Chris Woodley-Stewart has been the North Pennines Area Of Outstanding Beauty Officer since June 2001. He is based in Stanhope in Weardale, Co Durham, but works across the whole of the North Pennines AONB to co-ordinate effort for the implementation of the North Pennines AONB Management Plan. 

Chris is also the Secretary to the North Pennines (Durham and Northumberland) Local Access Forum. Previous work in the conservation field includes roles as the Chilterns AONB Countryside Officer, running a Countryside Management Project in North East Essex and being a Ranger in Cheshire. 

He has extensive professional experience in all aspects of countryside management, including access and rights of way work, and has a broad knowledge of countryside issues. As a 'user' of the countryside, his main interests are bird-watching and walking, though having two young children, these days he walks neither as far (or as fast) as he would like.