This is definately worth celebrating! It’s been 50 years since almost half of Dorset received official recognition as a very special landscape. Its designation as the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1959 placed it safely in a family of nationally important protected landscapes.

To celebrate this 50th anniversary, hundreds of people joined us to discover and share their enthusiasm for the landscape, their Love for the Land. A new 2010 calendar which captures just some of what people said they love about the land during their 50th anniversary year is out now. Please visit Dorset AONB to request a copy if you are interested!

If you love to explore and learn about history firsthand, this is a land steeped in stories and lore to keep a lover of the land and it’s legends, such as myself, fascinated for days on end! The rocks that make up the AONB’s beautiful landscape tell a fascinating story – of life on earth. The story is most easily read along the coast, which forms part of England’s first natural World Heritage Site – the Jurassic Coast. While geology has been shaping this landscape for millions of years, for the last few thousand, people have been making their mark on it too. The stories of Dorset as a working and living landscape are all around you.

Take a few moments to visit A Time and a Place to explore what you can find in the lovely lands of Dorset, such as…
~ Rural industries
~ Parklands and formal gardens
~ Chalk figures
~ Iron Age hill forts
~ Stone circles and round barrows
~ The Jurassic Coast

Spending time outdoors in the natural environment is great for your health and wellbeing. This is one of my favourite things to do, as I love getting close to nature. With rolling downland, secluded woodlands, wide open heaths and a dramatic coastline, the AONB in the Dorset area, is the perfect place to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. My daughter and I absolutely love to ride! We can cycle in style with the West Dorset Pedal, a collection of beautiful routes with artists’ studios and local eateries where you can stop for food and inspiration! Purbeck also provides good on and off road cycling through woodland, heath and downs.

Or if you prefer, you can walk the edge between land and sea on the South West Coast Path National Trail, with 71 miles of glorious views of the Jurassic Coast from Studland to Lyme Regis. Try combining a walk with a ride on the X53 Jurassic Coast bus to help you explore more.

Stick to the high ground on the Wessex Ridgeway, an ancient track taking in hillforts and historic villages like Cerne Abbas along the way. Perhaps we could take in heathland, downland and dramatic coastal scenery on the Purbeck Way, passing Corfe Castle, Chapmans Pool and along to Swanage.

I love to find the hidden gems in any place I am adventuring into. Dorset has a wealth of small, often lesser-known attractions including vibrant festivals, artists and craft workers. The Hidden Dorset website contains a treasure trove of information on the small, the beautiful and the downright quirky.

Dorset’s dramatic landscapes have been an inspiration to artists, writers and musicians for centuries. Perhaps the most famous is Thomas Hardy – you can almost feel, smell, hear the richness of the landscape in his work. Inspiration isn’t a thing of the past though. The Dorset AONB has a really strong community of artists who use images, words, music and dance to express how they feel about the landscape.

Such beauty is definately worth a special mention here at Mother Earthbeats!

Sometimes my favourite thing to do is to dream of those places on this beautiful planet in which I would love to someday visit. In my explorations I run across some of the most lovely and interesting natural wonders. I simply cannot resist the pull to see more, and I do love to share!

One such place is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty known as the Isles of Scilly. Here we will surely find enough to explore to satisfy even my adventurous nature! From what I have learned, the Isles of Scilly lie fewer than 30 miles off the Cornish coast, but visitors might sometimes imagine that they had travelled to a different country. There is plenty on the Isles of Scilly that you simply will not find anywhere else, whether it’s wildlife, archeology, landscape, tranquility, an almost sub-tropical feel or just the islanders’ friendliness.

According to the NAAONB Website for the Isles of Scilly

The Isles of Scilly comprise of around 200 rocks and islands, five of which are currently inhabited. Part of what makes the Islands so distinctive is their wide diversity of plant and animal life. Summer temperatures are slightly cooler than the mainland’s (although winters are milder, too).

These conditions are kind to the sub-tropical plants that have made the Islands their home. As the atmosphere on Scilly lacks the dust and industrial pollutants seen almost everywhere these days, the light has a striking brightness and clarity.

Like the air, the sea’s also unusually clean, which helps explain the profusion of marine life, from anemones and kelp to seals, porpoises and dolphins. Scilly has a large number of migrating birds and supports a greater density of song thrushes than anywhere on the British mainland, due to its small fields and hedges.

