Dark Skies

The AONB Team recently took a trip to the North Pennines AONB to learn about their Dark Sky Discovery Sites. As you may have heard the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB have big Dark Sky ambitions! We would like to apply to the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) to gain official recognised for the quality of our Dark Skies, which are among the best in Wales. 

Like ourselves the North Pennines have not yet applied to the IDA, they have however invested in a number of Dark Sky Discovery sites.

Dark Sky Discovery Sites are places that are away from the worst of any local light pollution, provide good sightlines of the sky, have good public access and are generally freely accessible at all times.

Innovative interpretation, hammocks, stargazing festival and an observatory are just some of the things the North Pennines have achieved as part of their Dark Sky work – no pressure for the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley then.

In the next issue of County Voice you will meet the new Dark Sky Officer for North Wales, a partnership post between the protected landscapes of Snowdonia National Park Authority, Anglesey and Llyn AONB’s and ourselves.

The learning journey was kindly supported by funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government and administered by Cadwyn Clwyd.