Historic England and AONBs sign joint statement.
Historic England and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty sign joint statement to manage, conserve and celebrate our iconic historic environment
England’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Historic England have today signed a joint statement outlining their ambition and intent to work together to conserve and enhance the historic and cultural environment of England’s 34 AONBs.
Historic England and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty sign joint statement to manage, conserve and celebrate our iconic historic environment
England’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Historic England have today signed a joint statement outlining their ambition and intent to work together to conserve and enhance the historic and cultural environment of England’s 34 AONB.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are protected by the nation for everyone in recognition of their unique characteristics.
AONB cover 16% of the land area of England and include such iconic places as Fountains Abbey, Willie Lott’s Farm (as seen in Constable’s Haywain) and many of the tin mines of Cornwall. While these familiar historic sites are recognisable examples of England’s distinctive heritage, there is much more that goes into making a place. This joint statement is a commitment to preserving and celebrating the heritage of England’s most distinctive places.
We often think of landscape as a pretty view, but rich layers of history underpin what we see.
Centuries of interaction between people and place influence local nature, industry, culture and language; together these particular combinations of factors create unique and special places.
AONB are living and working landscapes and the joint statement also represents a commitment to those communities. Caring for their exceptional heritage does not mean preserving these places ‘in aspic’. Archaeology shows us how these landscapes have changed through history. Further evolution is inevitable as populations shift, our climate changes and agriculture responds to global pressures.
Well-managed heritage has a beneficial effect on local communities, boosting the local economy, providing employment and attracting visitors from home and abroad.
I am delighted that we can make this joint statement alongside our colleagues at Historic England today. A visit to an AONB is a wonderful experience, an opportunity to see a real, working landscape with modern day relevance wearing its history on its sleeve. These places have been shaped by human endeavour, with waves of people joining communities to shape and contribute to their development for centuries. From the lime kilns of Arnside and Silverdale AONB to the thatched roofs of the Cotswolds, these places are distinctive and special, and it is our duty to conserve and celebrate them for generations to come.
Philip Hygate, Chair of the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
England’s AONBs contain more than 49,000 listed buildings, over 4,600 nationally important ancient monuments and 300 designated historic parks and gardens. Our AONBs are steeped in history and tell important stories about how people have shaped some of our most beautiful landscapes over centuries. This Joint Statement for the Historic Environment will help with the management and understanding of these exceptional places so they can continue to evolve whilst the characteristics which make them special can be looked after for the future.
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive for Historic England
This comprehensive statement will play a significant role in the conservation of our shared historic environment, exemplified by the landscapes of our 34 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The statement allows for an inclusive and a diverse approach to our shared historic environment. It will encourage all communities to explore and discover precious historical assets in the AONB network and beyond. It places the historic environment fully alongside scenic and landscape quality, natural and cultural heritage, relative wildness and tranquillity in AONBs.
Patrick Norris, Chair, Northumberland Coast AONB Partnership (hosting the signing)
Notes to editors:
For more information, please contact: Ruth Colbridge, Communications and Advocacy Manager, NAAONB ruth.colbridge@landscapesforlife.org.uk
Rosie Ryder, Head of Media, Historic England rosie.ryder@historicengland.org.uk
AONBs in England contain some of our most important historic sites, they are home to more than 49,000 listed buildings, over 4,600 nationally important ancient monuments and 300 designated historic parks and gardens.
The statement commits AONB partnerships to incorporating the historic environment into their landscape wide management plans, securing better understanding, conservation, management and interpretation of them as well as consulting historic environment professionals on any work that may affect the historic environment. Historic England will help AONB in developing management plans and provide strategic advice and ensure AONB are well represented in Historic England research programmes. Full statement here:
Joint Statement on the Historic Environment in AONBs
There are 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) across England (34), Wales (4) and Northern Ireland (8). They are protected by the nation for everyone. They are places where landform, climate, species, industry, heritage, culture and language come together to create something unique and distinctive, shaped by generations and waves of people. Some of the nation’s most iconic views are in AONBs: from the tin mines of Cornwall AONB to the silhouette of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland Coast AONB, Willy Lott’s farm in Dedham Vale AONB (the subject of Constable’s Haywain) to the stark uplands of North Pennines AONB. AONBs are the nation’s nearby countryside – 66% of England’s population lives within a half hour journey time of their nearest AONB. AONB’s are the nation’s landscapes. The National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a charity that provides a strong collective voice for the UK’s AONB Network. Its objectives are to promote the conservation and enhancement of AONBs, advance the education, understanding and appreciation by the public of AONBs.
Twitter: @naaonb @AONBFamily
About Historic England
We are Historic England, the public body that helps people care for, enjoy and celebrate England’s spectacular historic environment, from beaches and battlefields to parks and pie shops. We protect, champion and save the places that define who we are and where we’ve come from as a nation. We care passionately about the stories they tell, the ideas they represent and the people who live, work and play among them. Working with communities and specialists we share our passion, knowledge and skills to inspire interest, care and conservation, so everyone can keep enjoying and looking after the history that surrounds us all.
