In April this year, the Right to Roam campaign organised a
mass trespass and trespass-swim at Kinder Reservoir in the Peak District, Derbyshire, in
memory of a 1932 trespass on Kinder Scout, the Peak District’s highest point.
The 1932 trespass was in protest at losing access to the wild hills and moorland of the area. These were a lifeline for inhabitants of nearby cities like Sheffield and Manchester, pretty grim places at the time, but landowners had begun to fence them and keep people out.
The trespass led eventually – a long time later - to
the establishing of National Parks (1949) and long-distance footpaths (1965).
However, as the Right to Roam says, the business is unfinished. See my earlier post for
the shocking facts about how little of our countryside (about 8 per cent in
England, for example) is, even now, open to us.
The Right to Roam made a moving film of the day. Do watch it.
In the film two people, Alex and Jo, talk about what nature means to them and Alex in particular expresses what I feel, but he says it so much better.
Like Alex, I love to sit quietly in nature – to think and dream and breathe and connect, to just be - and I try to do it every day. I like to find new places, and I like to find somewhere I can’t be seen. Here are some recent hideaways. (I've lived here long enough (45 years) for the farmers to tolerate me, so I'm not trespassing, but they do all think I'm a bit of a loony.)
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| An early morning, inside an oak hedge |
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| On top of a hill camouflaged by long grass. (Spot the dog.) |
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| Underneath a giant oak tree, with its canopy reaching to the ground all around me like a tent. |
We aren’t that far away from The Peak District and have spent many a visit or holiday exploring the area. I did the majority of my Duke of Edinburgh expeditions there and have always loved the tranquility and sense of well being that can be found just wandering through the landscape. Martin and I don’t walk too far these days but we still both love being out and about in nature and love finding those off the beaten track places, which are becoming fewer these days with the increase in social media usage pointing these places out. As you know our stomping ground has shifted these days but we are loving doing the same kind of thing and discovering new spots over in North Wales. Our friends quite often ask us how on earth do we stumble across some of the spots but it’s not difficult if you just take the time and an OS map. Take care. Carol x
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear about your experiences, Carol. And your love for nature comes across so well in all your photographs. Thank you as ever for reading and commenting. x
ReplyDeleteA MESSAGE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO READ CAROL'S BLOG. It's called 'Life of Pottering' and can be reached via the link to the right under 'blogs I read'.
ReplyDeleteAh bless You B thank you so much x
DeleteDear B, What a lovely film... such heartfelt words from Alex and Jo. And what a great cause. I love your hideaways in such beautiful natural places and your way of connecting to nature - it sounds so nourishing and healing and both peaceful and enlivening. You are an inspiration ...thank you for reminding me about paying attention to what is always here on our beautiful Devon doorstep.Trish Xx
ReplyDeleteDear Trish, Thank you for reading the blog and commenting. I'm so glad you enjoyed the film and I'm so flattered you think I'm an inspiration! I don't feel like one!. I'm very lucky to be able to wander fairly freely, and my little spots are forgotten corners of wildness which will always be there for us to find - I hope. xx.
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