Faraz Shibli
Wainwrights
‘Foreign-sounding’
Ninety years after the Kinder Trespass, club-wielding keepers are a thing of the past – but perception, prejudice and deprivation can be equally real barriers to access. Breaking them down is the next step in the access movement, argues Faraz Shibli
TODAY WE CAN ENJOY extensive legal freedom to enjoy the British countryside but it wasn't always this way.
Let's take a quick history lesson. In the nineteenth century, hillwalking began to grow in popularity. But this led to tension between the traditional view of the countryside as the home of agriculture and aristocratic sports with an emerging view of the outdoors as a place for public recreation. Conflict arose when landowners blocked access to their land – and so began the drawn-out struggle to establish a legal ‘right to roam’.
The interwar period saw social change accelerate and grow. As class hierarchies weakened, a new breed of working class walkers and climbers emerged in the 1930s. Seeking to escape urban deprivation, they embraced the health benefits of the countryside. Excluded from some of the older mountaineering clubs, they set up their own.
But it was still common for ramblers to be beaten back by gamekeepers. In 1932, walkers from Manchester and Sheffield famously staged a mass trespass on Kinder
A recent walk on Kinder Scout organised by Mosaic
and supported by TGO
representation and the very real fear of prejudice. Failing to address this not only denies people the health benefits green spaces bring, but it’s also bad for these places themselves. After all, a population that is unengaged with the countryside, when translated at elections, doesn’t bode well for nature. But the Landscapes Review found that both ethnic minorities and white people saw the countryside as very much a ‘white’ environment.
The next step
Although the ‘access’ issues facing ethnic minorities today aren’t the same as those faced by Benny Rothman, the sense of social exclusion is still there. It took societal upheaval after the First World War to kick-start change, and some sort of shift is needed now. In fact, it’s already beginning to happen. Organisations such as Black Girls Hike and Black2Nature are carving out 'spaces' for ethnic minority identities in the outdoors, building on work already done in recent times by the likes of the Mosaic National Network and forward-looking outdoor centres and charities to encourage underrepresented and underprivileged people to engage with nature.
At its heart, the struggle for a right to roam is a democratic movement – one that seeks equality of access for all. Surely widening our understanding of access to incorporate the less obvious barriers than stick-wielding keepers is the natural next step of this historic journey?
1. HELM CRAG
‘The Lion and the Lamb’ is a popular fell that looms over Grasmere village, and Editorial Assistant Chiara Bullen has fond memories of an early-morning climb. “This was my Lakeland first hillwalk, and ascending from the picturesque Grasmere as the sun rose set the tone for a special day. I remember laughing when I heard the rock outcrops were also known as ‘The old lady playing the organ’ – but the smile was wiped off my face when I came across that haunting figure!”
2. STEEL FELL
Situated south of Thirlmere on the west side of Dunmail Raise, TGO Wild Walker Roger Butler thinks Steel Fell is unjustly overlooked. “I’ve never (ever!) met anyone else at the top, and there are fine contrasting routes to the summit: the long undulating ridge all the way from Helm Crag or the steep russet slopes from the foot of soggy Greenburn Bottom.”
3. RED SCREES
“How many peaks can you look down from, spot a pub, and nip down for a quick pint?” asks Paul Richardson when considering his top choice. “Not many, and Red Screes has a lot going for it too. Looking north from the trig point, you see the hills flanking either side of the Kirkstone valley to Brothers Water and beyond, and a glance to the west will bring the mountains leading to Fairfield into view.”
4. HIGH STREET
Gear Editor Chris Townsend opts for High Street as his top choice, named for the Roman road that once ran over the summit. “High Street fell is a long, flat-topped hill that’s great for striding along. The sense of wide open
8. SKIDDAW
“I’ve got a soft spot for Skiddaw,” says Wild Walker Tim Gent. “This isn’t because of its height, position, unimaginable age or fine views, but simply because it’s the mountain my grandfather took me up. I’m not even certain we reached the top, although I do remember a lot of scree. I also recall, with vivid clarity, the enjoyment bubbling from this man of the north as he strode up, eyes sparkling, into the blue.”
9. BOWFELL
“Bowfell can’t be beaten,” asserts Vivienne
Crow. “Together with Crinkle Crags and the Scafells, it forms the most rugged ring of mountains in England – the Eskdale Horseshoe. Whichever way you approach it – from Borrowdale or Langdale, or via the connoisseur’s routes up Eskdale – it never disappoints. Its pyramid peak is identifiable from all over the National Park and, once you’re up close, you’re treated to a landscape of boulder-filled gullies, gnarly buttresses and the Great Slab.”
10. GREAT GABLE
Online Editor Hanna Lindon loves a mountain with secrets, and that’s why she’s chosen
Great Gable: “The legend of moonshinemaker Moses Rigg, the mysterious rock statues of Napes Needle and Sphinx Rock, the connections with climbing history...
The approach from Wasdale Head is a classic, but I have long-range ambitions on the Ennerdale Skyline circuit, which links Great Gable with a whole host more of the Lake District’s finest peaks.”