Ninety years
of the Ramblers
This New Year’s Day marks 90 years since the Ramblers was founded. Over the past nine decades, we’ve transformed lives and landscapes, changed the law and redrawn the map. Discover our incredible journey...
Ninety years
of the Ramblers
This New Year’s Day marks 90 years since the Ramblers was founded. Over the past nine decades, we’ve transformed lives and landscapes, changed the law and redrawn the map. Discover our incredible journey...
Before the Ramblers
18th and 19th centuries
Walking for pleasure grows in popularity as city dwellers head into the countryside to escape pollution and the stresses of daily life. Meanwhile, a series of Enclosure Acts, largely passed between 1760 and 1830, leads to formerly common land becoming privately owned – often to boost agricultural production. Newly erected walls, fences and hedges prevent the public from walking where they’d previously loved to roam.
Late 19th century
The earliest rambling clubs are founded, including the London-based Sunday Tramps (1879) and Epping Forest’s Forest Ramblers (1884). Besides enjoying country walks, the groups campaign for everyone’s right to access the countryside.
Early 20th century
By 1914, 5,200 Enclosure Bills have removed public access to 6.8 million acres in England alone – a fifth of all land. Walkers venturing into the British countryside risk prosecution, the wrath of gamekeepers and even mantraps.
1930s
September 1931
Six regional groups, representing walkers from all over Britain, join to form the National Council of Ramblers Federations. Their aim is to create a national body to represent walkers’ rights.
24 April 1932
History is made when 400 walkers from Manchester and Sheffield stage a mass trespass on Kinder Scout in the Peak District. They clash violently with gamekeepers sent by landowners to keep people off their land. Several of the ramblers, including leader Benny Rothman, are arrested and imprisoned. Although the National Council of Ramblers Federations doesn’t endorse the trespassers’ tactics, the event is a pivotal point in the Ramblers’ history. Over the following weeks, larger trespasses are held and public opinion sways in the trespassers’ favour. The Kinder Scout trespass is the start of a movement that eventually sees not just the formation of the Ramblers but also, gradually, better public access to the countryside.
1 January 1935
The Ramblers’ Association is officially created, gaining 300 affiliated clubs and 1,200 individual members in its first year. The fledgling organisation immediately begins lobbying for improved countryside access, long-distance paths, national parks and protections for public rights of way.
22 June 1935
Journalist and land access campaigner Tom Stephenson writes an article in the Daily Herald entitled WANTED: A Long Green Trail, proposing the creation of the Pennine Way and drawing inspiration from the Appalachian and John Muir Trails in the US.
1938
The first Ramblers’ Association office opens in Liverpool.
1940s
1940s onwards
An emergency committee continues the Ramblers’ Association’s work during the Second World War. Its leaflet Walking in Wartime advises ramblers to always carry an identity card and finish walking before nightfall.
1945
The Ramblers’ Association moves to a London office.
28 March 1946
A new commercial arm, Ramblers’ Association Services Limited, begins organising walking tours and guesthouse stays in Britain and abroad. This eventually becomes a separate entity and one of Britain’s leading holiday companies, long known as Ramblers Walking Holidays and now Ramble Worldwide – still an expert provider of walking holidays and a major supporter of the Ramblers.
1948
Tom Stephenson becomes Ramblers’ Association secretary – our first full-time employee. Meanwhile, Hugh Dalton, the environmentalist, Labour politician and post-war chancellor, is appointed as our first president.
December 1949
Under Tom Stephenson’s leadership, the Ramblers’ Association helps bring about the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, which eventually leads to the creation of national parks, national trails and national nature reserves in England and Wales. The act also introduces new legislation for recording public rights of way, and places a duty on county councils to compile a Definitive Map of paths – developments the organisation has campaigned for since its inception.
Tom Stephenson was the Ramblers’ Association’s first secretary and full-time employee
Tom Stephenson was the Ramblers’ Association’s first secretary and full-time employee
1940s
1940s onwards
An emergency committee continues the Ramblers’ Association’s work during the Second World War. Its leaflet Walking in Wartime advises ramblers to always carry an identity card and finish walking before nightfall.
1945
The Ramblers’ Association moves to a London office.
