Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty statistics show how varied these protected landscapes are: the figures range from population estimates for 38 AONBs to the coastline, habitats, monuments and mountain peaks recorded for individual areas. For Blackdown Hills readers, the key local comparison is a population of 13,779 in 2020, up from 12,803 in 2011.
Contents
- AONB numbers across the UK
- Population across 38 AONBs
- The largest and smallest AONB populations
- Blackdown Hills population statistics
- Population comparisons between 2011 and 2020
- Area, coastline and visitor statistics
- Protected sites, heritage and landscape features
AONB numbers across the UK
The available designation statistics provide a simple starting point for understanding the scale of the AONB network. England has 34 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, according to GOV.UK AONB designation guidance. Wales has 5 AONBs, according to the Law Wales protected landscapes page.
These counts are designation totals for the named nations. They are not population figures, area measurements or visitor estimates. They also should not be read as a single UK-wide total, because the supplied sources present England and Wales separately and include additional examples from Northern Ireland.
The figures show that AONBs are a substantial part of the protected-landscape picture, but the individual places differ significantly. Some statistics describe very large landscapes, while others capture small communities, coastal stretches, conservation designations or distinctive physical features.
Population across 38 AONBs
The ONS AONB population estimates workbook covers 38 AONBs. In that workbook, the total population across the 38 areas was 1,035,892 in 2011 and 1,064,184 in 2020. These are population figures for the workbook’s defined set of AONBs and its stated measurement years.
The workbook also reports mean populations for the same group. The 2011 mean population was 27,260.3, while the 2020 mean population was 28,004.8. A mean is an average across the 38 AONBs in the workbook; it does not describe a typical resident or imply that each AONB changed in the same way.
| ONS AONB population measure | 2011 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Total population across 38 AONBs | 1,035,892 | 1,064,184 |
| Mean population across 38 AONBs | 27,260.3 | 28,004.8 |
(Source: ONS AONB population estimates workbook.)
The ONS figures are especially useful for separating the overall picture from individual places. A group total can rise even though some individual AONBs have lower populations in the later year. The dataset includes both patterns, including increases for Blackdown Hills, Cotswolds and High Weald, and decreases for Solway Coast and Llyn.
The largest and smallest AONB populations
The 2020 rankings in the ONS AONB population estimates workbook show a wide spread between the most populous and least populous areas in the covered set.
Cotswolds had the largest 2020 population, at 146,866. High Weald had the second-largest 2020 population, at 129,720, while North Wessex Downs had the third-largest, at 103,155.
At the other end of the ranking, Isles of Scilly had the smallest 2020 population, at 2,226. Quantock Hills had the second-smallest, at 2,699, and Solway Coast had the third-smallest, at 2,887.
| 2020 position in supplied ONS figures | AONB | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Largest | Cotswolds | 146,866 |
| Second-largest | High Weald | 129,720 |
| Third-largest | North Wessex Downs | 103,155 |
| Third-smallest | Solway Coast | 2,887 |
| Second-smallest | Quantock Hills | 2,699 |
| Smallest | Isles of Scilly | 2,226 |
(Source: ONS AONB population estimates workbook.)
These rankings are for 2020 only. They identify the relative positions recorded in that workbook and should not be treated as current estimates beyond the stated year. They also illustrate why a single average can hide considerable differences between individual landscapes.
Blackdown Hills population statistics
For Blackdown Hills Guides readers, the most relevant population figures are the ONS values for Blackdown Hills itself. The Blackdown Hills population was 12,803 in 2011 and 13,779 in 2020, according to the ONS AONB population estimates workbook.
The two figures refer to different measurement years. The 2011 figure is not a current count, and the 2020 figure is not a forecast. The dataset identifies both as population values in the ONS workbook, so they are best read as year-specific statistics rather than as a live population total.
Blackdown Hills sits between the larger population figures recorded for several well-known AONBs and the smallest figures in the workbook. The supplied dataset does not provide a Blackdown Hills area measurement, visitor total, coastline length or protected-site count, so those details are not included here.
Keeping the local statistic separate from broader landscape descriptions is important. AONB status concerns the qualities and management of a protected landscape; population statistics describe the people living within the boundary used for the relevant estimate. The two subjects are related to place, but they measure different things.
Population comparisons between 2011 and 2020
The ONS workbook provides paired figures for several AONBs. Arnside & Silverdale had a population of 7,480 in 2011 and 7,513 in 2020. Cotswolds had 141,694 in 2011 and 146,866 in 2020. Dorset had 71,631 in 2011 and 73,917 in 2020.
