A Short History

Britain’s national parks were born from a fight for the right to roam. In 1932 hundreds of walkers joined the Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout, protesting at being shut out of the moors. Seventeen years later the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 set out to protect the country’s finest landscapes for everyone.

In 1951 the Peak District became the very first national park, followed the same year by the Lake District, Snowdonia and Dartmoor. Scotland joined in 2002 with Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, and the South Downs became the newest in 2010.

Today there are 15 national parks across England, Scotland and Wales, covering around a tenth of Britain. They are living landscapes, home to farms, villages and wildlife, and open for everyone to explore on foot.