Did you know that 90% of the UK’s population and two-thirds of the world’s population live under heavily polluted night skies?

We think of pollution in terms of dirty air, water contamination and excessive noise, all of which can have a significant impact on us. However, light pollution is equally a problem and is already having a big impact on our health. It is also affecting local biodiversity, particularly insects, birds and trees.

Here at Cranborne Chase, though, we are lucky to possess and cherish our dark night skies. Ours is a unique area of pristine night skies where, on a clear night, fortunate residents and visitors can witness the majestic arc of the Milky Way. This is one of the most treasured qualities of the AONB and we are working with other UK Dark Sky Places to get our dark night skies the statutory protection they need to enable them to thrive and survive. We were the first AONB to became an International Dark Sky Reserve in its entirety in October 2019, but want to make our dark skies even darker.