Peaceful and unspoilt beauty
Apr 8 2009 by Simon Wilson, The Journal
THE North Pennines is one of Englands most special places peaceful and unspoilt with a rich history and vibrant natural beauty.
It was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1988 and includes parts of three counties: Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham.
The North Pennines is a stunning landscape of open heather moors and peatlands, attractive dales and hay meadows, tumbling upland rivers, wonderful woods, welcoming communities, intriguing imprints of a mining and industrial past, distinctive birds, animals and plants and much, much more.
The impressive landscape of the North Pennines is the product of millions of years of geological processes.
The worldwide significance of the geology found here is recognised by the designation of the area as Britains first Unesco European Geopark highlighting its globally important Earth heritage.
The North Pennines is an ideal place to discover the outdoors with excellent walking, cycling and horse riding. There are also opportunities for winter sports (including three ski areas), water sports and fishing.
The area boasts some of the largest tracts of continuous access land in England, where you really can walk all day without crossing a road!
Some of the best cycling in the country is to be found here, from the Wheels to the Wild Cycle Route, a 76-mile-long road route with off-road alternatives to family-friendly traffic free routes such as the South Tyne Trail and Derwent Reservoir Path.
:: Click here for more Northumberland attractions
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In the North Pennines you'll find:
Peace, tranquillity and fabulously dark night skies
Englands highest waterfall High Force in Teesdale
Red squirrels, otters, water voles and rare plants
Fabulous birds including 80% of Englands black grouse and 22,000 pairs of breeding waders
Picturesque villages
Woodlands, flower meadows, rivers and reservoirs and more!
Simon Wilson is area co-ordinator with the North Pennines AONB
:: Click here for more Northumberland attractions
Page 2: Contact information and upcoming events
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