15 things you might not know about the UK's 15 National Parks

To celebrate, Campaign for National Parks and campaigning organisation 38 Degrees are hosting free organised walks and natural art workshops on Saturday 30th July at every national park in England, Scotland and Wales. (For more details and to book your free place, see the website.)

Of course, the wonderful thing about the UK's National Parks is that anyone can enjoy them any and every week of the year. Next time you do, impress your friends and family with these facts and figures...

1. 10% of the land area of England and Wales is covered by a National Park. It's 20% in Wales!

2. The biggest is the Lake District and the smallest is The Broads in Norfolk and Suffolk.

How Hill dyke, The Broads National Park. Above: Crummock Water (picture by Michael Turner)

3. In 1936, walkers and nature conservationists – including the Rambler's Association, the Youth Hostels' Association (YHA) and the Council for the Protection for Rural England (CPRE) – set up the Campaign for National Parks (back then it was called the Standing Committee on National Parks). They wanted Britain’s most beautiful landscapes to be preserved for everyone to enjoy and lobbied the government. The CPRE made the film below, which was shown in cinemas during the 1930s.

4. The first National Park to be designated was the Peak District in 1951. By the end of the 50s, the Lake District, Snowdonia, Dartmoor, Pembrokeshire Coast, North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Exmoor, Northumberland and Brecon Beacons National Parks had been established. The most recent addition was the South Downs in 2010.

Wether Down and Salt Hill, South Downs National Park (picture by R Reed)

5. Over 50% of the population of England live within one hour's travel of a National Park

6. National Parks receive over 90 million visitors every year who spend £4bn

7. Public spending on National Parks costs less than £1 per head of the population, per year

8. Volunteers in National Parks put in 43,000 work days per year

9. 23% of the land in National Parks is designed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and over 333,000 hectares is recognised and protected as being of international conservation importance.

Rievaulx Abbey, North York Moors (picture by Chris J Parke)

10. There are approximately 4500 ancient monuments in National Parks, including Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, Rievaulx Abbey in the North York Moors and Buckland Rings – an Iron Age hill fort in the New Forest.

11. Over 1/3 of England’s food with a protected name status is produced in the National Parks, including Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese, Lakeland Herdwick lamb and Pembrokeshire Earlies potatoes.

12. The Parks play an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change, and are essential carbon stores. Peat soils in National Parks in England hold 119 megatones of carbon – the equivalent to England's entire CO2 emissions for one year.

13. The majority of National Parks land is owned by farmers and other private landowners including conservation organisations such as the National Trust.

14. On August 1^st, the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Parks will be extended – growing by 23% and 3% respectively.

15. 90% of the public say National Parks are important to them.

Radio Times Travel offers

English Lakes and Scenic Rails, from £289pp. Join us to discover the stunning landscapes of the Long Drag as you take a ride along the most scenic stretch of the Settle Carlisle Railway. Tour the Lake District, and take a cruise on beautiful Lake Windermere on this unmissable four-day coach trip. Read more and book.

Autumn Gold in the English Lakes, from £179pp. From the historic streets of Chester to the awesome beauty of the Lakes clothed in their autumnal splendour, there really is something for everyone on this ever-popular weekend break. A cruise on Lake Windermere and a trip on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway are just two highlights awaiting you. Read more and book.