The Ramblers' Association is preparing to celebrate the most important and exciting piece of legislation to increase public access to the countryside since the establishment of National Parks in 1949. On Sunday 19 September the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CRoW) will give everyone a legal 'freedom to roam' in two areas of England.
The CRoW Act will bring unprecedented access to some of our wildest and most dramatic landscapes for the very first time. Allowing people a legal right to walk responsibly over open, uncultivated country, will encourage visitors to the countryside and will bring even more walking tourism to rural areas, already estimated to be worth more than £6 billion per year.
The Ramblers' Association has been at the forefront of a campaign, dating back over a century, to gain wider public access to open country. The commencement of access in the Lower North West and South East of England in September, including the historically important areas of the Forest of Bowland and the Peak District, is the first step towards protecting access right to millions of acres of beautiful countryside for the enjoyment of quite recreation throughout England and Wales.
The CRoW Act permits access on foot to mountain, moor, heath, down and common land, but specifically excludes cultivated farmland and gardens while protecting privacy and allowing sensible restrictions for nature conservation and land management. Freedom to roam will bring benefits to walkers, but will also promote the interests of rural communities, whilst landowners will benefit from reduced liability on their land.
Nick Barrett, Chief Executive of the Ramblers, said, "September 19 is a truly historic day, these landscapes are as much a part of our national heritage as structures like Stonehenge. For many the joy of walking is about getting off the beaten track; everybody in this country now has a right to do just that and I hope people will take the opportunity to discover these beautiful areas for themselves."
"That future generations will have this unprecedented access to open country is testament to the extraordinary dedication of many thousands of ordinary people, some of whom have campaigned for it all their lives. They would be the first to recognise that with rights come responsibilities. I am confident the respect and love walkers have for the countryside will prove that this is a wise, fair and beneficial piece of legislation."
More about the right to roam
Commencement events and dates
Visit the Countryside Access website for more information on access in the countryside
