Local places to visit

Over half of Hertfordshire is designated Green Belt, giving it protection from development under national planning policy. The western portion of the county lies within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) which affords it even stronger protections, and much of the northern part of the county is rural. These characteristics have encouraged landscape and nature conservation and they also provide opportunities for all of us to enjoy the countryside.

In this section of our website we’ve listed a number of ‘local places’ throughout the county where you can spend time outdoors with nature close at hand. All of the places we’ve listed are free and open all year round.