cranborne chase aonb/chase & chalke
Wiltshire
Cranborne Chase is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). AONBs are
landscapes which are considered so precious that they are protected for the
nation. The criteria for designating an AONB include valuable wildlife,
habitats, geology and heritage, as well as scenic views. The primary purpose of
the AONB designation is to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area,
now and for future generations. Cranborne Chase AONB covers 380 sq miles of
countryside overlapping the boundaries of Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire and
Somerset. It is a diverse landscape offering areas of rolling chalk grassland,
ancient woodlands, chalk escarpments, downland hillsides and chalk river valleys
each with a distinct and recognisable character. The landscapes of the AONB
today, as they were in the past, are extraordinarily rich.
