On April 24th, 1932 the Kinder mass trespass took place. The Duke of Devonshire would not let walkers on his grouse moors between Manchester and Sheffield. Walkers and political activists challenged him with a deliberate trespass, battling with game keepers. Some were arrested and jailed. Folksinger and communist Ewan McColl wrote “The Manchester Rambler”, a song asking how can a man own a mountain?
After 88 years we have access to many wild areas of the country and national trails including the Pennine Way, which goes over Kinder Scout. In Kent we have the North Downs Way and hundreds of kilometres of other public paths.
There’s an annual commemoration of the mass trespass but not this year.
This rambling is my introduction to this Sunday’s walk, which included a symbolic trespass through an orchard.
A lovely sunny day, through orchards to the south of Canterbury, turning round at the top of a hill for views of the cathedral. Numbers of runners, cyclists and walkers, some with dogs. I chose paths where a two metre separation is possible, sometimes involving trespass among the fruit trees. Apples and pears i think, covered in blossom.
In one orchard i left the path and walked between the trees: my symbolic act. And why not? I was doing no damage.
Part of the walk between New House Lane and Cockering Road was in fields being turned into a housing estate. More traffic, more demand for water. And where will the residents work? But population increases and people must live somewhere?
Three miles in about ninety minutes. A great spring day.
Rambling Brummie 