National parks in the UK The UK’s
Protected Areas in England
In England there are 8 National Parks plus the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, which has equivalent status, 36 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), 222 National Nature Reserves covering over 92,000 hectares, over 1,280 Local Nature Reserves (July 2006), over 4,000 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation, Heritage Coasts, and Marine Protected Areas. The South Downs is proposed as a National Park and its designation is currently under review. Peak District National Park is Britain's first national park, established in 1951, is visited by people from all over the world. They come to find peace, tranquillity and adventure, experiencing some of England’s finest climbing, caving, walking and cycling. The National Park is also home to 38,000 people. The local economy is based on tourism, farming, quarrying and manufacturing. Established in 1954, the Yorkshire Dales National Park has outstanding scenery, a range of wildlife habitats and a rich cultural heritage. Covering an area of 1,762 square kilometres (680 square miles), the National Park is located in the north of England, and straddles the central Pennines in the counties of North Yorkshire and Cumbria. It is 50 miles (80.5 kilometres) north east of Manchester; Leeds and Bradford lie to the south, while Kendal is to the west and Darlington to the east.