Hawnby Estate, the North York Moors first ever Dark Skies Friendly Community
The village of Hawnby, part of the Mexborough Estates near Helmsley, has always been blessed with incredible daytime views across the North York Moors and the valleys of the River Rye. But until recently, the clarity and beauty of the night sky had been increasingly dimmed by unnecessary artificial lighting.
In partnership with the North York Moors National Park Authority, Hawnby embarked on a pioneering project to restore the natural darkness of its skies, becoming the first community in England to be accredited as a Dark Skies Friendly Community.
Like many rural communities, Hawnby faced issues with external lighting that was too bright, poorly angled, or simply unnecessary. This affected not only the tranquillity of the village and the ability to enjoy stargazing, but also the behaviour of local nocturnal wildlife.
Over several months, the Estate and residents worked closely with the National Park to review and upgrade lighting throughout the village. The project, part-funded through Section 106 contributions, involved:
A full audit of more than 100 lights across 30 properties, including homes, the village hall, and The Owl Inn.
- Reducing the overall number of external lights where they weren’t needed.
- Replacing remaining fittings with traditional-looking appliances suitable for a Conservation Area.
- Installing warm-white, energy-efficient bulbs that only illuminate when necessary and direct light fully downwards.
The transformation has been remarkable. The night skies above Hawnby are now as breath-taking as its daytime landscapes, with stars shining brighter and the Milky Way visible on clear evenings. Residents have reported spotting more barn owls hunting closer to the village, while visitors and locals alike speak of a renewed sense of awe and inspiration from the vastness of the starlit skies.
Tom Storrar of Hawnby Estate reflects:
“Mike Hawtin and the North York Moors National Park Authority's passion for dark skies, and the many benefits thereof to its residents and nature, is compelling. Together, we transformed the traditional Estate village of Hawnby into the country's first 'dark skies village'. The transformation is astonishing… Members of the Estate community have reported sightings of more barn owls hunting closer to the village. On clear nights, others have talked of a greater sense of awe, wonder and inspiration from the magnificence of the vast night skies.”
The success of Hawnby’s project has set the standard for other communities across the North York Moors. With the Dark Skies Community scheme now open to more parishes, hamlets, and neighbourhoods, Hawnby’s story shows just how achievable, and rewarding , it can be to reduce light pollution, protect wildlife, and restore the wonder of the night sky.
Mike Hawtin, the North York Moors National Park’s Head of Nature Recovery Projects and Dark Skies lead officer explains: “We’d urge people to visit Hawnby and see how achievable it is to do something similar for their own community and realise this is not about being anti-light but using lighting in a more targeted, ‘where and when it’s needed’ way. We know much of the local population is passionate about protecting the tranquillity of their area and stopping the march of light pollution and through the Hawnby project we have learnt so much about the suitable new lighting technology that now exists.
“There are already some hamlets and villages, particularly those with few streetlights, that are likely to meet the eligibility criteria for achieving dark skies friendly status. However by recognising whole community efforts within the scheme, we hope it will encourage more bodies like parish councils to work with residents and businesses to make lighting improvements. This is particularly so in cases where people are moving into a neighbourhood, perhaps from a town or city, who are unaware of the detrimental impact that some lights can have on the environment.”