I was fortunate to be at the Kinder Scout Trespass on the 24th April 2022.
This article is information about The Kinder Scout Trespass, and why it's still important today.
Access to the outdoors has been hard fought for by folks that walked before us. Without the mass trespass in 1932 we might not have national parks at all.
You might be someone that has a passion for walking, being outside and being in nature or maybe you, like me, work in the outdoors and that's how you make a living. Whatever your passion is about the outdoors I think we share some common values: caring about and enjoying the environment, and our right to roam. This article is about the mass trespass in 1932 and the 90th anniversary and what we can do next.
1932 - The Mass Trespass of Kinder Scout
The mass trespass of Kinder Scout in 1932 saw hundreds of people fighting for their right to roam on the hills and moorlands. The trespasses made it past the gamekeepers who at that point were the entitled gentry (who used the land for shooting grouse approximately 10 to 12 times a year). Several groups of trespasses met on the top of Kinder Scout and then walked back down to the village of Hayfield but Police were there waiting to make arrests. Six young men were arrested, this unleashed a wave of emotional and outrage and fuelled the 'right to roam'. Four years later the Standing Committee on National Parks was arguing the case for National Parks and urging the Government to act. Many groups (of outdoor enthusiasts) came together to lobby the Government for measures to protect and allow access to the hills.
In 1949 (post war) saw the 'National Parks and access to the Countryside Act' paving the way for the creation of the National Parks. 19 years later on the 17th April 1951 the Peak District became the UK's first National Park.
90th Anniversary
24th April 2022 marked the 90th anniversary of the Kinder Scout Trespass. Right to Roam organised Kinder in Colour, a gathering to highlight the importances of outdoor access for Black people and People of colour. Many other underrepresented groups in the outdoors and outdoor enthusiasts and allies also walked around Kinder Scout. It was a really fun day out with lots of different people to talk to and was great to see such diversity on the hills for once.
To name a few groups:
The Kinder in Colour groups included:
Muslim Hikers
Black Girls Hike
Peaks of Colour
(Plus many more)
Patagonia Manchester, Outsiders Store and Cloudwater Brewery
Queer Out Here
The Ramblers
Bird Outdoors
Soup swimmers
and many allies.
It's important to highlight that there are many underrepresented groups that access the outdoors, so let's look at the facts.
The facts: who accesses the outdoors?
The outdoors is not equally accessible to all, so have a look below and the pictures and find out the facts.
What's happening now?
After nearly 2 years of a pandemic and our need to connect and be immersed in nature the government has quashed a review into the right to roam. Access to nature, the countryside is vital to our physical and mental health, now, more than every. Just as covid has split us in terms of class and race, land access is equally biased against sections of society.
The future
We need a personal connection witth nature so we can observe it, understand it and care for it. We need to be a part of it to see the changes that are happening within it, what birds regularly go to the river you sit by, what butterflies come to the flowers near your house. The answer is connection but how do we get there?
Education
Educating ourselves, our families, friends and children. Do you know the countryside code? Have you every looked at the CRoW act?
Writing to your MP
Write to your local MP, find more information here www.ramblers.org.uk/localelections2022
Making sure we are looking after the environment we have
What do you do with your waste when your go outside, are you looking after your environment and leaving it rubbish free (and that includes human waste!)
Ensure you are crossing walls, fences etc at the designated stile or gate and ensure that you're shutting the gates after you.
Protecting our farmers
Our farmers work incredibly hard in this country and they work non stop, they don't need your dog runner around their livestock or you leaving their gates open (leave them how you've found them is the normal rule I go by). The own the land they work on and they use it to supply us with produce. They also are still working while we are out walking on a Saturday afternoon so please make sure to not block their lane (yes even if it doesn't have lines), an emergency service vehicle needs to be able to get through!