28 March 1946
A new commercial arm, Ramblers’ Association Services Limited, begins organising walking tours and guesthouse stays in Britain and abroad. This eventually becomes a separate entity and one of Britain’s leading holiday companies, long known as Ramblers Walking Holidays and now Ramble Worldwide – still an expert provider of walking holidays and a major supporter of the Ramblers.
1948
Tom Stephenson becomes Ramblers’ Association secretary – our first full-time employee. Meanwhile, Hugh Dalton, the environmentalist, Labour politician and post-war chancellor, is appointed as our first president.
December 1949
Under Tom Stephenson’s leadership, the Ramblers’ Association helps bring about the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, which eventually leads to the creation of national parks, national trails and national nature reserves in England and Wales. The act also introduces new legislation for recording public rights of way, and places a duty on county councils to compile a Definitive Map of paths – developments the organisation has campaigned for since its inception.
Our changing look
The Ramblers logo and image have evolved with the times.
Our changing look
The Ramblers logo and image have evolved with the times.
1950s and 60s
6 July 1951
Hugh Dalton, now minister of town and country planning, approves the Pennine Way, Britain’s first National Trail. Seventy miles of new public rights of way are created to complete the route.
Early 1950s
The Ramblers’ Association and Open Spaces Society successfully campaign for rights of way to be shown on Ordnance Survey maps.
24 April 1965
The Pennine Way is officially opened, 30 years after Tom Stephenson proposed it.
1965
The first Scottish area is established by the Ramblers’ Association, leading to the creation of Ramblers Scotland.
1968
Following Ramblers’ Association campaigning, the Countryside Act 1968 comes into law. One benefit for walkers is that local authorities must now signpost every public right of way where it meets a road.
1970s
The Ramblers’ Association fights a hard, but ultimately successful, battle to stop Ordnance Survey from withdrawing its Pathfinder (1:25,000) maps, which have the level of detail that walkers need to plan a route.
1973
Ramblers’ Association volunteer David Sharp attends a meeting with the River Thames Society, where he proposes a Thames Path National Trail.
1974
Ramblers Cymru is formed.
1970s
The Ramblers’ Association fights a hard, but ultimately successful, battle to stop Ordnance Survey from withdrawing its Pathfinder (1:25,000) maps, which have the level of detail that walkers need to plan a route.
1973
Ramblers’ Association volunteer David Sharp attends a meeting with the River Thames Society, where he proposes a Thames Path National Trail.
1974
Ramblers Cymru is formed.
Our presidents
The Ramblers president is a high-profile honorary position promoting our work. We’ve welcomed many well-known walking enthusiasts into this role over the years:
Hugh Dalton Labour MP and former chancellor of the exchequer
Chris Hall journalist and historian
Peter Melchett (Lord Melchett) farmer and environmental campaigner
Fay Godwin landscape photographer and land access campaigner
Janet Street-Porter journalist and broadcaster
Floella Benjamin actress, presenter and now Liberal Democrat peer
Julia Bradbury broadcaster and nature advocate
Mike Harding comedian and singer
Kate Ashbrook campaigner and general secretary of the Open Spaces Society
Stuart Maconie DJ, writer and presenter
Amar Latif TV personality and travel entrepreneur, aka the Blind Adventurer
Our presidents
The Ramblers president is a high-profile honorary position promoting our work. We’ve welcomed many well-known walking enthusiasts into this role over the years:
Hugh Dalton Labour MP and former chancellor of the exchequer
Chris Hall journalist and historian
Peter Melchett (Lord Melchett) farmer and environmental campaigner
Fay Godwin landscape photographer and land access campaigner
Janet Street-Porter journalist and broadcaster
Floella Benjamin actress, presenter and now Liberal Democrat peer
Julia Bradbury broadcaster and nature advocate
Mike Harding comedian and singer
Kate Ashbrook campaigner and general secretary of the Open Spaces Society
Stuart Maconie DJ, writer and presenter
Amar Latif TV personality and travel entrepreneur, aka the Blind Adventurer
1980s
1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 places a duty on local authorities to keep the Definitive Map under ‘continuous review’. The Ramblers' Association lobbies successfully for an important addition, allowing anyone with suitable evidence to apply for a path to be added.
