PARTS of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) were ranked 13th in terms of the darkest skies in England.

Maps of England's light pollution and dark skies, released by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), were produced using satellite images captured at 1.30am throughout September 2015.

The research comes at a time of increasing awareness of the effects light pollution can have on the health of wildlife.

The Cotswolds Conservation Board are considering whether parts of the Cotswolds AONB could be awarded Dark Sky status by the International Dark-Sky Association.

The Rollright Stones near Chipping Norton already has Dark Sky Discovery Status. 

Martin Lane, Director of the Cotswolds Conservation Board said: “Dark skies of the Cotswolds AONB have been fully recognised and included in the Tranquillity and Dark Skies Position Statement and revised Landscape Strategy and Guidelines for the Cotswolds, which include guidelines to conserve areas of dark skies and landscape and adopt measures to minimise existing light pollution.

"Keeping the lights out in the AONB is important to us. We were pleased to host a stargazing event at the Cotswolds Discovery Centre in Northleach in April in partnership with the Chipping Norton Amateur Astronomy Group.

"This event enabled the public to look through a wide range of powerful telescopes to observe the moon, planets and stars from the heart of the Cotswolds AONB.

"Looking up at night and seeing a star lit sky without disturbance from the lighting of neighbouring towns or cities really is a sight to enjoy.”

Richard Lloyd, Gloucestershire CPRE Vice Chairman said: “We would warmly support work towards achieving dark sky status for the Cotswolds AONB.  Being able to enjoy and appreciate the magic of the night sky is one of the special qualities of the Cotswolds”.

CPRE is calling on local authorities to use the maps to identify areas with severe light pollution and existing dark skies that need protecting. 

The maps were produced by Land Use Consultants from data gathered by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in America.

The interactive maps can be viewed at http://nightblight.cpre.org.uk.