A key moment in the campaign for better access to the countryside is being celebrated by the National Trust, seventy five years after the mass trespass at Kinder Scout in the beautiful Peak District.
© NTPL / Joe Cornish
The Right to Ramble
On the 24 April 1932 nearly 500 ramblers descended on to Kinder Scout to exercise their right to roam on open moorland. What followed was a brief but vigorous battle with gamekeepers who tried to halt their progress, before the walkers victoriously marched on to Ashop Head.
This was a pivotal moment in the campaign for better quality access to the countryside and ultimately led to the formation of the National Parks and the Countryside Rights of Way Act which came into force in 2004.
The National Trust and the Peak District
The Trust has had a presence in the Peak District since 1906 and the campaign to improve the rights of walkers to enjoy the great outdoors would have resonated with one of the founders of the National Trust, Octavia Hill, who in the late 19th century herself campaigned for better access to the countryside.
The whole of Kinder Scout is now owned and managed by the National Trust, thanks to the recent acquisition of Coldwell Clough, a 47 hectare piece of land that was the missing link. This year is also the 25th anniversary of the National Trust acquiring its first piece of land at Kinder Scout, which is part of the High Peak Estate.
Mass Planting
The National Trust is organising a mass planting on Kinder Scout on Sunday 6th May 2007 in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the mass trespass which inspired freedom of access to the hills. Members of the public are being invited to help plant over 150,000 cotton grass plants and re-seed bare peat with heather to restore this famous landscape.
- The Kinder mass planting will take place between 11am -3.30pm on Sunday 6 May 2007.
- You’ll be able to help restore the moorland by planting cotton grass plants into the bare peat of Kinder Scout.
- You will need to bring a packed lunch, walking boots and suitable clothing is essential.
- For further information contact: 01433 670368
Downloadable walk sheet and map
Follow in the footsteps of the 1932 trespassers with our free walk sheet and map that enables you to retrace their historic route, tells their story and explains more about how the National Trust cares for Kinder Scout today. Download and print it to take along on your day out!
© NTPL / Joe Cornish
Mike Innerdale, National Trust Property Manager for the High Peak Estate, says:
'The mass trespass at Kinder Scout was a key moment in the campaign for better access to the countryside. Its success paved the way for the creation of the National Parks and chimed with the aims and aspirations of the founders of the National Trust.'
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