This is a landmark project bringing together all 12 sections of Cornwall National Landscape. Our aim is to strengthen the living connections between people, place, nature and climate so that Cornwall’s landscapes can thrive for generations to come.
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.
To connect people, place, nature, and climate through digital innovation, amplifying voices and protecting Cornwall’s natural and cultural heritage.
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.
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.
Gather and map data across all 12 sections to reveal landscape character, biodiversity, and community needs.
Ensure communities, farmers, and partners are central to shaping priorities and influencing decisions.
Develop a StoryMap and interactive dashboards that unlock connections, guide action, and inspire engagement.
Safeguard Cornwall’s fragile natural and cultural assets while sharing their stories with wider audiences.
Set the stage for long-term collaboration and resilience, aligning with national strategies and The National Lottery Heritage Fund ambitions.
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.
We will strengthen wellbeing by helping people feel more connected to their landscapes and each other, fostering pride, learning, and opportunities to take part.
We will celebrate the unique character and heritage of each section, ensuring every place has a voice and its story is recognised and valued.
We will restore and protect natural habitats, using data to guide recovery and ensuring Cornwall’s biodiversity can flourish.
We will contribute to climate resilience, supporting sustainable land use and nature-based solutions that help Cornwall adapt and thrive into the future.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. The full report will be available on our website soon.
