The Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve is the only UK destination to feature in a global luxury travel magazine’s list of ‘seven wonders of the world for 2026’.
The National Nature Reserve (NNR) was officially designated in May 2025. Its 1,272 hectares link eight sites within the Bradford and South Pennines area – Ilkley Moor, Penistone Country Park, Shipley Glen, Baildon Moor, Trench Meadows, St Ives Estate, Harden Moor and Bingley North Bog.
The site will now come under the global spotlight, thanks to luxury travel mag Condé Nast Traveller which describes itself as ‘the most discerning, up-to-the-minute voice on all things travel, offering both inspiration and vital intel’.
The Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve has earned itself a place on the magazine’s annual seven wonders of the world for the year ahead. Rubbing shoulders with the city of Matera in Italy, Canada’s Banff National Park and the El Impossible National Park in El Salvador, the NNR is the only UK destination on the list.
Condé Nast Traveller has a growing international readership and is a global brand, so this recognition is a major coup for the NNR whose sites are owned and managed by Bradford Council with support from Natural England.
Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Transport and Planning, said: “We are delighted to be included in such a prestigious list of locations around the world. The Bradford Pennine Gateway includes world-famous locations such as Haworth and Ilkley Moor but also shines a light on some of our other amazing places like St Ives estate and Shipley Glen.
“We’ve been welcoming people from across the world during our year as 2025 UK City of Culture and the Bradford Pennine Gateway has been a huge part of that attraction, hosting Wild Uplands, a major outdoor exhibition across Penistone Hill. We’re looking forward to welcoming more people across the district in 2026 and building on our National Nature Reserve designation and the legacy of UK City of Culture.”
The NNR bridges the gap between the city of Bradford and the countryside by highlighting a range of important habitats just a stone’s throw from people’s homes.
Approximately 90% of the area comprises UK priority habitats, including peat bogs, heathlands, and wetlands. Endangered wildlife such Adders, Curlew, and Golden plover will benefit from greater protections and better-connected habitats. 42% of the reserve will be newly protected, with 738 hectares (58%) designated as Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), contributing to national conservation efforts to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030.
It is also a significant milestone in the King’s Series of National Nature Reserves. His Majesty King Charles III is supporting Natural England to leave a lasting public legacy for people and nature by creating or extending 25 National Nature Reserves by 2027.
ENDS
The Condé Nast Traveller article can be found here – https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/seven-wonders-of-the-world-2026