The National Park family Print E-mail
Written by Adrian Thornton, 2004   

The Yorkshire Dales belong to a family of 11 National Parks in England and Wales, the others being The Broads, Brecon Beacons, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, Northumberland, North York Moors, Peak District, Pembrokeshire Coast and Snowdonia.
 

The Peak District and Lake District were the first to be so designated in 1951. A new Scottish 'family' of National Parks includes Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, and the Cairngorms.

As with all families, there are similarities and differences. These family members all have green freshness and beauty; most have outstanding mountains and hills. But their variety is just as striking. In East Anglia the Broads are so smooth and flat that the only way to view a wide panorama is from the air.

The area teems with wildlife and needs to be experienced and explored peacefully, ideally by boat. The Broads themselves are artificial, despite appearances - they originated as huge craters created by peat-digging after the Norman Conquest.

Pembrokeshire is far from flat. It has no great heights but the coves and cliffs alternate so irregularly that every view you meet on the user-friendly coastal path is a new and rich experience. The City of St David's, despite its wonderful cathedral and major music festival, is like a village. The many inland wooded creeks of the Cleddau Estuary (also best seen by boat) are different again, as are the Preseli Hills, where the bluestones of Stonehenge came from, and which have their own prehistoric remains.

The Lake District is so famously beautiful that parts of it are sometimes too popular for their own good, but it is so large that it is easy to find uncrowded valleys and hills that are just as enjoyable. Visitors can do their bit (and get better views) by travelling by bus and by lake steamer where possible, leaving the car at base. Better still, strike out on foot.

The grandeur of the Lake District tempts us to feel that it is a totally natural landscape, never touched by industry. Yet on the slopes of Pike o' Stickle was once a 'factory' where prehistoric man quarried the volcanic tuff and roughed out stone axes that were exported all over the north.

The 828m summit of the eastern mountain group is surprisingly named High Street, because Roman legions once tramped a long and lonely road along the ridge. Majestic Thirlmere and Hawes Water were once small lakes, and their larger modern size is due to dams built in 1890 and 1930 to create reservoirs for quenching Manchester's thirst. The Lake District's history is rich, varied and fascinating.

Development v conservation

There has always been some divergence of opinion as to how National Parks should be 'developed', and whether development can be consistent with conservation. There is little doubt that conservation is important because if we let the parks get spoilt or nibbled away, our children and grandchildren will never get them back. The National Trust does an excellent job of conserving the areas it owns (and of making them accessible too), but most of the land is privately owned and some is extremely vulnerable to commercial exploitation.

National Park Authorities - the bodies responsible for planning and conservation in National Parks - have a tightrope to walk and usually hold the balance well. But mistakes are easy to make and once made can set damaging precedents.

The Council for National Parks is a voluntary body that strives to ensure the best balance is kept. Strongly supported by a range of environmental and recreational groups (like the Wildlife Trusts, the Youth Hostels Association, and each individual Park's support society), it also benefits from the support of the Friends of National Parks, people living in all our cities and counties who value the National Park family, have enjoyed them and who want to 'put something back'.

Adrian Thornton is Voluntary Speaker Co-ordinator for the Council for National Parks.

Ways of helping

You can join the Dales' own support group by contacting The Yorkshire Dales Society, Civic Centre, Cross Green, Otley, West Yorks LS21 1HD, tel: 01943 461938, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.yorkdalesoc.yorks.net

To join the Friends of National Parks and so support the Council for National Parks that works to protect and enhance all 11 English and Welsh National Parks, send a cheque - individual £14, concessions £10; couple £19, concessions £15 - to CNP, 246 Lavender Hill, London SW11 1LJ. Visit www.cnp.org.uk

Looking for a speaker?

WIs or other clubs or special interest groups anywhere in England and Wales can invite a CNP speaker to come along and give members an interesting, illustrated talk. They show the Parks' beauty and diversity in pictures and explain the challenges National Parks face - such as quarrying, energy, tourism, nature conservation and military training. The speakers are volunteers and charge only travel costs, although a donation to CNP is strongly encouraged. Contact Adrian Thornton for details at Phoenix Cottage, Cassington, Witney, OX29 4DL, tel: 01865 880359.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park may be the smallest of the National Parks but its variety is enormous and its coastal views are stunning, with plenty of scope for activities. (All photos this page: Pembrokeshire CC, Tourism & Services)

Information was correct at the time Woman's World went to press in 2004.
 
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