These same fields show the signs of human activity which, since beginning over 4,000 years ago, continued through the Bronze and Iron Ages as humans settled, farmed land and – from 500BC to the second world war – protected the Islands from the threat of invasion.

Tourism dominates the economy with, on average, around 120,000 tourists visiting the islands each year. Flower farming and fishing remain important, although both these sectors have struggled in recent years.

As well as being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the islands are protected by a range of designations which include a heritage coast and a conservation area, as well as – amongst others – a Special Protection Area (under the EC Birds Directive), a Marine Special Area of Conservation (under the EC Habitats Directive) and 26 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Quite apart from which there are well over 130 listed buildings and 238 Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

Final Thoughts

Oh yes, there is definately a great amount of curiosity building up inside of my being to visit such a treasure trove of areas to explore! The uninhabited islands are an absolutely fascinating subject with the thought of many wondrous hours of observing nature in her finest detail. Ummm… yeah… the magically beautiful Isles of Scilly are definately a place to add to my growing list of future adventures!

To find more places of beauty and wonder, you may wish to take a look at Planet Earth – The Complete BBC Series [Blu-ray]

Our lovely planet Earth is full of such natural wonders and beauty. I find no greater pleasure (besides playing with the little ones in my family), than to explore and discover yet more awesome places to enjoy. One such place that has caught my attention is Tamar Valley in England. Here follows an enchanting description as gained from the National Association of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).. and such that I felt compelled to pass along…

Rising on the borders of Cornwall and Devon, the rivers Tamar, Tavy and Lynher, form one of the last, unspoilt drowned valley river systems in England. On their passage to the broad estuary near Plymouth, the rivers flow through a series of deep meanders, steep gorges and wooded valleys. A ribbon of woodland extends along the Estuary margin although it is often no more than a mature hedgerow above a steep earth bank. In the middle valleys where the ridges are wide the high land has an almost plateau character and there is a feeling of remoteness and solitude. The landscape contains a wide variety of wildlife habitats, including many ancient woodlands and wetlands that provide important wintering grounds for wildfowl and wading birds.

The Tamar Valley AONB can provide advice to land managers on looking after their hedges, orchards and woodlands. We can help obtain funding through Natural England’s Environmental Stewardship Schemes. We can also help to put together projects to look for new ways to support farms and those who work the land.

A Beautiful place on Mother Earth to Cherish

I am personally impressed with the pride and love for the land which seems quite apparent and abundant in this fertile and ancient valley. It is so vital to cherish, preserve, and protect these places of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and strive to create or preserve many more such places all around our beautiful Mother Earth. This is what Life is meant to be. Full of natural and wonderful places to visit! I get truly excited when I discover a place on Earth which carries the mysterious energy one can only find in ancient groves, valleys and other such areas. This Earth has many hidden magics, percieved as each individual wishes, yet magical all the same. I see nature as a very magical and wonderful part of Life on Earth. It is my heartfelt energy which goes forth to bring about enough thought and care, from my fellow human beings, to give proper attention to preserving and promoting new growth of our giant garden lovingly known as Mother Earth.

To find more places of beauty and wonder, you may wish to take a look at Planet Earth – The Complete BBC Series [Blu-ray]

Now I have a new goal for my traveling adventures! I have discovered a place to visit which intrigues me greatly, and looks as if it will give me much pleasure in satisfying my love of exploration. The Isle of Wight is a British Island, located south of the county of Hampshire. The island is known for its Outstanding Natural Beauty and for its world-famous sailing based at Cowes. Here is a place one can lose themselves in for a while, visiting the sites and seeking quiet places to enjoy the scenery.

Rich in history and lore, the Isle of Wight has been invaded many times. Due to it’s particular lack of a defensive landscape, it was not easy to hold when invaders attacked. It changed hands several times, throughout the last thousand years or so, being ravaged by the Vikings until the Danes were defeated by the Saxons. Eventually the isle came under the full control of the Crown, and Queen Victoria made Osborne House on the Isle of Wight her summer home for many years and, as a result, it became a major holiday resort for fashionable Victorians including Alfred Lord Tennyson, Julia Margaret Cameron, Charles Dickens (who wrote much of David Copperfield there) and members of European royalty.

