Shefffield Clarion Ramblers, founded in 1900, was at one time the largest and most influential club of its kind in the British Isles. So there should be considerable local interest in our latest talk on Monday, 7th September, when speakers John Hull and Mike Richards recount (in words and music) the events of 1932 and the Kinder Trespass which, it can be argued, led to the formation of Britain’s National Parks and in particular the oldest of them all, the Peak District which we have on our own doorstep.
Sheffield Clarion Ramblers were at the vanguard of the protest movement which culminated in the co-ordinated ‘invasion’ of Kinder Scout when three separate groups of walkers approached the beauty spot from different directions.
As far back as the early 1800s, Kinder Scout was a popular area for hikers to visit and enjoy the natural beauty of the landscape. However, wealthy landowners began to guard the land zealously, forcefully evicting members of the public who the landowners claimed were disturbing the nesting of grouse from which they sought to profit.
During the 1930s, there was increasing pressure for greater access to mountains and moorlands as members of the public sought to escape the grim conditions of towns and cities. All legal attempts to open the land failed as the landowners were unwilling to compromise, and landowners began attacking members of the public with dogs.
Frustrated by the lack of progress achieved through lobbying parliament to grant the public free access to the countryside, activists took to trespassing on privately owned countryside as a form of protest against wealthy landowners.
The harshness of sentences imposed on the leaders of the protest was headline news in local and national newspapers, resulting in the issue gaining public attention and sympathy. The subsequent access rally staged in Winnats Pass attracted 10,000 people to attend in support of greater access to the adjacent moorland.
At our last meeting on Mon 17th August, food historian Mike Dawson gave us the inside story of Sheffield’s famous Henderson’s Relish. Glyn Davies’s blog of Mike’s talk is now published under Previous Talks. This is Glyn’s final blog, and we thank him for his past contributions.
Stumperlowe Probus Club’s highly successful talks normally take place at Fulwood Sports Club on the first and third Mondays of each month, except on Bank holidays. Out of an active membership of 60, we usually have an attendance of just over 40, so come early to get the best seats in the house. We gather at 10am for tea or coffee, with the main business of the day starting at 10.30am. The talk on 7th September will be followed by a committee meeting