Keeping Bowland in the Dark

The Forest of Bowland AONB has some of the finest dark skies in the North West. From our hill tops and river sides you can see the Milky Way and all manner of heavenly bodies.

Exterior lights on our homes and businesses can reduce the levels of darkness and obscure the stars from our view. To maintain these fantastic nighttime views and to support our burgeoning ‘Dark Sky’ tourism, we can all take simple steps to help ‘Keep Bowland in the Dark’.

Did you know?

l Over £1billion is wasted every year on inefficient outdoor lights l Lighting can assist criminals in entering your property if it is incorrectly installed l Switching off lights has been proven to have

NO impact on accidents and crime rates

Top Tips

l Exterior lights should be angled downwards, not above the horizontal l Install ‘fully cut-off’ styles, or fit them with a shield l 30-50w bulbs are adequate for external lights in most domestic situations l Lamps should only light your property, not next door l Lights should only shine when needed - can you use sensors or timers to limit the times when lights are switched on?

It saves energy too!

Star Gazing

Dark Sky Discovery Sites are nationally recognised places that are dark and easily accessible, and where you can observe the Milky Way or the constellation of Orion with the naked eye. There are four AONB designated Dark Sky Discovery Sites (see locations on Discovery Map at the beginning of the guide) - Slaidburn village car park, Beacon Fell Country Park, Gisburn Forest Hub and Crook O’Lune Picnic Site. Why not combine your dark sky adventures by staying a while with one of the AONB’s dark sky friendly businesses? Also, look out for our Dark Skies Festival which runs each February half term. Further Information: www.forestofbowland.com/star-gazing