Known as one of Europes most important areas for Dinosaur fossils, apparently the eroding cliffs often reveal previously hidden remains. From a wildlife point of view the island sports a flourishing and stable population of the Red Squirrel, which is rare in most parts of England. While there are no deer on the Island of Wight, rare and protected species such as the dormouse and many rare bats can be found, as well as the Glanville Fritillary butterfly whose distribution in the United Kingdom is largely restricted to the edges of the crumbling cliffs.

Well then, here is a place on Mother Earth which totally fascinates me, and begs for the attention of my exploratory and adventurous nature. Biking my way from one end of the island to the other, seeking out the best places to view island and sea, sounds simply lovely. I do believe I will be adding the Isle of Wight to my ever growing list of favourite places to visit!

To find more places of beauty and wonder, you may wish to take a look at Planet Earth – The Complete BBC Series [Blu-ray]

Mother Earth has so much raw beauty, and Tibet is no exception. This image evokes a feeling of mystery and magic; secrets the earth holds from a time beyond imagining. Such a stunningly beautiful land, with a rich spiritual background. Although the peoples of this region have had more than their fair share of trials and warfare, even to this day, the beauty of the landscape is breathtaking to behold. Sweeping views and mountainous ranges make this one of the worlds greatest natural wonders. A Shangri La to behold, my wild nature cannot resist the lure and temptation to explore.

With a population of slightly less than three million, spread over 1.2 million sq-km (0.5 million sq-mile), much of the Tibet Autonomous Region is wide open space. China has established 38 reserves to protect the region’s natural environment, which includes mountains, lakes and forests. But global warming is changing the landscape. Temperatures in Tibet are rising at more than twice the worldwide average, melting glaciers that feed some of Asia’s major rivers.

Tibetan Life and Tourism

Outside towns and cities, people mostly rely on farming to survive. Tibetans grow crops or herd animals, such as cows and yaks. Common crops include barley, potatoes and turnips. A few years ago, watermelons were introduced to the region and now seem to be the summer fruit of choice. Farmers sell them directly from roadside stalls.

China hopes to attract three million tourists to Tibet by 2020. But there are concerns that these tourists, who will need hotels, restaurants and shops, will destroy Tibet’s unique character. More visitors could lead to ugly developments around major tourist sites and damage to the region’s natural environment. Local officials maintain this will not happen, but bold statements and action are often two different things.

Buddhist tradition

Tiger’s Nest Monastery, perched precariously on the edge of a 3,000-feet-high cliff in Paro Valley, is one of the holiest places in Bhutan. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche, the second Buddha, flew onto the cliff on the back of a tigress, and then meditated in a cave which now exists within the monastery walls. The monastery, formally called Taktshang Goemba, was built in 1692 and reconstructed in 1998 after a fire. Now, the monastery is restricted to practicing Buddhists on religious retreats and is off-limits to ordinary tourists.

Religion remains important for ordinary Tibetans, many of whom make pilgrimages to the region’s monasteries and temples. Pilgrims are as prominent as tourists on Lhasa’s streets, as they walk around sacred sites chanting and clutching prayer beads. Many sites have been restored after being destroyed in China’s Cultural Revolution, when the country was plunged into virtual civil war. China says there are now more than 1,700 places of worship in Tibet, and about 46,000 monks and nuns.

Whilst searching through the land to find that which I deem worthy of mention, amongst the most beautiful of lands I discovered the Antrim Coast and Glens. The nine famous glens, endowed with evocative names and blessed with a diversity of landscape are also rich in history, in folklore and in the natural beauty that is a world away from the frantic bustle of modern life.

The coastline of County Antrim from Ballycastle to Larne and the world famous Glens of Antrim contain some of the most beautiful and varied scenery in Northern Ireland. The area is dominated by a high undulating plateau cut by deep glens which open north and eastwards to the sea. It is an area of contrasts: gentle bays are separated by blunt headlands; exposed moorland gives way to sheltered valleys; wide open expanses to enclosed farmland.

Entwined amongst the rich history and traditions of the communities within these mysterious glens is the constant sense of a dual landscape; one of breathtaking nautral drama and beauty that opens up as you negotiate the hills and bends, and another more hidden landscape of mists and myths, of legends and folklore and tales of giants, fairies and other wonderful creatures. Let us explore them all.

Glenaan – The glen of the colt’s foot or rush lights, a rugged glen – having the site of the legendary Ossian’s grave, with the Cushendall-Ballymoney mountain road. The Celtic poet Ossian is said to have resisted St Patrick, arguing that Christianity was too strict for the exuberant Gaels.

