Dorset National Landscape

What Dorset National Landscape does

Dorset National Landscape (legally the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership) is a public-sector landscape conservation organisation founded in 1959 and hosted by Dorset Council at County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, United Kingdom. It is responsible for protecting and regenerating the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which covers just over 40% of Dorset and includes the full 95-mile Jurassic Coast — England's only natural World Heritage Site. The organisation operates through a Partnership Board of 19 organisations and a small core team of approximately seven staff, drawing on a wider network of volunteers and partner organisations to deliver its work.

Its core products and services are programmatic rather than commercial. They include the Nature Buddies Network (a volunteer-led nature-based befriending service for adults facing barriers to outdoor access, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund), the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme (Defra-funded grants and advisory support to farmers and landowners for nature recovery), Tourism and Visitor Management services, Landscape Planning and Assessment advice to local authorities, and the recently launched All Ways Out online engagement platform. The business model is grant-funded: core income comes from Defra and Dorset Council, supplemented by restricted project grants from sources such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Grid. All programmes are delivered free to participants, and there is no commercial pricing model. End users include visitors and tourists (over 10 million day trips and 5.9 million visitor nights annually, contributing £800 million in visitor spend and supporting nearly 10,000 FTE jobs), farmers and landowners, adults with wellbeing or mobility needs, and local planning authorities.

Name

Dorset National Landscape

Legal name

Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership

Website

https://dorset-nl.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dorset National Landscape is a public-sector partnership, hosted by Dorset Council, that protects and regenerates the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (covering 40% of Dorset and the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site), delivering funded programmes in nature recovery, sustainable farming, visitor management, and nature-based wellbeing for residents and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Protected Landscape Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation Parks & Private Nature Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA), Geotourism & Geology/Volcano/National Monument Tours (THAAAEAG), Scenic Lookouts & Natural Landmarks (Waterfalls, Canyons, Rock Formations) (THAJACAD)

Keywords

• Landscape conservation
• Protected landscape management
• Nature recovery services
• Rural visitor management
• Conservation partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Dorchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Core funding comes from Defra and Dorset Council. Additional funding through grants and programs such as the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dorset National Landscape is a Partnership organization that protects and regenerates the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), covering just over 40% of Dorset and including England's only natural World Heritage Site (the Jurassic Coast). It delivers conservation programmes, landscape planning advice to local authorities, the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme supporting farmers and landowners, tourism and visitor management services, and community engagement programmes such as the Nature Buddies Network which provides nature-based wellbeing support through trained volunteers.

Product overview

Dorset National Landscape offers a portfolio of environmental conservation and community engagement services. The core offerings include the Nature Buddies Network (a volunteer-based nature befriending service), All Ways Out (an online platform for landscape connection), Tourism and Visitor Management services, and Farming and Forestry support programmes. These products work together to protect and enhance the Dorset landscape while providing opportunities for people to engage with and enjoy the natural environment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• All Ways Out Online platform providing ways for the public to connect to the Dorset landscape wherever they are. Launched as the refreshed and reimagined version of the Picnic in the Parks platform.
• Nature Buddies Network A network of trained volunteers who support adults in Dorset to connect with nature and boost wellbeing through outdoor activities. Includes nature-based befriending services, activity-based support in outdoor groups, and Community Nature Buddies one-to-one support near participants' homes. Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
• Tourism and Visitor Management Services to manage recreation and visitor impact on the Dorset National Landscape and the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, including access improvements (Access for All funding), sustainable tourism promotion, and visitor information. Supports over 10 million day trips and 5.9 million visitor nights annually.
• Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Programme Defra-funded programme supporting farmers, landowners, and foresters within the Dorset National Landscape to maximise benefits to wildlife, climate, and heritage on their land. Includes grant funding and advisory support for sustainable land management.
• Landscape Planning and Assessment Statutory landscape planning advice and assessment service provided directly to local authorities and planning authorities. Covers landscape and visual impact consultation for developments affecting the Dorset National Landscape, supported by Landscape Character Assessment and Management Plan guidance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 million+ annual day trips to the Dorset National Landscape
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.

