Kinder Trespass and a Famous Activist
On the 24thof April 90 years ago 400 ramblers met at Hayfield a few miles west from Kinder Scout the highest point of the Peak District. Amid huge crowed presence they walked up the William Clough pass to protest for the greater rights of access to the moor.
Among the crowed was poet and folk singer Ewan MacColl, who participated in the walk and wrote a song sung by the walkers “The Manchester Rambler “ He is known as one of the instigators of the 1960s folk revival and collected hundreds of traditional folk songs,] including the version of “Scarborough Fair” later popularised by Simon & Garfunkel.
According to the Hayfield Kinder Trespass Group website, this act of civil disobedience was one of the most successful in British history.
This event led to the passage of the National Park Legistlation 1949 and paved the way for the establishment of the Pennine Way and other long-distance footpaths. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CROW Act) protect Walkers’ rights to travel through common land and uncultivated upland since 2000.
If you wish to know more I can highly recommend you to read The Book of Trespass written by a young writer-walker activist.
The Longest Coastal Path in the World
Without the Kinder Trespass we might never be appreciate England’s newest National Trail The England Coast Path all around England’s coast which when the complete will cover 2800 miles/4500kms and will be the longest coastal path with access to beaches, clifftops and most of the wonderful habitats around our coast, as well as former industrial and maritime areas that were significant in Britain’s history.
Today people are still campaigning as the right to roam exists over only 8% of the country. Ninety-two per cent of England’s land and 97% of its water is privately owned and not available to access.
90th Anniversary Trespass events
To mark the date a group of ramblers will be walking to Kinder Scout for a Kinder in Colour event. Another event , The Right to Swim Trespass will be held group of swimmers from across the north of England. They plan to plunge into Kinder reservoir as “an act of defiance against widespread lack of undisputed access to inland open water in England and Wales.
History Hikers
The pandemic and climate change has highlighted the importance of sustainable and active tourism.
Outdoor walking mental benefits include improving self-esteem, mood and sleep quality, reducing stress, anxiety and fatigue. Furthermore it helps to maintain a healthy weight · keep your muscles and bones healthy · increase your cardiovascular fitness. Why not combine it with visiting historic sites ?
Join our History Hikers group and discover England sustainably.
We organise public history hikes on Saturdays. They are day hikes from London or guided walking tours in London enriched with history. For day hikes we use trains to get to our destination where we hike between 9-14 miles.
Our aim is sustainable tourism. The groups are small to ensure our impact on the environment is small and the experience is sociable. We include visits to local museums and churches or family0-run vineyards and pubs, so we contribute to the local economy.
The walks are led by a Blue Badge Tourist Guide and North Downs Way Ambassador.
Join our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/historyhikers.co.uk
and check out our upcoming hikes here : https://www.tickettailor.com/events/historyhikers/
or here : www.historyhikers.co.uk