Glenarm – The glen of the army, with Glenarm village, eleven miles north of Larne, on the famous Causeway Coastal Route. The oldest of the villages, with narrow streets leading to Glenarm Forest with its paths and waterfalls. A gold and Silversmith’s workshop and a pottery in the village are worth a visit. Glenarm Castle, with a striking resemblance to the Tower of London, is the home of the Earl of Antrim.

Glenariff – The arable or fertile glen, the best-known of the nine as the ‘Queen of the Glens’, sweeps majestically towards the village of Waterfoot. A series of waterfalls plunge down through a gorge traversed by rustic bridges. One cascade has the name ‘tears of the mountain’. The park is also a national nature reserve with easy access to a caravan and camp site. There is a wonderful view from the visitor centre down the glen which Thackeray described as a ‘Switzerland in miniature’. Waterfoot is the village at the foot of Glenariff, by lovely Red Bay, so called because of the reddish sand washed by streams from the sandstone. Fishing boats can be hired at the harbour here. There is a series of caves in the Cliffs, which were once inhabited, with the fragmentary ruins of Red Bay Castle above.

Glenballyeamon – Edwardstown glen, at the foot of which is Cushendall – more or less at the centre of the nine glens. Tieveragh Hill is supposed to be the capital of the fairies (living inside it). Above the village soars the table-top mountain of Lurigethan.

Glencorp – The glen of the slaughtered, close by Glenaan and roughly parallel to the main road from Cushendall to Cushendun. A prominent round hill on the east slope of Glencorp is called Tieveragh. This is famed as the home of multitudes of fairies, said to emerge in a procession on May Eve (30 April). Those who doubt the existence of the little folk will not see them, for they reveal themselves only to believers.

Glencloy – The glen of the hedges, two miles north of Glenarm, with the village of Carnlough at its foot. Lying about 14 miles north of Larne, this glen takes its name from the stone ditches in the upper glen and on Garron mountain. Some of these have been shown to date from the Bronze Age. The main village is Carnlough (population about 1000) stretching along most of the bay. A further 500-600 people live in the upper glen. Archaeological excavations at Bay Farm have uncovered evidence of Neolithic occupation (around 4000 B.C.) and further excavations in the same general area uncovered a Bronze Age settlement dated between 2000 and 1500 B.C.

Glendun – The glen of the brown river, adjacent to Cushendun village; spanned by a viaduct on the main Cushendall-Ballycastle road.

Glenshesk – A pleasant glen lying on the eastern side of Knocklayde mountain opening out to the sea at Ballycastle. It is quite easy to visit and explore this glen and Glentaise in the course of a couple of days. Like Glentaisie, on the other side of Knocklayde, it is also full of historic lore and at its foot lie the ruins of the Franciscan Friary of Bunamargy which was built for the friars by the local chieftain, Rory MacQuillan in 1485. As a result of a few fierce battles it became the property of the MacDonnell Clan who had no qualms about setting fire to the friary when it was occupied by the English forces under the command of Sir William Stanley in 1584. This glen is peppered with standing stones marking the burial places of saintly men and women and of brave clan leaders killed in battle. A castle in Drumenia is called after Goban Saoer who is celebrated in folklore as the icon of all skilled builders and craftsmen. Folklore – You do not have to travel far in County Antrim to encounter Finn MacCool, whether in his legendary giant form or as a Celtic warrior. In the latter guise he is said to have slain his favourite hunting dog Bran in Glenshesk – at a spot now known as Doonfin – during an incident in the pursuit of deer. Hunting features frequently in tales of Finn and his band of fighters, the Fianna, and Finn’s two dogs, Bran and Skolawn, are recorded as being a type of greyhound, but no doubt larger and heavier than today’s refined racing dogs.

Glentaisie – The most northerly of the nine glens and, lying as it does at the foot of Knocklayde mountain, is probably the most sheltered. It is about five miles long and opens out to a fine sandy beach at the beautiful historic town of Ballycastle. named after the Princess Taisie, the daughter of King Dorm of Rathlin Island. According to legend, Taisie, renowned for her great beauty, was bethrothed to Congal, heir to the Kingdom of Ireland. The king of Norway also sought her hand in marriage, and when he arrived to claim his bride her wedding celebrations to Congal were underway. The King of Norway and his army tried to capture Taisie but in the subsequent battle he was killed and his army fled leaderless and empty handed. More recent history deals with the arrival of the MacDonnell Clan from Scotland and even more recent is the fact that the first ever wireless message across a stretch of water was transmitted by Guglielmo Marconi from Ballycastle to Rathlin in 1898.

