Wild camping in England: still against the lawThe petition to legalise wild camping in England and Wales now has more than a thousand signatures.

The plea to the Prime Minister to give campers south of the border the same rights to pitch their tents in open countryside as enjoyed by outdoor lovers in Scotland passed the thousand mark on Thursday. Since then, a further 65 people have added their names.

Wild camping in England: still against the law 

The petition is the idea of Darren Christie and has attracted the support of some big hitters in the outdoor world, including Cameron McNeish, John Manning, Chris Townsend, Dave Mycroft and Terry Marsh. Chris Smith has also added his moniker. grough wonders if this could be Baron Smith of Finsbury, first MP to complete a round of the munros and former Ramblers’ Association president. Otherwise, there’s a distinct lack of RA recognisable names. There is, however, Clint Trigg who, if he’s not a made-up name, deserves a chapter of his own in the outdoor annals for combining two well-know phenomena of the walking world.

Darren has also set up a blog to keep us up to date with the campaign developments. He and fellow protagonist Andy Howell were at the recent Outdoors Show at the NEC near Birmingham to publicise the campaign.

You have until 24 May to add your voice to those who think it’s a good idea to enjoy the solitude of the hills of England and Wales to set up camp for a day or two, far from the madding crowds and lager louts who seem to populate campsites in the honeypots of our outdoor playgrounds.

And yes: grough’s editor has put his name on the list.