History of the National Parks
National Parks were designated in order to protect beautiful areas for the nation.
Early 19th centuryPoets inspired by countryside
The romantic poets such as Byron, Coleridge and Wordsworth writes about the inspirational beauty of the ‘untamed’ countryside. Wordsworth famously claims the Lake District as "a sort of national property, in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy".
Late 19th centuryFirst freedom to roam bill fails
James Bryce MP starts a campaign for public access to the countryside by introducing the first freedom to roam bill to parliament in 1884. The bill fails but the campaign, which was to last for over 100 years, had begun.
Early 20th centuryPublic demands access to the countryside
There is a growing appreciation of the great outdoors, the benefits of physical exercise, and the feeling of freedom and of spiritual renewal gained from open-air recreation. It is a response to widespread industrialisation, the expansion of towns and cities and the ongoing enclosure of land by landowners for farming or sporting reasons. Conflicts emerge between landowners and public interest groups as the latter demand greater access to the countryside.
1930sMass trespass on Kinder Scout increases pressure for National Parks designations
A 1931 government inquiry recommends the creation of a ‘National Park Authority’ to select areas for designation as National Parks. However no action is taken and public discontent grows, leading to the 1932 mass trespasses on Kinder Scout in the Peak District. Five men are imprisoned.
Groups of leisure activity enthusiasts and nature conservationists, including the Rambler’s Association, the Youth Hostels’ Association (YHA), the Council for the Preservation for Rural England (CPRE) and the Council for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) rally together to lobby the Government for measures to protect, and allow access to the countryside, for the benefit of the nation. In 1936, they form a voluntary sector Standing Committee on National Parks (SCNP) which argues the case for National Parks and urges the Government to act.
The Council for the protection for Rural England (CPRE) made the film below, which was shown in cinemas during the 1930's.
