Dartmoor National Park Authority

National Parks in England and Wales were created under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 with the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 paving the way for the first National Parks in Scotland.

National Parks cover 10 per cent of the United Kingdom’s rural areas with a combined resident population in excess of 270,000.

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Dartmoor National Park Authority 100024842 2005.

The first National Park in the United Kingdom was the Peak District, designated in 1950. In January 1954 the first National Park Warden in the country was appointed in the Peak District National Park. Each National Park has its own Ranger or Warden Service working to further National Park purposes and sharing knowledge and best practice across Ranger Services in protected areas throughout the United Kingdom.

For further information on national parks see www.nationalparks.gov.uk or www.anpa.gov.uk