The meaning of ‘natural beauty’
The term ‘natural beauty’ first gained currency in a legislative context in the 1907 Act, which gave legal status to the National Trust (‘for Places of Historic Interest and Natural Beauty’). It has been the basis for the designation of both National Landscapes and National Parks since the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act in which, however, the term was not defined. In June 2000 the Government confirmed that National Landscapes and National Parks are of equal status with regard to landscape quality and that they share the same level of protection. In the same year, the CRoW Act formally stated that natural beauty includes conservation of ‘flora, fauna, and geological and physiographical features’ (S.92).
The natural beauty of a place is defined as what makes it unique and special; characteristics derived from its geology, landform, and climate. The interplay between these factors dictates the species that thrive, the industries that grow, and the heritage and culture of the area – all shaped and influenced by successive generations of people who have lived and worked there.
Natural beauty is holistic and extends beyond the visual appearance of the landscape. It includes biodiversity, geodiversity, wildness, tranquillity, dark skies, cultural traditions, and the historic and built environment. In the North Pennines, the ‘special qualities’ that contribute to the natural beauty of the landscape include the following:
Diverse and distinctive upland landscape character
The National Landscape covers much of the North Pennines National Character Area (NCA 10) and encompasses a suite of upland landscapes which a strong and distinctive character. Variations in geology and soils, landform, land use and vegetation, field boundaries, settlement patterns and building styles within the National Landscape give rise to a range of different but closely related landscapes, each with its own distinctive character and unique sense of place. More information on the key components of character that contribute to the natural beauty of the National Landscape can be found in the Landscape Character section of the Management Plan.
The special qualities which combine to create the natural beauty of the North Pennines
A unique geology recognised in international designation as a UNESCO Global Geopark
Much of the North Pennines is made up of the ‘Alston Block’: the fault-bounded structural unit of alternating strata of sedimentary rocks, limestones, sandstones, and shales uplifted by the ‘Weardale Granite,’ which give a strong linear grain, a massive scale, and a stepped form to the topography. The rocks are heavily faulted, with mineral rich veins and igneous intrusions of the Whin Sill which outcrop in striking crags and waterfalls. Higher ground is free of drift with prominent crags, stone bands and occasional limestone pavements. Older igneous rocks form distinctive pikes along the western scarp. The geology of the National Landscape is remarkable for both its intrinsic value and scientific interest, its fundamental influence on landscape character and biodiversity, and the way it has influenced, and been exploited by, generations of farmers, miners, quarrymen, builders and engineers.
A nationally and internationally important assemblage of species and habitats
The North Pennines is notable for its wildlife. At nearly 2000 square kilometres it is England’s second largest National Landscape and around 36% of it is designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It contains 40% of the UK’s species-rich upland hay meadows, 30% of its upland heathland and 27% of its blanket bog. It contains unique artic alpine flora, including the rare Teesdale (Spring) Gentian, and calaminarian grasslands associated with old lead mine workings. It is of particular importance for breeding upland wading birds including golden plover, redshank, curlew, lapwing, and snipe, for both red and black grouse (with over 80% of the English population of the latter) and for species such as short-eared owl, peregrine, merlin and ring ouzel. The area’s rivers are important spawning grounds for migratory salmon and brown trout and support otter and white-clawed crayfish. Its woodlands include ancient upland oak, ash and juniper woods and it has many ancient, veteran and notable trees. The North Pennines still supports populations of red squirrel. This rich biodiversity is a cornerstone of the natural beauty of the North Pennines.
Nationally important peatlands
There are around 900 square kilometres of peat in the North Pennines, a substantial proportion of England’s peatland, and most of this is blanket bog, a unique habitat found only in cool, wet regions of the world. These peatlands are an important store of carbon and an internationally designated habitat for wildlife. They play an important role in maintaining drinking water quality and reducing downstream flood risk. They contain a record of the historic environment since the last ice age and support local employment associated with farming, grouse moor management, tourism and conservation.
A strong sense of wildness, naturalness, remoteness and tranquillity
Due to the combination of elevation and an austere climate of short summers, long winters and high rainfall, much of the higher ground of the North Pennines is beyond the limits of settlement and agriculture. This brings a powerful sense of remoteness and isolation to many areas. The strength of its topography, its expansive skies and extremes of weather, the natural character of its fast-flowing becks and rivers and the prevalence of natural and semi-natural habitats, coupled with the typical absence of man-made structures give the landscape a wild and natural quality in places. While nowhere in England is truly wild or natural, few places exhibit those qualities more strongly than the North Pennines. The sights and sounds of nature, extensive views and the low levels of human activity, artificial noise, movement and light make this a very tranquil place.
Unrivalled dark skies
The remoteness of the North Pennines from major areas of settlement and the relatively low level of light pollution gives the area some of the darkest skies in England and among the best opportunities to observe the stars and planets. 16 sites within the National Landscape have been designated as Dark Sky Discovery Sites, more than anywhere else in the UK. Dark sky tourism has an increasingly important impact on the off-season economy of the area.
