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. 
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
Disclaimer: Information correct at Feb 2022. It is advised not to make any purchases based on information on this page.