Nature, Wildlife & Earth Heritage
Natural attractions abound in the North Pennines AONB and European Geopark. High Force in Upper Teesdale is the largest waterfall in England and the area is home to 40% of the UK's upland hay meadows and 60% of England's black grouse
Black grouse, thousands of waders, merlin, short-eared owls, red squirrels and dippers are all there to be seen; and in the Moorhouse-Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve there are spring gentians and other rare arctic-alpine plants.
European Geopark
As well as being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the North Pennines is also a European and Global Geopark in recognition of the area's stunning Earth heritage.
Wild Flowers
In late spring and early summer, hay meadows burst into colour with a huge variety of wild flowers; hay cutting is timed to allow the wild flowers to set their seeds and the ground nesting birds to fledge their young.
Blooming Moors
Then every year, around mid to late August, for a tantalising short while - two or three weeks at the most - the heather on the moors blooms. The UK has a significant proportion of the world's heather moorland - about 30% of all heather moorland in England and Wales is found in the North Pennines.
In the North Pennines, each season has its own character and for wildlife and nature enthusiasts it really is a stunning place to visit all year round.
In this section
Birdwatching in the North Pennines
The North Pennines is a fantastic place to watch birds
Updated: 01/07/10
Earth Heritage
Rocks are the building blocks of the North Pennines landscape. Across the area, the rocks and landscapes have stories to tell, of moving continents and tropical seas, of molten rock and ice sheets and of minerals and the people who mined them.
Updated: 29/06/10
