Tuesday 24 April 2012 marked the 80th anniversary of the Kinder Scout mass trespass – a historic event which saw hundreds of people risk imprisonment to walk up Kinder Scout in a bid to open up the countryside for all.
Mike joined Ramblers at Parliament to pay tribute to those historic trail blazers, commemorate the achievements of the outdoor movement over the last eight decades and look ahead at the challenges we still face to make Britain the most walking friendly nation in the world.
Mike said:
I am delighted to support this event and the campaign to open the countryside. Great strides were made under the last Labour government. We must ensure that there is no backing down on the commitment by this Conservative led government. A priority must be to get a coastal path all round England.
In April 1932, much of the countryside in England and Wales was closed off to the public. 80 years after this landmark protest, the Ramblers has won the ‘right to roam’, helped to create National Parks and long distance trails but the journey to open up the countryside continues.
Nicky Philpott, Ramblers Director of Campaigns and Policy, said:
Since the mass trespass on Kinder Scout 80 years ago, people are now free to roam over large swathes of our countryside; we’ve helped to create National Parks, a properly recorded network of footpaths and in May we’ll see the launch of the Wales Coast Path – a world first.But the journey those trespassers started is far from over. Our countryside combines rugged mountains and rolling fields, magical forests and meandering waterways and it is sad that not all of these scenic sites can be shared by everyone.
Ensure that the spirit of the trespassers lives on; join us in our campaign to open up the countryside and make Britain the most walker-friendly nation in the world.
More information about the Ramblers is available from their website www.ramblers.org.uk.