Not just some of the most beautiful landscapes in daylight, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB have some outstanding dark sky locations where the wonder of the natural night skies can be experienced. We believe our dark skies are worth protecting that’s why we are on a mission to gain official status from the International Dark Sky Association (IDA).

The importance of high quality darkness is twofold. Firstly, around 60% of our wildlife is most active at night and studies have shown that artificial light at night has negative – sometimes deadly – effects on many creatures (including humans) affecting behaviours such as nourishment, sleep patterns, reproduction and protection from predators.

We would like to ensure that the night skies in the AONB are preserved so that our wildlife can thrive in their natural habitats, living by the natural cycles of night and day.

Secondly, there are few places left where people can really get a true perception of night and its awe-inspiring sky brimming with stars. In fact, only 2% of people living in the UK will experience a truly dark sky. We are lucky to be in a position where visitors can easily get to spaces that have very little light pollution from the surrounding populated areas, meaning that astronomers, enthusiasts, poets and scholars alike can enjoy one of the most spectacular shows on Earth.

We have created Prosiect Nos – The North Wales Dark Sky Partnership to help create the largest areas of protected dark skies in the world! We are made up of the Snowdonia National Park Authority and the AONBs of the Isle of Anglesey, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley and the Llŷn Peninsula.

Details of the Dark Sky Discovery Sites in the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley can be found on the map below: