The Ramblers map of inaccessible Britain

Walkers’ campaigners are urging outdoor enthusiasts to take part in a ‘virtual trespass’ as the 80th anniversary of the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass approaches.

The Ramblers said that, 80 years after the confrontation on the Peak District’s highest hill between young walkers and the Duke of Devonshire’s gamekeepers, many of England and Wales’s best countryside is inaccessible.

The campaigning charity has produced a map of trouble spots, including notorious sites such as Vixen Tor and Gibraltar Point, where walkers and other outdoor fans are barred from enjoying the countryside.

As part of the Kinder 80 campaign, the Ramblers has also set up a ‘virtual trespass’ Facebook page for members of the public to upload pictures of blocked footpaths, broken bridges and areas which remain out-of-bounds to create a picture of the countryside which is waiting for walkers.

Nicky Philpott, Ramblers director of campaigns and policy, said: “Since the mass trespass on Kinder Scout 80 years ago, people are now free to roam over large swathes of our countryside. We’ve helped to create national parks, a properly recorded network of footpaths and in May we’ll see the launch of the Wales Coast Path – a world first.

“But the journey those trespassers started is far from over. Our countryside combines rugged mountains and rolling fields, magical forests and meandering waterways and it is sad that not all of these scenic sites can be shared by everyone.

“Ensure that the spirit of the original trespassers lives on; let us know the local places you still can’t walk and join us in our campaign to open up the countryside and make Britain the most walker-friendly nation in the world.”

The Kinder Scout Mass Trespass took place on 24 April 1932 when a large group of young ramblers led by Manchester Communist Benny Rothman set out from Hayfield in Derbyshire in an effort to claim the right to walk on the hills.

The move was condemned at the time by many of the established ramblers’ federations and six participants, including Mr Rothman, were jailed for their part in the protest.

The 80th anniversary will be marked by events at Hayfield later this month.

More details of the Ramblers Kinder 80 campaign are on its website and the virtual trespass is on its Facebook page.