Country Parks in England and Wales Designated Under the Countryside Act 1968

Over 250 recognised Country Parks provide informal recreation spaces near built-up areas in England and Wales. Most were designated in the 1970s under the Countryside Act 1968 with support from the former Countryside Commission. The dataset is provided by the Government Digital Service under an OGL-UK-3.0 license.

Use Cases

• Map public green space accessibility based on proximity to built-up areas mentioned in the description.
• Analyze historical trends in park designation based on the 1970s designation period.
• Study land management models based on the mix of local authority and other organizational management.

Strengths

• Over 250 recognised parks provide a substantial inventory.
• Clear historical context provided for the 1970s designation period and the Countryside Act 1968.

Limitations

• Row count and specific data attributes are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Designation and management records, likely from local authorities and the former Countryside Commission.

Time Range

Primarily 1970s designations, with parks existing to present.

Freshness

Last updated date is unknown.

Geography

England and Wales