Outstanding scenic beauty
The North Pennines is a landscape of great and varied scenic beauty. Its rolling topography of high ridges and summits and steep-sided valleys create many opportunities for rewarding views. On the higher ground deep panoramas take in successive ridges with clean sweeping skylines and expansive skies, punctuated in places by distinctive summits and crags, with few man-made features. In some views from the moors, distant ridges frame the farmed and settled landscapes of the dales. Within the dales a number of factors contribute to their scenic quality including the simplicity, coherence and harmony of their pastoral farmland, the pattern and rhythm of drystone walls and hedges, the subtle colours of flower rich hay meadows, the variety of tree cover, the uniformity of natural building and walling materials and the general absence of discordant or incongruous elements. There are many individually notable views of dramatic or picturesque features such as crags, gorges and waterfalls.
Commanding views out from high ground on the edges of the National Landscape take in neighbouring landscapes. In some cases, the boundary of the National Landscape isn’t strongly evident, and adjoining landscapes are ‘borrowed’ as part of the view. The lower and middle dales outside of the National Landscape are an important component of many views across and from it. There are also notable views of the National Landscape from neighbouring landscapes, particularly from the west, where its imposing topography and simple landcover are important elements of the visual environment.
A rich cultural heritage
From the hunters and gatherers of prehistory to the miner-farmers of the 19th century, successive communities have left their mark on the historic environment of the North Pennines. The absence of extensive development or intensive agricultural improvement in later periods has left a landscape of considerable ‘time-depth’ and a rich cultural heritage. Prehistoric settlements, stone circles, burial mounds and cultivation terraces and medieval farms, chapels, deer parks and defensive bastle houses, sit alongside later farmsteads and fields systems, and relics of lead and fluorspar mining and quarrying. The vernacular character of buildings and structures and the widespread use of local stone and local detailing bring a degree of unity and harmony to the character to its settlements. Within the National Landscape today there are 16 Conservation Area, 183 Scheduled Monuments and 968 Listed Buildings of which 15 are Grade I and 36 are Grade II*. Many more sites and features of archaeological and historic interest are recorded on the Historic Environment Records held by local authorities.
A long and distinctive farming heritage
A long tradition of upland livestock farming has shaped a distinctive landscape of enclosed pastures and flower-rich hay meadows within the dales, with strong field patterns defined largely by dry stone walls, with scattered farmsteads and isolated field barns. The small scale of traditional farm buildings, their simple form and vernacular detailing, together with the widespread use of local stone for both buildings and field walls creates a strong sense of unity and visual harmony to the countryside. In Teesdale, the white painted farms of the Raby Estate have a locally distinctive character.
The improved and semi-improved pastures of the dales and the rougher grazing of the moors support hardy upland breeds of sheep and cattle. Notable local breeds include Swaledale and Teeswater sheep, Masham and North of England Mule crosses, and the Blue Grey and Northern Dairy Shorthorn cattle. Isolated sheep folds, bields and stone bothies are distinctive features of the moors. Traditional farming, moorland and other land management practices continue to make an important contribution to the character, biodiversity, cultural heritage, and natural beauty of the North Pennines.
A unique mining heritage
The North Pennines is world-famous for its remarkable mineral veins and deposits, known collectively as the Northern Pennine Orefield. Mining for these minerals – particularly lead but also sphalerite (zinc ore), iron ores, fluorite (fluorspar), and barium minerals such as baryte and witherite - has had a profound effect on the landscape and cultural heritage of the area. The remains of mine and processing works – including buildings, hushes, spoil heaps, shafts and levels, washing floors, reservoirs, water leats, smelter flues and chimneys – are widespread and make a significant contribution to the character and identity of the National Landscape. The industry contributed to the area’s distinctive settlement pattern of scattered hamlets, wayside clusters of houses and the isolated smallholdings of ‘miner-farmers’ on the higher dale side. The long tradition of quarrying sandstone, whinstone and limestone has also left its legacy in both the landscape and the buildings and drystone walls of the area.
Exceptional access to nature
The North Pennines is a highly accessible landscape which provides exceptional opportunities for residents and visitors to experience and enjoy its natural beauty. A substantial proportion of the National Landscape is designated as open access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act) which gives the public a right of access to land mapped as open country (mountains, moor, heath or down) or registered common land.
The dales and parts of the moorland are well-served by networks of Public Rights of Way, including a number of nationally and regionally promoted long-distance routes such as the Pennine Way National Trail, the Coast to Coast National Trail, Wainwright’s Pennine Journey Weardale Way, Teesdale Way and the Roof of England Walk. Quiet country roads and tracks provide opportunities for walking, cycling, horse riding and recreational driving, with some routes forming part of the National Cycle Network.
You can find out more about the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark throughout this plan and at http://www.northpennines.org.uk