This is the last of my conversations recorded over the Kinder Mass Trespass ninetieth anniversary weekend in the High Peaks of Derbyshire in Hayfield village hall.
Ninety years ago, members of the young communist league gathered at Kinder Scout here in Derbyshire to highlight that walkers were denied access to areas of open country. When the group reached the plateau of Kinder Scout, there were violent scuffles with gamekeepers, and five ramblers were arrested. They received jail sentences ranging from two to six months for offences relating to violence involving the keepers.
It is easy to complacent about our access to open country. We assume that the numerous studies providing overwhelming evidence that walking in nature improves both physical and mental health will be enough to ensure that footpaths remain enshrined in law as public rights of way.
Sadly this isn't true; our access is constantly under threat as more and more green space is earmarked for development. Luckily my guest today, Kate Ashbrook, has dedicated her life to campaigning for our right to roam in the countryside.
Kate has been general secretary of the Open Spaces Society, Britain's oldest national conservation body, for more than 35 years. She was also the first woman and youngest-ever chair of the Ramblers Association, and patron of the Walkers Are Welcome Towns Network, as well as many other environmental groups. Her campaigning was hugely influential in establishing Walkers' rights to travel through common land and uncultivated upland, protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CROW Act) of 2000.
Kate's values and character are integral to her role, and she says, "it is vital to be tough and fearless never to start by compromising, or you give away too much and never give up."
During her time as a trustee of the Ramblers Association, she has never missed a committee meeting.
She acknowledges the gravitas of her work; "we are not a fringe group, we are mainstream, we change lives, and we save lives."
It is a great privilege to converse with Kate, especially in Hayfield on the historic ninetieth anniversary of the Kinder Trespass.
Kate says, "But history is not an end in itself, it informs our future, and we can learn from it. It gives us credibility and clout. We must never forget that proud record of campaigning and take it with us into future battles."
I thank Kate and wish her every success as she selflessly campaigns on behalf of all of us who appreciate the ability to access open spaces.
Follow Kate Ashbrook's blog here: https://campaignerkate.wordpress.com/
Find out more about the Tent People: www.thetentpeople.co.uk
Hayfield Kinder Trespass Group: https://kindertrespass.org.uk/