Dark Sky Park
Cranborne Chase Dark Sky Reserve
- Darkness
- Bortle 3–4
- Designation
- Dark Sky Reserve — DarkSky, 2019
- Size
- 981 km²
- Location
- Dorset & Wiltshire
Cranborne Chase, a chalk-downland National Landscape straddling the borders of Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Somerset, was designated an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2019. Its blend of dark skies and ancient monuments — Stonehenge lies just outside the boundary — makes it one of the most atmospheric places to observe in southern England.
The reserve has worked closely with local councils, farmers and residents to cut upward-spilling light. Win Green Hill, the highest point of the Chase, is a superb open viewpoint, with the southern Milky Way and springtime zodiacal light both on show under good conditions.