High Weald recorded 124,392 in 2011 and 129,720 in 2020. North Wessex Downs had 97,678 in 2011 and 103,155 in 2020. Chilterns had 80,602 in 2011 and 81,023 in 2020.
The supplied figures also include three AONBs with lower 2020 populations than in 2011. Solway Coast had 2,945 in 2011 and 2,887 in 2020. Llyn had 4,262 in 2011 and 4,052 in 2020. Cannock Chase had 4,739 in 2011 and 4,754 in 2020.
| AONB | 2011 population | 2020 population |
|---|---|---|
| Arnside & Silverdale | 7,480 | 7,513 |
| Blackdown Hills | 12,803 | 13,779 |
| Cotswolds | 141,694 | 146,866 |
| Dorset | 71,631 | 73,917 |
| High Weald | 124,392 | 129,720 |
| North Wessex Downs | 97,678 | 103,155 |
| Chilterns | 80,602 | 81,023 |
| Solway Coast | 2,945 | 2,887 |
| Llyn | 4,262 | 4,052 |
| Cannock Chase | 4,739 | 4,754 |
(Source: ONS AONB population estimates workbook.)
The table is a comparison of the supplied year-specific figures, not a projection. It also shows why the dates need to remain visible when discussing AONB statistics: the same place can have separate values for 2011 and 2020, and the direction of change is not uniform across the examples.
Area, coastline and visitor statistics
Some of the supplied AONB statistics describe physical scale rather than population. Anglesey AONB covers about 221 square kilometres, equivalent to 21,500 hectares, according to the Anglesey Council AONB page. The same source records about 201 kilometres, or 125 miles, of coastline.
Anglesey AONB is home to approximately 7,000 people and attracts approximately 2 million visitors a year, according to the Anglesey Council AONB page. The visitor figure is an annual approximation, while the population figure is also described as approximate. Neither should be presented as a precise, continuously updated count.
Dorset AONB takes in about 1,128 square kilometres, according to the Dorset Council AONBs page. The same page states that Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB takes in a further 278 square kilometres in Dorset. These are area figures for the named landscape designations and geography, not population totals.
| Landscape measure | Figure | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Anglesey AONB area | About 221 sq km / 21,500 hectares | Anglesey Council AONB page |
| Anglesey AONB coastline | About 201 km / 125 miles | Anglesey Council AONB page |
| Anglesey AONB population | Approximately 7,000 people | Anglesey Council AONB page |
| Anglesey AONB annual visitors | Approximately 2 million | Anglesey Council AONB page |
| Dorset AONB area | About 1,128 sq km | Dorset Council AONBs page |
| Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs in Dorset | 278 sq km | Dorset Council AONBs page |
The wording matters: “about” and “approximately” are retained because they describe the precision of the supplied source statements. The dataset does not provide a corresponding area or visitor statistic for Blackdown Hills.
Protected sites, heritage and landscape features
Anglesey AONB also has a detailed set of conservation and heritage figures. The Anglesey Council AONB page records 5 Special Areas of Conservation, 3 Special Protection Areas, 1 National Nature Reserve and 31 Sites of Special Scientific Interest within the AONB.
The same source records 75 Scheduled Ancient Monuments and about 50 kilometres, or 31 miles, of Heritage Coast. These figures describe different types of designation and should not be added together: a protected habitat designation, a nature reserve, a scientific site and a scheduled monument are not interchangeable categories.
Northern Ireland examples in the supplied dataset add further measures of landscape scale and character. Sperrin AONB was 101,000 hectares before 2008 and now covers 118,206 hectares, according to the DAERA Sperrin AONB page. The dates are essential because the two figures refer to different periods in the designation’s history.
Causeway Coast AONB covers 34,600 hectares, according to the DAERA Causeway Coast AONB page. Mourne AONB includes 12 peaks, according to the DAERA Mourne AONB page. Slieve Donard, in Mourne AONB, rises to 850 metres and is Northern Ireland’s highest mountain, according to the same source.
Together, these figures show the range of statistics used to describe Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: national counts, population estimates, area measurements, coastline, visitors, ecological designations, heritage assets, peaks and elevation. For Blackdown Hills, the supplied quantified evidence is population-focused, with 12,803 recorded for 2011 and 13,779 for 2020 in the ONS AONB population estimates workbook.