The Ramblers of Great Britain

Britain is criss-crossed with over 225,000 KM of footpaths, bridleways and public rights of way. With its sumptuous countryside, national parks, way-marked paths and enlightened 'Right to Roam', Britain is one of the most walker-friendly countries in the world. Seventy five years ago, however, it was a very different story.

Tom Franklin, CEO, Ramblers explains the significance of the Ramblers for the countryside:

When the Ramblers first came into being, much of Britain was out of bounds to walkers. Enclosure, followed by the Industrial Revolution, had swallowed up vast tracts of formerly common land in a process that had placed, for example, 99% of the Peak District off limits onto private company or estate land.

Early walkers risked prosecution, gamekeepers and even man traps, but despite the hardships, tens of thousands of ramblers fled the towns for the countryside every weekend because - as legendary rambler Benny Rothman put it: "There were three cheap things we could do to enjoy ourselves: cycling, camping and rambling." Federations of ramblers clubs sprang up all over the country to lobby for access and explore the land, and in 1935 the National Council of Ramblers was formed.

Over its 75 year history, the Ramblers has witnessed a seismic shift in the nation's attitude towards the countryside from 'theirs' to 'ours', starting with the post-war establishment of 10 national parks and legislative provision for a 'definitive map' that enshrined a legally recognised and protected public rights of way network.

The Ramblers, with its sprawling network of devoted volunteers, quite simply, coaxed, campaigned and drove the process every step of the way.

At a national level, the Ramblers lobbied for — and obtained piece-by-piece — legislation to open the countryside up to walkers, culminating in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 which granted freedom to roam in open countryside in England and Wales. The outcome of these combined efforts, simply, is that walking is now part of the warp and weft of everyday life, incorporated into the infrastructure of towns and countryside alike, the life blood of the tourist industry.

At the beginning of the 21st Century, as obesity levels soar and the proportion of the country engaged in regular exercise slumps to just 17% in some areas, the promotion and protection of regular walking is desperately needed.

Currently, the Ramblers is mobilising its expert resources and devoted volunteer network to meet these new, more hidden challenges. The popular - and growing - 'Get Walking Keep Walking' urban walks program is currently helping people in inner city Birmingham, Sheffield, London and Manchester to combat social alienation, depression and obesity through regular walking. Around the country local groups are working with GP surgeries to hold specialist 'Walking for Health' walks.

New generations of walkers, imperative for the continued protection and promotion of the countryside, are being encouraged through our newly formed 'Hike' 20s and 30's groups.

Finally, at the end of 2009, 75 years of campaigning came to an end as the 'Marine and Coastal Access Bill' became law, opening up the entire English coastline to the public so that anyone and everyone can enjoy it.