As part of the 70th anniversary celebrations, five charities central to the campaigns that established the National Parks have updated vintage photos of the UK National Parks.
Pictured: 1920s Ramblers pose for a picture (credit: Ramblers Association).
Pictured: Modern Ramblers pose at the top of Hollins Cross, Peak District (credit: John Bradley).
The historic photos, from the 1920s, 30s and 40s, show the determined mass-movement campaign to protect the countryside for its’ beauty and recreational opportunities. This protection was eventually achieved in an Act of Parliament in 1949 that established the UK National Parks. The new photographs reflect the rich diversity of users of the National Parks nowadays.
Pictured: 1930s walkers overlooking the Peak District (credit: Friends of the Peak District).
Pictured: People on mountain trikes overlooking Hope Valley (credit: Callum McGregor).
Tomo Thompson, CEO of Friends of the Peak District – the organisation that supplied many of the original photos commented: “We had a fantastic time updating these photos. The 70th anniversary of the UK National Parks is a great opportunity to further the important work being done to open the National Parks for everyone to enjoy regardless of background or ability.”
Pictured: Walkers looking over the valley of Edale in the Peak District (credit: R Chaney).
Pictured: Peak District Mosaic Group members in same valley (credit: John Bradley).
The images were updated on a celebratory walk in the Peak District National Park on 22nd March attended by hundreds of individuals and organisations. Celebrations were filmed for BBC’s Countryfile.
The coalition of charities is made up of Campaign for National Parks, CPRE, Open Spaces Society, Ramblers and the Youth Hostel Association. They hope to draw attention to the challenges currently facing our National Parks as well as celebrating this extraordinary historic achievement.
The 13 National Parks in England and Wales face a number of challenges including threats from development and a need to improve access to the Parks so everyone can enjoy them.
Pictured: National Park Commission members in 1940s including Pauline Dower (credit: LJ Watson).
Pictured: Members of Outdoor Lads, a gay, bi and trans outdoor group (credit: John Bradley).
Andrew Hall of Campaign for National Parks said: “The Prime Minister herself called the establishment of the National Parks one of the crowning achievements of the environment movement in the last 100 years and she’s absolutely right.”
“Our photographers have done an amazing job of capturing just how much the National Parks mean to so many different people, Visitors to the National Parks enjoy a host of benefits to mental health and wellbeing, as well as boosting the local economies. But too many people cannot get to or get around the National Parks to realise these benefits.”
“On behalf of the millions of us who enjoy the Parks and the millions more who would love to, we are calling on Government to mark the 70th anniversary of the Act that created the National Parks with action to make them truly accessible for everyone to enjoy”, continued Hall.
Pictured: Tom Stephenson leads MPs on a walk through a National Park (credit: Ramblers).
Pictured: Rambler’s Tom Platt leads MPs and others on the 70th anniversary walk.
Celebrations were attended by a number of organisations and individuals including MPs Sir Patrick McCloughlin and Ruth George, Outdoor Lads, National Trust and Disabled Ramblers.
Readers can watch the celebrations on Sunday 7th April episode of BBC’s Countryfile.
Campaign for National Parks
Campaign for National Parks is the only national charity dedicated to campaigning to protect and promote all the 13 National Parks of England and Wales.
National Parks are inspiring and breath-taking areas of our country. They are part of our cultural heritage, important for wildlife, contain beautiful landscapes and benefit the nation. They are living and working landscapes and more than 100 million people visit the Parks in England and Wales each year.
Campaign for National Parks works with a wide variety of people and organisations, representing shared concerns, views and voices. We come together to address issues affecting National Parks and take action to keep these beautiful places safe.
Campaign to Protect Rural England
The Campaign to Protect Rural England fights for a better future for the English countryside. We work locally and nationally to protect, shape and enhance a beautiful, thriving countryside for everyone to value and enjoy. Our members are united in their love or England’s landscapes, so it can to sustain enchant and inspire future generations. Founded in 1926.
The Ramblers
The Ramblers helps everyone, everywhere, enjoy walking and protects the places we all love to walk. It is the only charity dedicated to looking after paths and green spaces, leading walks, opening up new places to explore and encouraging everyone to get outside and discover how walking boosts your health and your happiness.
Open Spaces Society
The Open Spaces Society is Britain’s oldest national conservation body, founded in 1986. It campaigns for common land, town and village greens, open spaces and public paths, and people’s right to enjoy them throughout England and Wales.
YHA (England and Wales)
Leading youth charity YHA’s purpose is to harness the transformative power of travel, adventure and discovery for young people. It seeks to create an environment that ensures those involved have equal opportunities to improve their physical and mental wellbeing and to improve their life skills.