• Dorset CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDorset Council hosts the Dorset National Landscape team and provides core funding alongside Defra. The Partnership Board guides the work of the National Landscape Team and agrees an annual budget and Delivery Plan.
• Activate Performing ArtskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDorset arts organisation that has partnered on multiple projects including Inside Out (2007), Art and Landscape Strategy development, and executive producer for Nature Calling project. Received Bowland Award 2025.
• Volunteer Centre DorsetsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Nature Buddies Network, particularly for Waggy Walks program in Weymouth and Portland area.
• National TrustkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Trust leads Walk With Us guided walks across West Dorset and Dorchester areas. Nature Buddies support participants to join these walks. Partnership on visitor management projects including West Bay Hub.
• Countryside Regeneration TrustkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRT owns and manages Bere Marsh Farm, a 92-acre nature-friendly farm where conservation activities and Nature Buddies sessions take place.
• Bird and Recreation Initiative (BARI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBARI works to protect Poole Harbour's special birds and habitats. Their rangers serve as Nature Buddies for bird watching activities at Upton Country Park.
• South West Coast Path AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on West Bay Hub project. Coast Path Connectors run regular wellbeing walks along the South West Coast Path in Dorset.
• Dorset Food & Drink CICsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaroline Richards serves as the key link for Dorset Food & Drink CIC. Partnership supports local food and drink producers and promotes local produce.
• Jurassic Coast TrustkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on visitor management and interpretation improvements along the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, including signage and heritage interpretation.
• Dorset Council Natural Environment TeamsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on visitor management improvements including Hive Beach car park decluttering project.
• Bridport Town CouncilsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Bridport Heritage & Sculpture Trails. Dorset National Landscape provided 60th Anniversary Grant Fund assistance for the sculpture trail expansion.
• Charmouth Heritage Coast CentresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner museum offering geology galleries, fossil displays, and guided fossil hunting walks along the Jurassic Coast.
• Lyme Regis MuseumsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner museum featuring geology galleries and local fossil displays. Home town of Mary Anning, famous fossil collector.
• Dorset Wildlife TrustkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Brownsea Island lagoon management and Kimmeridge Bay Wild Seas Centre. DWT operates visitor centres and conservation projects across Dorset.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jurassic Coast Trust: Direct peer managing visitor interpretation, education, and conservation programmes along the same Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site that Dorset National Landscape steward's broader inland and coastal AONB. The two organisations partner closely on visitor management and heritage interpretation projects.
• Cranborne Chase AONB: Another UK National Landscape (AONB) Partnership with a near-identical operating model — small core team hosted by local authorities, Defra-funded, delivering landscape conservation, farming in protected landscapes programmes, and community engagement. Strongly comparable structure and funding profile.
• High Weald AONB: Designated National Landscape Partnership with the same statutory AONB remit, small core team, Defra/local authority funding mix, and focus on landscape planning advice, farming support, and community wellbeing programmes.
• Kent Downs AONB: Another designated National Landscape Partnership of similar organisational scale, delivering landscape planning advice, Farming in Protected Landscapes support, and visitor engagement under the same Defra funding regime. Closely comparable statutory mandate and partnership governance.
• North Pennines AONB: UK National Landscape Partnership with comparable small-team partnership model focused on upland landscape conservation, farming programmes, and UNESCO Global Geopark status. Similar funding sources and operational scale.

Broad incumbents

• Forestry England: Government agency managing publicly-owned forests and woodlands for conservation, public access, and timber. Comparable in being a public body delivering landscape stewardship, recreation, and biodiversity outcomes under government funding — but at national scale and with a different land tenure model.
• National Trust: UK-wide heritage and landscape charity operating coast path walks, heritage sites, and nature reserves across Dorset (including partnership with Dorset National Landscape on Walk With Us). Massive incumbent with overlapping visitor management, conservation, and public access remit but at vastly greater scale.

Emerging players

• Dorset Wildlife Trust: Local conservation-focused partner organisation that operates nature reserves and visitor centres across Dorset (including Brownsea Island and Kimmeridge Bay). Smaller footprint than Dorset National Landscape but overlapping conservation, visitor engagement and biodiversity delivery remit.
• Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre: Partner visitor centre along the Jurassic Coast offering geology galleries, fossil displays and guided fossil hunting walks. Smaller visitor-facing operation that complements Dorset National Landscape's broader conservation and education remit.

Others

• Countryside Regeneration Trust: Charity that owns and manages nature-friendly farmland (including Bere Marsh Farm in Dorset where Nature Buddies sessions run). Functions as a key delivery partner for conservation activities rather than a direct competitor, providing land access for programmes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Dorset_NL
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCptXIS5XvQSJNt7k_3dvtfw
• Facebookfacebook.com/DorsetNL
• Instagraminstagram.com/dorsetnationallandscape
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dorsetnationallandscape

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dorset National Landscape