20th Century Changes in the Landscape

The AONB remains a very rural area. However it has not escaped entirely from modern development. New land uses have started to impact on the AONB.

It is not until the late 20th century that the history of creating areas for purely recreational purposes has had a landscape scale impact upon the AONB. The creation in the modern era of a suite of recreational facilities including holiday villages, safari parks, golf courses, caravan sites and playing fields has in some respects transformed the way that many people, especially visitors, interact with the landscape of the AONB. This influence is especially noticeable around Longleat in the north west corner of the AONB.

Download a short introduction to Historical Land Use in the AONB (PDF 838 KB).

This document forms part of the wider AONB Historic Environment Action Plans.