75th Anniversary Events
The Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout 75 years ago has been described as the most significant event in the century-old battle for the Right to Roam on Britain’s mountains and moors, a right now enshrined in the 2000 Countryside and Rights of Way Act.
Trespassers are Celebrated
Environment Secretary David Miliband paid a glowing tribute to the 400 ramblers who 75 years ago exercised their right to roam on the Peak District moors, which later resulted in prison sentences for five of them.
Speaking on Saturday 21 April 2007 at the 75th anniversary celebrations at New Mills of the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass, Mr Miliband said that without the action of the trespassers, the nation would not have the National Parks nor freedom to roam on mountain and moorland which the 22 million annual visitors to the Peak enjoy today.
Confirming the Government’s support for the next step of opening up England’s coastline to public access, he explained: “We sometimes like to think that the thinking of politics is ahead of that of the people. There can be no doubt that in the 1930s, the politics were way behind the people, and the trespassers showed the way forward on access to moorland which is now enshrined in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act.”
Mr Miliband’s speech was the keynote of a celebration day of speeches, songs and stories centred on New Mills Town Hall, when about 300 ramblers from all over the country gathered to celebrate the anniversary.
Earlier in the day, Mr Miliband had named a Northern Rail train after Benny Rothman, the Manchester rambler who led the Mass Trespass in 1932. Assisting him in the ceremony at Manchester’s Piccadilly Station was Benny’s son, Harry, and two of his great grandchildren, Harvey and Isabella.
Speakers
Other speakers at the New Mills event, compered by BBC Radio 2 folk show host Mike Harding, included Sir Martin Doughty, chair of Natural England, who came up with a Trespass Trail walking route based on New Mills. The trail was officially opened by Mr Miliband at the New Mills Heritage Centre alongside a sign which read “Trespassers will be Celebrated – By Order”.
Lord Roy Hattersley, president of Friends of the Peak District; Kate Ashbrook, chair of the Ramblers’ Association; Tony Hams, chair of the Peak District National Park authority and Jim Perrin, writer, access activist and friend of Benny Rothman, were the other speakers.
Music, Drama, Walks and Exhibitions
Sally Goldsmith sang her song 'Trespassers Will Be Celebrated' composed for the 70th anniversary. There was a ‘work-in-progress’ performance of a new community play, On Common Ground, about the trespass, prior to a full performance later in the summer. The event concluded with a rousing rendition of Ewan MacColl’s famous access anthem, The Manchester Rambler.
Throughout the weekend, guided walks led by National Park, Derbyshire County Council and National Trust rangers took many hundreds of walkers along part of the 14-mile Trespass Trail – including a 101-year-old lady who had travelled up from London for the event.
Exhibitions and displays were on show at the Town Hall, Heritage Centre and Central Station.