1985
Celebrations for the Ramblers' Association's 50th anniversary include a nationwide 181-day relay Jubilee Walk and tidy-up days. A new campaign, Forbidden Britain, revives the spirit of the Kinder Scout trespass with a demand for broader freedom to roam. After a launch event at Snailsden Moor, Yorkshire, Forbidden Britain rallies take place across the country over the coming years.
Celebrating 50 years with a nationwide Jubilee Walk and clean-up days
Celebrating 50 years with a nationwide Jubilee Walk and clean-up days
1987
The Ramblers’ Association wins a major high court victory against the Department of the Environment over its attempt to delete a public footpath in Kirkby Underwood, Lincolnshire. The ruling helpfully confirms that being on the Definitive Map is conclusive evidence of a path’s existence.
7 May 1989
In one of the Ramblers’ Association’s biggest demonstrations, more than 3,000 people gather at Rivington, Lancashire, to protest against the government’s plan to privatise the water industry, which threatens the public’s freedom to access half a million acres of land owned by water authorities in England and Wales. Among the speakers is Benny Rothman, leader of the 1932 Kinder Trespass. Two months later, the Water Act 1989 is passed, including amendments we fought for to protect recreational access to the water companies’ land.
The Rivington Pledge, 1989
The Rivington Pledge, 1989
1989
A Ramblers’ Association member spots a barn being built across a public path and reports it to East Sussex County Council. The barn is on land owned by notorious businessman and landlord Nicholas van Hoogstraten, who calls ramblers ‘the absolute scum of the earth’. A lengthy legal battle begins…
1990s
13 July 1990
Introduction of the Rights of Way Act 1990, based on a bill drafted by the Ramblers’ Association and other outdoor organisations to strengthen the law regarding landowners closing paths for ploughing and cropping.
1993
A major Ramblers’ Association campaign against privatisation of the Forestry Commission is successful, safeguarding people’s freedom to roam across 2 million acres of forest throughout Britain.
24 July 1996
The Thames Path National Trail opens, following 23 years of surveying, reporting, lobbying and liaising with landowners by David Sharp and other Ramblers’ Association volunteers.
1998
Ramblers’ Association volunteer Gordon Emery wins a 10-year legal battle to have a popular path along the River Dee recognised and protected as a right of way. Helpfully, the Court of Appeal gives clear guidance on proving a right of way exists, paving the way for many more successful applications.
1990s
Introduction of the Rights of Way Act 1990, based on a bill drafted by the Ramblers’ Association and other outdoor organisations to strengthen the law regarding landowners closing paths for ploughing and cropping.
1993
A major Ramblers’ Association campaign against privatisation of the Forestry Commission is successful, safeguarding people’s freedom to roam across 2 million acres of forest throughout Britain.
24 July 1996
The Thames Path National Trail opens, following 23 years of surveying, reporting, lobbying and liaising with landowners by David Sharp and other Ramblers’ Association volunteers.
1998
Ramblers’ Association volunteer Gordon Emery wins a 10-year legal battle to have a popular path along the River Dee recognised and protected as a right of way. Helpfully, the Court of Appeal gives clear guidance on proving a right of way exists, paving the way for many more successful applications.
Keeping in touch with our members
A regular newsletter or magazine has been a benefit of Ramblers membership for more than 75 years:
Ramblers’ News 1949-1960
Rucksack 1960-1986
Rucksack Rambler 1986-1991
The Rambler and Rambling Today 1991-2003
walk launched in 2003
2000s
2000
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 is passed after 15 years of campaigning by the Ramblers’ Association. The public can now roam freely across more than 2 million more acres of land in England and Wales.
2000
Introduction of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 after huge efforts from Ramblers’ Association members and staff. This allows the first Scottish National Parks to be created: Loch Lomond & The Trossachs in 2002 and Cairngorms in 2003.
2003
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act gives the public the right to responsibly access almost all Scottish land. After almost 70 years of Ramblers’ Association campaigning, this is a huge success, giving walkers in Scotland world-leading access rights.
10 February 2003
After a 13-year battle involving multiple legal proceedings and protests, the blocked public footpath on Nicholas van Hoogstraten’s Sussex estate is reopened. Our members are joined by press and TV news crews as a barn, refrigeration units, padlocked gates and barbed wire are removed, reopening the ancient path to the public at last.
