The Protected Landscape Approach - Centre for Mediterranean ...

9. Protected landscapes in the United Kingdom
Protected Landscapes serve a far wider range of social purposes. Many Category V
protected areas in the UK contain concentrations of important sites for biodiversity conser -
vation, in cluding prime coastal, grassland, wetland, upland and woodland habitat. Some are of
inter national significance, and some are Category IV protected areas, set within the wider area
of landscape protection.
Some Protected Landscapes are important catchment areas for water supply; while many are
important for the protection of archaeology, historic buildings and vernacular architecture, and
for sustaining living cultures – notably the Welsh language in much of rural Wales, and Gaelic
in parts of Scotland. Their educational value is well established, with many visitor centres and
other educational and interpretative facilities.
Working landscapes
Farming and forestry of some kind are dominant land uses in most Category V protected areas
in the UK, and have helped to shape much of the landscape which is now so valued nationally
and by visitors. This is most notably the case in upland areas, whose scenic beauty is partly the
creation of centuries of livestock rearing, as well as management for shooting and other country
sports.
When undertaken in a traditional manner, farming can help conserve the landscape, wildlife
and historic heritage, support essential environmental services (like soil and water conser -
vation), and can also be compatible with access and recreation. However, intensification (or
sometimes abandonment) of farming can threaten such values, leading to, for example, the
ploughing up or neglect of open country, the loss of wildlife or the removal of hedgerows or
other traditional field boundaries. While this conflict is not confined to Protected Landscapes –
Forest of Bowland Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB), England. Most of the
land in these protected areas is
privately owned by farmers and
landowners, as well as other
public and private bodies.
Countryside Agency/Mike
Williams
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