The Heart of Natural Beauty – Landscape Connections
About
We’re mapping Cornwall’s 12 unique landscapes, creating tools that unlock their stories, reveal opportunities, and reflect the needs of the people who care for them.
Aim
To connect people, place, nature, and climate through digital innovation, amplifying voices and protecting Cornwall’s natural and cultural heritage.
Project Overview
We’re gathering data on landscape character, biodiversity, heritage, and local needs, and translating this into an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap and 12 data-rich dashboards. These tools will make hidden connections visible, help communities shape priorities, and guide future action across Cornwall.
We’re delighted that The National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced that Cornwall National Landscape will receive more than £1million in development funding through its ambitious Landscape Connections initiative to revive and connect the UK’s most treasured landscapes. From restoring habitats and recovering peatlands damaged by wildfire to improving access to nature, supporting community stewardship and building resilience to climate change, the next phase of this project represents the latest step in strengthening nature, heritage and communities across some of the UK’s most significant landscapes.
All this is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are taking a vital step toward unlocking the full potential of Cornwall’s landscapes.
The Heart of Natural Beauty: Landscape Connections is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players. The National Lottery Heritage Fund is investing £150million over 10 years to support large-scale projects that revive landscapes, support nature recovery and enhance the connections between people and wildlife across the UK.
Aims – Goals & Objectives
The Heart of Natural Beauty: Landscape Connections project sets out to strengthen the bond between people, place, nature, and climate across Cornwall. By combining local knowledge with innovative digital tools, we aim to create a shared understanding of our landscapes and empower communities to shape their future.
Build a strong evidence base
Gather and map data across all 12 sections to reveal landscape character, biodiversity, and community needs.
Amplify local voices
Ensure communities, farmers, and partners are central to shaping priorities and influencing decisions.
Create innovative digital tools
Develop a StoryMap and interactive dashboards that unlock connections, guide action, and inspire engagement.
Protect and celebrate heritage
Safeguard Cornwall’s fragile natural and cultural assets while sharing their stories with wider audiences.
Lay foundations for future action
Set the stage for long-term collaboration and resilience, aligning with national strategies and The National Lottery Heritage Fund ambitions.
Benefits
Our Primary Purpose is to conserve and enhance Natural Beauty.
Our priority is to lead and support projects which deliver under these four key categories.
People
We will strengthen wellbeing by helping people feel more connected to their landscapes and each other, fostering pride, learning, and opportunities to take part.
Place
We will celebrate the unique character and heritage of each section, ensuring every place has a voice and its story is recognised and valued.
Nature
We will restore and protect natural habitats, using data to guide recovery and ensuring Cornwall’s biodiversity can flourish.
Climate
We will contribute to climate resilience, supporting sustainable land use and nature-based solutions that help Cornwall adapt and thrive into the future.
Project Detail
The Heart of Natural Beauty: Landscape Connections is bringing together Cornwall’s 12 unique landscapes to create new tools, insights, and opportunities for communities and nature to thrive.
Images
Phase 1 of the project is focused on building a strong foundation. Working with partners, landowners, farmers, and community groups, we are gathering baseline data on landscape character, biodiversity, and cultural heritage across Cornwall.
This information will be brought to life through an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap and 12 section-specific dashboards. These tools will highlight hidden connections, reveal opportunities for collaboration, and help shape future priorities.
The project also champions digital innovation to amplify local voices, ensuring that communities are central to decision-making. By weaving together science, data, and lived experience, we can create a clear picture of Cornwall’s landscapes and how they can be better supported.
The Heart of Natural Beauty: Landscape Connections is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are laying the groundwork for long-term action. The goal is simple but powerful: resilient landscapes where people, place, nature, and climate are in harmony.
Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We’re delighted to support Cornwall National Landscape in launching The Heart of Natural Beauty: Landscape Connections. The project will bring people together to celebrate and protect the heritage that makes this landscape so special. Thanks to National Lottery players, more people will be able to connect with the natural heritage on their doorstep.”
Support Us
But we need your help…
Using the power of data
Our interactive spatial mapping tools will tell the story of our landscapes
ArcGIS StoryMaps and data dashboards are powerful tools that help people share information in a visual way. StoryMaps combine text, images, and maps – as shown here in the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Nature Recovery Network mapping – to tell a story, making complex information easy to understand. Data dashboards display key data and statistics in a clear format, allowing users to see trends and insights at a glance. The tools will make it easier for organisations, landowners and individuals to quickly access the data they need, to evidence funding applications, achieve shared goals and make new local connections.
Making connections
Linking trusted local voices
Cornwall National Landscape is the only National Landscape made up of 12 Sections and each one is unique and special. We’ll connect organisations. landowners and communities in each of our 12 Sections, working together to identify local need, amplify community voices and enable positive change in the landscapes we love.
Positive change for people, place, nature and climate
We will develop new projects where they are most needed
This phase of our work is not just about gathering data on our landscapes, it is about connecting with the people making real changes in the landscapes that matter to them. By joining together, we can share goals, maximise effort and ensure meaningful and long lasting benefit for people, place, nature and climate.
Telling our data story
New infographics tell the story of the landscape in an accessible way
Data can be tricky to understand. We’ve worked with a local design agency to produce a set of infographics, that present key data about our Sections in a visually appealing way. We’ll be adding these graphics to our website soon.
Locating Tranquillity
Research with Falmouth University
Tranquillity is one of the recognised factors contributing to Natural Beauty, as identified by Natural England – the organisation responsible for designating National Landscapes. A deeper understanding of Natural Beauty and tranquillity will inform our work to conserve and enhance our special places.
The research at Falmouth University was jointly led by its Research Centre for Heritage, Culture & Society and Arts & Health, as part of a programme of work exploring connections between health, creativity, culture & heritage, and rural landscapes.
Previous research has captured a national picture but our new research, including new primary data, has given us local insight.
State of the AONB report
A resource for researchers
The State of the AONB Report gives an up-to-date picture of the current health of Cornwall National Landscape and informs our Management Plan. Previous versions have been produced as PDFs but we are replacing this format for 2025/6 with a more dynamic, interactive digital version created in ARCGIS, as an output of Heart of Natural Beauty: Landscape Connections, enabling better and more intuitive access to the data. By harnessing the power of this data, we can manage Cornwall National Landscape to enhance the qualities that make it special and increase benefits people, place, nature and climate.
Digital Data Hub Community Training – Cornwall National Landscape