Nick Hayes Campaigner, illustrator and author of The Book of Trespass

In writing his book, Nick roamed over the history of English land rights and many acres of privately owned land. This year, with Guy Shrubsole, he launched a new Right to Roam campaign, to expand and extend access to the countryside. righttoroam.org.uk

“The hills in England are great for open access but many, probably most, hillwalkers don’t have the privilege of living very close to them. They become a place to make time for and to go on holiday to. But actually the science says that to improve your health you need exposure to two hours of nature a week.

“The Countryside and Rights of Way Act covers about 8% of England, some of that in large areas like the Lake District, and some on footpaths and bridleways. The problem is that it means people have to travel to the places they can access, and bear the cost of staying overnight if that’s a long journey. It also means that people are concentrated in one spot and puts huge pressure on honeypot areas like Snowdon.

“In the village where I grew up you’ll always see people stomping up and down one big hill. Now there are loads of hills in our village but that’s the only one with a public right of way on it. So much of England is hidden behind walls and fences but there’s so much to explore. It’s just one very puny rule and about 1000 years of orthodoxy that stop us from doing it.

“I wonder if some of the films and books I adore, like those by Robert MacFarlane or Jay Griffiths, become a kind of anesthetic. We’re so used to reading about it, thinking ‘that was good’ and then carrying on with our lives. The real question for us is where the tipping point occurs, when people are moved to take action.

“This is why the book is so littered with protests. Because trespass is a sort of civil disobedience and also because it works. One of the ways that the system continues is by repeatedly telling you that change isn’t possible. Chapter six in the book is full of tabloid quotes calling the women of Greenham Common ‘utopian woolly-headed idealists’, saying that it will never happen, it will never work. But it works every time.

“With the Right to Roam campaign, we’d like to see access expanded to include woodlands, green belt, rivers and downs, and to include kayaking, swimming and wild camping. Whose word have we taken that nature should be a holiday destination? Why can’t it be part of everyday life for everyone?”