The National parks of England and Wales reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

National parks of England and Wales

There are 11 national parks in England and Wales, and a further two are proposed.

List of Parks

National parks of England and Wales:

Current Parks: Brecon Beacons | The Broads | Dartmoor | Exmoor | Lake District | North York Moors | Northumberland | Peak District | Pembrokeshire Coast | Snowdonia | Yorkshire Dales

Proposed Parks: New Forest (approved June 2004) | South Downs

Organisation

Each park is operated by its own National Park Authority.

History

The idea for national parks was first proposed in the United States. These were established in wilderness areas, however Britain lacked such areas. Instead, national parks were established after World War II in mostly poor-quality agricultural upland. Land is owned by private landowners, though it often includes Crown property as well. Access to them from the cities was also considered important.

See Also: National parks of Scotland

External link

• Council for National Parks: http://www.cnp.org.uk/