How a mass protest inspired the project

On April 24, 1932, about 500 ramblers launched a mass trespass towards the summit of Kinder Scout in Derbyshire. They were protesting against laws that made crossing the land illegal.

Six young men were arrested – five receiving jail sentences of between two and six months.

Their plight received huge support from the public and helped usher in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949 and the creation of the UK’s first National Park, the Peak District, in 1951.

Today, the UK’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are places that anyone can visit, any time, for free.