Horningsham Parish sits within the Cranborne Chase which is a National Landscape, a designated Area of Natural Beauty. National Landscapes are considered so precious that they are protected for the nation.

The criteria for designating a National Landscape include valuable wildlife, habitats, geology and heritage, as well as scenic views.

The primary purpose of the designation is to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area, now and for future generations.

Cranborne Chase National Landscape covers 380 sq miles of countryside overlapping the boundaries of Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Somerset.

It is a diverse landscape offering areas of rolling chalk grassland, ancient woodlands, chalk escarpments, downland hillsides and chalk river valleys each with a distinct and recognisable character. The landscapes of the AONB today, as they were in the past, are extraordinarily rich.