National Parks & Landscapes

Maps

National Park & Landscape Maps

Most people are broadly familiar with National Parks in the UK, many have been around since the 1950's, with the Peak District being the first created in 1953, but the Government do like to change things up quite regularly. Boundary changes or expansions often occur such as to the Yorkshire Dales in 2017. Changes in status such as the South Downs in 2011, which only then became a National Park. Before that it was two separate 'Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty', the Sussex Downs AONB and East Hampshire AONB. The term National Landscape, replacing AONB, was only introduced in 2024, synchronising the vernacular with National Park. Surrey Hills National Landscape looks set to be expanded by around 25% in the near future.

All this history and change to the UK's protected areas is great for map making. All my maps are made of the time, so to speak, with up-to-date cartography. So my Yorkshire Dales map, published in 2024 has the updated borders post 2017, there is no mention of the older boundaries. My Surrey Hills maps of 2022 show the boundaries of that time. Of course I can and will make newer versions of a map if a boundary changes but such changes make a maps significant to their time.

My national park and landscape maps are a mixture of design styles and sizes depending on the size of the subject matter and the origin of the artwork. For example the Malvern Hills National Landscape maps are only available in A3 (29.7 x 42 cm) and B3 (35.3 x 50 cm) print sizes, the smallest map sizes available on this website. That's because it's a small national landscape compared to say the Cotswolds, which is the largest national landscape in the country and available as large a B1 (70 x 100 cm). If I apply similar design standards and levels of detail to both, the smaller subject matter only works at smaller sizes.

The Brecon Beacons and Eryri (Snowdonia) maps are only available in smaller print sizes too. However, that is due to the original artwork being the entire large maps (B1) of Wales. Brecon Beacons and Eryri maps are then created from that original artwork.

National Park Maps

Our National parks are loved and admired by many. If you are one of those people, a beautiful map of your favourite national park will bring many happy memories home and help inspire future adventures.

There are 15 national parks in the UK. 10 in England, 2 in Scotland and 3 in Wales. I still have quite a few to do, which is going to keep me busy, but here is a quick run through of what's available.

Peak District - Lake District - South Downs - Cairngorms - Yorkshire Dales - North York Moors - Eryri (Snowdonia) - Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)

National Landscape Maps

I live in the Cotswolds which was the first map I designed, but the collection is growing of these wonderful areas that so many live in, visit, admire and explore.

There are 46 National Landscapes in the UK, 33 in England, 4 in Wales, one on the England Wales border and 8 in Northern Ireland.

The available National Landscape maps include: the Surrey Hills, Kent Downs, Chiltern Hills, Cranborne Chase, Dorset National Landscape, North Wessex Downs, High Weald, Cotswolds, Shropshire Hills and Malvern Hills.