Sheep grazing beside the majestic standing stones at Castlerigg, with Lake District fells in the distance

Inspiring places, inspiring people

National Parks are inspiring places. They give people space to breath, space to think, space to create.

These National Park heros have been inspired to do all kinds of things; Catch snakes in the New Forest, set sail to explore the world, fight for their country and create beautiful music, art, poems and stories.

Just click on a National Park to see people from the past and today, then click their name to read their inspiring story.

Map showing the 15 National Parks in the UK

Broads

close Rural life photograph by PH Emerson PH Emerson

Photographer of rural life in the Broads

Meg Amsden Meg Amsden

Puppeteer and environmentalist

Brecon Beacons

close Sarah Siddons Sarah Siddons

Diva of Dury Lane

Penny Weir Horatio Clare

Author of childhood memories of the Brecon Beacons

Cairngorms

close Sir Patrick Geddes Sir Patrick Geddes

Pioneering thinker, planner and a Scottish Genius

Penny Weir Penny Weir

Potter, cyclist and trail guide

Dartmoor

close Widecombe Eden Phillpots

Author of plays, poems and novels, many about Dartmoor

Chris Chapman Chris Chapman

Documents Dartmoor in photo and film

Exmoor

close Village of Porlock Samuel Coleridge

Writer and romantic poet

Hilary Adair Hilary Adair

Artist and printmaker

Lake District

close Wordsworth home, Dove Cottage William Wordsworth

Romantic poet who made Lake District daffodils famous

Melvyn Bragg Melvyn Bragg

Arts broadcaster and novelist

Loch Lomond and

the Trossachs

close Boat, SS Walter Scott Walter Scott

Romantic poet and novelist

Alex Hamilton Alexander Hamilton

Artist and ecologist

New Forest

close Brusher Brusher Mills

Snake catcher

Dave Dibden Dave Dibden

Coppicer and woodlander

Northumberland

close Josephine Butler Joesphine Butler

Early feminist and social reformer

Katherine Tickell Katherine Tickell

Musician of Northumbrian pipe music

North York Moors

close Captain James Cook Captain James Cook

Worldwide explorer

glass bowl Gilles Jones Glass

Glasswear artists

Peak District

close Chatsworth house and grounds 'Capability' Brown

Garden designer for the rich and stately

Berlie Doherty Berlie Doherty

Authors of books, plays and shows

Pembrokeshire Coast

close St David St David

Patron saint of Wales, honoured on 1 March

Cerys Matthews Cerys Matthews

Lead singer with Catatonia and now acclaimed soloist

Snowdonia

close Owain Glyndwr Owain Glyndwr

Self-proclaimed Prince of Wales who battled the English

Gwyn Thomas Gwyn Thomas

Welsh bard and former National Poet of Wales

South Downs

close Midhurst West Street HG Wells

Author of War of the Worlds and other science fiction classics

Painting by Harold Mockford Harold Mockford

Artist inspired by the South Downs landscape

Yorkshire Dales

close Alf Wight Alf Wight

Better known by his pen name - James Herriot

Bill Mitchell Bill Mitchell

Long serving editor of the popular Dalesman magazine

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