+AONB/@51.4022713,-1.4847965,12.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487153521d7b259d:0xebcf50cef935459d!8m2!3d51.4133405!4d-1.4937543	Hamspshire, Oxfordshire, Swindon, West Berkshire, Wiltshire
Quantock Hills 38 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Quantock+Hills+AONB/@51.1278492,-3.3091179,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x486df09725ab8e1b:0xf493a9b1696c95e0!8m2!3d51.1255659!4d-3.1909064	Somerset
Shropshire Hills 310 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Shropshire+Hills+AONB/@52.4870851,-2.9048087,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x48700d96693f476f:0xac102fb6adaeee6c!8m2!3d52.486373!4d-2.8590502	Shropshire
Solway Coast 44 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Solway+Coast+AONB,+Maryport/@54.8433943,-3.3820037,9.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x487d25eb27ef643d:0x774ee1c26d6c1b55!8m2!3d54.9290816!4d-3.2409112	Cumbria
South Devon 130 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/South+Devon+Area+Of+Outstanding+Natural+Beauty+(AONB)/@50.2652348,-3.782382,13.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x486d1d1f08a02f5f:0xc84943b53f104226!8m2!3d50.2683805!4d-3.763898	Devon
Suffolk Coast and Heaths 156 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Suffolk+Coast+%26+Heaths+AONB/@51.9659181,1.0860227,11.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47d90b3e77084dc5:0x65d49a1c5bb99fa3!8m2!3d51.9571854!4d1.1381714	Suffolk
Surrey Hills 163 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Surrey+Hills+Area+of+Outstanding+Natural+Beauty/@51.2534673,-0.3104196,13.21z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x4875dd569e3197b1:0x245c43725082c595!8m2!3d51.253113!4d-0.31195	Surrey
Tamar Valley 73 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/place/Tamar+Valley+AONB/@50.4805554,-4.166595,10.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x486c8c936d6c5555:0x936c87e4bd2cfc24!8m2!3d50.5023403!4d-4.1893872	Cornwall, Devon
Wye Valley 126 sq miles	www.google.com/maps/search/wye+valley+aonb/@51.7369496,-2.8041208,9.75z	Gloucestershire , Herefordshire