2005
The new Scottish Outdoor Access Code gives visitors to Scotland’s countryside guidance on using their access rights responsibly – and land managers advice on supporting public access.
2007
The Ramblers’ Association brings a legal case regarding two unsuccessful applications to add paths to the Definitive Map in Berkshire and Cambridgeshire. The case goes all the way to the House of Lords, who not only overturn the rulings but also provide useful clarifications, ultimately helping us win more enquiries than ever before.
2009
The Ramblers’ Association becomes known as the Ramblers.
2009
The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 is passed – the catalyst for the eventual creation of the King Charles III England Coast Path.
Celebrating the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; reopening the right of way after victory in the van Hoogstraten case; the Land Reform (Scotland) Act transformed access rights for walkers in Scotland; taking our coast path campaign to Westminster
Celebrating the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; reopening the right of way after victory in the van Hoogstraten case; the Land Reform (Scotland) Act transformed access rights for walkers in Scotland; taking our coast path campaign to Westminster
Celebrating our 75th birthday; The Out There Award gives young people outdoor skills
Celebrating our 75th birthday; The Out There Award gives young people outdoor skills
2010s
January 2010
The Ramblers celebrates its 75th birthday. Journalists, politicians and the BBC’s The One Show are among those who join our celebratory ‘baton walks’ throughout Britain.
March 2010
The South Downs is designated Britain’s newest National Park, following a lengthy campaign by local and national Ramblers and other supporters.
5 May 2012
Thanks in part to the work of Ramblers Cymru, Wales becomes the first country in the world to have a path around its entire coastline.
2012
The Ramblers takes over delivery of the Walking for Health programme, previously run by Natural England. Today, these short, gentle group walks are called Ramblers Wellbeing Walks, with about 165 groups around England, all led by volunteers trained and insured by the Ramblers.
Opening of the Wales Coast Path; taking over the Walking for Health programme; Mapping Scotland's Paths
Opening of the Wales Coast Path; taking over the Walking for Health programme; Mapping Scotland's Paths
2015
The government announces funding for an England Coast Path – something the Ramblers has long campaigned for to benefit public health and wellbeing, and boost coastal economies. Hundreds of our volunteers are involved in mapping and surveying the route.
2019
Ramblers Scotland launches the groundbreaking Out There Award – fun, free, inclusive training sessions to give young people vital outdoor skills and kick-start their journey into the outdoors.
2019
Ramblers Scotland begins Mapping Scotland’s Paths, aiming to compile the most comprehensive-ever map of the nation’s paths. Within five years, more than 400 volunteers have audited over 13,000 existing paths and added over 2,800 not previously mapped, creating a fantastically useful resource for outdoor enthusiasts in Scotland.
2020s
Early 2020
The Don’t Lose Your Way project sees thousands of Ramblers supporters searching historic maps for evidence of lost footpaths all over England and Wales. Together, we find more than 49,000 miles of unmapped paths at risk of being lost forever. Hundreds of dedicated volunteers have since been working to save as many as possible. Following lobbying by Ramblers Cymru, the Welsh Senedd commits to removing the deadline for logging unmapped paths in Wales. But we face a race against time in England, where there’s a cut-off date of 2031.
2021-23
Ramblers Cymru’s Paths to Wellbeing project creates 145 new walking routes throughout Wales and engages 1,600 volunteers to help previously under-served communities enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of walking.
Today
Ninety years after we were founded, the Ramblers has more than 500 walking groups throughout England, Scotland and Wales, organising about 50,000 group walks a year for our 104,000 members. Meanwhile, 25,000 amazing Ramblers volunteers give their time and skills to keep Britain walking.
The next chapter
Our many wonderful achievements over the past 90 years have only been possible because of our members’ support and volunteers’ dedication. There’s still a huge amount to do to increase countryside access, improve infrastructure for walkers and help millions more people experience the joys and health benefits of being active outdoors. Please help us by:
• becoming a Ramblers member (if you’re not one already) or buying a loved one a gift membership
• making a donation to support our projects and campaigns
• volunteering a little of your time – we always need people to lead walks, repair paths, research historical documents and much more.
We are the Ramblers, Britain’s walking charity. We open the way for everyone to enjoy the simple pleasures of walking. And we step up to protect the places we all love to wander. Click to find out more
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