Conserving Snowdonia National Park

Snowdonia was designated a National Park following the 1949 National Park and Access to the Countryside Act. A study to identify boundaries for the National Park began in 1950 and a team from the National Parks Commission including Clough Williams-Ellis recommended the boundary we have today. The criterion for inclusion in the Park was outstanding scenic beauty, which led to the exclusion of the slate production areas and some urban developments.

Snowdonia National Park came into existence on the 18th of October 1951. It was the third National Park to be designated in Britain, and the first in Wales. Today, Snowdonia is one of 15 National Parks in Britain.

In 1996, following the 1995 Environment Act, the Snowdonia National Park became an independent Authority.

Our main purposes are to:

• Conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area
• Promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Park by the public
• We also have a duty to seek to foster the economic and social well being of local communities within the Park.

The links on the left of the page will help explain how we fulfil our purposes.