National Parks

This spatial dataset contains the digital boundaries of National Parks, which are statutory landscape designations in Wales. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has a legal duty to maintain and make available National Park boundaries.

National Parks are designated for the purposes of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage and for the public to enjoy the special qualities of these nationally important landscapes.

NRW is the designating authority for any new National Parks in Wales or boundary variations to existing ones, however these must be confirmed by Welsh Ministers. NRWs statutory powers derive from the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act (NPAC) 1949 and Environment Act 1995. The Environment Act (1995) established National Park Authorities, as independent Special Purpose Local Authorities to administer the National Park area in order to deliver their statutory purposes.

Three National Parks have been designated in Wales: Snowdonia 1951 (variation 1974); Pembrokeshire Coast 1952 (Variation 1989); and Brecon Beacons 1955 (Variation 1966).

The data has been held digitally since the mid-1990s. The boundary has been transferred to OS MasterMap by NRW and has been subject to joint checking by NRW staff and the relevant Park authority staff.

Identifier: NRW_DS98777

Alternative Title

National Parks.LYR
Sites (National Parks)

Metadata Language: English

Lineage: The data was first digitised to a smaller scale (1:50,000 and 1:10,000), then it was put to OS Landline and then later to OS MasterMap. This final version has had collaboration between NRW and Park Authorities to give the best interpretation of the original designation.

The digital data was created from an interpretation of the National Park designation maps. These maps varied in scale from 1:63,360 (1 inch to 1 mile) and 1:50,000 scale and were accompanied by a written description of the boundary, however the map over-ruled the description if there was inconsistency.

Where administrative boundaries and roads defined the Park boundary it was a rule that the position of that feature at time of designation remained the geographical position of the boundary. However where rivers or Mean High Water Mark (MHWM) formed the boundary these were digitised according to the base map used at digitisation. Digital data captured to OS MasterMap.

Additional Information: Please refer to National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 for reasons for capture of original designation.

Dataset Reference Date (Publication): 2024-07-24

Temporal Extent

Begin date: 1990-01-01

End date: 2015-03-01

Topic category

Biota
Environment

Owner

Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Originator

National Park Authorities

UK ANPA, 126 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF10 5L, Wales

http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/

Originator

Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Extent

Geographic Extent: Wales (WLS)

Vertical Extent

Medin Extent Keyword: benthic boundary layer

Distribution

Format Type and Description

Geographic Information System ( )

Specification

ESRI Feature Class

Resource Locator: Download Data and Web Service ( WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link )

Resource Locator: Web Mapping Service ( OGC:WMS )

Data quality

Quality Scope: Dataset

Conformity: Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
Explanation: This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
Degree: false

Lineage: The data was first digitised to a smaller scale (1:50,000 and 1:10,000), then it was put to OS Landline and then later to OS MasterMap. This final version has had collaboration between NRW and Park Authorities to give the best interpretation of the original designation.

The digital data was created from an interpretation of the National Park designation maps. These maps varied in scale from 1:63,360 (1 inch to 1 mile) and 1:50,000 scale and were accompanied by a written description of the boundary, however the map over-ruled the description if there was inconsistency.

Where administrative boundaries and roads defined the Park boundary it was a rule that the position of that feature at time of designation remained the geographical position of the boundary. However where rivers or Mean High Water Mark (MHWM) formed the boundary these were digitised according to the base map used at digitisation. Digital data captured to OS MasterMap.

Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

Protected sites

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2008-06-01

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme

Keywords

NRW Thesaurus

National Park Authority
geographical information systems (GIS)

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2025-01-08

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords

Keywords

SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary

Habitat extent
Habitat characterisation

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2024-06-19

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.rdf+xml

Keywords

IPSV Subjects List

Nature reserves

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2020-11-18

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.subjects

Keywords

NRW SMNR Keywords

Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR)
Soil and Land (SMNR)
Animals, Plants and Other Organisms (SMNR)
Mountains, Moorland and Heaths (SMNR)
Ecosystem (SMNR)
Enclosed Farmlands (SMNR)
Water Resources (SMNR)
Cultural Services (SMNR)
Woodlands (SMNR)
Semi-natural Grasslands (SMNR)
Regulating Services (SMNR)
Ecosystem Services (SMNR)
Provisioning Services (SMNR)
Management Areas (SMNR)
Natural Resources (Incl. Features and Processes) (SMNR)
Physical Geography (Physiography) (SMNR)

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2024-06-26

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-smnr-keywords

Code: British National Grid (EPSG::27700)

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Restriction type: Other restrictions

Access Constraints Directive

Limitations: no limitations

Access Constraints Text

Other constraints: There are no access restrictions on this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely.

Use Constraints

Use constraints type: Other restrictions

Other constraints: © CNC/NRW All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right Data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and copyright of the owners. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose.

Attribution Statement

Other constraints: Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right.

Metadata

File Identifier: 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-3938373737 XML

Metadata Language: English

Resource type: Dataset

Metadata Date: 2025-02-10T16:09:31.808Z

Metadata Standard Name: NRW

Metadata Standard Version: 1.0

pointOfContact

Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Publishing Body

Access the portal

Full access to the portal and metadata.

National Parks

Identification

Temporal Extent

Extent

Extent

Vertical Extent

Distribution

Distribution

Quality

Data quality

Keywords

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Spatial Reference System

Content

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Access Constraints Directive

Access Constraints Text

Use Constraints

Attribution Statement

Metadata

Metadata

Publishing Body