Surely the lands of Northern Ireland are of great interest to me, and I am of a mind to visit soon. To take part in the festivities and explore the glens, the lands of my ancestors, is a desire I cannot resist. I cannot possibly even properly express the beauty and wonder of such places without a personal visit. Surely these places must be experienced in person to allow our spirits to absorb the magnificence and mystery of the natural creations on this earth. I hope you enjoy a glimpse into this Place of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is just a small part of our Mother Earth.

Further Study and Information

Here is a Guide to the Glens of Antrim. Can you separate truth from myth?

Here is a treasure I simply could not pass by. I can see myself blissfully strolling through these mysteriously beautiful woods. The Blackdown Hills are rich in history, and the remarkable amount of historical and archaeological remains surviving in the Blackdown Hills are just one of the reasons this landscape is protected. The AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) organises an active heritage group and there are many other local groups with an interest in history, heritage and archaeology.

The sense of community in Blackdown Hills is simply heartwarming, and makes this a thoroughly enchanting place I would love to visit. They have Mushroom forays, an ever-popular event for adults and kids, where one can forage for fungi in nearby woods before returning to the Farmers Inn in West Hatch to sample wild mushrooms. How totally cool! (I know I am weird, yet this is a delicious type of fungi we are talking about!)

Then there is the Autumn Apple Celebrations. Cider with Roadies will once again be touring the Blackdowns each autumn to champion the local apple! We can join in the celebrations as they touch down in the villages bringing their travelling apple press, Pomona. Have your own apples pressed into delicious juice, learn about planting and growing, and enjoy original music, drama and fun. Hmmm… sounds so country and old time to me, which makes this something I would love to be a part of.

A chance to take part in the ancient practice of coppicing hazel, or a Natural Christmas Decorations workshop, makes visiting this lovely English countryside even more inviting. Not to mention a walk through scenic Otterford, approx. 6½miles (11km.), about 3 hours, and a moderate walk for those who wish to enjoy the scenery with little discomfort (except the rain, the reason for the lush green landscape).

Ah, now here is something I find truly interesting. They have a group of fibre farmers dedicated and totally commited to offering the very best Alpaca, Cashmere, Mohair and wool products in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way. Blackdown Hills Natural Fibres has a way of processing of local fibre in an environmentally sensitive way but without the compromise on quality this sometimes means. I would just love to gather some of these most amazingly high quality, absolutely unique yarns and finished items, as they have to offer. What a treat!

Well then, it is settled. Here is another place I will add to my itinerary of places to visit when I make my way to England, Scotland and Ireland. This is a trip I will thoroughly enjoy planning! Especially if I can learn the traditional skill of hedgelaying with the Blackdown Hills Hedge Association. Blackdowns hedges are renowned for their craftsmanship and as habitats for wildlife – they have a course where we can learn from the experts. This is a quaint part of the English lanscape I love most. And of course I will simply have to visit a castle, and explore the countryside’s wild places to my hearts content. Here we will find a treasure trove of Mother Earth’s natural wonders, although man has tampered with her work a bit, yet I believe the land has been preserved in a good way, which makes me very happy.

If you wish to learn more, and get the scoop on events in this area, you may visit Blackdown Hills AONB.

Whilst searching for great places to visit and explore in England, I discovered the Brimham Rocks. Situated on a hill overlooking Summerbridge and Lower Nidderdale, Brimham Rocks are a series of fantastically shaped Millstone Grit outcrops, sculptured by erosion during the last ice age. Although technically outside of the Yorkshire Dales national park boundary, Nidderdale has been designated as an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” and has every right to be included in any definition of the “classical” Yorkshire Dales.

There are many variations of rock formations, caused by the Millstone Grit being eroded by water, glaciation and wind, most of which have achieved amazing shapes. Many of the formations have been named, though some imagination is required and the correct viewing angle is helpful. Examples are The Sphinx, The Watchdog, The Camel, The Turtle and The Dancing Bear. If you wish to enjoy the view, the property is open all year around; typically from 8 a.m. until dusk. These are indeed quite fantastic works of art formed by nature and adding a beautiful and wonderous image to the landscape of Mother Earth.