National Nature Reserves (NNRs) Declarations

This is a spatial dataset shows National Nature Reserves (NNRs) with their individual declarations. NNRs represent the very best examples of our wildlife habitats and geological features and can range in size between five hectares to well over 2,000. NNRs are declared by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949, or under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. They are owned or leased by NRW, or the land is held by an approved body, such as a County Wildlife Trust. Each reserve has a programme of work to manage the site's special features. All of them are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and may provide places for educational projects, research and management trials. Some reserves require permits to gain access to them.

Please refer to National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, for reasons of creation of the original designation.
This data has been checked by NRW staff. The original, individual, declaration paper maps are the legal documents.

Each individual declaration map that makes up a single NNR has been digitised. In some cases an individual NNR is made up of one declaration map, whereas others have 15 separate declaration maps that were registered over a number of years. Initially the individual, declaration maps were produced on paper at 1:10,000 or 1:2500 scales on early 1900s edition of map, then in later years created through GIS. This dataset has been transferred to OSMasterMap (CCW 2006 update) in 2008 and is on going.

Attribution statement

Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right.