top image: across the Lynher Valley to Bodmin Moor - Sharp Tor and Bearah Tor.
Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty consists of twelve individual areas; Bodmin Moor is the the only inland area to be part of the AONB.
Bodmin Moor AONB
Rounded hills and granite tors (rocky outcrops on the higher hilltops) give a distinctive character to this small area of upland in north and east Cornwall. For those of us that live here the Bodmin Moor tors that form the horizon are a special part of our local landscape, our heritage and deserve the greatest respect and protection.
Moorland farmers manage cattle, sheep and ponies here, keeping the hills grazed, and the upland farms and field systems are very much part of this Cornish landscape.
Information about the landscape character of Bodmin Moor: The character of Bodmin Moor - pdf document
Protecting the tors
Mining and quarrying has had a huge impact on the Moor over the centuries. Granite surface clitter, or moorstone, has been used for walls and homes since since prehisroric times. So as the quarrying industry developed here on East Moor these craggy tors were protected as important landscape features by an agreement drawn up in 1864 between the Duchy of Cornwall and the quarrymasters of that time (Freeman & Son).
This agreement was to prevent quarrying right up to the summit of the the tors, so protecting their characteristic forms from destruction. The 'quarry carvings' marked the upper limit for taking granite and are in the shape of fleur-de-lis, engraved into the face of granite boulders around the tors, about 10 inches in height, and were probably painted. They are still visible today but can be hard to find.
Marsh,streams & rivers
Streams feed to small rivers which leave the upland flowing to both the north and south coast.
For more about these rivers here are some links to follow:
River Fowey, flowing to the south coast
Cornwall Rivers Project- River Fowey
River Lynher, flowing into the estuary of the River Tamar
Cornwall Rivers Project - Rivers Lynher and Tiddy
River Camel and Allen , flowing to the Camel estuary on the north coast
Cornwall Rivers Project - Rivers Camel and Allen
More about Cornwall AONB
Details:
The Cornwall AONB covers 958 sq km and consists of 12 separate geographical areas
These areas include 10 stretches of Cornish coastline, the Camel Estuary and Bodmin Moor.
The Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is made up of 12 separate geographical areas and covers approximately 27% of the County - an area of 958 sq km (370 sq miles). It is one of 47 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK which, along with National Parks, represent the most outstanding examples of countryside landscape. The Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was designated in 1959 under the National Parks Act (with the Camel Estuary section being added in 1983). It received enhanced status under the Countryside and rights of Way (CROW) Act in 2000.
European Charter for Sustainable Tourism
In 2010 Cornwall AONB has formally been awarded the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism by the Europarc Federation. Europarc is the voice of Europe's protected areas with over 400 members in 36 countries, who themselves manage the 'green jewels' of Europe's land, sea, mountains, forests, rivers and cultural heritage. The aim of the Charter is to increase awareness of and support for Europe's protected areas and to improve the sustainable development and management of tourism within them.
There are currently 10 Charter areas in the United Kingdom/Northern Ireland:
Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,
Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Cairngorms National Park
Broads National Park
Brecon Beacons National Park
Exmoor National Park
Yorkshire Dales National Park
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Links |
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|---|---|
| Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty | Cornwall AONB |
| European Charter for Sustainable Tourism | www.european-charter.org |
| Cornwall's wealth of wildlife | www.cornwallwow.org.uk |
| Cornwall wildlife Trust | www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk |
| Cornwall Rivers Project | River Lynher |
| Landscape Designations | The Macauley Institute |
| BBC Nature Features | Saving the Salmon |
| Old maps | www.old-maps.co.uk |
| Lynher Valley parishes | map |
