Landscape Character

The South Pennines consists of gently sloping wild, open plateaux that stand high above the surrounding major conurbations of Manchester, and Leeds/Bradford.

“…like the Andes they are the heart of the area’s cultural heritage, playing a vital part in shaping local settlements, industry and agriculture, and providing valuable natural resources.”

Straddled across both regional and district boundaries, the South Pennines is an internationally important area, special for its heather moorlands, acid Millstone Grit rock, variety and rarity of birdlife, steep wooded cloughs and traditional farming methods. It is also a major water catchment area for surrounding towns/cities, with many Victorian reservoirs built to supply the growing industrial and domestic needs.

Described by Defoe as “the Andes of England” (1724) the Southern Pennine uplands may not be as high as the neighbouring uplands of the Peak District or the Yorkshire Dales, but like the Andes they are the heart of the area’s cultural heritage, playing a vital part in shaping local settlements, industry and agriculture, and providing valuable natural resources. They form the core of the water catchment lands.