Stargazing
The best places in the world to stargaze
If you’ve spent your life looking up at the night’s sky from busy urban areas, be prepared for a surprise! Seeing the twinkly star-studded sky across the vast landscape of National Parks is a real spectacle that you won’t forget in a hurry.
With less light pollution than the rest of the UK, National Parks are an astronomers’ delight and offer a wealth of stargazing opportunities for all.
Get Inspired
North York Moors , Visit site (opens in a new tab)
Discover the panoramic views of the North York Moors’ Dark Skies, the latest National Park to join the International Dark Sky Reserve family.
Eryri (Snowdonia) , Visit site (opens in a new tab)
Eryri (Snowdonia) was designated an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2015.
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) , Visit site (opens in a new tab)
On a clear night in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), you can see the Milky Way, major constellations, bright nebulas and even meteor showers.
Northumberland , Visit site (opens in a new tab)
Home to England’s first International Dark Sky Park. Discover Northumberland's many dark sky sites where you can see millions of stars, far away from light pollution.
South Downs , Visit site (opens in a new tab)
One of only 18 International Dark Skies Reserves, the South Downs is one of the best places to stargaze in the UK.
Exmoor , Visit site (opens in a new tab)
Home to Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve. Exmoor Dark Skies are ideal to discover stargazing.
Yorkshire Dales , Visit site (opens in a new tab)
The Yorkshire Dales National Park has been designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve, joining an exclusive global family of Dark Sky Places.
Did you know?
Beginner’s guide to stargazing
Never stargazed before? Here are some top tips to get you started and enjoy an astronomically amazing adventure!
Choose a night when the skies are clear. Stargazing is best around a New Moon, when the skies are at their darkest.
Take a blanket or mat to lie on and wrap up warm – it can get cold under a dark sky! Take some snacks and a hot drink.
Allow time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness – this takes around 20 minutes. Turn off anything that shines a white light. If you need a torch, use one with a red lens, which will not affect your night-time vision.
There are many free astronomy apps that you can download to transform your mobile into a planetarium in your palm that will help guide you around the sky at night.
Come to one of our Dark Skies Festivals – they are a great starting point and will inspire you!
You’ll see lots with the naked eye, but as you progress, why not invest in pair of 10×50 binoculars and then work up to a telescope, which will give you years and years of enjoyment.
Happy star hunting!
💭You might have heard of biodiversity, but what does it actually mean?
It’s the variety of life around us from plants and insects in a meadow to birds, mammals, fungi and the tiny organisms we can’t even see.
But it’s not just a list of species - it’s the intricate web of relationships between them, and our National Parks are home to an incredible diversity of life.
Protecting biodiversity means protecting that web of life.
📸 An adder in @southdownsnp by Simon Watkins.🐍
#Biodiversity #NatureLovers
Could spending more time among trees be good for us?🌳
Research into forests suggests natural compounds called phytoncides could promote a sense of wellbeing and that time spent in woodlands can help decrease feelings of stress and anxiety.
Forest bathing is the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku - which translates as ‘forest bath.’ It’s all about immersing ourselves in nature. Not to get steps in. Not to reach anywhere. Just to feel, be still and be present.
And our National Parks can certainly help. From pine forests and wooded valleys to ancient trees. Our parks are helping people to slow down and reconnect with the natural world every day.
Have you ever tried forest bathing? Tell us below👇
1. Stanmer Woods - @southdownsnp
2. Whinlatter Forest - @lakedistrictnpa
3. Cairngorms National Park @cairngormsnationalpark
4. North York Moors National Park @northyorkmoors
#Mindfulness #ForestBathing #Wellbeing #NationalParks
Has the rain reached you yet? 🌧️
A change in the weather is making its way across our National Parks. And with it comes a different rhythm to the landscape - changing how our surroundings look, sound and feel.
The sound of rain. The smell of wet earth. The air feeling fresher. Wildlife finding shelter.
What do you notice most when the rain arrives?
#RainyDay #BritishWeather #NationalParksUK
They may look like windmills, but in The Broads National Park, they are actually windpumps.
Rather than grinding flour, they were built to pump water from the marshes, helping to drain the land for agriculture and grazing.
Today, these distinctive structures are part of what makes the Broads landscape so recognisable.
And while this is a story from the Broads, it’s one that can be found across all 15 of our National Parks - landscapes shaped by people finding ways to adapt to live and work within their landscape. Something which still remains the case today.
Did you know that one of these mills is said to be haunted? Comment down below which one you think it is 👇
In photograph order:
📍1. St Benets Mill
📍2. Horsey Mill
📍3. Turf Fen Mill
📍4. Thurne Mill
📍5. Bograve Mill
#NorfolkBroads #NationalPark #Windpumps
✨🌙 Look up!
With a partial solar eclipse taking place tonight across the UK, we’re reminded about how important it is for our dark skies to be protected. Our National Parks are home to some of the best places in the UK to enjoy them, due to low levels of light pollution.
These incredible photos capture another recent celestial phenomenon that has been on display for stargazers and is peaking tonight - the Perseid meteor shower.
The sightings were captured in @northyorkmoors - home to one of the UK’s largest areas of protected dark sky.
🌟Tag us in your eclipse photos across our National Parks. Just be sure to follow safe viewing and photography guidance while you snap!
📷 1. Perseid meteor shower at Skelton Tower by Richard Horsman.
📷 2. Milky Way and Perseid meteor shower at Sutton Bank by Russ Norman.
📍North York Moors National Park #DarkSkies #SolarEclipse #Perseid #MeteorShower
Just goats being goats. 🐐
These incredible animals call the Valley of Rocks in @exmoornp home - scaling walls and cliffs, grazing on the rich meadows and, occasionally, blocking the roads!
They’re a wonderful reminder of why our National Parks are so important, providing a home for such a diverse range of wildlife.
Have you ever spotted one?
📷 Exmoor National Park
#ValleyOfRocks #Exmoor #Goats #NationalPark
Look out for us at the cinema. 🎬🌳
Our latest Wild Spaces episode, screening before selected films, takes you to Northumberland National Park. Their team, alongside farmers, landowners and volunteers, is working together to create healthier, more resilient landscapes through woodland creation and hedgerow planting.
It’s a story of partnership, long-term thinking, and the small actions that can have a lasting impact.
Find out more about the project and watch the episode via the link in our bio. 🔗
@northumberlandnationalpark
#WildSpaces #Northumberland #TreePlanting
💭You might have heard of peatland, but what exactly is it and why does it matter so much?
Peatlands are our natural climate allies. They store vast amounts of carbon, support rare wildlife, improve water quality, reduce flood risk and preserve thousands of years of archaeological and cultural history.
Some of the UK`s most important peatlands are found within our National Parks, making them critical places for tackling the climate and nature crises.
Across the UK`s National Parks, peatland restoration projects are helping damaged peatlands recover, benefiting both nature and people.
📍Dartmoor National Park
#NationalParks #Peatlands #NatureRecovery
