An important study and winner of the Landscape Institute Award for Strategic Landscape Planning (2008), working in close partnership with the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) to create an indicative national Landscape Map of Wales. The Map recognises 49 sub-regional Landscape Character Areas across Wales, each with its own distinctive character and sense of place.

Landscape is central to the national identity of Wales. The Welsh word ‘Bro’ conveys a distinct place, and many of the 49 character areas (or Broydd) identified through this work are areas that are familiar to people, such as the Gwent Levels, Snowdonia, and the South Wales Valleys. 

The map captures the distinctive cultural identity, high quality historic environment and richly diverse landscape for which Wales is renowned.  In addition to celebrating the landscape of Wales, this map will be an important planning tool, helping to increase the importance of landscape in national policy and planning decisions.

Development of the map was underpinned by a solid and substantial GIS evidence base, integrating geology, landform, landcover, hydrology and other information about the landscape to create robust character area boundaries and detailed information regarding each area.  This GIS information was presented as an interactive and easily accessible map (provided in ArcReader format) and database that allowed all the supporting information to be explored both quantitatively and visually by non-technical professionals.

As well as the Map, each Character Area is accompanied by a concise descriptive vignette drawn from this substantial evidence base and validated by field observations.  The vignette is a concise, consistent written description of each Character Area, setting out its defining character and qualities and unique sense of place. 

The information is provided under four sub headings: key characteristics, physical landscape, historic/cultural landscape and visual/perceptual landscape.