Mass trespass of Kinder Scout

Commemorative plaque at Bowden Bridge Quarry in 2007

North flank of Kinder Scout

The mass trespass of Kinder Scout was a notable act of willful trespass by ramblers. It was undertaken at Kinder Scout, Derbyshire, in the Peak District of England, on 24 April 1932, to highlight that walkers in England and Wales were denied access to areas of open country. Political and conservation activist Benny Rothman was one of the principal leaders.

A commemorative plaque now marks the start of the trespass at Bowden Bridge quarry near Hayfield (which is now a popular area for ramblers). This was unveiled in April 1982 by an aged Benny Rothman during a rally to mark the 50th anniversary. The trespass proceeded via William Clough to the plateau of Kinder Scout, where there were violent scuffles with gamekeepers. The ramblers were able to reach their destination and meet with another group. On the return, five ramblers were arrested, with another detained earlier. Trespass was not, and still is not, a criminal offence in any part of Britain, but some would receive jail sentences of two to six months for offences relating to violence against the keepers.

The mass trespass had a far-reaching impact, some of which is still playing out today. This culminated in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which legislates rights to walk on mapped access land (see Open Country). The rights apply only to mapped access land. The phrase right to roam refers to a campaign by the Ramblers Association in the 1990s, which has subsequently been adopted by the media. Introducing the CROW Act 2000 was a key promise in the New Labour manifesto which brought them to power in 1997.

Poet and folk singer Ewan MacColl celebrated these events in his song "The Manchester Rambler", and it is also the subject of the song "You Can (Mass Trespass, 1932)" on Chumbawamba's 2005 album A Singsong and a Scrap.

Related events

Each year a combination of Wardens and Rangers from both the National Trust and Peak District National Park Authority run a walking event to mark the anniversary of the trespass.

See also

• G. H. B. Ward
• Freedom to roam
• Open Country

Bibliography

• Rothman, B. (1982) 1932 Kinder Trespass: Personal View of the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass ISBN 0-9506043-7-2

External links

• Newspaper report of the mass trespass
• Website about the event which includes the lyrics of the "Manchester Rambler"
• Right To Roam Act of Parliament (explained by BBC News)
• Article on Benny Rothman from WCML website
• Details of Benny Rothman archives at WCML