- elevation 174 m (571 ft) Area 204 km² | Address York YO62 4NA, UK Phone +44 845 034 9495 | |
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North york moors howardian hills
The Howardian Hills take their name from the Howard family who still own local lands, and are located between the Yorkshire Wolds, the North York Moors National Park and the Vale of York. The Howardian Hills are a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); one of 46 areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which, along with National Parks and Heritage Coasts, represent some of the most spectacular and unspoilt landscapes in the country.
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Yorkshire howardian hills castle howard and malton
Topography
The Howardian Hills form 79 square miles of well-wooded undulating countryside between the flat agricultural Vales of Pickering and York. The irregular 558 feet (170 m) high ridges of the Howardian Hills are a southern extension of the rocks of the Hambleton Hills in the North York Moors. Jurassic limestone and a network of pasture, extensive woodland, trees and woodland combine to create a strong visual character in the higher ground overlooking the agricultural plains below. On the eastern edge, the River Derwent cuts through the Hills in the Kirkham Gorge, a deep winding valley formed as an overflow channel from glacial Lake Pickering.
Settlement
Although there are no towns within the AONB, the market towns of Helmsley and Malton lie just beyond the boundary. From Malton to Hovingham is a line of spring line villages. The majority of older buildings are of locally quarried limestone with red pantile roofs and those which developed as part of the grand country house estates have largely retained a coherent identity.
Land use
High grade arable land, pasture and managed woodland makes this rich farming country whose diversity contributes to its attractive rural character.
Flora and fauna
The Howardian Hills AONB is a key area for several nationally important Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Priority habitats including lowland broadleaved woodland, wood pasture, veteran trees, limestone and neutral grasslands and fen meadows. Characteristic species include brown hare, lapwing, tree sparrow and barn owl as well as several local rarities such as knapweed broomrape and baneberry.[1].
Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
The Howardian Hills are designated an AONB because of the following Special Qualities:
Each of these attributes is important in its own right, but it is their combination in a relatively small area that has produced a landscape of national significance.
What the Howardian Hills AONB partnership does
As a working landscape, the interests of agriculture, forestry, rural enterprise and the economic and social needs of communities in the AONB are important. The Joint Advisory Committee and professional staff in the AONB unit help to conserve and enhance the AONB landscape by:
Visit [3] for further details.